Verse 17 of Psalm 55, is David’s great declaration that he will pray to the Lord in the morning, noon and evening.  Our verse for today follows that commitment of prayer.  David’s assurance was that God would hear my voice (verse 17).  Therefore, he knew that God would deliver him from his troubles and difficulties.  We need to search our souls and make certain that we have that same kind of confidence in the Lord.  Do we actually believe that God will answer our prayers?  Before we can have peace and victory in our Christian lives, we must be absolutely persuaded that God is real and that He is the only one who can deliver us.  There must be no trying it on our own, no turning to the methods of the world before those of the Lord.  We must remember that God is the only one and true Deliverer that we need.  Think of how God had delivered David in his lifetime.  He had been delivered from lions, bears, giants, armies and a crazed king.  Present and future deliverance were a reality to David because he recognized what God had done for him in the past.  When troubles surround us, we need to often remember those deliverances that God has given to us personally in our past.  Jesus Christ and His power are the same yesterday, today and forever.  When we are saved, God delivers our soul in peace for all eternity.  There was a great battle for our souls, even if we were not aware of it at the time.  That battle was fierce.  Just as Satan begged for the body of Moses and desired Peter that he might sift him like wheat, so he wanted to snatch your soul and carry it far from the message of God’s salvation.  But the battle that was so fiercely waged was pronounced a victory when you came to the Victor, Jesus Christ, in simple faith, trusting in Him for your eternal deliverance.  That moment, God delivered your soul in peace from the great battle of the ages.  Out of conflict, He gave purpose, out of desperation, He gave eternal hope.  No matter what skirmishes lie ahead, the battle has already been won for your soul.  The greater battle being already won, we can be assured that each individual battle that wars against us will also be won.  Verse 19 proclaims, God shall hear.  Shall is a promise word that gives the meaning: God will absolutely hear.  The Hebrew word hear gives the meaning: Hear with the intent to answer and act.  God knew us in the past and He delivered our souls from death and hell.  The promise is sure: He shall hear us in our present trials.  The last phrase of this verse is one for deep thought: there were many with me.  Some might say that in the battle waged against David, there were many in the battle fighting with (or against) him.  While that could be an explanation, here is one for consideration.  In our daily battles sometimes we think that we are all alone.  Not only do we often forget about the power of God and His ability to deliver us, but we forget those that are in the battle with us.  Surely there are those that are praying for us everyday, even before the battle begins, including loved ones, family and friends, our pastor and those in our church.  In our own area of prayer responsibility, there should be those that we pray for everyday.  There are also ones that we become aware of and add to our list, even if just for a special trial.  Christians need to stand together in the battle.  With confidence in the Lord and in our prayer warriors, we need not be discouraged today, there are many in the battle with us.  Whose battles do you need to be involved in?  Is it your child’s, your husband’s, your friend’s, or your pastor’s battles that God wants you to be a helper in prayer for today?  Don’t let your armor down.  God wants to deliver in peace.  Help in that special mysterious way that God assigns to each of us, with the weapon of prayer.  Remember, soldier of Christ, you are not alone in the battle, God is on your side and right there with you are many who are warriors together through prayer.  All around are loved ones, friends, even God’s protective army of angels, ready to fight the battle with you.  Stand fast!

