Well, it is good to be with you again. It's the second time here. It is an honor, a privilege. I had the opportunity to spend some time with your pastor a couple of weeks ago on the golf course with Bob, Ji and Sarah, and Pastor Jim and myself. And it was a tremendous blessing. You get to learn a lot about a person when you go out golfing with them. I bring you greetings from Wayne, New Jersey, Bread of Life Fellowship, and I look forward also to the men's conference that's coming up in a couple of weeks. Hope you guys are registered for that. It was a beautiful drive coming up here, I have to say. I came up by Bear Mountain and then the winding roads, just tremendous. I didn't realize how long it was going to take to get here. I wanted to stop and take photos, but I'll do that on the way back, because it's just so beautiful. This morning, we're going to be looking at the 56th Psalm, the 56th Psalm. And at our church, I have been preaching through the Old Testament narrative of 1 Samuel, which chronicles the life of, well, first the life of Eli the priest, then Samuel the prophet, then Saul, the first king of Israel, and then, of course, David, God's chosen king. David wrote many of his Psalms during significant points that are recorded in the book of Samuel. When we arrive, what I've been doing is when we arrive at a point in the narrative where the exposition leads David to write a psalm, where the psalms have titles, as you'll see in a minute. What I've done is I've paused the narrative and preached the psalm that's linked to the narrative. And that's helped us to better understand the context in which the psalm was written. It gives us a better understanding and appreciation of the emotion and the tone of the psalm. The title of the 56th Psalm tells us that it was written by David when the Philistines seized him in Gath. And this is a reference to 1 Samuel chapter 21, verses 10 to 15. So if you would, turn in your Bibles first to 1 Samuel 21. I'm going to read verses 10 to 15, which are going to give us the narrative that's going to set up the context of the Psalm. First, just to set up the narrative, just to know where we are at this point in 1 Samuel, because we're kind of jumping in. Many of you know the story. Israel wanted to be like the nations. They wanted a king, and they selected for themselves the tallest among them, Saul, to be their king. Though his reign met some success, and he fought many battles and unified Israel, when it came to his biggest test, that of the Philistine giant, Goliath, he deferred to the young man, David, the son of Jesse. Of course, you know the story in 1 Samuel 17, David slew Goliath, securing the victory for Israel over the Philistines, causing the people of Israel to rejoice. And they sang that song, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. This caused great jealousy. and rage in King Saul, even though David was never, ever a physical threat to Saul or to his throne. Saul's rage became unreasonable and some say for a period of four years, he utilized all of his resources to jealously pursue and kill David. While running away from King Saul, David hastily at one point hastily sought refuge in the enemy territory of Gath. Again, Gath, the home of the Philistine giant that he killed, and many of the family members and friends of the Philistines that he also killed in this war not too long ago. He feared the pursuit of Saul so much that he actually ran into enemy territory for protection. Well, once he was in Gath, he realized that was a kind of a mistake, and he feared the king of Gath, Akish. So at one point, what he does is he fakes insanity to escape from Gath. And the incident reveals to us whether for right or wrong, David actually felt safer on enemy ground than he felt in Israel under the mad reign of King Saul. So let's read about this, 1 Samuel chapter 21, verses 10 to 15. And as I read, notice David's physical and emotional state. David is alone, David is desperate, David is afraid. And it is because of this that David makes this reckless journey into Gath in the first place. 1 Samuel 21, beginning in verse 10. And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish, the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, is not this David, the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances? Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish, the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors and the gates and let the spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house? So it's under these circumstances, brothers and sisters, that David at some point writes a song about it. It's interesting in and of itself to consider that. Desperation and suffering would be the impetus to push David to write many Psalms. In addition to Psalm 56, under the same circumstances, he composed Psalm 34. Both Psalms reference this very event in their title. Commentators generally agree that David was not trusting God. when he wandered into and out of Gath. However, we do see in Psalm 56, as we're gonna see in a minute, that he did ultimately trust God. Today, we will study Psalm 56. The title of the message is In God I Trust. So turn to the 56th Psalm with me, and I'll pray one more time. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. Lord, you tell us you honor Your word, we pray that it would not return void today. We pray, Lord, that you would bring comfort to your people. Comfort and conviction draw us to you, Lord. Cleanse us by your word. Wash us today. We pray, Father, that your word would accomplish all that you desire to accomplish. May it build trust in your people, we ask. In Christ's name, amen. 56th Psalm, a word about in general, this is in the second book of the Psalter. The Psalter contains five books. The second book is from Psalm 42 to 72. The title of the 56th Psalm provides that information, that historical information. Look at the title. It says, To the Choir Master. according to the dove of far off Terebinths, a mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. To the choir master, tells us that the 56th Psalm is a song. It is laid out quite similar to modern songs. It contains two verses, followed by a chorus. So it's verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus, and then there is a closing bridge. It's sung according to this tune that we have no idea of. The tune is called The Dove of the Far-Off Terebinths. We don't have any clue what that tune is, but the reference to the dove is linked to the 55th Psalm in the sixth verse where David cried, oh, that I had the wings like a dove. I would fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would wander far away. I would lodge in the wilderness. Now, I believe that The Psalms are ordered in the way they are in the existing sequence of the Bible for a reason. And I think that this title of the 56th Psalm linked to the verse six of Psalm 55 is significant. And it's linked, 55th and 56th Psalm are linked by that word dove. David is wandering, he's running away. He says, I wish I had wings. Well, David does not have wings, but he is wandering. as he seeks to escape Saul's mad pursuit. The title also tells us that this is a miktam of David. That Hebrew word, miktam, appears in six psalms in the Bible. It's a technical term of uncertain meaning. Some say it means inscription or others say it means golden or important or hidden. Psalm 56 is an individual lament. It is written in the first person. So you will hear, in God I trust. Now, the title, I think, on your bulletin says, in God we trust. But the actual title is, in God I trust. It's a individual psalm. However, like most psalms in the Psalter, it was written to be sung corporately. It's written to the choir master. It is meant to lead the worshipers to express themselves in corporate worship. The psalms put the right words into individuals' mouths as they sing. When you sing a psalm, I'm not sure if you ever have done that in this church, but when you sing a psalm, you actually know 100% that you are singing God's word. And not only do you know that you're singing God's word, but you know that you're properly expressing emotions in a God-pleasing fashion. See, songs are supposed to invoke emotion. Human writers come up with words to invoke emotion. Even in the Christian realm, where songwriters have asked us to do things like feel the warmth of his embrace, or how another songwriter writes it, heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss. What does it mean? when we sing these words to God. When we sing words like, I want to lay back against you, or feel your heartbeat. See, songs, these songs were written to try to invoke emotions. But with the Psalms, God's word shows us how to properly express emotions. Now, I'm not at all suggesting that solid hymns and modern songs are wrong to sing, obviously. They're included in the command for us to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. But what I am saying, that even as wonderful as the grandest hymns that we sing are, how beautiful and how emotional they are, it still is not the inspired word of God as psalms are. So realize this 56th psalm was written as a song to be sung by the congregation of God's people. It's a faith-filled song of worship that is expressing to God trouble in the midst of daily troubles. Though the psalm was written by David under particular circumstances, the ones we just read, the words of the psalm are very general so that all of us can apply and identify with them. What individual here has not ever experienced the very same emotion that David is experiencing in this trial? who has never felt alone, or desperate, or afraid. See, like David, we all find ourselves troubled with trials, which we're all challenged to trust God. Though David wrote this in the wake of fleeing from Gath, an experience that we will never understand, This movement from trial to terror, from terror to trust, and from trust to thanksgiving is something that we all experience. And if you're taking notes today, we're gonna cover this psalm in three points. Just as I said, from trial to terror, from terror to trust, and from trust to thanksgiving. Three points, all with the letter T. So I pity