Psalm 56:1-7
David’s Determinations
David, as was often the case, was being attacked by an unnamed enemy.
The psalms mention David’s enemies often. In fact, I have recently
wondered if there might be a category of psalms which might be called
"the Enemy Psalms." I have never understood whether David actually
had so many enemies that they were constantly on his mind or if
he had the tendency to write a lot of psalms whenever he dealt with
his enemies. Regardless, they were a common thought in his writings.
Question: Were the enemies real? I think so. In this chapter, David
certainly described them as real.
\\#1\\ He was about to be swallowed up by them.
\\#1\\ He fought "daily" with them and they had "oppressed" him.
\\#2\\ They were many.
\\#5\\ They twisted his words. This might indicate that not all of
the battles David fought were against other nations with
swords. Some might have been political and fought with words.
\\#5\\ "all their thoughts are against me for evil" - The very
existence of these people was to be a throne in David’s side.
\\#6\\ They were clever, patient, and subtle, waiting and biding
their time to destroy David.
Question #2: Why was God so vague in identifying David’s enemies? I
think He was so that you and I might find the response God wants us
to give no matter what enemy we may face.
Everyone has problems. Some of them are human, some are physical,
some are financial, some are mental, some are emotional.
Some come with swords, some come with words, but no matter what kind
of enemy we face, David gives us the correct response.
David makes 7 determinations:
I. \\#3-4\\ I will overcome fear with faith.
Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust
in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have
put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do
unto me.
A. Notice that David was not saying he would not fear.
1. Fear is an emotion and emotions can be controlled to some
extent, but David is not saying he will not fear.
2. He is saying that fear will be the trigger for his faith.
3. That when he is afraid, he will take that as a sign that
he needs to trust God more.
B. That tells me that both fear and faith have some choice to
them.
1. David was determining to turn off the fear and turn on the
faith.
2. We can each fear less and believe more.
3. It may be possible that Christians do not have more faith
but we chose more carefully what we believe.
Illustration: \\#Mark 9:14-27\\ Father of demonic son. Disciples
could not cast out the demons.
Jesus answered:
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, IF THOU CANST
BELIEVE, all things are possible to him that
believeth.
Jesus was saying, "It is up to you whether your son is healed or
not!"
The father chose to believe but wanted help.
Mark 9:24 ….Lord, I believe; help thou mine
unbelief.
4. How much are were hurting ourselves because we chose fear
over faith instead of faith over fear?
a. I am NOT a name-it and claim0it preacher, but neither
am I a miracle doubter!
b. Faith is one—and perhaps the most—powerful tool in
the believer’s arsenal of weapons.
Mark 9:23 …ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM
THAT BELIEVETH.
c. Because of the power that faith brings, it is
mentioned often.
(1) Sometimes it is referenced repeatedly in a small
text.
(2) That is not God stuttering. That is God
emphasizing.
II. \\#8\\ I will rest in God’s care for me.
A. That is not what David said, but I believe it is what he
meant.
Psalm 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou
my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy
book?
B. Notice some of what David expressed in this short verse.
1. He described his life, "wanderings."
a. That is an interesting way to describe life.
b. It is very similar yet very different from the way
Paul described it in the New Testament, "race."
1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a
race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So
run, that ye may obtain.
c. A race has a starting point, a specific course, and a
predetermined finish line.
(1) That’s not my life.
(2) My life has been a "wandering."
2. The means to be cast out. It means to not belong. To
have no pre-determined destination, but to continue to
move.
3. Paul was speaking of our life from God’s prospective.
David was speaking of our life from our prospective.
4. I think there is a separated thought in this verse.
a. David started one picture, his life was a "wondering."
b. Then he inserted a second thought about the tears he
had shed.
c. But then he comes back to his wandering life and
reveals that God has His hand on his life all along!
Psalm 56:8 …are they not in thy book?
d. God had been keeping up with David from the very
beginning!
C. He described his life with "tears."
1. Tears are a sign of disappointments, heartaches, mistakes.
2. Yet God gathered all of the tears. That is a way to say
that God has taken care of David through all of his
mistakes and failures.
D. With that kind of care, David was just going to let go and let
God!
III. \\#9\\ I will expect God’s deliverance.
Psalm 56:9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine
enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for
me.
A. This is faith but it is faith in a direct and personal
application.
B. Whatever kind of battle that David was in, he was going to
expect God to show up.
1. What is wrong with that?
2. What are we to expect when troubles come? I see only
three possibilities:
a. I can expect God.
b. I can expect luck.
c. I can expect failure.
3. That did not mean that David was not going to do what he
could do to prepare for the battle but it meant after he
did what he could, he was going to watch for God.
4. What are we expecting, God or failure?
IV. \\#10\\ I will believe God’s Word.
Psalm 56:10 In God will I praise his word: in
the LORD will I praise his word.
A. This is also an application of faith.
B. David was going to believe the promises God has given.
1. I am too!
2. I am expecting God to care for me and my wife just like He
provided for us when we had six under our roof that
needed care.
3. I am expecting God to save my grandchildren (16) and to
grow them in His grace just like He saved my children and
has grown them in His grace.
4. I am expecting God to direct this church to do what is
right no matter what the future holds.
5. And I have a few expectations for some of you and some of
My family.
C. Why? Because I believe the Word of God.
1. There is nothing that I have given myself to as much as I
have given myself to the Bible.
2. I have read it more than any other book.
3. I have taught and preached from it multiple times almost
every week for forty years now.
4. Like David, I do not care what the world does. I am
going to believe God’s Word.
Care.
V. \\#11\\ I will not fear anything man can do to me.
A. David again determines not to fear but this time the fear that
he speaks of is more specific.
B. He will not fear what mankind can do to him.
1. David was solder and this could have been a very graphic
thought for him.
2. David had done some pretty violent acts to his enemies.
a. He had run many through with a sword.
b. He had beheaded Goliath.
c. \\#2Sam 12:31\\ says that David put the Ammonites
"under" saws and axes and that they passed through
the brickkiln. It is not certain whether that means
David killed them with those instruments or made
their enemies work with them, but it certainly opens
the door that torture was not out of the realm of
possibility.
3. Yet, David would not fear any of these being done to him
or any other thing that a person might do to him.
C. This became a command from Jesus to us.
Mt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather
fear him which is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell.
VI. \\#12\\ I will praise the Lord.
Psalm 56:12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will
render praises unto thee.
A. Praise one also rank up as one of our most powerful weapons.
1. Faith
2. Prayer
3. Praise (?)
B. I believe that praise, like prayer, brings God to us. Like
heavenly strobe lights, they are flesh’s method of summoning
God to our life and need.
2Chron 5:13 It came even to pass, as the
trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one
sound to be heard in praising and thanking the
LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with
the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of
musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is
good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then
the house was filled with a cloud, even the house
of the LORD;
14 So that the priests could not stand to
minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory
of the LORD had filled the house of God.
C. Praise rendered in the most difficult time produces the most
brilliant light.
2Ch 20:22 And when they began to sing and to
praise, the LORD set ambushments against the
children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which
were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
Acts 16:25 And at midnight Paul and Silas
prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were
shaken: and immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
VII. \\#13\\ I will expect God’s best.
Psalm 56:13 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?
Ro 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?
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