Psalms 56 - Psalm 56 / In God I Trust
The Weight of Life and a King in a Cave
We are going to be in Psalm 56 today. As a pastor, I frequently put my ear to the tracks of our church and our community. I check the emails coming in, and I just get a feel for what is happening in people’s lives. Right now, I sense a real weight. Do you feel it? There is just a heaviness in the air.
We have educators who are well trained receiving pink slips and trying to find work. We have people with master’s degrees who literally cannot land a job. We have parents whose grown children are strung out on drugs and desperately trying to find recovery. We have men processing sex addiction and doing the hard work to break free. We have marriages that are hanging by a thread, with the sheer weight of relational brokenness dragging people down.
Life is happening to us, whether we wish it or not. Tragedy strikes. Loved ones pass away and must be buried. Unemployment rises, the economy tanks, and the bank is calling because they want the house. That is the reality we live in right now. In the middle of all that, the question on my heart is probably the exact same question on yours: Where is God in all of this? How do we handle this kind of angst and despair?
If you want to know what the Bible says about handling that kind of difficulty, Psalm 56 is an incredible place to start. It gives us an unsanitized look into the life of David.
If you read through the Old Testament, David’s life is full of confusing and dramatic events. It begins with this young shepherd boy. The prophet Samuel comes to David’s father, Jesse, to inspect all the sons and see which one will be anointed as the next king of Israel. They start with the big, strong, impressive older brothers and work all the way down the line. None of them is the one. Samuel finally asks Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?” You can almost see Jesse shrugging his shoulders: “Well, yeah, there is the runt out in the field playing his little harp with the sheep. I guess I could call him in.”
They bring David in, and the Lord tells Samuel that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. God says, “That’s my boy.” Samuel anoints David to be king.
1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB)
But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’
1 Samuel 16:13 (NASB)
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
Shortly after that, the Philistines attack Israel. They send out their champion Goliath—a towering giant, the Brock Lesnar of the ancient world—right into the middle of the valley. Goliath stands there bellowing at the armies of Israel: “Send me a man! One-on-one, mano-a-mano! Whoever wins takes all! If you have anyone who can take me on, let’s dance!” For forty straight days, he comes out morning and evening to mock the people of God.
Then little David shows up. David is like a Jack Russell terrier—he is all fire. He is ready to charge the headlights of an SUV moving at a hundred miles an hour. He hears Goliath and says, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” His older brothers are furious with him. They ask, “What are you doing here?” Think about why they were so angry. The oldest brother was passed over when Samuel anointed the runt, and now the oldest brother is standing on the battle lines terrified to fight Goliath. King Saul, the big, tall warrior the people demanded, is trembling in his tent.
So David, infused with holy passion and his calling from God, steps into the valley. He picks up five smooth stones and takes down Goliath with a single sling shot. Why did he pick up five stones? Was it just in case he missed? Goliath had four brothers. Maybe David knew that when you pick a fight with one, you have to be ready to fight the whole family. Either way, David takes out the giant.
1 Samuel 17:40 (NASB)
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in [his] pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:49-50 (NASB)
And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung [it], and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand.
You would think David was on an easy road to the palace after that. But King Saul becomes insanely jealous. The women of Israel begin singing, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Saul’s jealousy eats him alive. He tries to pin David to the wall with a spear. I do not know about you, but I do not throw spears at my friends.
David has to run for his life. In his desperation, he ends up hiding in the caves of Adullam, near the city of Gath. Goliath was from Gath. David is so desperate that he flees to the territory of his former enemies and hides in a hole in the ground.
1 Samuel 21:10 (NASB)
Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath.
1 Samuel 22:1 (NASB)
So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard [of it], they went down there to him.
About two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to climb through those very caves where David hid. When you are in there, you can feel the desperation. Here is the anointed king of Israel, crouching in the dark dirt, fearing for his life. Circumstances around him are awful. He has received his proverbial pink slip. Life is happening to him. He did not ask for this. He could easily say, “God, what is the deal? You anointed me king, and now I’m sitting in this dark hole. Hello?”
