“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Ps 25:10).
David is still on the run! Having been anointed by Samuel as Israel’s king many years before, recognized as Israel’s champion in the Valley of Elah, and effectively doing the work of the king in driving back their foes, where has that got him? According to the title of Psalm 57, it got him into a cave! As we read the psalm, we see the structure is simple. Verses 1-5 end with the words, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth” (v 5), and verses 6-11 conclude the same way. Again we have the two focus points, David’s foes and David’s Friend. Again it is a wrestling match between fear and faith. There’s no doubt his enemies are fearsome. He describes them as follows: “My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword” (v 4). Nasty! Here’s what they do: “They have prepared a net for my steps;…they have dug a pit before me” (v 6). It’s exhausting being on high alert all the time. But then there’s God. About 20 times in these few verses he refers to God by name or pronoun. The two attributes he especially appreciates about “God Most High” (v 2)? Twice he mentions “His mercy and His truth” (v 3, see v 10). Mercy to cope with what’s going on, and truth to understand how he should respond. But notice that they come down and go up, like the hydrologic cycle. “He shall send from heaven and save me…God shall send forth His mercy and His truth” (v 3). “I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples…For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds” (vv 9-10). Whether coming down in provision or returning in praise, there’s nothing more refreshing to the soul than God’s mercy and truth.