1 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2 My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
9 When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word),
In the LORD (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
13 For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?—Psalm 56
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You….
Beloved…I don’t know about you, but in my life there are always temptations to fear. For me catastrophic loss lurks behind every precious moment God gives me. When this kind of fear hits it is important that I give it no foothold. It is vital that I remember and meditate on who my God is. David kind of does that in this Psalm as he speaks about God’s tender lovingkindness and compassion.
Throughout all of my wanderings and changeable circumstances my God is not only with me but He numbers them. He chronicles all of my miseries. He notices every tear I shed and puts each of them in His bottle. I do not serve a God who is aloof, uncaring and distant. I serve Him who draws near to the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. The steadfast love of my God endures all day. He is always with me and never leaves me. My God is for me…He is on my side and loves me with an everlasting love.
Today, no matter my circumstance (even saying that fills me with dread) I will trust and walk in His steadfast love toward me that never ceases. Today, Father, I give my earthly fears and cares into the hands of Perfect Love. Today, I will render to You all of my praise and thanksgiving. Your grace is sufficient and Your help is sure.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.—Isaiah 26:3-4
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.—Psalm 94:19
