July 19, 2024

Fear Is a Feeling; Trust Is a Decision

Psalm 56

Ginni Beam
Friday's Devo

July 19, 2024

Friday's Devo

July 19, 2024

Friday's Devo

July 19, 2024

Friday's Devo

July 19, 2024

Big Book Idea

Thinking and feeling God's way.

Key Verse | Psalm 56:3-4

When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56

In God I Trust

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam 1 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1  Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2  my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
3  When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
4  In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

5  All day long they injure my cause; 2 56:5 Or they twist my words
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6  They stir up strife, they lurk;
    they watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
7  For their crime will they escape?
    In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8  You have kept count of my tossings; 3 56:8 Or wanderings
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?
9  Then my enemies will turn back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that 4 56:9 Or because God is for me.
10  In God, whose word I praise,
    in the LORD, whose word I praise,
11  in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12  I must perform my vows to you, O God;
    I will render thank offerings to you.
13  For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.

Footnotes

[1] 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[2] 56:5 Or they twist my words
[3] 56:8 Or wanderings
[4] 56:9 Or because
Table of Contents
Introduction to The Psalms

Introduction to The Psalms

Timeline

Author and Date

Individual psalms come from diverse periods of Israel’s history, but at every stage they served as the songbook of God’s people. David wrote about half of the Psalms. His role as king was more than that of a ruler. He was to represent and even embody the people, and their well-being was tied to his faithfulness. David, then, writes as a representative, and the readers must discern whether the emphasis of a psalm is more on his role as ruler or more on his role as ideal Israelite, in which he is an example for all. The historical occasions mentioned in the psalm titles help the reader see how faith applies to real-life situations.

Key Themes

The Psalter is fundamentally the hymnbook of God’s people. It takes the basic themes of OT theology and turns them into song:

  1. Monotheism. The one God, Maker and Ruler of all, will vindicate his goodness and justice in his own time. Everyone must know and love this God, whose purity, power, wisdom, faithfulness, and unceasing love are breathtakingly beautiful.
  2. Creation and fall. Though God made man with dignity and purpose, all people since the fall are beset with sins and weaknesses that only God’s grace can heal.
  3. Election and covenant. The one true God chose a people for himself and bound himself to them by his covenant. This covenant expressed God’s intention to save his people, and through them to bring light to the world.
  4. Covenant membership. In his covenant, God offers grace to his people: forgiveness of their sins, the shaping of their lives to reflect his own glory, and a part to play as light to the Gentiles. Each member of God’s people is responsible to believe God’s promises and to grow in obeying his commands. Those who do this enjoy the full benefits of God’s love and find delight in knowing him. The well-being of God’s people as a whole affects the well-being of each member. Each one shares the joys and sorrows of the others. When believers suffer, they should not seek revenge but should pray. They can be confident that God will make all things right in his own time.
  5. Eschatology. The story of God’s people is headed toward a glorious future, in which all kinds of people will come to know the Lord. The personal faithfulness of God’s people contributes to his ultimate purpose. The Messiah, the ultimate heir of David, will lead his people in the great task of bringing light to the Gentiles.

Types of Psalms

The Psalms can be identified according to some basic categories:

Laments, which lay a troubled situation before the Lord, asking him for help. There are community (Psalm 12) and individual (Psalm 13) laments. This category is the largest by far, including up to a third of all Psalms.

Hymns of praise, which call God’s people to admire his great attributes and deeds. Examples include Psalms 8; 93; and 145.

Hymns of thanksgiving. As with laments, there are community (Psalm 9) and individual (Psalm 30) thanksgiving psalms.

Hymns celebrating God’s law (Psalm 119).

Wisdom psalms (Psalms 1; 37), which reflect themes from the Wisdom Books (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon).

Songs of confidence, which enable worshipers to deepen their trust in God amid difficult circumstances (Psalm 23).

