¹Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by … ⁵Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth.

If you have ever felt boxed in by your adverse circumstances, this psalm will help move you from being overwhelmed to praising God in confidence. Here we will learn from the example of David when he fled from King Saul into a cave in the southern desert (called the Negev). It doesn’t matter which cave experience provides the background to this psalm (as the inscription indicates), either at Adullam (1 Sam. 22) or Engedi (1 Sam. 24). In both cases, his physical life was in danger—this was a life or death situation. Life in those days was brutal when people and leaders had disagreements and jealousies. David was running from Saul, whose insane actions were fueled by insecurity and extreme jealousy. He wanted to kill David, and no authority in the nation could stop him, for the king controlled the army, and they were after David. Not many of us have had such threats hanging over us today, but many of us have people who make our lives miserable or want to destroy us one way or another. This psalm is for us.

We learn from David that a godly response to our overwhelming life predicaments is to cry out to our gracious God. The first thing that comes to David’s mind, to all who are godly, is the character of God (vs. 1a). He falls back on what he knows about God; his hope is in the One who is gracious, who freely brings help and resources to him and to us in our time of need. But this help does not come because we deserve it or have any claim on Him; David simply asks for it, showing he trusts in God.

He goes from there to a change in his fearful attitude. Seeking God in faith has a way of moving us to a firmer foundation than by us drawing from our own reserves or placing our ultimate trust in our efforts. In hiding from Saul in a cave, David spiritually takes refuge in God, a greater protection than a hole in a rock cliff (vs. 1b).

He continues his confidence by acknowledging that God has done great things in his life up to this point, which gives him assurance that God will send help and rescue him in his present circumstances. So easily does fear tempt us to view this current situation as different; however, God remains the same One who rescued us in the past, and He will do it again—if we reach out to Him in faith. That is what David expresses in verses 2-3.

Lest we think David is just giving us a flowery, feel-good sonnet, he graphically describes his adversaries (the armies of Saul):

My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword. (Ps. 57:4)

We must resist the temptation to think he succumbs to poetic license and exaggerates, for he means every word. While David was a mighty warrior, there were limits to what he could do by himself against the overwhelming military force of Saul. He pictures himself lying in their midst like a captured animal who was about to be torturously carved up. Their words would easily turn into weapons.

Though his situation was dire, David bursts out in praise: “Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth” (Ps. 57:5). How could he do that when his world was caving in on him, with Saul’s men ready to pounce? That is where faith comes in. Against all that our fears and senses would have us believe, God is still in control, and that is cause for praise!

Indeed, a heart of praise demonstrates our trust and confidence in God more than anything else. David continues his thought from verse 4 about his enemies and says they are ready to trap him (vs. 6). But this rehearsal of his problem can’t hold back his confidence (vs. 7a), his joyful singing to God (vss. 7b-8) or his expression of gratitude to God for His lovingkindness and truth (vs. 9-10). His situation on the physical plane is overshadowed by the reality of God’s character in the spiritual plane. This is the truth of what it means to find refuge in the shadow of His wings. In the last verse, David circles back to the refrain: “Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth” (Ps. 57:11).

What an encouragement and a comfort to us that no matter how overwhelming our circumstances may be, even the threat of physical harm, God is in control, and He wants to hear our prayers seeking His gracious help!

Lord, may You be exalted and Your glory be made known to all around me as they see You working on my behalf.