Ps. 56: Call Upon God

Psalm 56:22 "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

I'm not sure what more I can really say about David. Anytime he has grievances, fear, pain, opposition, he turns only to God. He is desperate to restore his friendly relationship with God. God has been his deliver repeatedly, so it only stands to reason that David would continually call on God to deliver him, and to vindicate him from these trouble. Right?

This chapter doesn't appear to deal especially with David's military foes, and the first section of the 56th Psalm reads like David could be referencing his anguish over his sins. He mentions that he wants to fly away like a dove. I suppose I need to be on the symbolism watch at this point, so where else have doves been mentioned? In Genesis 8, it was the dove that brought Noah the news of dry land, bearing an olive leaf. When the dove was sent out again by Noah, it did not return. Perhaps it went to the place David wanted to go. Away from the troubles. A dove was also mentioned in Leviticus 5 as a resort for those who could not afford a lamb to sacrifice.

Verses 9-14 sound like the betrayal of a close friend. It is harder to deal with than an enemy's onslaught. You expect that. But when a close friend, and what appears to be a co-worker in the temple, a fellow priest in service to God. That's a nightmare. Who could it have been? I can't really think of any priests who betrayed David in what I read. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but I just can't remember. But there were priests who did evil, those who extorted from those who brought sacrifices. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli come to mind.

It's enough to get a man down, but David encourages himself by encouraging others to cast their burdens on the LORD, He will sustain. Imagine that. The things that discourage you, you toss on God's shoulders. Burdens can only burden one person...if God takes them. How freeing. But how do you do that? How do you not worry about the things that bother you? Is it a matter of being cold to feeling? Or is it simply a matter of absolute trust in God to handle it? To trust him that whatever is happening, He has everything worked out, even though it brings immediate pain and suffering?