Most Christians know the more familiar verse of the same thought, found in II Peter 5:7, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  Years ago when I first "discovered" Psalm 55:22, I was so impressed with the depth of meaning of this verse that I immediately committed it to memory.  It has met the needs of my heart time upon time again.  We need to understand II Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22 together.  Our motivation for casting our cares on the Lord, must be the realization that He deeply loves and cares for us.  His great love should move us to the depth of our being to totally trust Him with our deepest needs and burdens.  Many times when I have been counseling with a troubled soul, I have simply said, "God really does love you!"  What a burden is lifted when we truly believe the truth of that statement with all our heart.  In marriage, because you really love your spouse, you share your deepest heart concerns.  When the burden gets too heavy, you know that your loved one will help you to carry it.  God is your Loved One.  Not only can He share your burdens and cares, He can lift them from you and take charge of them.  Consider what Psalm 55:22 reveals to us about God’s methods and what He will do for us as we cast our cares upon Him.  He will sustain us.  In the problems and concerns of life, we often get weary.  Sometimes we feel as if we would either faint or fall under the weight of some of our burdens.  In our own strength, we certainly would falter.  But God’s never failing strength will come and sustain us, if we cast those burdens upon Him.  When we are faint, He will apply the balm of Gilead to our weak souls and sustain us.  When we are so weary, He will give us rest.  When all closes in on us, He will take our hand and lead us out.  He shall sustain us.  When the poor soldier was about to faint from having waged a fierce battle, there were those that came in amongst the troops who would feed and give water for him to drink.  With his inner man refreshed, he was able to stand and fight again.  God will do the same spiritual refreshing for you when you are at the lowest ebb of your strength, if you will but cast your cares upon Him.  I can remember being in the hospital with a mother and father whose little girl was dying.  The burden was about to crush them.  But then we turned to the Lord in prayer and gave their daughter totally to Him, trusting Him completely that He would care for her in His best way.  What peace and strength flooded our souls after we prayed, casting the burden on the Lord.  Through the next four long days and then on into the funeral, God sustained the parents in a very special way.  What burden are you carrying on your own?  It will only crush you in the end if you keep it for your own strength to carry.  Give that burden totally to the Lord, He will carry it and sustain you at the same time.  Look at the end of the verse.  God will never suffer (or allow) the righteous to be moved!  When you are saved, you become part of the great army of the redeemed, the company of those who are righteous in Christ.  As you cast your burden on the Lord, remember, He will never allow you to be moved from that company.  On Christ the Solid Rock we stand.  Winds and storms of life may come, but God will not suffer us to be moved from that Rock.  If we are not trusting, not willing to cast our burden upon the Lord, we may feel the pressure becomes too great, it may even appear that we are slipping from our place of security and peace.  Though we can never lose our salvation, we can slip from the center of His will.  It will be like the buffeting of wind near the edge of a rock cliff.  Peace will depart, fear and nervousness will take residence.  If you are in that place today, turn your burdens over to the Lord and He will hold you firmly in place, right in the midst of His precious care.  No matter what the burden is, He will never allow you to fall or falter, when you are totally trusting in Him.

Every year that I taught kindergarten, I began with a program I had devised myself.  In that program I had a series of Bible verses for the little ones to memorize.  Psalm 56:3, our verse for today, is one of those verses.  How very precious to hear a room full of kindergartners repeating with me, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.  Right then in their little lives, I knew that many of them had fears.  Fear of the dark, fear of the unknown, fear of nightmares, fear of being left alone; all are real to a five year old.  Ahead of them, I knew also, they would have many occasions to fear.  Life would hold a different path for each of them, but on that pathway would often be situations that would strike terror in their hearts.  I wanted each of them to carry this verse with them along that pathway.  I wanted it to instantly come to their minds when terror struck.  As fear welled up, how it would calm their hearts to say, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee, and know that God was there for them.  We are not little five year olds, but times that could cause fear are no less real to each one of us.  We need to so seal this verse to our hearts that instantly the Holy Spirit can bring it to our remembrance.  When terror comes, when times of deep concern and fear steal in, we need to trust in the Lord.  The longer we allow fear to have its victory, the more fear we feel, it is like a growing thing.  It grows and seems to cover the sunlight in our souls, its clouds overshadow our sky.  But if we could turn immediately to the Lord when fear first shows its ugly face, then we would never lose sight of the rays of God’s sunlight shining behind and through the darkest cloud.  God reassures us that fear is not from Him, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Fear is a weapon whose purpose is to defeat us.  God’s weapons are of power and love and a sound mind.  Fear robs us of our peace and soundness of mind.  There are many things that can strike fear within our hearts.  I used to be afraid the dark as a child, but faith in the Lord Jesus as a young adult drove that from me.  The fears of childhood seem to have been greatly conquered in my life.  The devil knows that.  He often uses the devise of surprise and unexpected events to strike fear in an adult’s life.  Remember, nothing is unexpected to the Lord.  When fear comes upon us, it is our what time of the verse.  We should turn instantly to the Lord.  No matter how quickly the event happens, or how unexpected it is, trust in the Lord to deliver you from fear.  Circumstances that hold the potential for great suffering, and future times that could hold the unknown, can also cause us to fear.  For those future "what" times we need to fully trust the Lord so that fears of the unknown will not take hold of us.  In illness, many a person has been almost overwhelmed by fear.  I can remember when the doctor first told me of the possibilities of the various illnesses he thought I might have from his observations of my symptoms.  I was 32 at the time, a grown adult, saved for many years.  As he started the list, with the worst possible diagnosis at the top, I suddenly felt overwhelming fear sweep over me.  Right there in that instant, I cried out in my heart to the Lord.  I did not try to disguise my fear, I knew that the Lord was totally aware of my deepest feelings.  I just knew that right then, I was in one of the "what" times that I was afraid, and I needed His grace and mercy to restore peace to my soul.  And that He did, immediately.  A calmness outside of myself and yet within my heart, flooded my soul, sweeping the fear aside, giving me soundness of mind and sweet control.  Yes, there will be many unexpected times that will allow fear to come rushing in.  Memorize this verse and calmly repeat it at whatever time you are afraid.  Ask God to overshadow you with His power, love and soundness of mind until peace returns to your soul.