Royal psalms, which present the Davidic monarchy as the vehicle of blessing for God’s people. Some of these are prayers (Psalm 20), some are thanksgivings (Psalm 21). All relate to the Messiah, the ultimate heir of David, either by setting a pattern (Psalms 20–21) or by portraying the king’s reign in such a way that only the Messiah can completely fulfill it (Psalms 2; 72), or by focusing on the future (Psalm 110).

Historical psalms, which take lessons from the history of God’s dealings with his people (Psalm 78).

Prophetic hymns, which echo the Prophets, calling people to covenant faithfulness (Psalm 81).

Structure

The standard Hebrew text divides the Psalms into five “books,” perhaps in imitation of the five books of the Pentateuch.

Book 1 Psalms 1–41 Psalms 1–2 provide an introduction to the Psalms as a whole. Except for Psalms 10 and 33, the remaining psalms of Book 1 are psalms of David. Most of them are prayers of distress. Others are statements of confidence in the God who alone can save (e.g., 9; 11; 16; 18), striking the note that concludes the book (40–41). Reflections on ethics and worship are found in Psalms 1; 14–15; 19; 24; and 26.
Book 2 Psalms 42–72 Book 2 introduces the first group of psalms by the “sons of Korah” (42; 44–49; 50). There are also more psalms of David (51–65; 68–69), including most of the “historical” psalms (51–52; 54; 56–57; 59–60; 63). Once again, lament and distress dominate these prayers, which now also include a communal voice (e.g., 44; compare 67; 68). The lone psalm attributed to Solomon concludes Book 2 with a look at God’s ideal for Israel’s kings—ultimately pointing to Christ as the final great King of God’s people.
Book 3 Psalms 73–89 The tone darkens further in Book 3. The opening Psalm 73 starkly questions the justice of God before seeing light in God’s presence. That light has almost escaped the psalmist in Psalm 88, the bleakest of all psalms. Book 2 ended with the high point of royal aspirations; Book 3 concludes in Psalm 89 with these expectations badly threatened. Sharp rays of hope occasionally pierce the darkness (e.g., 75; 85; 87). The brief third book contains most of the psalms of Asaph (73–83), as well as another set of Korah psalms (84–85; 87–88).
Book 4 Psalms 90–106 Psalm 90 opens the fourth book of the psalms. It may be seen as the first response to the problems raised by Book 3. Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, reminds the worshiper that God was active on Israel’s behalf long before David. This theme is taken up in Psalms 103–106, which summarize God’s dealings with his people before any kings reigned. In between there is a group of psalms (93–100) characterized by the refrain “The LORD reigns.” This truth refutes the doubts of Psalm 89.
Book 5 Psalms 107–150 The structure of Book 5 reflects the closing petition of Book 4 in 106:47. It declares that God does answer prayer (107) and concludes with five Hallelujah psalms (146–150). In between there are several psalms affirming the validity of the promises to David (110; 132; 144), two collections of Davidic psalms (108–110; 138–145); the longest psalm, celebrating the value of God’s law (119); and 15 psalms of ascent for use by pilgrims to Jerusalem (120–134).
The Global Message of The Psalms

The Global Message of The Psalms

The Psalms are a resounding call for all God’s people and for all the world to sing! We are called to sing songs of confession and trust in God; to sing songs of thanksgiving and praise. The Psalms summon the global church to take up the cause of calling the world to join in such global and eternal songs of trust in, delight in, and worship of God for his magnificence—especially his magnificence displayed in his saving mercy.

Songs of Honest Lament

There is a surprising degree of honesty found in the prayers and songs of the Psalms. We find honest lament to God, with frequent repetition of questions such as “Why?” and “How long?” The psalmist asks in Psalm 42:9, “Why have you forgotten me?” Another psalm wonders, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (10:1; see also 88:14). “How long, O LORD?” is a frequent cry to God in the Psalms (see 6:3; 13:1; 79:5; 89:46).

