Providentially, I stumbled upon Psalm 57 yesterday. I was just looking for a quick Psalm to read before bed, but it turns out that it's a Psalm David wrote while hiding from Saul in a cave. Having just read through this passage in my trek through I Samuel (chapters 23 and 24), it meant so much more to me. I had a better sense of what a desperate time this was for David. He was deep in the midst of running for his life from his own king and father-in-law, Saul.
The first 6 verses of this Psalm illustrate the danger that David was in as he hid Osama-like in a cave with Saul and his men in hot pursuit. Yet, in the midst of this danger and uncertainty here was this amazing Psalm of praise in v. 7-11:
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples.
For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth.
I was really struck by the fact that David was able to praise God in the midst of such a distressing time. It reminded me of the Casting Crowns song, Praise You in This Storm (http://www.myspace.com/castingcrowns), and it made me wonder how well I do that.
My storms are minor compared to David's, yet praise is often the farthest thing from my mind in the midst of a bad day. Maybe if that were different--maybe if my instinctive reaction to problems was praise--my experience in the midst of life's storms would be different. Maybe then I wouldn't wallow in self-pity and unhappiness, but focus on His will and be content no matter how fierce the weather.
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1 comment:
I can relate to "wallowing in it" as you said. It's so true, that when we stop wallowing and praise him in the circumstance, that things magically get better!
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