confidently crying

I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

Psalm 57:2-3

I love both the emotional vulnerability and the confidence seen in Psalm 57. It was written by David and the inscription at the preface of the psalm lets us know the circumstances of its writing: “To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.” This psalm was first sung from David’s own heart as he ran for his life, a hunted fugitive, from Saul’s insane, jealous rage. It is filled both with images of pain and fear, but also with an overwhelming confidence in the Lord’s promise to keep him safe through the danger.

When we are afraid, like David, we shouldn’t deny the circumstances of our fear, but acknowledge them by crying out to God. And as we do so, we should also trust in God’s work to keep us. David cried out to God “Who fulfills his purpose for me.” Faith kept David worshiping, trusting, and confident in God’s purpose, even as he hid in a dark, cool cave from an army of attackers.

What David knew was the very character of God. He trusted that it was God’s steadfast love (grace) and faithfulness that would keep him safe despite very real and very present threats. David did not take matters in his own hands, although as a military general he could have employed strategy to do so. Instead, he gave the fear and the future over to God. He knew God had a purpose even in this unbelievably difficult season. He refused to circumvent that purpose by asserting his own control. He simply trusted. He confidently prayed. And God would answer and protect and vindicate that faith as David simply cried out and then believed.

O God,

You know what pains me. You know the circumstances where I feel ashamed, hunted, inadequate, in fear of failure, scared to lose my life. You know this all. And so I too will cry out that I am a man prone to fear. But You are faithful. And I will trust you to always show Your steadfast love and faithfulness. It is now forever displayed by You, Lord Jesus on the cross. There you cried out in Your Godforsaken moments so that You could fulfill Your purpose for all who would believe. So I will believe. I will trust. I will cry out. And I will be confident in You.

Amen