I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills [His purpose] for me. He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. God sends His faithful love and truth … God, he exalted above the heavens; let Your glory be above the whole earth (vv. 2–3, 5).
Again I see myself reflected in David. This time he has fled form King Saul and is hiding in a cave (1 Sam. 22; 24). There are times when I feel like escaping from the world and going into hiding “until the [present] disaster has passed.”
In fact, when I was attending a Christian high school, I was under pressure to be a campus leader. Secretly I wanted to blend in with the crowd or, better still, to be left alone. I still struggle with feelings of shyness and social ineptitude, so I can relate to David’s cave.
Instead of giving up or giving in, David prays in that dark hiding place. His prayer is a harmony in four parts.
Part 1: “Lord, have mercy!” He calls on the mercy of God and huddles under “the shadow of His wings” (v. 1).
Part 2: He believes that God has a plan, uniquely designed for him, and that he will “fulfill His purpose” (v. 2).
Part 3: He acknowledges his helpless state and describes his adversaries as predators with teeth like “spears and arrows” and tongues like “sharp swords” (v. 4).
Part 4: Seeing beyond his present plight, David looks forward to a time when he will be vindicated and avenged and to that day when the Lord will establish his righteousness and glory over the earth! (v. 5).
When David finds himself in hot water, he prays. When he is between a rock and a hard place, he prays. When he is under extreme pressure, he prays. I’d like to be more like this warrior who prayed!
Personal Prayer
My prayer, O God Most High, is that your purpose will be fulfilled in my life and that your glory may shine through my personality.
Intentional Faith 