Have you ever felt like that? Can we just be honest with each other? Have you ever said, “God, seriously, this isn’t funny. Life is beating me up right now. I need to know where You are because this hurts. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, my blood pressure is through the roof, and I’m a mess. God, are You going to come through?”
Despair and the First Wave of Fear
That is the exact context of Psalm 56. The historical heading tells us this is a Miktam of David, set to the tune of “The Dove on Far-off Terebinths,” written when the Philistines seized him in Gath. I do not have that melody in my music library, but that was the tune.
Psalms 56:1 (NASB)
For the choir director; according to Jonath elem rehokim. A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
This short, thirteen-verse song contains a chorus repeated twice—first in verses 3 and 4, and again in verses 10 and 11. It opens with what Charles Spurgeon called “the source of all my expectations, and the one fountain of all promises.” It begins with a raw cry for the grace of God.
David cries out, “Be gracious to me, O God!” Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you did not even know what specific words to pray? You just say, “God, please be nice to me. Be gracious to me. Be kind to me.”
David has legitimate cause for concern. A creeping despair is enveloping his life. He says, “For man tramples on me.” That word “trample” literally means to pant after someone, like a hunting hound chasing down its prey. The hounds are breathing down David’s neck. He feels like a rat cornered by dogs. He says, “All day long an attacker oppresses me. My enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.”
Psalms 56:1-2 (NASB)
For the choir director; according to Jonath elem rehokim. A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me. My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me.
Have you noticed that trials rarely come in isolation? If trouble came one isolated thing at a time, you could take it on the chin and keep moving. But trials love to travel in packs. They gang up on you. The car breaks down, your key snaps off in the door, you ruin your brand new shoes, and then you trip and chip a tooth. It just piles on.
I was talking to some young parents recently who were exhausted because their baby keeps waking them up at 2:00 AM. I told them, “Be encouraged: the only thing harder than being woken up by a baby at 2:00 AM is being awake at 2:00 AM wondering where your grown child is.” Life piles on, and darkness creeps in.
What is David’s response? Remember who this is. This is King David—the man after God’s own heart, the prototype for every king that followed. When you read verse 3, you might expect David to offer a hyper-spiritual quote: “Oh, but God, I know that all things work together for good to those who love Thee and are called according to Thy purpose!” You always have to use King James pronouns when you are being hyper-spiritual. Or you might expect him to say, “Brother, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials!”
Romans 8:28 (NASB)
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose.
James 1:2 (NASB)
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Look at what David actually says in verse 3:
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”
Psalms 56:3 (NASB)
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
I looked that up in the original Hebrew to see what profound mystery lay underneath. You know what it means in Hebrew? “When I am afraid.” Seminary is a wonderful investment of money!
David’s first-wave, visceral, emotional response to difficulty is fear. I am so thankful the Holy Spirit left that in the text. Have you noticed that your first-wave reactions are rarely controlled by the Spirit? Go pound a nail into a two-by-four and smash your thumb—your first-wave reaction is almost certainly fleshly, not sanctified.
David’s gut reaction is fear. It reminds me of Matthew 14, when Jesus sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A ferocious storm hits, and the disciples are terrified. Then Jesus comes walking toward them on the water. Peter—my man Peter, the ultimate “ready, fire, aim” disciple—says, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus says, “Come.”
Matthew 14:28-29 (NASB)
Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water! Can you imagine that moment? But the text says that when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid. How do you see the wind? You see its effects. Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves. He thought, “I am going to drown out here,” and he began to sink. In terror, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Matthew 14:30 (NASB)
But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’
Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. When we were on the Sea of Galilee in Israel, a pastor shared a devotional on this passage that opened my eyes. In that roaring storm, with the wind howling, Jesus looks at Peter and says, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” The disciples back in the boat probably could not even hear them over the crashing waves. It was an intimate moment between Jesus and Peter. Jesus was saying, “Buddy, there is no need to doubt. Do not take your eyes off Me and fix them on the waves. Focus on Me. I am with you.”
Matthew 14:31 (NASB)
Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’
Anchoring Trust in God’s Word
That is the exact picture David paints. He says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” Fear and trust are mingled together in the exact same moment. I love that, because that is how real life feels. When difficulty hits my family, I do not immediately float above it with effortless spiritual serenity. My stomach drops.
