Psalm 57 has a striking interplay of images on earth compared with images in heaven.
On earth, the poet’s enemies have attacked with vengeance. He says,
I am in the midst of lions;
I dwell among ravenous beasts–
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords (v. 4).
And again,
They spread a net for my feet–
They dug a pit in my path (v. 6).
But the poet’s vision is not earthbound and enemy-centered. He twice says,
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth (vv. 5, 11).
The poet lifts his eyes above the trouble and chaos of life, above the crouching lions and pit-digging enemies, to see the God who rules above the heavens, who displays his glory over all the earth.
Let’s pray.
Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed (v. 1).
How often we feel the day of disaster. A day when we succumb to temptation. A day when we face criticism and rejection from family and friends and coworkers. A day when the enemies described in Ephesians attack us. As Paul says: “Our warfare is not against flesh and blood . . but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We want to live a Christ-like life, but it’s more difficult than we imagined. We feel anger and despair we can’t shake off. We face broken relationships we can’t repair. Inner impulses and outer temptations trap us every time. O God, shelter us under your wings. Shelter us against the evil inside us and outside. Shelter us, against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me–
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness (vv. 2-3).
Rebuke our enemies, O God. Rebuke the lust and lethargy that creep up on us. Rebuke the arrogance that consumes us as we criticize the media and the politics and the management where we live and work. Rebuke the naysayers who discourage and the prosperity gospellers who entice. Rebuke the spirit of the age–the gospel of consumerism and self-management and individualism. Lord, dwell in us, form our spirits into your image, draw us out of consumerism into stewardship, out of self-management into dependence on you, out individualism and isolation into community.
Our heart is steadfast, O God,
Our heart is steadfast;
We will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn (vv. 7-8).
O God, with the poet we turn our gaze to the warmth of your smile. We rest in the shadow of your wings. We leave our complaints and requests for you to dispose of. We arouse our inner self that has lived in fear and depression. We worship with songs and hymns. We wait for your new day to dawn upon us.
Send forth your love and faithfulness (v. 3).
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth (v. 11).
Amen.
I’m Daniel on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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