For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

1 Be merciful to me, my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
    all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
    in their pride many are attacking me.

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4     In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words;
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
    they watch my steps,
    hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.

8 Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll —
    are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
    when I call for help.
    By this I will know that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life. (NIV)

In the past I have quoted something I heard years ago, ‘Fear knocked at the door; faith answered, and there was nobody there.’ It has a nice ring to it, and there is, of course, a real truth to it. Winston Churchill said, ‘When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.’

But sometimes, when fear knocks at the door, there really is someone there – armed and dangerous and out to get you! David regularly found himself in tight corners, as when he wrote this psalm, and whereas trust in God did not always remove the threat from his door, it drove the fear from his heart.

”When I am afraid (3)…I will not be afraid (4). This paradox expresses the heart of the psalm.” Alec Motyer.