Those going through Extreme Trials - Psalm 56

Andrew just preached his second sermon for class and did it on Psalm 56, here are some of the selected verses on what to do in trials, along with my paraphrase of the sermon! The context here is of David's fleeing from Saul and a bunch of other men who wanted to kill him, pretty hectic trial! The principle to be gleaned here is to trust/hope in God in any trial.

Psa 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psa 56:4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Verses 3-4 says we are to pray to Him when we are afraid - both shows and grows our trust in Him, because of who he is.

Psa 56:8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
Psa 56:9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.
Psa 56:10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise,
Psa 56:11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Verses 8-11 says we are to have faith in your dispair - yes even godly men like David, Elijah, Moses, and the apostle Paul are seen to dispair - it is what they do when in dispair that is important - we are not robots but humans built with internal emotions - covering it up with false statements of joy etc are not signs of godliness... We know what the Word says - the promises that it gives - our hope is to actually be expectation that the Lord is faithful to what he has said in the Word. The implication is to be reading it, that is where your hope and trust can be found.

Psa 56:12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
Psa 56:13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Verses 12-13 then, are the conclusion to this wonderful Psalm - a sweet reminder to worship God in your deliverance. He is the one who has done it, and Him alone. Praise him for who He is, and for His fulfilled promises to us as His children.

Isn't that why these trials are given to us in the first place - why waste the opportunity to get the most from it! The Lord is good.