Such prayers flow from desperately challenging situations, in which life feels overwhelming. Yet they also reflect the confident expectations of our honest cries to our compassionate and faithful God. The Lord invites his people worldwide to be boldly transparent before him—no masks, no pretense—even when the heart is breaking. He promises never to abandon those who belong to him.

Songs of Repentance and Trust

Songs of repentance are scattered throughout the Psalms. In such songs there are confessions of corporate sin—“Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness” (Ps. 106:6)—and individual songs of penitence (Psalms 6; 25; 32; 38; 51; 130; 143). These are not hopeless laments, but cries to a God who is a gracious deliverer (6:4), who deals with us according to his great love and mercy (51:1), and whose forgiveness flows from his goodness and not ours (130:3–4).

There is abundant reason to trust such a God for every good thing and in every situation (Psalm 23). To such a God we turn in times of great trouble, when we are at an utter loss in this fallen world. When enemies surround us and there is no one to help, God is our hope for deliverance (Psalm 22). Whether the desperate individual (Psalm 13) or the destitute community (Psalm 12) is in view, God is faithful to his promises. His steadfast love endures. He is worthy of our songs!

Songs of Thanksgiving and Praise

The Psalms are a divinely orchestrated hymnbook of thanksgiving and praise for God’s people. The covenant people of God return thanks to God for his wonderful deeds of deliverance, justice, and defense (Psalm 9), and for his favor and mercies (30:5, 7, 8, 10). All of this moves his people to burst into songs of joy and glad dancing (30:11–12).

In the Psalms, the people of God rejoice in all that God is and all that he has done. These songs of praise exalt God for his unsearchable greatness, his glorious splendor, and his awesome deeds (Ps. 145:3–6). He is worshiped as the King over all creation (93:1),the eternal King (10:16), the King of glory (24:8, 10), the King of all the earth (47:7), and the great King above all gods (95:3).

The Global Message of the Psalms

For all God’s people. The global message of the Psalms is that in light of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness there is a song to be sung by all God’s people everywhere—whatever their circumstances, whatever their emotions, whatever their adversity. The song to be sung will be of varied themes: lament, confession, repentance, thanksgiving, or praise to God. All of these, however, are songs of worship, expressing the universal experiences of God’s people. This is worship of God by the individual and the community, local and global, young and old (Ps. 148:12), now and forever (89:52). For a lost world filled with rebellion and sorrow, there is no greater remedy than a song that brings those who sing it to take refuge in God himself: a song for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the sojourner, the widow, and the fatherless (146:7–9).

A new song. The message of the Psalms is a call to the whole world to “Sing a new song!” “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” (Ps. 96:1). This is not a song of empty promises, but a song full of hope, a song exulting in the salvation of a covenant keeping and merciful God; not a song that fades, but an enduring, eternal song; a song of a God who lifts us out of mud and mire (69:2, 14).

Celebrating salvation. The book of Psalms opens with a picture of the two ways of life—the blessed and fruitful life of the one who delights in God, and the fleeting life of the wicked who (apart from God) stand condemned (Psalm 1). The world is called to set aside folly and to join in the life and song of the Redeemer, celebrating the salvation that is rooted in the sacrifice of the Savior (Psalm 22). This new song has been sung down through the ages; it continues today throughout the world; and it will one day be sung in the very throne room of God (Rev. 14:3).

Summoning the Nations

To the ends of the earth. The global church has a message for the world: join in this song! It is a celebration that will generate further praise—globally, generationally, and eternally. The church is to “declare his glory among the nations!” (Ps. 96:3). From Israel to the Christian church today to the global kingdom that will one day be known to the very ends of the earth, the redeemed of the Lord will come from every nation, tribe, people, and language, giving God thanks and celebrating his grace (Rev. 7:9).

For all nations. There is a message for the nations: “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!” (Ps. 117:1). The Lord humbles the nations (9:5, 19, 20), but he extends to all an offer of mercy and grace. One day, the nations will become Christ’s inheritance (2:8). This song begins with us but it must not end with us. There is a glorious globalization of the worship of God that we are privileged to help advance. In Christ we have found fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (16:11). In turn we call the nations as well to be glad and sing for joy in him (67:4).

