Articles
Until Destruction Passes
Until Destruction Passes
Thom Vaught
"Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by" (Psalm 57:1).
Psalm 57 is attributed to David and according to the inscriptions we have it was written when David fled from Saul and was seeking shelter in a cave. As many of us now are under shelter-in-place orders perhaps we can identify with David now more than ever. First we see that David did seek shelter and safety in the face of danger. Unlike David we face an unseen threat but it is no less of a threat to the lives of many in our spiritual family. Because of this we are being asked to take shelter in our homes until destruction passes by. David had much to despair about, but what was his attitude toward God?
Notice that David does not credit the cave where he is hiding as his refuge but instead credits God. We are taking precautions against the threat we all face but let us never forget where our true refuge lies. Social distancing may protect our lives and the lives of others around us but only God can protect our souls. Like David let us put our confidence in God knowing that our souls are safe in His hands.
Further evidence of David's attitude toward God is made evident in his response while he was still hiding for life.
"I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations" (vs. 9).
In the midst of fright and suffering David still approaches God with praises and thanks. It is easy to get caught up in all the negative news and lose heart. Let us, in times like these, look to the example recorded of David to keep a steadfast heart. May we, like David, continue to approach our God with thanks and praises. Although we will not meet as a church family in person this weekend, we still have the opportunity to give thanks and praises to God from within our own homes. I pray that you and I will follow David in this regard and continue to worship our God regardless our physical circumstances.