the fool, who cannot remember this outline. Psalm 56 is the first in the Psalter where we find this repeated chorus. Remember I said it's verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, and then bridge. So what I'm going to do is for the first point, from trial to terror, we're going to look at the two verses of the psalm, which is verses 1 and 2 and 5 and 7, from trouble to terror. verses one and two, and then five to seven. Then we'll look at the two choruses of the psalm, and consider verses three and four, and eight and 11, under the heading of terror to trust. And then finally, in the last two verses of the psalm, we'll look at the bridge where trust leads to thanksgiving. Trouble to terror, terror to trust, trust to thanksgiving. Let's read the psalm together, Psalm 56. 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. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? All day long, they injure my cause. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps, and they have waited for my life. For their crime will they escape? In wrath, cast down the peoples, O God. You have kept count of my wandering. You have put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise, in God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God. I will render thank offerings to you, for you have delivered my soul from death. Yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God. in the light of life. First two verses, we'll look at the trouble. Notice the repetition of the word trample or pursue or attack, also all day long. It's creating for us the idea of an overwhelming onslaught. 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. David is crying out to God for grace in the midst of an overwhelming attack. The words of these verses are highly emotional. They're a highly emotional response to being in trouble. The second verse of the song in verses five to seven, there's a more reasoned description of the specific nature of this attack. These enemies are described as predatory lurkers who hound and press their prey. They conspire, they watch his steps, they look for opportunities to accuse him and stir up strife. Look at verses five and six. All day long, They injure my cause. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps as they have waited for my life. Now brothers and sisters, this psalm refers to physical enemies. And we may at times have similar experience in this world where there are physical enemies who are against us. But every single one of us, regardless, if you are in Christ, you have spiritual adversaries who are doing this, who are lurking, who are stirring up strife, who are watching your steps, waiting for your life. As Christians, we understand the torment of Satan, our adversary, who seeks to devour us, who seeks to take our lives. to relentlessly trample on us, attack us with daily troubles. 1 Peter 5, 8 says, your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. This is his 24-7 occupation. He seeks to manipulate circumstances in your work, in your home, in your life. to overwhelm you, to create fear and anxiety and despair in all of God's people. Even when we do suffer from physical attacks at the hands of people or by the words of people, realize we're told in the scripture that our... Whatever troubles you're experiencing right now, Whether they're worldly of this earth or otherworldly, they lead to terror, fear. And David confesses this in verse three. He says, when I am afraid. We have trouble in our world, don't we? And trouble leads many to fear. We can look at the circumstances in our world and see there is much to fear. A Chapman University survey traces trends from year to year of things that people in our nation fear the most. And the top 10 fears of last year, 2023, fears that were held by 50 to 60% of those surveyed included economic or financial collapse, not having enough money for the future, war or nuclear attack on the United States, terror attacks from poisoned water to cyber attacks, or loved ones becoming seriously ill or dying. And then the number one, with over 60% of the people responding that they feared this, was, no surprise, the corruption of our government. Now if you've been keeping abreast of the political climate that's leading us into November, I think you can see there are reasons for this, that this fear is obvious. The troubles of our world have led many to terror. And God's people are not exempt. That's why in Psalm, in verse seven, the psalmist cries out. He cries out this desperate, imprecatory prayer. How long is this going to go on, God? Judge my enemies. Look at verse seven. For their crime will they escape? In wrath, cast down the peoples, oh God. And I think we can all understand this at times, right? We just, there's so much going on around us, so many trials going on that we just become tired of all the rhetoric, all the nonsense, all the politicians who claim to care for the weak and marginalized and then shamelessly advocate the killing of children. The sins of our society are filling our cups to the brim. And sometimes we just say, we wish God