He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. (Psalm 57:3) Remember -- this psalm was written as a result of the unexpected encounter David had with Saul in the cave. Until...

I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. (Psalm 57:2) All our lives we have heard the oft-repeated phrase, “God helps those who help themselves.” In fact, one religion-based pollster cited this as one of the most widely known Bible...

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. (Psalm 57:1) Understanding when and why this psalm was written (Saul lay sleeping in a cave unaware of...

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.(Psalm 57) As stated in the introduction, this psalm is entitled “Do Not Destroy” -- which in Hebrew is אל תשחת al tashchet. It is inspired by the events that...

I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? (Psalm 56:12-13) Is there a time when we are justified in withholding praises from God? Of course...

You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me. (Psalm 56:8-9) In an earlier psalm, David stated that “The steps of a good man are ordered by...

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word). In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4) Several years ago, my family and I found ourselves in a very frightening situation. It was so frightening,...

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath. (Psalm 56) As we begin exploring this next psalm of David, we again find interesting thoughts to ponder in the title. David likened himself...

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22) Within Jewish commentaries, there is an abundance of parables that give insight into how Judaism considers specific Scripture. One such parable helps...

As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:16-17) In these verses, David shines a light on the ancient custom of suspending one's routine in order to...

So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.” (Psalm 55:6-8) Betrayed and feeling forsaken by all,...

Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. (Psalm 55:1-3) In previous psalms,...