I can remember when I first really found this verse in my Bible (though I am sure I had read it many times before).  I was so excited that I ran to the phone and called the lady who was my prayer partner in church.  I just had to share it with her.  I was so thrilled with the verse that I wrote in the margin of my Bible this comment: "Key verse for everyday Christian living."  Now that is a mighty important label to give to a verse, but I still think that it is true.  As Christians, we have the assurance that God has delivered our souls from the penalty of spiritual death.  He had done the greatest task in all eternity for us on the Cross of Calvary when He paid the full price for our eternal redemption.  When that price was applied to our souls in salvation, we were forever delivered from the second death.  When we are saved, we believe that to be true.  Our eternal destination is changed, our new life in the Spirit is guaranteed.  Even though the devil might try to make us doubt, the fact still remains.  Throughout Scripture, God reminds us over and over again, we are His and He is ours.  We are saved, and that for eternity.  God has done it all.  As Christians with such amazing assurance, why is it that so often we become discouraged about everyday living?  We become wrought with concerns over our ability to stand in times of trouble, to be on the victory side in the midst of the battles of life.  In our verse, David applies the rule of the greater assuring the lesser: If God delivered my soul from hell, certainly He can deliver me now in this life from problems, and keep my feet from falling.  I don’t want to fall in my Christian walk.  I don’t want to backslide and falter.  God alone can keep me from falling.  Yet, if I recognize all that He has done for me in His great power, certainly I can be just as equally assured that He will keep my feet from falling in my present life!  There is real victory in that assurance.  I can walk before God and men in the land of the living with the absolute confidence I need.  The light of the living, what a marvelous expression for our life on earth.  It reminds us of the expression used in John 8:12: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  When we follow Christ in salvation, He gives us the promise of being taken from the darkness of sin and fear, and placed into the marvelous glory of His presence to light our path.  Only with Christ, the Light of the world as our Guide, can we know the real joy and confidence that comes when we walk in the light of the living.  True life is only in Him.  Some commentators have applied this to the "light of glory" of the world to come, which becomes a part of the Christian’s every day walk when they set their affections on the things which are above (Colossians 3:1).  Knowing our Heavenly citizenship, we need to walk in that light here on earth.  Are you trusting Christ as much for your present day walk as you are with your eternal destiny?  If there is any area where you have not realized that deep assurance and trust, turn it over to Him, even now.  Gain victory in your Christian life and learn to walk by faith in the light of the living each day!

