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Psalms 56-58

When Life is Tough . . . the tough cry out

Psalm 56-58 describes some of the suffering David encountered at the hands of the Philistines when he was fleeing Saul and went to Gath.

If you remember this story from 1 Samuel 21:10 to 22:2, David pretended to be crazy when he got to Gath. This was because in times past people did not kill anyone that was crazy.

In this Psalm, we see David encountering fear over his enemies and triumphing as he chooses to trust in God.

Scripture of the Day

Psalm 56:2-5, 8-9 NLT

2 “I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me. 3 But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? 5 They are always twisting what I say; they spend their days plotting to harm me. 8 You yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? 9 My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!”

When Life is Tough . . . the tough fear God!

The CSB says, “God is for me”. When man’s schemes have us under attack, God always has our back. This is something the enemy of our souls wants us to doubt – that God is for us. David chose the fear of the LORD over the fear of man. Oswald Chambers is reported to have said, “when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

Verses 10-11 are a repetition of verses 3-4. “In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mere humans do to me?”

Hardships in life are temporary. But God’s salvation is eternal. When fear grips us, we will likely have to go to God multiple times. Fear is a stronghold, but trusting in God is our strength.

When Life is tough . . . the tough praise God!

In Psalm 57, David chooses to praise rather than fear. This is a true sacrifice of praise. True worshipers of God will praise Him in the rain and in the sun. And we overcome when we praise God at all times.

When Life is tough . . . Get a Battle Plan

1st David calls out to God. He does not try to solve the problem on his own. He does not lean on his own understanding. He knows where his help comes from:

Psalm 57:2-3, “I call to God Most High; to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. God sends his faithful love and truth.”

2nd David praises God

Psalm 57:7-11, “My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises. 8 Wake up, my soul! Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn. 9 I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. 10 For your faithful love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches the clouds. 11 God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth.”

  • Do we praise God or accuse God when life falls apart?
  • Praising God when all is well is fairly easy.
  • Praising God in the dark is where we see our real faith.
  • Such praise is not religious. It is fervent, heartfelt.

3rd In Psalm 58, David leaves his enemies in God’s hands.

He leaves his burden there. And He proclaims that God is just through it all

Psalm 58:10-11, “The righteous one will rejoice when he sees the retribution; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then people will say, “Yes, there is a reward for the righteous! There is a God who judges on earth!”

Application

  • When man’s schemes have us under attack, God always has our back.
  • Fear is a stronghold but trusting in God is our strength.
  • Don’t be a sunshine patriot who only praise God when all is well. Praise Him at all times because you know His character. Our God is faithful.
  • Hard times do not mean we are forgotten.
  • Cry out to God, friends, like David did.
  • Praise God in the fire then leave your burden in His Hands.
  • Remember what we learned from Psalm 55 last time – casting our burden on the LORD – He will sustain us. He does not necessarily remove us from the fire, but He is in the fire with us.

Summary

When man’s schemes have us under attack, God always has our back. Fear is a stronghold but trusting in God is our strength. Don’t be a sunshine patriot who only praise God when all is well. Hard times do not mean we are forgotten. Praise God in the fire then leave your burden in His Hands. He does not necessarily remove us from the fire, but He is in the fire with us. And He is enough.

7-Fold One-Year Bible Reading Plan

Day #144: Psalms 56-58

Scripture of the Day: Psalm 56:2-5, 9

Listen: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Ps.56

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