Fulfilled in Jesus. The love and mercy of God that forms the heart of the Psalms explodes onto history with the coming of Christ. It is in and through him that believers worldwide see God’s covenant faithfulness right before their eyes.

Spreading God’s glory. That glorious, global worship of God through Jesus Christ is not yet fully known or complete. Generating it is therefore our glad mission while on this earth. We will not rest till God’s glorious name is blessed forever and the whole earth is filled with his glory (Ps. 72:19).

Psalms Fact #3: How are the Psalms divided?

Fact: How are the Psalms divided?

How are the Psalms divided? The Psalms are divided into five books: 1–41; 42–72; 73–89; 90–106; 107–150. Each book ends with a “doxology,” a hymn of praise to God.

Psalms Fact #4: What was the main purpose of the Psalms for the people of God?

Fact: What was the main purpose of the Psalms for the people of God?

What was the main purpose of the Psalms for the people of God? The Psalms were the songbook of the people of God when they gathered for worship.

Psalms Fact #6: What is a psalm of lament?

Fact: What is a psalm of lament?

What is a psalm of lament? The main purpose of a psalm of lament is to tell the Lord about a difficult situation, to ask him for his help, and to praise him for helping. Some laments are community, congregational psalms. Others are individual, personal laments. One third of all the Psalms are psalms of lament.

Psalms Fact #7: How many of the Psalms were written by David?

Fact: How many of the Psalms were written by David?

How many of the Psalms were written by David? David is the author of about half of the Psalms. Other authors include Asaph, Solomon, Moses, and the sons of Korah.

Psalms Fact #9: What defined someone as an “enemy” of the people of Israel?

Fact: What defined someone as an “enemy” of the people of Israel?

What defined someone as an “enemy” of the people of Israel? The “enemies” mentioned in the Psalms (e.g., 18:17) were people hostile to the faith of God’s people. Sometimes they expressed their hatred by physically attacking the people of Israel, while other times they merely rejoiced when Israel faced misfortunes.

Psalms Fact #10: Are the Psalms poetry?

Fact: Are the Psalms poetry?

Are the Psalms poetry? The Psalms often reflect the feelings or emotions of the person who wrote the psalm. The book of Psalms includes poetry that covers all kinds of emotional feelings and experiences, from anguish and sorrow to great joy and thanksgiving.

Psalms Fact #12: How often does the NT quote from the Psalms?

Fact: How often does the NT quote from the Psalms?

How often does the NT quote from the Psalms? Of all the OT books, the Psalms and Isaiah are by far the two most widely quoted in the NT.

Psalms Fact #13: Selah

Fact: Selah

What does Selah mean? Although the word Selah is found 39 times in the book of Psalms, its exact meaning is uncertain. Most scholars believe it is a musical term or a term to be used by a worship leader, possibly to mark a pause.

Psalms Fact #20: Snares

Fact: Snares

Snares (38:12) were traps used to catch birds and animals. Some snares used ropes or nets that would be triggered as soon as the bait was touched. Pits disguised with sticks and leaves were also used as snares. In the Psalms, snares serve as symbols of danger or death at the hands of the wicked.

Psalms Fact #27: A helpful guide

Fact: A helpful guide

A helpful guide. The writers of the Psalms understood the importance of constant communication with God. They knew that God would hear their prayers, and they trusted him to act on their behalf. Believers today can benefit greatly by patterning their prayers after specific psalms.

Psalms Fact #28: Memorizing the Psalms

Fact: Memorizing the Psalms

Memorizing the Psalms. The poetic style of the Psalms make them easy to memorize. Throughout the centuries, many believers have memorized all 150 Psalms.

Psalms Fact #40: How long?

Fact: How long?

