Psalms 57:1-2 (ESV)
To
the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy.
A
Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
[1]
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for
in you my soul takes refuge;
in
the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till
the storms of destruction pass by.
[2]
I cry out to God Most High,
to
God who fulfills his purpose for me.
David wrote Psalm
57 when he was fleeing for his life from King Saul. He hid in a cave and feared
for his life. The opening verses of this psalm are exactly what I would expect.
It includes the requests, “Be merciful to me, O God,” and statements of faith
like, “in you my soul takes refuge.” The beginning of the psalm is not
surprising. It is the end of the psalm that catches us by surprise.
My
soul is in the midst of lions;
I
lie down amid fiery beasts—
the
children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose
tongues are sharp swords (Ps 57:4).
The danger was
very real, yet David was convinced that “God will send out his steadfast love
and faithfulness” (Ps 57:3). In the midst of metaphorical lions and fiery
beasts, David, reflecting on the faithfulness of God, was filled with worship,
praise, and hope. The Psalm starts with two verses describing David’s fearful
condition, but it ends with four verses of worship, thanksgiving and praise.
[8]
Awake, my glory!
Awake,
O harp and lyre!
I
will awake the dawn!
[9]
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I
will sing praises to you among the nations.
[10]
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your
faithfulness to the clouds.
[11]
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let
your glory be over all the earth (Ps 57:8-11)!
How can David
sing, worship, give thanks, and express his desire for God to be exalted when
he is hiding in a cave, fearing for his life? There is a fire-tower near me
that I have climbed multiple times through my life. The first time I climbed it
I was a child going up with a friend of the family. I loved it. From the top
you could see in all directions. It gave a different perspective of the land.
The stairs going to the top were safe and I had no fear. Several years ago,
when our children were young I took our children and some of our nieces and
nephews to the top of that same tower. It was still safe. There was chain link
fencing along both sides of the steps going up to keep people from falling.
There is a wall that goes around the small room at the top with open windows so
people can see. It was perfectly safe, but all I could see in my mind was one
of my children falling a hundred feet to the ground. I was filled with anxiety
and fear. I was focused on what might happen instead of why they were perfectly
safe. Our focus changes everything. David turned his focus from the cause of
his fear to the source of his safety. In doing so he moved from “Be merciful to
me O God,” to “Be exalted O God.”
What is filling
you with anxiety today? What has you filled with fear? Let me challenge you to
take that thing and lift it up to God. Define it. Explain it. Illustrate it.
Clarify it before God in prayer, and then begin to rehearse the greatness, the
faithfulness, the glory, the goodness, and the might power of God. Let that
move you to worship and let your fears dissipate in the fullness of who God is.
Don’t do this artificially. Don’t just quickly say the “right” words. Be deep
down honest with God about your fears. Then, reflect on the faithfulness of God
until you are moved to worship. Let your heart be filled with a vision of God’s
greatness and see how your fears and anxieties begin to fade. Let God move you
from “Be merciful to me O God,” to “Be exalted O God.” Remember the truth of 1
Corinthians 10:13
[13] No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is
faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the
temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to
endure it.
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