Psalms 56:1

 Psalms 56:1 says,To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.  There is once again an introduction of the Psalm, then verse one says, Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.  Verse two adds, Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.  David asked God to be merciful to him because he had many enemies who daily tried to swallow him up, or totally defeat if not destroy him.  If we seem have many people today who seem to be out to destroy us as Christians, we are not the first to feel this way, but God has already been merciful to us by sending Jesus Christ to die in our place.  Verse three continues, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.  Like David, even if it seems that the world is out to get us and we are afraid, we need to just continue to trust in God.  Verse four declares, In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.  David said that he would praise God regardless and put his trust in Him, and that when he did, he would not fear what people might do to him.  This is the kind of faith that we need today as followers of Christ.  Verse five adds, Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.  David said that the thoughts of his enemies were constantly against him.  At times we may feel that the whole world seems to be continually out to get us, but if so, we need to just draw closer to God.  Verse six continues, They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.  David said his enemies hid and waited to find ways to destroy him.  There are those in the world today who attempt to ambush and destroy Christians witness if not their life.  Verse seven asks, Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.  David wanted to know if those out to destroy him would escape by their iniquity.  At times, we may wonder if the sinful people of the world are going to destroy those who believe in Jesus Christ by the evil ways.  David asked God to cast them down in His anger.  We need to acknowledge that God has already cast down those who do not believe in Him, but I don't believe He does so in anger.  Even if people reject Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, He still died for them and loves them.  Still, if they refuse to put their faith in Him, they will be cast down to hell one day.  Verse eight states, Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?  David asked God to note how he had cried because of his situation.  David was not ashamed of crying, and neither should we be.  Sometimes, life may simply seem to overwhelm us, but if so, we must continue to cry out to God in faith.  God already knows the tears that we cry.  Verse nine adds, When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.  David said that he knew that when he put his faith in God that his enemies would be defeated, because God was for him.  We can be certain as Christians that our enemies have already been defeated by God, even if it doesn't seem so at the moment.  Verse ten continues, In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.  Like David, no matter what is going on in our lives or in the world in general, we need to continue to praise God's word.  Verse eleven says, In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.  We need to be like David, and when we put our faith in God through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we should not be afraid of what the world may do to us.  Verse twelve adds, Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. David said that he would live up to his vows to God and praise Him no matter what.  We need to live up to our vows to God today that we will always put our faith in Him and continue to praise Him daily.  Verse thirteen continues, For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?  As David said, since God has delivered our soul from death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, if we put our faith in Him, we should walk in His light.  God will keep us from falling spiritually if we do.