BEYOND THE SURFACE

The 57^th Psalm reveals David’s heart trouble.  Verse 7 discusses that it’s fixed—but if it wasn’t broken in the first place, it didn’t need repair.

The first 6 verses of the chapter demonstrate the calamity he finds himself in—midst a group of violent people that want his hide, and they’ve set a trap to acquire it.  What’s causing you “heartburn”?

Like the psalmist, you will find relief through God, and do so by trusting Him, calling out to Him, and observing how He reaches down to extricate you out of your situation. Yes, that produces peace— the kind that spurs on the psalm’s author to praise God all the more.  When you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing you are at peace, and it’s fair to say that when you’re the recipient of His deliverance you give Him glory in it.  But there’s even more peace here than meets the eye.

Since the onslaught of the Messianic age, God’s mercy is no longer contingent on us, and meditating on that should bring the greatest peace of all.  As it is said (from I John 4:19, KJV)—“ We love him, because he first loved us.”  The emphasis should be on first.  An idiot could love someone that’s laid His life down for theirs, but for Someone to have laid down His life for us the way we were (before we were made perfect in God’s sight) is unfathomable. 

Thank you Lord for that amazing peace.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 57

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
 ²I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
 ³He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
 ⁴My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
 ⁵Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
 ⁶They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
 ⁷My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
 ⁸Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
 ⁹I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
 ¹⁰For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
 ¹¹Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.