In Psalm 56 David overcomes his fear by knowing who is for him in his circumstance, who will preserve him regardless of who against him. That person who is for him is God...What does David know that has taught him that he has no need be fearful? This Psalm tells us.
The Daily Psalms are given with the intention to encourage Christians to read and meditate on these scriptures in order to grow in their faith and relationship with God. They are released every Tuesday and Thursday for the following week on all major Podcast platforms. May the Lord bless you as you ponder His Word.
Presented by Michael Mullen
To be brave in the midst of trying circumstance is not natural, rather fear is. By nature we are all timid, and we learn how to be brave by overcoming our fears.
In Psalm 56 David overcomes his fear by knowing who is for him in his circumstance, who will preserve him regardless of who against him. That person who is for him is God. Still the temptation is more than real, it is pervasive. David says in verse three, “…when I am afraid…” He says in verse five “I shall not be afraid.” There is a resolve in this that shows courage and an extraordinary tenacity. What does David know that has taught him that he has no need be fearful? This Psalm tells us.
First God is very near. He says “you have gathered my tears in a bottle; you keep count of all my tossing.” Think of this. Every tear that flows down your face, the Lord knows and remembers. God sees our fears, sorrows, and concerns, every one of them.
Second, God is actively for us. He is on our side, on your side, working on your behalf. Those who devise evil intentions for us will not succeed, for he who holds our future has made it as his purpose our welfare, never our destruction. David says, “This I know, God is for me.”
Finally, God is never aloof or distant from us. We see this most graphically when Christ, God Himself, came to us in space and time to be with us. While he was with us, he wept, he suffered, he endured the most crushing anguish. He is our guarantee that God is for us. It is written so in his blood and tears. God cares about us, about you, about your problems and suffering, and he is for us.
It is in such knowledge that David is able to steel himself against his opponents and say, “This I know, that God is for me.” And if God is on our side, then we can trust him for our circumstance and all our future.
Be confident, God is on your side.
“In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?”