489_In God I trust, what can man do to me?

Ps 56 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You have kept count of my tossings;
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 trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

The night was tense and unnaturally quiet as the underground church gathered. In a country where Christianity was illegal, and gatherings could lead to arrest or worse, they still met. One young believer, no more than twenty, stood at the door as lookout. Just weeks earlier, two members of the same group had been arrested by the secret police and hadn’t been heard from since. When asked why he continued to risk his life, he simply said, “They can imprison my body, but they can’t touch my soul. I belong to God. My life is in His hands.”

This man knew, not the absence of fear, but the courage born out of deep trust. Psalm 56 mirrors the same unshakable faith. This psalm was written by David “when the Philistines had seized him in Gath.” Surely this was among the most desperate moments of his life. Recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, this was when David, the slayer of the Philistine giant and constant enemy of the Philistines fled from his own king to take refuge in the land of his enemies, the Philistines.

But it didn’t take long before he was recognized. The servants of King Achish remembered the songs sung by Israelite women: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” David was no ordinary refugee. He had been Saul’s champion against the Philistines, who constantly harried Israel.

Caught and helpless, David resorted to strategy. Scratching doors, drooling on his beard, he pretended to be insane in order to save his life. And this humiliating plan worked. King Achish dismissed him as a madman, and David was chased out of the city – to freedom.

Back in Israelite territory, he fled to the cave of Adullam—alone, exhausted, at his wit’s end, but alive. And this is the setting of Psalm 56, where fear and faith wrestle and faith conquers fear.

He opens with the plea: “Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me. My enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.” The word “trample” paints a picture of relentless pressure, of being crushed underfoot, by forces beyond his control.

And therefore, driven beyond all human help, David returns to his center: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Not if—but when. Acknowledging his fear, without pretence or false bravado, he anchors his heart in God’s promises. This is the secret of enduring faith – the knowledge that there is a righteous and faithful God. It is good when we are driven into this place, that we may know the greatness and unshakable truth of our God.

David had been anointed by the prophet Samuel to be king in place of Saul. He knew God’s call on his life. He knew and believed that nothing could thwart God’s purpose – not Saul’s quest for his life, not the revenge of the Philistines. For our times are in God’s hand (Psalm 31), and the Lord will fulfil his purpose for us, as Psalm 138 reiterates.

This was the root of his holy confidence: “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” True, men have agency to do many evil and hurtful things. Yet nothing can happen in the lives of God’s people without his express permission. Paul later expressed it in the triumphant words of Romans 8 – nothing can separate us from the love of God. He knew, as we should know, that we are immortal until our work is done.

David was trapped between Saul and the Philistines. He had no allies, no army, no safety net. But he had the promises of God. Therefore, he repeats, “In God, whose word I praise.” In moments of fear, the voices of panic, doubt, and despair threaten to overwhelm our faith. But David hoped against hope in the truth of God’s promises, and glorified God by trusting him in the face of all contradictory appearances.

Verse 8 has comforted millions of grieving people with its reassurance that God knows our pain closely and lovingly: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” He is not distant or indifferent. He cares deeply and personally.

And knowing God’s faithfulness, David promises something in his turn. He says, in verse 12, “I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.” The natural outcome of God’s deliverance is gratitude. The experience of God’s love and faithfulness breeds faith and humble obedience.

The final verse sums it all up: “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” From the shadows of a Philistine prison to the light of living in God’s presence—this is David’s journey. In the seasons when fear grips us, this gives us a map. When we are hemmed in by inescapable pressures —financial instability, health crises, strained relationships, persecution for our faith – we may feel that we are surrounded by enemies.

Then, Psalm 56 throws us a lifeline of faith. It reminds us that we are not alone. That our tears are seen. All we need to do, when we are terribly afraid and oppressed, is to trust in God. That is enough to see us through.

But we are often tempted to counter these pressures by fighting harder, thinking smarter. The real answer is in doing what David did. Just to fall before God and cry out for help to the one who never refuses his mercy or his deliverance. “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”

The world may say that trust in God is weakness. In truth, trust is the reflection of worship. It’s the declaration that “God is for me” even when everything else is against me. Assured that God is with us, we proclaim our independence of fear with the question, “What can man do to me?”

David’s deliverance in Gath was the result of his clever acting, true – but it was also the Lord who made a way of escape. In our tears, he has not forgotten us. He is watching our steps to fulfill His purpose for you.

So, the next time fear whispers in your ear, let us say with trembling boldness:
“In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” And those who trust him know that they will walk before Him in the light of life. God bless.