Read Psalm 57:1-6. 1Be 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. 2I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 4My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts—the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. 5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! 6They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves.
The theological richness of this psalm must not be missed. David’s God is God Most High, El Elyon. The merciful God. The purposeful God. The saving God. The covenant God. God most powerful. God most important. Hiding in a cave, as David was, will either bring you to despair or to this level of faith in God.
The deepest desire of David’s heart is revealed in verse 5. It is no longer his own salvation that he is crying out for, but God’s exaltation and glory over all the earth, a prayer that will be answered in the cross of Christ. Jesus would go lower to go higher. His exaltation was his crucifixion. His glory his shame. Sent from Heaven to save us by his own destruction at the hands of the children of man.
In Christ this too is our greatest desire – the exaltation of Christ through our cruciform lives. Our immediate rescue takes a back seat to his glory. Our purpose no longer our own glory, but God’s glory reigning over all the earth as we embrace to live is Christ.
You: What “cave” are you currently hiding in?
You in Christ: How does trusting your union with Christ allow the glory of God to supersede your rescue from the cave?
Christ in you: What will the cruciform life look like for you today specifically?
Pray: Jesus be glorified in me, even if that means your purpose for me is to stay in the cave a little while longer. Amen.
To Live is Christ 