Dani Crowley: Today we are in Psalm 59 and I wanna start by reading that subheader before we get into verse one. It says, for the choir director, a Psalm of David regarding the time that Saul sent soldiers to watch David's house in order to kill him, To be sung to the tune, do not destroy. And verse one says, rescue me from my enemies, oh God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me. Rescue me from these criminals.
They save me save me from these murderers. They have set an ambush for me. For fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord, though I have not sinned or offended them. I have done nothing wrong, yet they prepare to attack me. Wake up.
See what is happening and help me. Oh Lord of heaven's armies, the God of Israel wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Let me skip down to verse 14 where it says, my enemies come out night at the night and snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.
But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. Oh, my strength. To you, I sing praises.
For you, oh, God, are my refuge. The God who shows me unfailing love. The Psalm is so interesting in that we have this kind of picture where David is surrounded. His home, his place of safety and shelter, it's surrounded by his enemies. And it actually says that he's innocent for the things that they, are kind of coming against him.
He's not a perfect man, but he's innocent of the things that they are trying to commit him of. And they're trying to kill him for something that he hasn't done. And I love that he calls out to God. He says, oh my strength. In a time where it seems like there is no hope, where the end of his life is in sight, the circumstance is pretty destitute.
He says, Oh my strength. He calls out to God. And there's this verse that's kind of tucked in there in Psalm, in verse five. It says wake up and punish those hostile nations. Which is really interesting because this is a very personal problem for David.
Yet he's saying, there's actually a greater need here, and it's actually for the nations. It's bigger than me. It's for the world. And I wonder if this is actually a call for us in times when we feel like we are personally under great attack. When our life is falling apart and it seems like there's wickedness all around, we're surrounded.
For this to be, something that creates a greater awareness of us, for actually something greater than a personal savior, but a savior a need for the savior of the world. We see this happening in David. His personal problems are creating this awareness for, a personal savior, but also a savior of the whole world. For justice for the nations, not just justice for his own life. And this doesn't, put David in a place of being, like disregarding his problems.
I mean his house is still surrounded by his enemies. He's gotta do something about that. This isn't a way for us to bury the head, like our head in the sand, but maybe a way for us to draw our attention to something greater. To a world that is outside of our own. And then we also see that this is a psalm of praise.
In David's, most dangerous circumstance, he says, but my enemies will find me praising. And I can just see that the enemies may be peeking around the corner looking into David's house to try and kill him. And they find David dancing and singing and praising God. And, what an odd thing. And what, I can imagine maybe a disorienting thing for David's enemies.
As they're coming to kill him and to attack him, they find David praising. And that is, the life of a believer. A life of somebody who is filled with hope, that there is a God who will make all things right, who is just, who is his strength, who is his refuge. And so I just I wanna pray that into us today that we would turn to God in that same way as our refuge and as our strength. So Jesus, we just we hear this invitation to, worship you at all times.
Not just when life is good and happy and pleasant and when we feel gratitude in our hearts, but god in in the times of danger, when we feel like our physical, emotional, even our spiritual safety is under attack. Lord, we turn to you as our strength, as our refuge. God, would you use the things in our life that, are places of maybe pain or worry or anxiety. God, that are real, but to create in us a deeper awareness for not just our need for a personal savior, but God for a need for the savior of the world. And you have come, Jesus, and you will come again.
And so would that would that truth, would that reality fill us with hope today? God, that you are near to us, that You come to rescue us, God, and that You are also coming to provide a rescue for something so much greater. A holistic kind of justice.