God Speaks
57 For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. Interlude
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
4 I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.
6 My enemies have set a trap for me.
I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude
7 My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
58 For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”
1 Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word?
Do you judge the people fairly?
2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts.
You spread violence throughout the land.
3 These wicked people are born sinners;
even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
4 They spit venom like deadly snakes;
they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers,
no matter how skillfully they play.
6 Break off their fangs, O God!
Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!
7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground.
Make their weapons useless in their hands.
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime,
like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.
9 God will sweep them away, both young and old,
faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.
10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged.
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then at last everyone will say,
“There truly is a reward for those who live for God;
surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Psalm 57 could be used by someone facing any kind of distress, especially repeating verses 5 and 11 to get one’s mind focused on the Lord.
Psalm 58 may seem harsh, but it takes strong words and actions from a strong God to deal with the great evil that dwells in the world, especially in our own hearts.
Prayer: Dear God of mercy and comfort, have mercy on those of us who are trusting in You and bring more to do the same. You are the God of all comfort: comfort Your hurting people. We look to You for protection: hide us under Your wings. We cry out to God Most High: please fulfill Your purposes for myself, my family, my church, my community, and my nation. You sent help from Heaven–the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit: help us to trust in and follow them. Enemies both physical and spiritual are set on destroying all human beings, especially those who have set their hearts and minds on You. Cause the plans of the wicked to be exposed and used against them. Deal with the wicked as their evil deeds deserve (either here on earth or banished from Your presence for eternity). Then the souls of Your precious ones will wake up and praise You for Your unending love and faithfulness. Please turn those who say they want justice, but are false, to truthful warriors to mete out Your true justice found only by doing things Your way. May the godly rejoice when they see injustice avenged, Then at last those who live for God will say, “Surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.” Bring glory to Your name, O Just Judge. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will recommend Psalm 57 to a friend going through a rough time.
- I will examine my own thinking. Do I have a truly biblical view of God?
- I will gently but firmly discuss my biblical view of God with a friend, being able to back up what I say with clear examples.
- I will fight against evil in a righteous and godly way while trusting God to do what is best.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.