A mother hen teaches her little chicks to run to her in times of danger and hide under her wings.  They must also learn to remain in their place of refuge until the mother hen sounds the "all clear" signal telling them the danger is past.  There is a famous children’s gospel story about a hen and her chicks that lived on a farm long ago.  A huge prairie fire swept towards the barnyard.  The hen called her chicks to her.  One little chick hesitated and was burned to death, but the others crawled under their mother’s wings.  The hen spread out her wings and hugged the ground with each remaining chick in place.  The fire raged over her.  In the morning, the farmer found the burned body of the hen.  He gently pushed at it with his foot and five little yellow chicks ran out into the safety of the new day.  They had learned their lesson well and they had lived, while their brother had perished.  The mother hen had given her life to protect her chicks.  God tells His children to trust in Him.  He desires for us to run to Him in times of trials and need.  Trusting totally in Him, not only are we to come to Him when danger and problems arise, but we are to continue in that trust no matter how long it may take for the fire to burn.  So many Christians never realize the complete victory because they have not learned to wait until the calamity be overpast.  When we think of a problem, so often we just think of the beginning or of the crisis point, but God wants us to learn a vital lesson.  Not every problem is short in duration, many are lengthy.  Not all problems stop after the crisis point, but have repercussions that can linger and strike again.  He wants us to learn not to rush out from the protection of His refuge of prayer and trust when we think the problem is over, but stay within that perfect shelter.  Think of how many times you have heard of a Christian that had a severe problem.  They came to God in the beginning and appeared to have great trust.  Yet as the problem hung on, they became discouraged and quit on God.  Perhaps they had a lingering illness or deep financial difficulty.  Perhaps they were praying for a loved one to be saved or family problems to go away.  The test was not just in the turning to God, but in the staying with Him through it all.  In my early marriage, my husband went away from the Lord.  I prayed for him to come back.  Everyday I thought, surely this will be the day or the week he will give his life back to the Lord.  But it was not so.  It was seven whole years later when I had the joy of seeing him rededicate his life.  Just three months later, God called him to full time service.  Often we have thought about this together.  God’s timing was perfect.  He knew just what it would take for a full dedication to the Lord, not just a return to church attendance.  I could not have seen that.  But what about the other side, my responsibility.  What if I had grown bitter or angry in the trial and waiting?  What if I had turned my back on God and given up?  Where then would have been the witness?  Where would have been the wife with seven years of learning God’s grace to help her in the decisions ahead?  Where would have been the two little boys who had learned to love the Lord and trust in Him, if mommy had not remained in the shadow of God’s protective care until the calamity was overpast?  A venture out from that care, would have been a venture into hopelessness and despair.  It was not of myself that it could happen, it was totally of the Lord.  He was like that mother hen, hugging me close under Him, even when at times I had thought to struggle away, until I found rest only in Him.  We need to pray when we are confronted with troubles: Lord, grant me your mercy, Your tender loving concern and care, because I have decided to trust in You.  Lord, help me to be a child that trusts You completely.  Even if things don’t seem to be happening fast enough for me, or if the problems persist and even grow worse, help me to continue trusting You.  Lord, You know the end from the beginning.  Only You know the duration of the conflict.  I can never be safe unless I am hiding in You.  Teach me to be patient, trusting and totally dependent on You, till the calamities are over past.  Let us remember the words of Spurgeon, "Blessed be God, our calamities are matters of time, but our safety is a matter of eternity.  When we are under the divine shadow, the passing over of trouble cannot harm us."

