Discouraged. Crushed. Pressured.

David seemed to have done everything right. He was a victorious warrior. Married to the king’s daughter. Best friend to the king’s son. Popular with the people. Yet he found himself running for his life, hunted by King Saul, whom he had served faithfully.

As he struggled, David wrote Psalm 56. He told God his true feelings. How he felt alone, discouraged, and outnumbered. Others were trampling him, crushing him to get ahead. Twisting his words for their own advantage. He felt pressured, vulnerable, and attacked.

But David realized that he could depend on God. He wrote, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Others might be selfish and self-centered, but God was on his side. He could write, “I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” God was the righteous judge. And He would determine the final outcome.

David knew that he was imperfect, admitting that God knew his “wanderings.” Yet, amazingly, God still loved and accepted him. David was suffering emotionally, but realized that God knew the pain he was going through. He wrote, “Put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” God cared, and God remembered.

David realized that God also answered prayer. That he could trust Him, and call on Him, confident that He would deliver him in any situation.

Do you ever feel like David? That people are twisting your words or seeking to take advantage of you? Do you feel outnumbered? Vulnerable? Under pressure?

As you ponder the beginning of a new year, remember that God is with you, and that you can call on Him anytime. You have no reason to be afraid. You can trust Him!