Text: Psalm 57
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.
Devotion
In the cave David sings this “golden song.” His soul is in the midst of lions; he lies among “the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. … They have prepared a net for his steps; his soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before him.” But in this dark cave he takes up his harp and wakes up early, not to lament, but to sing praise. With his jubilation he wants to wake the morning dawn, that is: to sing his hymn of praise even before the sun is up. In the very jaws of his enemies he lifts up his singing voice, so that it is heard among all nations, and the sound of it still fills this world. “The secret” of his joy appears from the beginning of the psalm: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!” to its close: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.”
Here again two things especially are to be noted: 1) He holds on to mercy, and thus his own unworthiness does not stand in the way. As great a sinner as he is, he can still confidently expect salvation from the Lord. 2) He builds his hope on God alone. God is “the Most High,” and His power is much greater than all the enemies, as high as heaven is above the earth. God began to help him. This he had often experienced already. And God does nothing by halves, “God completes His work.” As God’s mercy is great, so is His “truth.” He allows no deceit and wickedness to swallow the innocent, but He keeps His promise and frees all who walk sincerely with hope in Him.
In such doubtful circumstances David could sing such a hymn of praise without a single lament. That clearly shows that, although outward need and outward success can give occasion to need of soul and joy of soul, still they do not constitute our misfortune or our joy. May we then also learn this “golden song,” “the secret” of being able to praise and sing praises to the Lord in the dark cave! If you cannot be happy, then at least you will receive grace to be “comforted,” satisfied, and thankful. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” says Paul (Phi 4:4). That’s what God wants.
Closing Prayer
May He give us His Holy Spirit’s grace to do this, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Hymn
To sweetest royal heaven
The way is always hard;
The dangers all uneven
For all who walk its road.
The thorns are all around us
Amid all earthly good;
The fires of trial surround us
And death’s most fearsome flood.
To walk on rosy pathways
On earth’s fine gentle land –
It cannot be thus always;
The cross is close at hand.
You suffer consternation
The glory to surmise;
Through trial and tribulation
You enter Paradise.
Your Jesus still is steadfast,
Your soul’s most faithful Friend,
The Source of ev’ry goodness
And grace that will not end.
Fear not the devil’s lying
Whatever he may say,
In heav’n, My grace supplying,
You’ll shine like brightest day.
Brorson: Her løber jeg i Blinde L 200.6.9.10 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Herzlich tut mich verlangen (ELH 335); alternate hymn: I walk in danger all the way ELH 252