Songs From The Cave Series

Introduction: Life in the Cave

1. Imagine for a moment that you are in a cave.

It is dark, damp, and cold. You are a fugitive, hiding for your very life. The most powerful man in the kingdom, with his entire army, is hunting you, and you can hear his soldiers searching nearby. Every shadow could be an enemy, every sound could mean your discovery and death. You are trapped, terrified, and utterly alone.

2. This is not a work of fiction.

This is the precise historical setting for Psalm 57. The title tells us it is a psalm of David, "when he fled from Saul in the cave." In this place of ultimate desperation, confinement, and fear, David does not pen a lament of despair. Instead, from the darkness of the cave, he raises a song of triumphant faith.

3. Many of us today find ourselves in our own kind of cave.

It may be the cave of sickness, of financial distress, of a broken relationship, of anxiety, or of deep uncertainty about the future. This psalm is for all who feel trapped. It is God’s divine lesson on how to turn our caves of fear into cathedrals of praise, by finding our refuge not in escape, but in Him.

I. A Desperate Refuge (v. 1-4)

1. In the face of mortal danger, David’s first move is not to panic, but to pray.

He cries out, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee." His hope is not in his own cleverness or strength, but in the mercy of God.

2. And then he gives us one of the most beautiful pictures of security in all of Scripture: "yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast."

This is the image of a small, helpless bird finding safety and warmth under the powerful wing of its parent. David knows the storm of calamity is raging, but he has found a safe place to wait it out. He isn't denying the storm; he is trusting the shelter.

His faith is placed in "God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me." He believes that even in this chaotic and dangerous moment, God is sovereignly working all things out for his ultimate good. He is confident that God will "send from heaven, and save me."

3. Yet, this faith does not blind him to the reality of his peril.

He says, "My soul is among lions... whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." Faith is not pretending the lions aren't there. Faith is knowing that God is with you among the lions and that His power is infinitely greater than theirs.

II. A Radical Refocus (v. 5 & 11)

1. Twice in this psalm, like a mighty chorus that splits the song in two, David lifts his voice with a radical prayer.

It is found in verse 5 and repeated in verse 11. It is the central theme of the entire psalm: "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth."

2. Consider the profundity of this prayer.

Trapped in a cave, surrounded by enemies, with his life on the line, David's ultimate request is not "Save me," or "Destroy my enemies." His ultimate request is, "God, be glorified." He takes his eyes off his terrifying circumstances and lifts them to the throne of God. He subordinates his personal crisis to the universal glory of his Creator.

3. This is the secret to surviving the cave.

The moment our chief desire shifts from our own comfort and safety to God's glory, the cave begins to change. The darkness seems less oppressive, and the fear loses its grip. When our prayer becomes, "Lord, whatever happens, may You be exalted through this situation," we have moved from a posture of fear to a posture of worship. This radical refocus is the key that unlocks the prison door of anxiety.

III. A Determined Resolve (v. 6-10)

1. Flowing from this great desire for God’s glory is a new and powerful resolve in David's heart.

He begins the second half by declaring his faith in his enemies’ downfall, but then he turns inward to his own heart. In verse 7, he makes one of the great declarations of faith: "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise."

A "fixed" heart is a steadfast, determined, resolute heart.

It is not tossed back and forth by the changing winds of circumstance or feeling. David is making a conscious decision. Praise, for him in this moment, is not a feeling; it is a declaration of war against despair. His heart is not fixed because the danger is gone; his heart is fixed on God despite the danger.