How long? This question (79:5) occurs nearly twenty times in the Psalms, more than any other question. It is almost always associated with a psalm of lament, such as Psalm 79.

Structure of Psalms

Structure of Psalms

The standard Hebrew text divides the Psalms into five “books,” perhaps in imitation of the five books of the Pentateuch.

Book 1 Psalms 1–41 Psalms 1–2 provide an introduction to the Psalms as a whole. Except for Psalms 10 and 33, the remaining psalms of Book 1 are psalms of David. Most of them are prayers of distress. Others are statements of confidence in the God who alone can save (e.g., 9; 11; 16; 18), striking the note that concludes the book (40–41). Reflections on ethics and worship are found in Psalms 1; 14–15; 19; 24; and 26.
Book 2 Psalms 42–72 Book 2 introduces the first group of psalms by the “sons of Korah” (42; 44–49; 50). There are also more psalms of David (51–65; 68–69), including most of the “historical” psalms (51–52; 54; 56–57; 59–60; 63). Once again, lament and distress dominate these prayers, which now also include a communal voice (e.g., 44; compare 67; 68). The lone psalm attributed to Solomon concludes Book 2 with a look at God’s ideal for Israel’s kings—ultimately pointing to Christ as the final great King of God’s people.
Book 3 Psalms 73–89 The tone darkens further in Book 3. The opening Psalm 73 starkly questions the justice of God before seeing light in God’s presence. That light has almost escaped the psalmist in Psalm 88, the bleakest of all psalms. Book 2 ended with the high point of royal aspirations; Book 3 concludes in Psalm 89 with these expectations badly threatened. Sharp rays of hope occasionally pierce the darkness (e.g., 75; 85; 87). The brief third book contains most of the psalms of Asaph (73–83), as well as another set of Korah psalms (84–85; 87–88).
Book 4 Psalms 90–106 Psalm 90 opens the fourth book of the psalms. It may be seen as the first response to the problems raised by Book 3. Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, reminds the worshiper that God was active on Israel’s behalf long before David. This theme is taken up in Psalms 103–106, which summarize God’s dealings with his people before any kings reigned. In between there is a group of psalms (93–100) characterized by the refrain “The LORD reigns.” This truth refutes the doubts of Psalm 89.
Book 5 Psalms 107–150 The structure of Book 5 reflects the closing petition of Book 4 in 106:47. It declares that God does answer prayer (107) and concludes with five Hallelujah psalms (146–150). In between there are several psalms affirming the validity of the promises to David (110; 132; 144), two collections of Davidic psalms (108–110; 138–145); the longest psalm, celebrating the value of God’s law (119); and 15 psalms of ascent for use by pilgrims to Jerusalem (120–134).
OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)

OT Testimony that All Are under Sin (3:9)

Romans 3 OT Reference
Sinful Condition
v. 10, none is righteous Ps. 14:3/53:3; Eccles. 7:20
v. 11a, no one understands Ps. 14:2/53:2
v. 11b, no one seeks for God Ps. 14:2/53:2
v. 12, all have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one Ps. 14:3/53:3
Sinful Speech (note progression from throat to tongue to lips)
v. 13a, b, their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive Ps. 5:10, Septuagint (English, 5:9)
v. 13c, the venom of asps is under their lips Ps. 140:3
v. 14, their mouth is full of curses and bitterness Ps. 10:7
Sinful Action
v. 15, their feet are swift to shed blood Prov. 1:16/Isa. 59:7
v. 16, in their paths are ruin and misery Isa. 59:7
v. 17, and the way of peace they have not known Isa. 59:8
Summary Statement
v. 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes Ps. 36:1
Study Notes

Ps. 56:1–4 The singer’s situation can be seen in the repetition of trample and attack. His response is seen in the repetition of trust. This enables those who sing the psalm to rightly respond when they are afraid.

Study Notes

Ps. 56:8–11 God keeps account of the tears of his faithful ones. He is for those who trust in him.

