Psalm 56

Psalm 56
The circumstances which led to the writing of Psalm 56 are told in 1 Samuel 21:10-1210And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. (1 Samuel 21:10‑12). David, fleeing from the murderous Saul, went to the Philistines for refuge, but dared not stay there. But as with others, the Holy Spirit adapted the psalm to the needS of a yet future day. The power of the enemy, of Satan, acting through and in the rejectors of God's grace, will be great, but they cannot pass the boundaries God will set: His own shall be preserved, though they would if they could "swallow" the godly, that is, they, like wild beasts, thirst for the blood of these. There is a question whether "O Thou most High" in verse 2 is a correct translation; it is a name of God, a title of promise (Gen. 14:19, 2219And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: (Genesis 14:19)
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (Genesis 14:22)).
Three times in the psalm the word of God is spoken of as the solace of the harassed saint, and three times the expression of trust in God, or confidence in Him as to the outcome of the present trying circumstances, is found in the psalm. Thus the confidence of faith is seen in a day of sorest trial, when fear would, apart from God, take possession of the soul. The Word of God was to be Joshua's meditation (Joshua 1:7-97Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:7‑9)); through it, the believer is preserved from the attacks of Satan (Ephesians 6:1717And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17))', and is built up, and given an inheritance among all the sanctified (Acts 20:3232And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. (Acts 20:32). The 119th Psalm whose theme is the Word of God, contains that often quoted verse (105):
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my Path,"—it lights up the believer's way, and cheers him onward through the darkness of this world.
In verses 6 and 8 is a contrast: "They (the wicked) mark my steps," but "Thou (God) tellest—recountest—my wanderings"—eyes from above are watching with deep interest the path of His own that are in the world. Even the tears of the saint are His concern. The close of the psalm is full of confidence in Him, the present distress is forgotten in the onward glance of faith.
May it be more thus with every child of God!