would end it, right? That's his situation there. God, how long are the wicked going to prosper? When will you cast them down in your wrath? And how we long for the day, brothers and sisters, when there is no more fear, no more pain, no more tears, no more terror, no more sin. The troubles that cause terror are very real in our day. Not just troubles in this world, but what about personal trials in your life? Who can identify with some of these things? Have I saved enough money to sustain me in retirement? Where will I have to live? Will I have to move out of my home? What happens if I lose my job? Can I afford to continue to live in this State. Will my salary pay my mortgage? Will my aging parents or my spouse be struck with Alzheimer's? What kind of world will my children inherit? Will my sons or daughters be drafted into war? Are we headed for a recession or a depression in this nation or World War III? What's going on in this world? The troubles of our world and our personal struggles are not unique. Every age, in every age, there are very real world troubles that produce terror and fear. And they take their emotional toll on us, as they do the psalmist. For David, his fears have caused him now to recklessly run away and wander. He says in verse eight, you have kept count of my wandering. and wandering is the best translation there. If you have the ESV, for some reason, it translates tossings, but it's his wandering, his running around is what he's talking about here. The story reported in Samuel of David's wandering talks about how he wandered back and forth, east to west, north to south, throughout the nation, running away. His fear-driven wandering resulted in many tears, Tears of fear, tears of anxiety, tears of despair, tears of loneliness. In that Hebrew word for wandering, there is the word nodi, nodi in Hebrew. And there's this Hebrew homophone, nodeh. So there's this idea, this word nodi triggers the idea of nodeh. What's nodeh? Nodeh is a flask or a bottle or a canteen or a water skin. So the Holy Spirit through David in writing this links the idea of his wandering to a bottle. So he says with beautiful poetic imagery here and high emotion in verse eight, you have kept count of my wandering, put my tears in your bottle. What a beautiful picture of the compassion and affection of God. The psalmist knows that God has kept a record of every tear until the day when there are no more tears. And he does the same for you and I, brothers and sisters. He continues in verse eight, are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. He's comforting himself here. He's comforting himself with a two-fold truth. First, God understands his terror, and he's keeping count of it. And secondly, God will deliver him from his terror. There are two levels of comfort here. One is obvious. We know. We're all comforted by the fact that at the end of time, Jesus is going to return, and he's going to hand over everything to his father, and everything is going to be wonderful from that point on. God delivers us from our enemies, and we take comfort in that. But then less obvious and unique, by the way, to our God, unique to Yahweh, unlike all the false gods, our God understands and identifies with our sufferings. So yes, we will be delivered, and we praise God that we're gonna be delivered, but we also can take comfort in the fact that even now, he counts your tears. You can derive the same kind of comfort in Jesus in the gospel. First, in the resurrection, the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ, God vanquished our greatest enemies of sin and death. Listen, whatever financial woes you have, nothing is compared that sin and death is taken care of. So be comforted in that fact. You don't need to fear the things that the world fears. But then secondly, take comfort. in the fact that God understands your suffering. And we know that he does because of Christ, right? He was, he took on flesh, he left the throne room of heaven to take on flesh, become tempted in all ways just as we are, tried just as you are, yet never sinned. God demonstrated his love for us by condescending, taking on flesh in the incarnation. God the Son dwells with us. Emmanuel, God with us. And as a man, Jesus weeps with those who weep. And though David didn't know Jesus, he has a very strong sense of the compassion of God. He did not know the person Jesus, but he understood the compassion of God. He knows that God knows his pain. He counts his tears and he saves them in his bottle. That's our God. That is our God, Yahweh. He is so unique in so many ways, but this makes Him radically different from all the gods of the other religions. And isn't it wonderful, brethren, to know that this God who is sovereign and all-powerful is at the same time keeping count of your tears in His bottle, remembering them in His book. And you see here the two attributes of God, the power of God and the compassion of God. In human beings, these things are typically mutually exclusive. People with power tend not to have a lot of compassion, and people with compassion usually don't rise up to power. But