Bottom line up front: In a world of lies, wisdom is to trust the character of holy God.

Context: Psalm 56 is one of those poetic psalms in Scripture that pierces the heart due to its brutal honesty. In it, David cries out to God from a posture of lamentation over the wickedness surrounding him, but he does so with an even greater trust in the God who rules even the storms and demons:

Text:

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
² my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
³ When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.
⁴ In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

⁵ All day long they injure my cause;^[b]
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶ They stir up strife, they lurk;
    they watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
⁷ For their crime will they escape?
    In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

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

¹² I must perform my vows to you, O God;
    I will render thank offerings to you.
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.

Encouragement/takeaway: All of Scripture is to be read and studied Christologically. That is, how is Psalm 56 to be understood in the light of Jesus Christ and his work of redeeming particular sinners? In short, David was a type and shadow of the King of kings, the Lord Jesus. David was persecuted, but Christ was murdered. David was maligned, but Christ was crucified. David was lied about, but Christ was betrayed for a few pieces of silver and kissed on the cheek by a false brother. David was a fallen and sinful man; Christ was and is the only truly holy man who died for his people. It is wise to trust in the character of the holy Christ, who is truth incarnate, and is the savior of all who come to him in repentance and faith.