“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.”
Psalm 57:1
David wrote this Psalm when he was hiding in a cave because King Saul was intent on killing him. David was Saul’s son-in-law and one of the generals of his army. But Saul was jealous of David’s popularity and so set out to destroy him.
Enemies come in so many different shapes and sizes. They can be someone you’ve never met personally, they could be a friend or neighbour, or, as in David’s case, they could be members of your own family.
An enemy is one who seeks to destroy you in some way. They may want to destroy your reputation, destroy your confidence, destroy your relationships or even destroy your very life. David knew that Saul wanted to kill him so he escaped and hid in a cave where he poured out his heart to the Lord.
He asked God for protection v1
He asked that God would fulfil the purposes he had for David’s life v2
He acknowledged God’s unfailing love and faithfulness v3
He describes his enemies v4
He exalts the Lord v5
He acknowledges how weary and distressed he is v6
He proclaims his confidence in God, instructs himself to sing praises and give thanks to God v7&8
He again remembers God’s faithfulness and exalts and glorifies Him v10-11
David was on the run from an enemy that wanted to take his life and he took refuge in a cave. A natural cave is a good hiding place. But in this Psalm, we can see a “spiritual cave”. David was hiding his soul in God. He was hiding under the shadow of God’s wings, until the danger passed. The verses of this Psalm show the steps he took to protect himself in God.
You may be facing an enemy today. It may be a colleague, friend or family member. It may be someone who just hates Christianity and anyone who is a Christian. It maybe someone with an axe to grind and you are just the most convenient cat to kick at this time. Whoever or whatever your enemy may be, hide in the cave of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness for all His children. Go through the steps that David took to lift his soul out of the depths of despair, so that he could magnify and glorify the only Saviour of the world.