God is all-powerful and genuinely compassionate, and there is no disconnect between these two attributes. In fact, when God revealed himself to Moses in that well-known famous verse in Exodus chapter 33, where Moses wants to see God, and God tells Moses, I'll let my goodness pass before you, and I'll proclaim my name, Yahweh, in your presence. And he says this, link to his name, link to his character, link to his person. He says, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So in the name and nature of Yahweh, we see both his sovereign power, I will do what I will do, as well as his compassion. I will have mercy on those who I will have mercy. There is a connection between his compassion and his resolve to act in mercy on the objects of his compassion. In Psalm 51, David knew that He was forgiven. How did he know it? He based it on the compassion of Yahweh. He says in verse one of Psalm 51, have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. The New Testament, 2 Corinthians 1, reveals God to us as the father of compassion. Compassion is what motivated Jesus to heal the sick, to feed the hungry. It was compassion that drove him to exercise his sovereign power to multiply bread and fish to feed thousands. It was his compassion. See, if we have a God, that is sovereign and powerful, but distant and incapable of being touched by our feelings, that sovereign, powerful God will attract some followers by fear or by tradition. A God that's far off is often followed just out of sheer tradition or awe. On the other hand, a God who is only compassionate but incapable of any powerful action will also attract people, usually a sinful people who wanna serve some weak Santa Claus grandfatherly idol and think that God is that. But brethren, we serve a mighty God and a God who has compassion on his people, who not only understands our terror but defeats it, amen? And the psalmist knows this, and he sings this in the chorus. Now we'll turn from going from terror to trust. Verse 3 and 4. Look at verses 3 and 4. This is the chorus of this song. Repeated chorus. Verse 3. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you, in God whose word I praise. In God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Notice David doesn't deny his fear. This is not like, he is not like the name and the claimant folks who say, never confess that you're fearful. He acknowledges he is afraid, but something changes here in this verse. Something moves him from being afraid to not being afraid. Look at verse three again. When I am afraid, what? I put my trust in you. This trust is an act of his will. It actually is a defiance of his emotional state. Emotionally, he's afraid, but he's resolving to trust. Verse four, where is he putting his trust? In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust. His trust is in the person of God. He trusts in God, not just any God, But his trust has a basis. Which God is this? In God, whose word I praise. And then look down to verse 10, when the chorus is repeated, there is a slight addition in the second chorus. Look down at verse 10. In God, whose word I praise, in Yahweh, whose word I praise. And that repetition there is important. It doesn't appear in the first chorus, but in the second chorus, in verse 10, he repeats it, in God whose word I praise, in Yahweh whose word I praise. And that repetition tells us that it's not simply merely a claim to trust God, generically, like our U.S. currency says, in God we trust, and we could say, what God? What God are you trusting? And what is the basis of your trust in this God? See, apart from his word, it's impossible to trust God because we do not know him. We do not know what he has promised. How can you trust someone you don't know? So David adds this word, this statement, whose word I praise. And then he clarifies that in verse 10. With the name of God, this is not some generic general Elohim God. This is Yahweh who has given his word. So now it is very clear who he's placing his trust in. Because a lot of people say, well, yeah, I trust God, I trust God, I trust God. What God? Brethren, our God has made himself and his will and his promises known to us. We have a God-breathed word that is perfect, that is truth, that can be trusted. Even the youngest in our midst know this, right? Jesus loves me, this I know. How do you know? Because he makes me feel good. No. Because he's going to give me everything I want. No. Jesus loves me. This I know. How do you know? The Bible tells me so. Amen. See, without the scripture, the only basis that anyone has to trust God are some nebulous feelings or some baseless tradition. But God's word is a source of confidence. The grass withers. The flowers fade. But God's word endures forever. And based on his word, We can lay all of our trust in him and come away with confidence. Look at verse four again. