Psalm 55
Daily Devotional from Psalm 55–
Verses 5-6
“Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.”
King David said this during a time of extreme sadness and fear. At such times, escape is a natural first reaction. Wanting to run away is a universal human impulse. But it’s not the answer. In Psalm 55, after giving voice to this impulse for a while, he eventually returns from fantasy escape and turns instead to active, fervent prayer.
David repeatedly reminds us, throughout his life of ups and downs, the importance of consistent prayer, which restores perspective. It was through his act of prayer that David was able to return from his unhelpful fantasy of flight to a more constructive point of view.
Instead of letting anxiety consume him, he built a structure of continuous prayer in his mind, and finished the Psalm able to say, from his heart, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you,” which Peter later echoes in 1 Peter 5. The word "cast" here implies deliberately throwing or rolling a heavy load off yourself and placing it onto God.
Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Please help me remember that I can cast my cares on You.
Chris Ford
Verses 5-6
“Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.”
King David said this during a time of extreme sadness and fear. At such times, escape is a natural first reaction. Wanting to run away is a universal human impulse. But it’s not the answer. In Psalm 55, after giving voice to this impulse for a while, he eventually returns from fantasy escape and turns instead to active, fervent prayer.
David repeatedly reminds us, throughout his life of ups and downs, the importance of consistent prayer, which restores perspective. It was through his act of prayer that David was able to return from his unhelpful fantasy of flight to a more constructive point of view.
Instead of letting anxiety consume him, he built a structure of continuous prayer in his mind, and finished the Psalm able to say, from his heart, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you,” which Peter later echoes in 1 Peter 5. The word "cast" here implies deliberately throwing or rolling a heavy load off yourself and placing it onto God.
Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Please help me remember that I can cast my cares on You.
Chris Ford
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