Psalm 56 in some Bible versions is entitled “Trust in God under Persecution.” It is attributed to King David and considered representative of him or anyone else hiding from an enemy. Many of David’s Psalms have a pattern. He starts with a problem, he prays about it and then he praises God for solving the problem. In this Psalm he praises God for his deliverance from death and that he walks with God in the light of life (verse 13).
When I was diagnosed with cancer, someone said to me “Don’t worry, you’ve done more in your 40 years than many have done in 80”. I am fit and well now but at the time I thought that was a dreadful remark as who wants to die? However, I have remembered that statement time and time again in the context of we do need to live our life to the full with every day of life we have. There are only two things certain in life-death and taxes, as Benjamin Franklin wrote. We need to grasp each day, not knowing the day or time, the candle may be blown out, so to speak, and not just walk forward but walk before God as the Psalmist writes.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful, at life’s end, to feel that you could stand on the top of a mountain, survey your life laid out before you and be able to say “I’ve done what I could and done what matters?”
Trust in God for resilience and confidence and walk with him into the light of each new day.