More than once King Saul sought to kill David. Before, when Saul was overwhelmed with fury and hate, he tried to pin David to a wall with a javelin, while David was playing his harp to soothe Saul. At other times, King Saul mobilized his army to hunt David down. Psalm 57 was written during one of these times, when David is fleeing for his life from the murderous rage of King Saul.
Father God, David describes the danger he faces as being surrounded by flaming lions with spear tips and arrowheads for teeth, and a sword for a tongue (v.4). We may not know the same fear as David, the terror of being surrounded by soldiers and hunted like an animal, but we do know what it is to be afraid. We do know what it is to face circumstances that overwhelm us, and we know what it's like to fear these things will ruin us.
Father, let David be an example for us. He did what he could to preserve himself, hiding in a cave from Saul and his soldiers. And yet his confidence wasn't in himself or his cave. His confidence was in you. He prayed: "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" (v.1). God, we put our confidence in you. We pray: be merciful to us because of your unfailing love.
David praises your steadfast love (v.10), which leads him to have a steadfast heart (v.7). Father, as we put our trust in you and your amazing love for us, grant peace to our hearts. Grant us a peace which isn't based on circumstances, just as David's peace in Psalm 57 wasn't based on his circumstances but on his trust in you.
Father, you are so good. And so we sing: "Your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!" (v.11). In Jesus' name, amen.
