Psalm 59

Guess who's getting chased again.

"1 Protect me," cries David, "from those who have come to destroy me. 4 Despite my innocence, they prepare to kill me."

We could obviously -- and again -- focus on the words "2 criminals ... murderers ... 3 ambush ... fierce ... 5 wicked .... 6 snarling ... vicious ... 7 piercing ... sneer ... [and] filth." But that's not the heart of this Psalm.

David's real cry is this: "4 Rise up ... 5 O Lord ... rise up."

+ "9 You are my strength."

+ "9 I wait for you."

+ "9 You, O God, are my place of safety."

+ "10 God will come and help me."

Confidence ... that is the first part of David's real cry. "You have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. I will sing about your power." David has a rock, a refuge, a trust; therefore, he sings -- rather than cries -- with confidence and hope.

The second part of this cry/song is perspective. When we hurt, we often lose perspective. We're so caught up in the pain that we can't see the full picture. I often describe depression as living in a tunnel. Imagine looking through the cardboard tube in the middle of a paper towel roll. There's a whole big bright world out there and but through the lens of a narrow cardboard tube and the tunnel of depression, we only a fraction of the world and the only light seems so far away.

We lose perspective.

We fail to see the myriad of options.

David is chased, but he doesn't lose perspective. He has one everlasting option. He has God's "11 power" which shatters the paper towel roll and gives him hope and light. "7 [My enemies] sneer. 8 But you, O Lord, laugh at them." It's so easy to get so caught up in the things of this world, but in many ways, many things are truly minor -- "8 laugh[able]" even -- when we step back and view from an eternal perspective.

David says, "10 In his unfailing love, my God will come and help me. He will [help me] triumph [over] all my enemies."

What are your enemies? And I don't just mean people. What are things in life that get you down? "10 Triumph" is the gift of heaven.

Gracious God,

there are days when I am in a pit.

Break me out of my tunnel

and help me living in your light.

Help me "16 sing about your power."

Help me "16 shout with joy

[this] morning because of your unfailing love."