Saturday, February 25, 2012

150 Days of Psalms - Psalm 56



Supplication for Deliverance and Grateful Trust in God.


1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me.

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2 My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me.
 
3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
 
4 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?
 
5 All day long they distort my words ; All their thoughts are against me for evil.

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6 They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.
 
7 Because of wickedness, cast them forth, In anger put down the peoples, O God !
 
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8 You have taken account of my 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 God is for me.
 
10 In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise,
 
11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
 
12 Your vows are binding upon me, O God ; I will render thank offerings to You.
 
13 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.

1 comment:

Phyllis Hobson said...

Funny thing about this Psalm - in trying to get the children's class at Eternal Living Waters (the Korean church that Hilldale partners with, and Jerry and I teach at on a rotating basis), I told them if they would sing, loudly and well, the song "I've Got Peace Like A River" that I would rap in the middle of it. I picked Psalm 56 to rap to them. Can't say I would have won awards with my rapping, but the kids did sing!

I love the repetition of thought in this Psalm, the "What can mere man do to me?" The Psalm really covers what happens to us even today, our words being taken out of context, being trampled on, having people just waiting for the chance for us to misstep. And that God keeps account of our tears and aches. He cares, He comforts, He protects. What a mighty God I serve!