I remember when my wife was pregnant with Peyton, our oldest daughter. We went in for an ultrasound to hear the heartbeat. I was praying, “Lord, let it be a boy!” God has a sense of humor, because He blessed me with daughters. The doctor put the gel on her stomach and moved the wand around, listening for that heartbeat. Then I watched the doctor’s face change. My heart sank. There was no heartbeat. We had lost the baby in a miscarriage. In that raw moment, my immediate reaction was fleshly: “God, really? Are You kidding me? I’m a pastor! Hook a brother up!” Fear and grief hit you like a freight train.
David says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” The Hebrew word for “trust” means to set one’s hope firmly, to have complete confidence, to stand on terra firma—solid ground. David is saying, “Even though I feel fear, God, I choose to stand on something far bigger than my feelings.”
Our first-wave reaction may be fear, but our sanctified choice must be trust. There is a Rock that is higher than us. There is a foundation, an anchor that is bigger than any storm, bigger than any pink slip, bigger than any foreclosure notice. There is a God who is sovereign, good, just, and faithful, and He knows your name.
Notice where this trust leads in verse 4:
“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
Psalms 56:4 (NASB)
In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can [mere] man do to me?
Why does David mention God’s word? Because how else do you know who God is? How else do I know His character? If we never read our Bibles, we are just living off somebody else’s quiet time or surviving on second-hand spiritual snacks. David had stored God’s Word in his heart, so when tragedy struck, the reservoir was already full.
Most people only try to grow during crisis moments. But when the house is on fire, that is the wrong time to call an agent to buy homeowner’s insurance. It is too late! You need the anchor in place before the storm hits. Because David knew the promises of God, his fear gave way to trust, and his trust gave him perspective.
When we operate in the flesh, every problem looks like Mount Everest: “I lost my job! What am I going to do?” Without the sovereignty of God, that is terrifying. But when your foundation is the Living God, everything gets put into proper perspective.
Paul described this in 2 Corinthians 4 when he told the believers that our momentary, light afflictions are producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. The visible things are temporary, but the unseen things are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NASB)
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Paul also wrote in Romans 5 that we rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, perseverance brings proven character, and proven character brings hope—a hope that will never disappoint us.
Romans 5:3-5 (NASB)
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Do you think David learned something while crawling on his belly in a dark cave hiding from Saul? He learned what it meant to be a humble leader who depends entirely on God. Saul was too busy checking his armor and admiring his own reputation to write psalms. But David was cultivating a heart after God. He realized that trials have a divine purpose.
God Keeps Count of Every Tear
In verses 5 and 6, David describes the ongoing pressure: “All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.”
Psalms 56:5-6 (NASB)
All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited [to take] my life.
That is an exhausting way to live. But look at verse 7: David does not take vengeance into his own hands. He entrusts his enemies to God: “For their crime, will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!”
Psalms 56:7 (NASB)
Because of wickedness, cast them forth, In anger put down the peoples, O God!
He leaves the outcome to the Righteous Judge. But the storm is still howling. Is God aware of what you are walking through right now? Is He asleep at the wheel, or does He actually care? Look at verse 8:
“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?”
Psalms 56:8 (NASB)
You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are [they] not in Your book?
The word “tossings” refers to David’s wanderings and sleepless nights. God is intimately acquainted with every single step you take. He saw every dark cave David had to crawl through, and He sees every heavy step you are taking right now.
David says, “You put my tears in Your bottle.” In ancient cultures, tear bottles were kept to preserve tears shed during profound grief. God records every tear you have ever cried. Not a single drop of your pain escapes His notice.
Remember in Luke 7 when the sinful woman came into the Pharisee’s house, fell at Jesus’s feet, washed His feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair? Jesus did not pull away in disgust. He commended her love and honored her tears. Every tear you shed matters to God.
Luke 7:37-38 (NASB)
And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining [at the table] in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind [Him] at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
Luke 7:44 (NASB)
Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, ’Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
Jesus reminded us in Matthew 10: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29-31 (NASB)
’Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And [yet] not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ’But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ’So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
God knows the name of the bank calling you. He knows the job you just lost. He knows the street corner where your child is wandering, and He knows their recovery plan. He knows the private burdens you carry that you cannot share with another living soul. He loves you, He sees you, and He is with you in this very moment.
