By Paul Van Gorder, Our Daily Bread Writer

PHOTO: Psalm 56
all day long they press their attack.
My slanderers pursue me all day long;
many are attacking me in their pride.
When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust, I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
All day long they twist my words;
they are always plotting to harm me.
They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
eager to take my life.
On no account let them escape;
in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.
Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll —
are they not in your record?
Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust, I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
Avoiding unpleasant circumstances is not as easy as Lucy thinks. Life's realities cannot be avoided. We may try to run and hide, but struggles and trials have a way of dogging our footsteps and eventually catching up with us.
Let's follow David's example - not Lucy's. Facing up to life's difficulties may be a frightening experience. But when we trust God and draw to Him, we'll experience real deliverance.
- Paul Van Gorder
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzXmXj0Qn1iujhugkRpVR5FnkZmGs5i2i7tyv_hyphenhyphen0M0fHfiR8-PafJVV94SEVJuJeY5OdOvzukx7z2nBKRvSDbrDta_TO9skCSw5xKtILKjexLFf2raBrue9hOaLL9DRjgRyz0FwaoOk_m4LBX9i7_XY0B_77apz7tu3G728PAOqtDav9cGXITu0q-_M/s1152/dc82eeb81f7ba919a23a4001abcb50b2_1.png
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all day long they press their attack.
My slanderers pursue me all day long;
many are attacking me in their pride.
When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust, I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
All day long they twist my words;
they are always plotting to harm me.
They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
eager to take my life.
On no account let them escape;
in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.
Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll —
are they not in your record?
Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust, I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

PHOTO: In God I trust, I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
Picture posted in Pinterest
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PHOTO: In the comic strip Peanuts, Lucy had just broken the news to Linus that children cannot live at home forever. Even-totally they grow up and move away. Then she said that when he left she would get his room. But Linus quickly reminded her that at some time she too would have to leave home. When this realization hit Lucy, she was shocked, but she quickly came up with a solution. She turned the TV up loud, crawled into her beanbag chair with a bowl of ice cream, and refused to think about it.
Picture posted by 노래하는 마음 (Singing heart)
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Avoiding unpleasant circumstances is not as easy as Lucy thinks. Life's realities cannot be avoided. We may try to run and hide, but struggles and trials have a way of dogging our footsteps and eventually catching up with us.

PHOTO: Avoiding unpleasant circumstances is not as easy as Lucy thinks. Life's realities cannot be avoided. We may try to run and hide, but struggles and trials have a way of dogging our footsteps and eventually catching up with us.
Picture posted by firstory on 24 June 2025 at 04:58 am
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PHOTO: Instead, we should face up to our problems. The psalmist David did this when beset my persistent foes and false friends. He didn't try to minimize his danger, he acknowledged the storm that was raging around him and looked to the Lord. He wrote, "In God I trust; I will not be afraid" (Psalm 56:4).
Picture posted by The Deer's Feet
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Let's follow David's example - not Lucy's. Facing up to life's difficulties may be a frightening experience. But when we trust God and draw to Him, we'll experience real deliverance.
- Paul Van Gorder

PHOTO: Let's follow David's example - not Lucy's. Facing up to life's difficulties may be a frightening experience. But when we trust God and draw to Him, we'll experience real deliverance.
Picture posted by Lichterfüllte Glückseligkeit
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PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we pray that we face up to our problems. May we follow David's example in Psalm 56:4, 'In God I trust; I will not be afraid'. Facing up to life's difficulties may be a frightening experience. May we trust God and draw to Him, and experience real deliverance.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."
Picture posted by Светлана
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Reflection - Psalm 56 - Life Is Real
Source (book): "My Soul Thirsts For God", Reflections on the Psalms from Our Daily Bread, Psalm 56, "Life Is Real", Page 84.
By Paul Van Gorder, Our Daily Bread Writer

Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html

Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html

Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 41 - 64 (Links), posted on Wednesday, 16 March 2022
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/03/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-41.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2022/08/reflection-he-walks-with-me-links.html
"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 1 - 45 (Links), posted on 03 April 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/04/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-1-45.html
"Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries

Reflection - Classic Gem, Chapter 46 - 90 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 24 October 2023
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2023/10/reflection-classic-gem-chapter-46-90.html
"Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Copyright @ 2022 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Making All Things New, Chapter 1 - 28 (Links), posted on Saturday, 04 August 2024
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2024/08/reflection-making-all-things-new.html
"Making All Things New", 52 Reflections to Challenge the Way You Live, Copyright @ 2022 by Robert M. Solomon

Reflection - Making All Things New, Chapter 29 - 52 (Links), posted on Saturday, 15 March 2025
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2025/03/reflection-making-all-things-new.html
New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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