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Now think about that for a minute. And he repeats this in verse 11 as well. I will not be afraid. What can man do? What can flesh do? What can mortal flesh do to me? Well, quite frankly, a lot of damage. Human beings can cause us a lot of trouble, a lot of hurt. We could be slandered, oppressed, attacked, trampled, pursued, injured, stalked, or even murdered. That's what flesh can do to you. But that's not the answer that David is anticipating here in this psalm, is it? What can flesh do to me? The implied answer is nothing. Flesh can do nothing to me, not if God is for me. And he says that in verse nine. The second chorus, look in the middle of verse nine. He says, this I know, that God is for me. In God whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise, in God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? See, David's very real enemies that are oppressing him in the two verses of this song, That flesh that's coming at him, that man that's pursuing him all day long. Nevertheless, he could trust. Trust makes all the difference. David is alone, he's desperate, he's afraid. That landed him in enemy territory. He heard the people saying, isn't this David, the one that the Israelites say, isn't this the guy who killed our people? And he starts to get afraid. He knows that among the 10,000 that he killed are family members and friends of the Philistines. He had very good reason to be afraid, but by faith he knew that God was for him, even in enemy ground. And if God was for him, in the words of the Apostle Paul, quoting this Psalm, by the way, who can be against him? That's why David could sing in the midst of trouble. That's why he could sing, in God I trust, I shall not be afraid, what can man do to me? Even while man was pursuing him with great evil. Despite the zealous oppressor's relentless pursuit, David found solace knowing that God took careful account of his suffering and would soon turn away his enemies. And they could cause great temporal damage, but David could ultimately trust in Yahweh. Brethren, Psalms like this minister to us. They bear witness of the, first of all, the vicious reality of trials in this world. We're in a fallen world. And there is no denial of the reality of pain and suffering in this life. However, it also celebrates the fact that we have a God who is bigger than our circumstances. One in whom we can trust. That if God is for us, who can be against us? We can easily miss the fact that David's trust was built in this moment of fear. And the same is true of us. And that's why this psalm becomes so practical. It's difficult to receive this, but this really holds the key for you conquering your fears. And it's this, that while you're going through the trial, it is the very trial that builds the trust. Your reaction to trials, typically, what do we do? We try to run away, right? We try to get ourselves out of the trial. But there's something even more precious about our relationship with God in the midst of trials, through the suffering. than in a life that's free from suffering. No one wants suffering. No one wants trials. We don't say come on, bring them on. But there is something precious in our relationship with God. There's a beauty that can only be discovered as we are seeking refuge from the one who considers our tears. Something that we'll never experience apart from pain. Finally then, let's consider the bridge of this song in verses 12 and 13. Verse 12, I must perform my vows to you, O God. I will render thank offerings to you, for you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. So now David's trust gives him a little bit of breathing room. And he could say, all right, I'm going to praise God now. I'm going to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. This is a vow that is bred in confidence that stems from trust. He's trusting that God will deliver him, and birth out of that trust now comes thanksgiving. The final point from trust to thanksgiving. If you wanna know if you're really trusting God in your circumstances, consider how ready are you to thank God for your circumstances. How can you tell if you trust God? Well, how can you tell how confident you are that he will deliver you from your trials? Only as confident as you are ready to thank him. Can you thank him now even amid the turmoil? Now you may say to me, yes, I believe that God delivered my soul from death. That's what the cross is about. I trust that with my whole heart. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, that he saved me from death and hell, and I'm confident in my eternal life, and that is good. But brethren, consider this. If he's done all the heavy lifting necessary to deliver your soul from death, can you not trust him for lesser things? David trusts God amid loneliness, amid desperation, amid fear. What trouble, what turmoil, what terror keeps you from fully trusting in His grace this hour? Is not the one who died on the cross and rose from the dead able to handle what troubles you today? And can you not thank Him in faith and give him praise that is due his name even amid trials? See, sometimes when we go through trials, our first reaction is to run away. I'm not gonna go to church today, I don't feel like it. I'm going through too much. No, that's the place you run to. Sometimes