Psalm 55
“1 Listen to my prayer, O God.
Do not ignore my cry for help!
2 Please listen and answer me,
for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
3 My enemies shout at me,
making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me
and angrily hunt me down.
4 My heart pounds in my chest.
The terror of death assaults me.
5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me,
and I can’t stop shaking.
6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove;
then I would fly away and rest!
7 I would fly far away
to the quiet of the wilderness.
8 How quickly I would escape—
far from this wild storm of hatred…
22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
Have you ever been overwhelmed by troubles? King David’s heart pounded in his chest with anxiety. He was fearful and felt assaulted. He was overwhelmed and could not stop shaking. He longs to have wings so that he could fly away from it all. When I have been faced with troubles, I usually want to find a way of escape too. I want to get out. I want to find a quiet, restful, peaceful place and just get away from it all. And this can be a good thing to give ourselves some distance from troubles if possible. Yet, there is also a deeper truth at work here. We should not only long to escape our troubles, but to trust God to care for us in the midst of them. There are various “wings” we could wear that could serve as an escape route from pains. Those wings could take the form of bad habits, avoidance, or chronic complaining. But David takes it a step further than wanting to get out. He cries out to the Lord and entrusts Himself to His cares. He encourages us to do the same.
What is something that you currently feel burdened by? What overwhelms you? Open your heart for a moment today and honestly talk to God about it. He will take care of you. He will not allow you to slip and fall no matter how heavy the burden may be. He is holding you by the hand with His mighty strength. Be persistent in crying out to the Lord. There may be seasons where it feels like God is ignoring you. We see that David felt this as well. But allow the truth of God’s word to guide you even over and above your present feelings. In His infinite wisdom, God may be using these difficulties to mold and shape you beyond your expectations. He is committed to loving and caring for you and knows what is best. Cry out to God. Trust Him to care for you. There are many escapes we can take in life, but true freedom is found in God’s embrace.