Psalm 55 – Trusting the LORD in Times of Hostility

Feb 15, 2026 | Pastor's Blog, Psalms

Timeless Biblical Truth.

In times of rampant betrayal and hostility, believers trust the LORD to deliver them.

  1. General: When facing hostility, believers express their feelings to God (1- 8).
    1. Believers earnestly petition God for help (1-2).
    2. Believers specify to God how they are suffering (3-5).
    3. Believers reveal to God their desire for relief (6-8).
  2. Specific: When believers are overwhelmed by evil and betrayal, they pray for God to remove the wicked (9-15).
    1. Believers ask God to destroy the wicked (9a).
    2. Believers give God reasons for Him to become involved (9b-14). 1. Reason #1: Believers see evil dominating the world (9b-11). 2. Reason #2: Believers are betrayed even by friends (12-14).
    3. Believers petition God for His swift judgment (15).
  3. Confidence: Because God has redeemed His people from their problems in the past, believers confidently pray and encourage others to do the same (16-23).
    1. Believers confess their faith in God to deliver them (16).
    2. Believers continue to pray because God is faithful (17-21). 1. Believers recall how God has delivered them (17-19). 2. Believers describe to God the deceitfulness of his enemies (20-21).
    3. Believers encourage other believers to pray with confidence (22-23).

Questions for Second Milers

  1. Note the divisions in David’s thoughts in this Psalm. What is the significance of this order?
  2. What is David’s first reaction to the horror of his situation?
  3. What is the change in his emotions as his situation become well founded?
  4. What does he want from God for the enemy? For himself? On what basis? How can he be so sure of the outcome?
  5. Reread the psalm imagining that your friend has turned against you in an extremely crucial situation. In what ways are your emo- tions similar to David’s? What is similar and/or different in your prayers to God about the matter? Do you finish with the same confidence as David has? Why?
  6. Give your own title to this psalm.
The Bible Church of the Lakes