we get so into ourselves and our problems, we don't feel like praising God. And that reveals how little we really trust him. Look at David in the midst of all of this trial that he's going through. He says, I must perform my vows to you, O God. I will render thank offerings to you. It is a expression of his will here. And if you're truly trusting God amid your troubles, wild horses could not keep you away from praising God when the saints gather. You'd not be able to wait to give him thanks. See, too many times we become consumed with troubles. We lose sight of God. We give over to our thoughts. Oh, if I only didn't do that, this wouldn't have happened. Or what can I do now to fix this situation? Brothers and sisters, thank Him. Draw near to Him at those times. And please understand, I'm not in any way suggesting that the trouble, the unique trouble that you're experiencing in your life is not genuine. I'm not saying that at all. I'm not saying to say it's not real. I'm not saying that trials will not at times even derail your faith for a season. The psalmist doesn't deny trials, he doesn't deny suffering. Suffering is real, but he knows a God who will remember every last one of them and deliver him from them. So I'm just saying this, in order to gauge the level of your trust in God, take account of your thoughts. Are you anxiously looking at your circumstances? Does worry fill your soul when you think about some of the things about your future or present circumstances? Do you fear the future or are you ready to thank God? Only as much as you thank God amid trials are you trusting Him. If you can assess your thoughts and realize that your faith is shaky, perhaps even possibly being derailed by trials. First of all, know you're in good company. This is how David felt at the beginning of this psalm when he fled to Gath in the first place. But then in faith, as David did, he knew his duty. He said, I must perform my vows to you, O God. I will render thank offerings to you, for you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling. He's praying, and as his Lord, you who delivered my soul from death can and will do anything lesser that concerns me. Finally, then, that next word in verse 13. Look at verse 13 again. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling. What's the next word? That or so that or in order that. A small word, a little word in Hebrew, but an important word because it gives grounds for that action. God delivered the psalmist's soul from death. Why? So that, he says, I may walk before God in the light of life. God delivers his people from death in order that we may walk before him, present tense, here and now, in the light of life. See, this trust has a very real effect on you now in this life. And again, many of us can say, yeah, they're trusting God for their eternal future, for their eternal life. I know I'm going to heaven when I die. It's sometimes easier for us to say, yes, Jesus conquered death and he will deliver my soul. But then he tells you, I did that so that you would walk, present tense, now in the light of life. Year and now. But you see here, David's example of trust enables him to walk before God, present tense, even as the enemy is pursuing him. Our Lord Jesus quoted the last line of this psalm in the Gospel of John, chapter eight, verse 12, when he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. So if your life, if you're troubled, if you feel your enemy pressing in hard against you, when darkness is seeming to prevail in your life, when your faith is in danger of being shaken or derailed by troubles, follow the light. Follow Jesus, the light of the world, and he will light your path. Jesus knows exactly what you're feeling. He knows what it is to be pursued by enemies. In Luke chapter eight, his enemies pressed in so hard they provoked him and they lied in wait to trap him, just like David did. The greater David, Jesus Christ, knows what it is to feel attacked by enemies. So when you feel attacked by the enemy, Satan, or physical enemies in this life, when you feel trampled down, scrutinized, mocked, hated, when it feels like you're in a dark pit, look to Christ. He was in all ways tried, just as you are, Yet he did not sin and his perfect record of righteousness, his perfect record of trust is put on your account for every time you lack trust, the perfect record of Christ's trust is placed on your account when you trust him. Look to Christ. Look upward to the light of the world. Whatever dark circumstances you're in, render the sacrifice of praise. Sing to him. This vow that's mentioned in verse 12 is a song of thanksgiving. We have an opportunity to apply this immediately, right now, as this sermon ends, by singing together. Join your congregation. You say, I have a bad voice. They would hate it. No. Join your congregation when you have opportunity to sing and sing with all of your heart and soul and mind and strength. Brethren, we have so much to be thankful for, so much to sing praise for. Christ is your hope and stay. Follow him, trust him, thank him, for he alone is worthy. Amen.