Categories: Psalms

Psalm 57

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Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

57   Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
  in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
  I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
  He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
  God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
  My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
  the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.
  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
  They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
  They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
  My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
  I will sing and make melody!
    Awake, my glory!
  Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
  I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
  For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

(ESV)

Psalm 57 Commentary

by Brad Boyles

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Psalms 57:7 KJV

The ESV and NASB translate the heart’s disposition as steadfast in this verse. Other translations use the word confident. I love the KJV’s rendering of ‘fixed.’ What does it mean to have a fixed heart?

Consider the situation at hand. As in every Psalm (it seems), the author is in trouble. His enemies are closing in. He is suffering from grief and anxiety. But his confidence is in the Lord. In fact, he proclaims that he has fixed his heart with confidence and joy. He breaks into song praising the Lord for what He hasn’t even done yet. Though the scene is dark, he fixes his heart upon the light.

A fixed heart translates into unwavering determination. It resolves itself to see without eyes. In ancient times, the Hebrew word translated “heart” meant much more than what it means today. When the psalmist decides to fix his heart, he is describing both his affections as well as his thoughts and intentions. It was not just what he loved, but the plans and purposes of his mind.

In this sense, we get a picture of OT abiding that Jesus speaks of in His NT vine and branches analogy. A fixed heart is a consciousness of steadfast and confident love as well as the unity of thought between himself and God. He declares to sing and make melody. It is the claim of the present as well as the hope of the future.

The key to such a mindset is consistency. If we claim to have a fixed heart on God but do not commune with Him in the good times and bad, we have deceived ourselves. Of course, this doesn’t mean we are perfect. It only means we have genuine faith that persists in all circumstances. Even in the worst trials of life, when our faith is so small that it’s barely noticeable, God assures us that He is working!

Where do you need to fix your heart and commune with Him? Where do you need to set your thoughts, intentions, and desires before His throne and believe that His love is big enough to overcome all things?

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