“In God I trust.” These words were spoken by King David when he was seized in Gath by the Philistines. The Philistines were ruthless people and were not known for letting captives live. David wound up in the city of Gath after fleeing King Saul when Jonathan warned David that Saul would stop at nothing to have him killed. When Saul entered Gath, the people recognized him as the man who slayed their great warrior Goliath.
David was captured by the Philistine king Achish. After being captured, David immediately pretended to be insane, chewing on doorposts and letting drool run down his face. The king was convinced of David’s insanity and let him go free. It was a terrifying moment for David and he wrote Psalm 56 while in captivity.
David asked God to have mercy on him because his enemies trampled him. David wept, yet trusted God: “Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:9-11 ESV). When David put his trust in God, he was delivered to safety. Trusting God doesn’t guarantee our physical safety, but it does ensure our eternal promise.