Psalms 57:1-11: a reflection

1Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed. 2I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me. 3He will send from heaven, and save me, he rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah. God will send out his loving kindness and his truth. 4My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be above all the earth! 6They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They dig a pit before me. They fall into the middle of it themselves. Selah. 7My heart is steadfast, God. My heart is steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises. 8Wake up, my glory! Wake up, lute and harp! I will wake up the dawn. 9I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. I will sing praises to you among the nations. 10For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies. 11Be exalted, God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.

In the midst of danger, hunted by enemies, David finds his refuge in God and pictures it tenderly. Be merciful to me, God, for my soul takes refuge in you, he prays; yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed. David does not deny the danger; his soul is among lions, threatened on every side. But he shelters in God, taking refuge under the shadow of his wings, waiting out the storm of trouble in that shelter until it passes. God is his refuge through the danger, the shelter under whose wings he waits until the disaster is over.

Notice how David shelters in God through the storm: under the shadow of his wings, until the disaster passes. The danger was real and present; but David did not face it exposed and alone. He took refuge in God, sheltering under his wings as a bird's young shelter under hers, and there he waited out the trouble until it passed. The shelter of God was where he weathered the storm, not by the removal of the danger but by taking refuge in God through it. Until disaster has passed: David sheltered in God through the trouble, waiting in his refuge until the storm was over. The wings of God were his shelter in the midst of the danger, not after it.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can shelter in God through our storms, taking refuge under his wings until the trouble passes. When danger and trouble press on us, we can feel exposed, facing the storm alone; but David sheltered in God, taking refuge under the shadow of his wings until the disaster passed. God is a shelter we can take refuge in through the storm, waiting out the trouble in his care. When trouble presses on you, do not face it exposed and alone; take refuge in God, sheltering under his wings until the storm passes, as David did. Take refuge in God through your storms, sheltering under the shadow of his wings until the trouble passes, as David took refuge in God until disaster had passed; for God is a shelter we can take refuge in through our troubles, and under his wings we can wait out the storm until it is over, kept in his care through the danger.

Lord, in the midst of danger, hunted by enemies, David finds his refuge in you and pictures it tenderly. Be merciful to me, God, for my soul takes refuge in you, he prays; yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed. David does not deny the danger; his soul is among lions, threatened on every side. But he shelters in you, taking refuge under the shadow of your wings, waiting out the storm of trouble in that shelter until it passes. Show me how David shelters in you through the storm: under the shadow of your wings, until the disaster passes. The danger was real and present; but David did not face it exposed and alone. He took refuge in you, sheltering under your wings, and there he waited out the trouble until it passed. The shelter of you was where he weathered the storm, not by the removal of the danger but by taking refuge in you through it. The wings of you were his shelter in the midst of the danger. Take that to my heart, for I can shelter in you through my storms, taking refuge under your wings until the trouble passes. When danger and trouble press on me, I can feel exposed, facing the storm alone; but David sheltered in you until the disaster passed. You are a shelter I can take refuge in through the storm. When trouble presses on me, keep me from facing it exposed and alone; help me take refuge in you, Lord, sheltering under your wings until the storm passes, as David did until disaster had passed.