Psalm 59
Scripture
Psalm 59:16-17
But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.
Observation-What does it say?
As the title suggests, this psalm was authored by David. The subscription of this psalm indicates that it was written when David was being pursued by Saul (1 Samuel 19:11-17). David uses the imagery of night and day in this psalm, comparing the danger he faces to the darkness of night followed by the morning of deliverance. In verses 13-15, David prays for God’s wrath to come down upon his enemies. In verses 16&17, this is contrasted with the vow to praise God for his wonderful love and faithfulness, which is the cause for David’s confidence and peace.
Understanding-What does it mean?
I work shifts that vary on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes I wake up way before a majority of society does and I get started with my shift when a lot of people are just getting their first cup of coffee. Other times I am working through the night and get to see and experience the things that go bump in the night. When I work during the day and am getting ready in the dark, I try to leave as many lights off in the house so everyone can stay asleep. But this comes with its own set of hazards. I have kicked many, many hard items in the darkness. When I work at night, I have been scared right down to the bone when I hear something make a loud noise that I cannot see, eventually to find out it came from an animal that was small or from the wind. Not to mention, working at night destroys any type of normal sleep pattern. Needless to say, I look forward to day shift as soon as my night shift begins.
Darkness, whether it be actual or metaphorical, gives us the impression of danger and increases our perception of fear. But, God did not intend us to live in fear. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:67). When we feel like we are lost in the darkness, we need to look to God, who is our salvation. When we are calling out to Jesus, we must remember that He hears us and gives us the desires of our heart. But, our desires must be aligned with the heart of Jesus (James 4:2-3).
Life Application