Summer Reading, part eleven

Today’s reading is Psalm 57 through Psalm 62. A psalm is a hymn or sacred song. David did a lot of singing. He often wanted to worship God because he was grateful to God for saving his life every time the enemy came against him.

When David fled from Saul and went into the cave, he wrote songs of praise because God kept saving him. Psalm 57:6 gives us a look at what happens when the enemy plans our demise. “They dug a pit in my path – but they have fallen into it themselves.” David felt like singing. Verse 9 shows his attitude. “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.”

Psalm 59 tells us once again of how David, running for his life, was able to sing every morning in praise to God. Verse 17 is David singing about being kept safe by God. “You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”

David wrote in Psalm 61:4, “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” God protects those who are his. David experienced this, and we can too. David had a very close relationship with God. We have to get close to God and lose ourselves in him in order to be hidden in his wings.

If anyone needed a rest, it was David. He ran from his enemy and hid from those who wanted to kill him. But David knew where to go for rest. Psalm 62:1 tells us, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.”

Because David shared his experiences with us, we know that we can trust God too. We can run to the shadow of God’s wings and find rest. Next time, we’ll be reading Psalm 63 through 68.