(Psalm 56:1-4)….Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. 2 My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. 3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. 4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
David, who once faced and killed the giant from Gath single handedly, after several years found himself running for his dear life because his father in law was trying to kill himHe came to the city of Gath where he was seized by the Philistines and brought before King Achish, where David acted insane before the King and was eventually driven out from his presence (1 Samuel 21:1-15). From Gath he went and hid himself in a cave called Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-5). Feeling like a trapped bird in that cave, it is believed that David wrote both (Psalm 34) and (Psalm 56). Like so many of the Psalms we have heard and studied, this one is assigned to the Chief Musician. This Psalm is written as a tune Upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David – or – The Silent Dove in Distant Lands. But help did come for David, as it always does for those who are God’s children (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) (2 Timothy 3:10-11) (2 Timothy 4:17-18) (Colossians 1:13). His help did come to David, and also comes to us, because God is merciful (gracious) to us. David could expect no mercy at the hands of men’so the only one that could help David was God. You see, what David wanted from God was His mercy, the word here meaning to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, or to show favor toto show pity. How many of us want that from God? Praise the LORD. If you are His, He has given it to you. The Lord is good: (1 Chronicles 16:34)….Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! ForHis mercy endures forever. His mercy towards us is….
- Great – (Psalm 103:1-18)
- From everlasting to everlasting – (Psalm 103:17)
- Abundant – (1 Peter 1:3)
- Renewed every morning – (Lamentations 3:22-23)
How has God shown you and I mercy? He has granted us repentance, forgiveness, salvation. He has not left us. God has showed us mercy by not sending all of us to Hell. after all, the wages of sin is eternal death and that is what we deserve but God has given us a way to escape the torment of Hell – (Romans 6:23)
The believer has many enemies seeking to devour and destroy him such as sin, the devil, the flesh, the world, and in spite of all these enemies working against us for our destruction – God gives us mercy!