The Popeye Moment: God Is For Us
Watch the confidence this truth gives David in verse 9:
“Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.”
Psalms 56:9 (NASB)
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.
Verse 9 is David’s “Popeye moment.” Do you remember the old Popeye cartoons? Popeye would get into a fight with Brutus, and Brutus would just beat the tar out of him. Popeye would take hit after hit until finally he would say, “That’s all I can stands, ’cause I can’t stands no more!” He would pop open a can of spinach, gulp it down, his forearms would swell into freight trains, and he would completely clean house.
Verse 9 is David’s spinach. He says, “My enemies will turn back on the day when I call!” The turning point is the moment David prays. He realizes that his circumstances do not control his relationship with God; God controls his circumstances. David grasps the monumental truth: if God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 (NASB)
What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us?
Second Chronicles tells us that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is completely His. In your darkest calamity and your deepest struggle, God is for you.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NASB)
‘For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.’
That is why David could write in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Notice that God did not airlift David over the valley of the shadow of death. He walked him right through the middle of it. But God promised, “I will be right beside you.”
Psalms 23:1 (NASB)
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Psalms 23:4 (NASB)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
David returns to his chorus in verses 10 and 11:
“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?”
Psalms 56:10-11 (NASB)
In God, [whose] word I praise, In the LORD, [whose] word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
David has learned to let fear drive him straight to God. He has learned to pray, and he has learned to anchor his soul in trust.
Walking in the Light of Life
Finally, in verses 12 and 13, David resolves to obey God regardless of what happens next:
“I must perform my vows to You, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For You have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
Psalms 56:12-13 (NASB)
Your vows are [binding] upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For You have delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.
A thank offering could be an animal sacrifice at the altar or a psalm of praise written from the heart. Either way, David’s obedience and worship supersede his circumstances. Have Saul’s armies disappeared? Has the threat vanished? No. But David’s soul has found rest.
Notice that David speaks in the past tense: “You have delivered my soul from death.” He is still sitting in a dark cave, but in his heart, the victory is already settled.
Paul instructed Timothy to pray for kings and all in authority so that believers might lead a peaceful and quiet life. When you pray, you can certainly ask God to deal with your enemies—the imprecatory psalms give us plenty of biblical precedent for that! But understand that as you pray, God does something inside of you that far outweighs whatever happens on the outside. God transforms your heart.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NASB)
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties [and] prayers, petitions [and] thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
David ends this psalm with a beautiful contrast. Sitting in the pitch black of the cave of Adullam, by the flicker of a small oil lamp, he writes that he will “walk before God in the light of life.” He is saying, “I may be stuck in this hole today, but God is going to bring me out into His marvelous light. I will trust Him in the dark until He brings me into the light.”
Charles Spurgeon summarized this beautifully: “Here is the loftiest reach of a good man’s ambition—to dwell with God, to walk in righteousness before Him, to rejoice in His presence, and in the light and glory which it yields.”
I do not know what battle you walked in here with today. You may feel like you are in a cage match with fifteen bullies beating down on you. But I urge you: let these trials drive you to God. Let them teach you how to pray. Let them forge in you an unshakeable endurance, and let them teach you the beauty of obedience in the dark. Trust Him, so that you too may walk before God in the light of life.
Let’s pray together.
Father, we thank You for preserving the honest cries of David in the Scriptures. We thank You that when fear strikes our hearts, we do not have to pretend to be strong in our own flesh. We can take our terror, our tears, and our trials, and run straight into Your arms.
Lord, I pray for every person here who is walking through a valley—those carrying the grief of a lost child, the shame of addiction, the sting of a pink slip, or the heartbreak of a struggling marriage. Remind them today that You keep their tears in Your bottle. You know every step of their journey, and You are fighting for them.
Teach us to trust Your Word and to stand firm on the Rock when the ground beneath us shakes. Deliver our feet from stumbling, and lead us out of the caves of despair so that we may walk faithfully before You in the light of life. We ask all these things in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.