"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by."
Psalm 57:1
David wrote this Psalm while he was hiding in a cave from Saul and his army, who were hunting David, to kill him.
David had done nothing wrong. He was careful to honor Saul as the King, even to the point of saving Saul’s life on a couple of occasions at great risk to himself. Saul pursued him because he knew that he himself was wrong and so God had rejected him. Saul considered David a threat precisely because David was good.
People in positions of power who reject God’s Word will always view good and faithful people as a threat. If they have the power to attack them, they will, because they fear them.
David knew something that all good people living in this situation need to know: the wicked will not stay in power for long. God will eventually remove them, when He has accomplished His purpose through them. (In David’s case, God’s purpose in keeping Saul in power was training and preparing David for the day when he would be king!)
Meanwhile, our part is to be faithful to God and His Word and to take refuge in Him until the storm of destruction passes by. "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act." (Psalm 37:5)
Lord, the future seems uncertain. We see unscrupulous people in power who target good and godly people for destruction. Help us to be faithful to You and to Your Word as we seek refuge in You and trust in You. Hide us in the shadow of Your wings. Accomplish Your purpose and take us safely through this time, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Dan Giles