Oh that I had the Wings of a Dove
David has been betrayed by his beloved son Absalom, his fatherhood despised by a son whom he was blessed with, a son whom he raised with a benevolent fatherly kindness that was boundless and now that very same son has taken the sharpest of knives and stabbed his father’s heart to his face.
Worse still the people that he was made to rule over have taken counsel together to join together with Absalom in rebellion against him and treat their once beloved king and deliverer from the enemies of Israel as nothing more than a common criminal.
In the light of his present condition and troubles the Psalmist utters a prayer that seems like a sigh in the light of his inability to take up flight from his very trying circumstances. He longs for means to find a far off place, a place very much removed from all civilisation, a place of total rest, a quiet place of complete solace from all ills.
In the midst of all his turmoil the Psalmist makes this statement in verse 16 of chapter 55: “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.” Day and night He calls upon the eternal God of old and hopes in the Lord’s power to deliver him from all his present and future troubles whatever they may be.
Having gone through this affliction and experienced the peace of God the Psalmist then utters the words of verse 22, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved”, as an encouragement to those who are under trials of all sorts.
But as for me I Will Trust in Thee
How many a Christian has uttered these words of the Psalmist when they were pressed about by a myriad of difficulties, obstacles, fightings, fears within and without which have caused them almost to despair of their very lives.
How many a saint of God both in this present day and from time immemorial has longed to fly away in the light of troubles at home, troubles abroad, persecution of all sorts, internal troubles including secret sins, anxiety, depression and a whole host of troubles that afflict the citizens of Zion.
How many sons of the seed of Seth have longed for the moving of the Lord on behalf of His people, even thirsted for it and pined for immediate relief from the Lord Jesus Christ when pressed about by every weight, every seemingly insurmountable obstacle in their walk even the sorrow of heart.
Well the Psalmist has the words of the last verse in verse 23 as an encouragement to those who rely on the Lord Jesus Christ whatever their lot and whatever ails them. He states in this verse that the saints must trust in the Lord because He shall in due season surely come to the aid of His people in the midst of all their troubles.
The words of the famous hymn “Sovereign Ruler of the Skies” by John Ryland echoes the words above:-
Times of sickness, times of health;
Times of poverty, and of wealth;
Times of trial and of grief,
Times of triumph and relief.
Plagues and death around me fly;
Till He bids, I cannot die!
Not a single shaft can hit,
Till the God of love sees fit!
May we trust in the Eternal God of Glory even though we may be very ill and nigh unto death, whatever the weight of our affliction it is well with us seeing as whether we live or die we are His.
Amen.