Psalm 57 Devotional

Sheltering Until It Passes

“I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.”Psalm 57:2 (BSB)

According to its heading, David prays Psalm 57 after fleeing from Saul and hiding in a cave (57:1). He asks for mercy and resolves to shelter in the shadow of God's wings until the danger is over (57:1). He lies among lions, surrounded by men whose words cut like blades (57:4). Yet he calls out to the Most High, the God who will carry out his purpose for him (57:2).

That conviction changes what follows. His enemies set a net and dug a pit, then fell into it themselves (57:6). His heart is steady, and he decides to wake the dawn with music (57:7-8). The man in the cave plans to praise God among the nations, because God's loving devotion rises as high as the heavens (57:9-10). Twice he prays that God be exalted and his glory cover the earth (57:5, 57:11). The danger had not yet passed, but David had already looked past the cave to God's glory. God's purpose for his people is not undone by a dark place.

To think about: What dark place are you waiting in, and how might remembering God's purpose for you steady your heart there?