Psalm 56:1-7 “For the Chief Musician. To the tune of ‘Silent Dove in Distant Lands.’ A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me. My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God.”

This Psalm reflects on the events in 1 Sam. 21:10–15. David asks God for protection, while expressing his trust and praising God’s Word.

Why the connection between trust in God and the praise of His Word? It’s pretty hard to trust if you don’t understand and believe in His promises!

For additional worship: Every Promise of Your Word (Keith and Kristyn Getty)

Psalm 55:16-23 “As for me, I will call on God. The LORD will save me. Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me. God, who is enthroned forever, will hear and answer them. Selah. They never change and don’t fear God. He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant. His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the LORD and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved. But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you.”

David had a particular promise from God he could hold onto. While we don’t have those temporal promises for an earthly kingdom, we are a part of His spiritual kingdom now, with the literal kingdom yet to come! Until then we are His, and we have His promises, His presence, and His protection to trust in. Nothing can take us from Him. No-one can keep us from Him! We can cast our burdens on Him and know that He will sustain us.

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, ‘For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

For additional worship: God is for Us (CityAlight)

Psalm 55:9-15 “Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her. Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don’t depart from her streets. For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him. But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend. We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God’s house with company. Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is amongst them, in their dwelling.”

David was betrayed by both his son Absalom and his counsellor Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:1–12; 16:15–23). He longs to have their plans confused and their betrayal punished. His experience with betrayal foreshadows Jesus’ betrayal by Judas.

Luke 22:48 “But Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’ ”

Matthew 26:24 “The Son of Man goes even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

While we may resonate with David’s viewpoint, what if we turn it around and we’re the traitors?

For additional worship: Traitor’s Look (Michael Card)

Psalm 55:1-8 “For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David. Listen to my prayer, God. Don’t hide yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me. My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me. Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me. I said, ‘Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest. Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness.’ Selah. ‘I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm.’ ”

There is an interesting reality here that isn’t readily apparent. Have you ever been in such trouble that you wished you had a shelter that you could run to and hide in? There may not be a physical shelter, but there is a spiritual shelter! We should run to God and beg Him for help when our souls are in anguish, which is what we see David doing here.

For additional worship: Sweet Hour of Prayer (Casting Crowns)

Psalm 54:1-7 “For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, ‘Isn’t David hiding himself amongst us?’ Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might. Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven’t set God before them. Selah. Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul. He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth. With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name, LORD, for it is good. For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.”

1 Samuel 23:19-20 “Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, ‘Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.’ ”

We have another betrayal with a reminder to trust in God. He is our helper, and, as put previously, we trust in His lovingkindness. He is the one who sustains our souls! As a result, we don’t just bring what is required, we bring more. We give freely to Him because of all that He has done and the promise of what is yet to come. He truly WILL deliver us from all trouble if we know Jesus!

John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.”

For additional worship: God Is My Helper (Joseph and Sierra Snode)

Psalm 53:1-6 “For the Chief Musician. To the tune of Mahalath.’ A contemplation by David. The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God. Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God? There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them. Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.”

The natural person not only doesn’t seek after God or follow God, but they also attack God’s people. God will judge them and save His people.

Paul uses this same passage in Romans 3 to point out the sinfulness of all people. The takeaway is that everyone needs to know Jesus!

Romans 3:22-26 “For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, that he might himself be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.”

For additional worship: Run And Run (Christ Is My Righteousness)

Psalm 52:1-9 “For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, ‘David has come to Ahimelech’s house.’ Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah. You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue. God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying, ‘Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.’ But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever. I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.”

A betrayal that leads to slaughter: 1 Samuel 22:9-19

It’s important not to give in to revenge and hatred. God is the ultimate judge, and He will make things right. We need to trust in His judgment and mercy.

1 Peter 2:21-23 “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, who didn’t sin, ‘neither was deceit found in his mouth.; When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

For additional worship: Psalm 52 (Psalm Musicals)

Psalm 51:14-19 “Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise. For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart. Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.”

Psalm 50 and 51 come together here. Sacrifices without heart are useless. God wants us heart, mind and soul. When we do wrong, He wants broken spirits and broken hearts. We also have a warning here that the relationships of the individuals in the community toward God affect the well-being of the community. When all is well, God’s good pleasure shines forth.

Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

1 Corinthians 12:26 “When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

For additional worship: Just a Closer Walk With Thee (Bart Millard)

Psalm 51:8-13 “Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you.”

What a beautiful description of the joy and restoration that forgiveness brings! Both from our salvation and when our fellowship with God is restored. When we experience that joy, we want to let others know how to have a right relationship with God too.

Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted.”

For additional worship: East to West (Casting Crowns)

Psalm 51:1-6 “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight, so you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge. Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”

This is the result of David’s repentance in 2 Samuel 12:1-14.

Sin is an incredible affront to God, and we are sinners by nature and by choice. We need to be washed.

Titus 3:3-7 “For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Saviour and his love towards mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Even though we become heirs when we believe, our day-to-day relationship with God is still affected by our sin. That’s when we need to confess to make it right.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

For additional worship: Clean Heart (Bryan & Katie Torwalt)