Study Notes

Psalm Ps. 56. Many take this to be an individual lament, but it could also be a psalm of anticipated thanksgiving. The description of troubles and prayer changes into gratitude that God has heard and will act, as he has acted in the past. The specific troubles arise from people who aim to hurt the faithful singer, as is common with lament psalms. The title links the psalm with the events of 1 Sam. 21:10–15.

Ps. 56:12–13 The singer expresses his confidence that, if “God is for him” (v. 9), it is as good as done: God has delivered his soul from death.

S3:141 Psalm 56

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Psalm 56

I've always struggled with biblical commands like "[l]et not your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1) and "do not be anxious about anything" (Philippians 4:6). I was never able to just switch off my fear, and so I settled for pushing the feelings away. Trying to hide what was in my heart made intimacy with God impossible, and eventually the fear would become too strong to ignore. 

I acted like there were two only options: (1) let my heart be troubled and anxious; or (2) pretend that my heart wasn't troubled and anxious even though it was. This psalm is a great example of a third option: acknowledge and express fear while reaffirming what I know is true.

David has just narrowly avoided being captured by Saul, who wants to kill him, and now he's been captured by the Philistines, who also want to kill him. He's desperate and terrified; there is no pretending this away.

When I faced fear too big to hide from, I closed my heart to God, ashamed of my weakness. But David puts no walls between his fragile humanity and his holy God. He lifts his complaints directly to God; and not only does God not ask David to hide his fear, He sees it and cares about it so much that He keeps a metaphorical "book" of all David's struggles (Psalm 56:8).

Significantly, David also reminds himself of his decision to trust God with his entire being and reaffirms that commitment. He meditates on God's praiseworthy Word and remembers times when God delivered him from death. When his decision to trust God is tested, he chooses to honor that commitment—because fear is a feeling, but trust is a choice.

We face the same choice when we are afraid. Reaffirming our trust won't always take away the feeling of fear, but it's still the right decision. We can choose to give our fear to God. We can remember why we chose to trust Him in the first place.

This month's memory verse

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

– Romans 15:13

Discussion Questions

1. When you are afraid, are you more likely to surrender to the fear spiral, to use your own strength to try to suppress it, or to honestly express it to God and choose to trust Him?

2. What fears are you currently facing? Describe how you have been responding to the fear.

3. If you've decided to trust God with your present and future, what would it look like to remind yourself of and recommit to that decision? What has God done for you in the past that you need to thank Him for?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

MS

Michael Scaman

A dove in a far away cashew tree (aka terebinth aka a letter from the land of the Philistines) The first explicit mention of God keeping a record and it is about my discomfort and stress, tossing and tears. Psalm 56:8 This I know. God is for me. Psalm 56:9 Psalm 56 and Psalm 34 both concern David’s time in Gath with the Philistines and might be two sides of the same coin. - Psalm 34: gratitude and praise ( queue Shane and Shane's "Taste and see that the LORD is good!" ) - Psalm 56: supplication and trust ( queue Steve Green's " When I am afraid, I will trust in You" ) Together they cover a wide range of emotional experience of David related to the same time period of his life. In Psalm 56, the repeated words emphasize the psalmist's continuous suffering and his steadfast trust in God. Key repetitions include: "Trample" / "Attack" / "All day long": Highlighting the constant oppression by enemies. "Trust" / "Afraid" / "In God": Expressing the psalmist's response of trust in God despite fear. "Word" / "Praise" / "What can man do to me?": Showing praise for God's word and confidence in His protection over human threats.
GJ

