In God I Trust, I Will Not Fear

Psalm 56 is a psalm of David, a "Mikhtam" written when the Philistines seized him in the city of Gath. David is called here "the silent dove of distant places" — an image of a vulnerable, hunted soul. In this first part David describes his distress: many enemies press him all day long, surround him, and lie in wait for his life. Yet out of the fear itself rises the great declaration of trust — "In God I trust, I will not fear."

The background of this psalm is one of the hardest moments in David's life: fleeing from King Saul, he came to Gath, a Philistine city, where he was recognized — the very one who had killed Goliath the Philistine of Gath. Out of fear, David feigned madness to escape. The psalm was written from that low and frightening place, and that is why it speaks so deeply: this is faith born not out of comfort, but out of real fear and danger.

The central verse, chosen as the title of this song, is:

"In God I trust, I will not fear — what can flesh do to me?"

In God I have placed my trust, and so I will not be afraid — what can mere flesh and blood do to me? This is the voice of a man who, even in danger, chooses to rely on God, understanding that human power is limited before the power of the Creator. Fear does not vanish by denial, but melts away before faith.

This song is part of the larger journey of the project: with God's help, to compose and sing the entire Book of Psalms in a diverse, emotional, Jewish, and uplifting musical language.