Psalms 17:1-15: a reflection

1Hear, LORD, my righteous plea. Give ear to my prayer that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips. 2Let my sentence come out of your presence. Let your eyes look on equity. 3You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey. 4As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. 5My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped. 6I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech. 7Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies. 8Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings, 9from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me. 10They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly. 11They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth. 12He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. 13Arise, LORD, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, 14from men by your hand, LORD, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children. 15As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.

In the face of enemies who surround him, the psalmist asks God to keep him as the apple of his eye and to hide him under the shadow of his wings, taking refuge in God's tender, protective care. Keep me as the apple of your eye, the psalm prays; hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who oppress me. Surrounded by deadly enemies who close in on him, the psalmist does not trust in his own strength; he takes refuge in God's care, asking to be guarded as the apple of God's eye, the most precious and carefully protected thing, and to be hidden under the shadow of his wings, like a bird sheltering its young. He seeks safety in God's tender, watchful, protective care. This shows taking refuge in God's tender, protective care. Take refuge in God's tender, protective care, as the apple of his eye. God guards his own as the most precious thing and shelters them under his wings. In danger, hide under the shadow of God's wings. God's care for his own is tender, watchful, and protective.

Notice the images the psalmist uses for God's protective care. First, keep me as the apple of your eye. The apple of the eye is the pupil, the most sensitive and precious part, which we instinctively guard and protect above all; to be kept as the apple of God's eye is to be guarded by him as something most precious, watched over with the most careful, instinctive protection. Second, hide me under the shadow of your wings. This is the image of a bird sheltering its young under its wings, covering and protecting them; to be hidden under the shadow of God's wings is to be sheltered close to him, covered and protected by his care. Together these images picture God's tender, watchful, protective care for his own. This holds a comfort for us when we are in danger or surrounded by trouble. Like the psalmist, we can find ourselves beset, threatened, oppressed, with enemies or troubles closing in. And like the psalmist, we can take refuge not in our own strength, which may be small, but in God's tender, protective care: asking to be kept as the apple of his eye, guarded as most precious, and hidden under the shadow of his wings, sheltered close to him. God's care for his own is not distant or careless but tender, watchful, and protective, guarding them as most precious and sheltering them under his wings. We do well, in danger and trouble, to take refuge in God's tender, protective care, asking to be kept as the apple of his eye and hidden under the shadow of his wings. In danger, take refuge in God's tender, protective care. Ask to be kept as the apple of God's eye, guarded as most precious. Hide under the shadow of God's wings, sheltered close to him. God's care for his own is tender, watchful, and protective.

That is worth resting in, for we can take refuge in God's tender, protective care, kept as the apple of his eye and hidden under the shadow of his wings, as the psalmist prayed amid his enemies. We can trust only in our own small strength when beset; but the psalmist took refuge in God's care, asking to be kept as the apple of his eye and hidden under his wings. Take refuge in his care. When you are in danger or surrounded by trouble, do not trust only in your own strength; take refuge in God's tender, protective care, asking to be guarded as most precious and sheltered under his wings. Take refuge in God's tender, protective care, asking to be kept as the apple of his eye and hidden under the shadow of his wings rather than trusting only in your own strength, as in the face of enemies who surrounded him the psalmist asked God to keep him as the apple of his eye and hide him under the shadow of his wings, taking refuge in God's care; for surrounded by deadly enemies closing in the psalmist did not trust in his own strength but took refuge in God's care, asking to be guarded as the apple of God's eye, the most precious and carefully protected thing, and hidden under the shadow of his wings like a bird sheltering its young, seeking safety in God's tender, watchful, protective care, which holds a comfort for us when we are in danger or surrounded by trouble, since like the psalmist we can find ourselves beset, threatened, and oppressed with enemies or troubles closing in, and like him can take refuge not in our own small strength but in God's tender, protective care, asking to be kept as the apple of his eye and hidden under the shadow of his wings, since God's care for his own is not distant or careless but tender, watchful, and protective, guarding them as most precious and sheltering them under his wings, so that we do well in danger and trouble to take refuge in God's tender, protective care.

Lord, in the face of enemies who surround him, the psalmist asks you to keep him as the apple of your eye and to hide him under the shadow of your wings, taking refuge in your tender, protective care. Keep me as the apple of your eye, the psalm prays; hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who oppress me. Surrounded by deadly enemies who close in on him, the psalmist does not trust in his own strength; he takes refuge in your care, asking to be guarded as the apple of your eye, the most precious and carefully protected thing, and to be hidden under the shadow of your wings, like a bird sheltering its young. He seeks safety in your tender, watchful, protective care. Show me the images the psalmist uses for your protective care. First, keep me as the apple of your eye. The apple of the eye is the most sensitive and precious part, which we instinctively guard above all; to be kept as the apple of your eye is to be guarded by you as something most precious, watched over with the most careful protection. Second, hide me under the shadow of your wings. This is the image of a bird sheltering its young; to be hidden under the shadow of your wings is to be sheltered close to you, covered and protected by your care. Together these images picture your tender, watchful, protective care for your own. This holds a comfort for me when I am in danger or surrounded by trouble. Like the psalmist, I can find myself beset, threatened, oppressed, with enemies or troubles closing in. And like him, I can take refuge not in my own strength, which may be small, but in your tender, protective care: asking to be kept as the apple of your eye, guarded as most precious, and hidden under the shadow of your wings, sheltered close to you. Your care for your own is not distant or careless but tender, watchful, and protective. Take that to my heart. When I am in danger or surrounded by trouble, keep me from trusting only in my own strength; help me take refuge in your tender, protective care, Lord, asking to be kept as the apple of your eye, guarded as most precious, and hidden under the shadow of your wings, sheltered close to you.