So many of our verses this week have dwelt with trust in times of trial and need.  The note at the beginning of Psalm 57 in my Bible says: "David complains of his dangerous case."  David was in real trouble, grave danger, that caused him to call unto the Lord.  I do not think the word "complains" is a true indicator of David’s feelings in the Psalm.  Instead, I envision David calling out to the Lord, realizing that he must trust in God completely because He is the only help in this trouble.  To all his men, to all his children and to all of us that read this Psalm, David proclaimed, I will cry unto God most high.  There is not a hint of complaint, only recognition of the lordship of God, evidenced by verse 5: Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens...  David knew where his help had to come from and the character of the One he cried unto.  The witness of the Psalm proposes a question to us today: How is our prayer life?  How often and with what fervency do we cry out unto the Lord?  When troubles surround us, is prayer automatic, or do we have to be knocked flat several times before we finally turn our feeble hearts to God.  Years ago, men used to be known for their strong prayer life.  How often do we hear of this today?  Has modern man grown so self sufficient that he no longer feels the drive and the necessity to pray?  David knew that it was God that performed all things for him.  Do we know that truth today in the depth of dependence that we should have?  God is still the Sustainer and Controller of all.  He is the One we must turn to for our every concern.  We need to be humble enough to realize that.  We need to be dedicated enough to live a life that is a demonstration of our dependence.  God gives us our very breath and heart beat.  He showers us with His love and care.  He also is our Deliverer and Guide.  All these things and many more He performs for us.  David knew that in the deepest difficulty God would accomplish His marvelous working for him.  Verse three states David’s confidence in that performance of God: He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up.  Selah.  God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.  Do each of us have that absolute confidence in the Lord?  He will do for us as He did for David, if we will just be obedient children and cry unto Him, acknowledging that God is the One that performs all things.  We can do nothing of ourselves that can possibly solve life’s difficulties.  We can not lift ourselves out of trials and troubles with the victory that only God can give.  We must trust in God, who alone can do that which is perfect and correct.  It must be God, and God alone, that is allowed to work in and through our lives.  David said his prayer was to God most high.  He had placed God as number one in his life.  Nothing else had the preeminence over God, nothing was of more importance.  God is the Most High One.  David had recognized His position and acknowledged it as true in his life.  Let each of us search our hearts today and make certain that there is nothing that we have placed in importance above God or in place of Him.  No job, no relationship, no possession, no dream, no ministry can be more important than the Lord in our life.  If it is, there will be dismal failure.  Nothing can perform all things for us as God can.  Lord, help me to be honest with myself.  Help me to give You the proper place in my life, in my time and in my love.  Help me to trust You completely to perform all things for me in Your way and in Your time.  Help me to pray as I should and for that prayer life to grow every day.  Help me to honor You in that prayer life, most High God, my Savior and my King.

One of the most challenging sermons I ever heard my husband preach was on this verse.  He said the first part over and over again during the course of the sermon: "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed."  He defined fixed as "standing firm with a purpose."  Psalm 112:7 says, He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.  We need to be Christians of firm resolve, who have decided to stand firmly for the Lord, trusting in Him, no matter what.  If good tidings come, we will stand for the Lord and acknowledge His blessings.  If evil tidings come, we will stand for the Lord, refusing to question or become bitter, because our hearts are fixed.  After salvation, the action of this verse is perhaps one of the most important that a Christian can perform.  To determine to have our hearts fixed on the Lord, firm in resolve to follow Him at all costs will set our life’s course.  A Christian who has a heart fixed in this way will not quit on God.  They will not drop out of church because of hurt feelings or conflicts.  They will not turn their backs on Christian responsibilities.  They will not easily fall into sin and temptation.  They will never purposefully dishonor their Lord.  They will be faithful and true, consistent and loyal, all because their hearts are fixed.  That decision is not one that is lightly made, nor thought of for just one moment of time.  It must be made with the whole heart and renewed time and again as we travel down life’s pathway.  When someone’s heart is fixed on something, when it is the object of their resolve and desire, nothing will distract them.  When we fix our eyes on something, we give it our full attention.  We have often seen children fully wrapped up in something their attention is fixed upon.  It is very difficult to distract them or even change their focus.  We need to be that way with the Lord.  With firm resolve and godly determination, we must make the decision that we will never be swayed or turned from full devotion to the Lord.  We need to stand firm with the purpose of honoring God with our lives, with our actions, speech and thoughts.  We need to stand firm with the purpose of refusing to sin, always telling the truth, choosing to do things God’s way, no matter what.  Even if we are not as popular, even if it costs us money or position, we must determine that nothing is more important than our relationship with the Lord.  People that make this kind of decision have the courage that it takes to be martyrs, the courage it takes to also live for the Lord in our present world.  David could have reacted to the evil ways of others who sought to entrap him (verse 6), yet he made the decision to do things God’s way, despite the circumstance.  Even in reading verse seven, you can hear the firm resolve in his voice: My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed.  As the decision was made, peace must have filled his soul.  No wonder he felt like singing and giving praise to the God of his life.  Oh, that we would have the same resolve to stand firm in face of any circumstance.  Dear Lord, take my heart and fix it on Your wonderful self.   Help me to determine to live my life with purpose, totally focused on You and the principles of Your Word.  When I have this full resolve in my heart, I know that Your joy will flood in and then I will know the true victory I can have in Christ.  Fix my heart, O God.