greg jones

Good morning Ginni. Your first paragraph resonates. #me too. “Trying to hide what was in my heart made intimacy with God impossible.” I get people who get that. Great statement on God’s intimacy, thank you for including it in your deeper dive. Psalm 56, another hard psalm to reconcile if we listen to the words of the psalm while picturing the narrative ascribed to it. “A Miktam of David When the Philistines Seized Him In Gath”. That would be 1 Samuel 21:10-15. And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 1 Samuel 21:10 In the lead up of David running from Saul and going to visit Achish king of Gath David stops at the tabernacle in Nob. Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 1 Samuel 21:1 Short version of 1 Samuel 21:2-9, David answers Ahimelech’s question by lying to him about why he is alone and talks Ahimelech into giving him the consecrated bread of the LORD and Goliath’s sword. In the middle of that is a small detail. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen. 1 Samuel 21:7 Saul’s shepherd is there. So from here the story of Ahimelech the priest is going to go like this. Doeg the shepherd of Saul is going to kill most of the house of Ahimelech in large part because of the lie told by the shepherd David 1 Samuel 22:6-19. 2 Samuel 12:1-6 when God sends Nathan to confront David concerning Bathsheba Nathan tells David a story about an injustice that has taken place. “And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man 12:5a. Then Nathan dropped the truth bomb on David. Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 2 Samuel 12:7 In the psalms, sort of like with Nathan’s example, if you put the words of the psalm into the mouth of the innocent there is a shift in the perspective. Other words, instead of “David you are the man” it’s not just David, but, “others are the man too”. In 1 Samuel 21-22 Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob are just cannon fodder in David’s story. David is being all about David. Saul is being all about Saul. Doeg is presented in a righteous light when he is accounted for in the tabernacle. Ahimelech is caught in the middle of these men. In light of that, these words from Ahimelech the priest’s mouth would have a different perspective. 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. Ahimelech aka Psalm 56:12-13 Knowing Ahimelech’s story and playing the words of Psalm 56 while imagining the scenes he is portrayed in playing out, God gets a little bigger. By that I mean who I can imagine Him caring deeply about, besides just David and me, are different others who usually just don’t seem very significant to me.
SB

Sue Bohlin

GINNI!!!!!! Absolutely OUTSTANDING devo!!! Bless you!! Yesterday was Curt's burial service at DFW National Cemetery. When the bugler started playing Taps, I was wrecked. It was painful, receiving the flag from his coffin was painful, but God was so very faithful. He collected my tears in His bottle (verse 8). Terry Kasselman, who gave the eulogy at Curt's memorial service, pointed out that in order for God to collect our tears in His bottle, He has to be very close to touch our face, one of the aspects of "God with us" in our pain and sorrow. THANK YOU to all who prayed for us. The day was hard, but good. And God carried us through it with so much protective grace we could almost see His hands underneath us. I am fond of this psalm for the sweet clarity and accessibility of verse 3. Just as we have five fingers on each hand, there are five syllables for each hand to help us remember: When I am afraid I will trust in You. The smallest child can remember this, and when we are afraid it tells us what to do. But it's also so good for us "old people." Like being afraid of an emotionally hard day. Like fear of the impending stillness and quiet of our home, starting tomorrow when all the family has left, and we are faced with the reality that Curt is gone. When I am afraid I will trust in You.
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Tiffany Wilkins

Beautifully written devo. Thank you!
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Lindsey Driscoll

Ginni, thank you for your vulnerability to share how hard it is to trust God in your fear and yet how David is a great example to point us back to Gods word, to trust Him. As Michael Scaman shared I have Steve Greens voice from my childhood imprinted in my heart with the song to Psalm 55:3-4. Q2 fears currently facing - my kids safety as they get older spiritual, physical mental. Lord, help me to trust in you, in your word and in your goodness let me praise you in fear.
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Amy Lowther

1. I have learned to express my fears to God and to choose to trust Him. It produces the best results and reduces my fear. 2. Currently life is ok. Doing a little bit everyday with God’s guidance prevents me having excessive fear. 3. I thank God everyday for everything, for the good He provides even when I don’t. In recommitting to God frequently, I consider what’s gone on, what’s going on, and what needs to be. Gianni - Thank you for sharing your ideas. You make an excellent point in saying, “We can remember why we chose to trust Him in the first place”. Good job!