Psalm 59 - The Contemplative Bible Meditation Series
Psalm 59 is a cry for help, a plea for deliverance from enemies. David, surrounded by forces intent on his destruction, turns to God in desperation. For modern readers, the psalm speaks to the very heart of human experience—our struggles, fears, and the inner battles we face in life. Whether we face outward adversaries or inward turmoil, the psalm invites us into a posture of trust, knowing that God is our refuge and strength in every moment of distress. As we journey through each verse, may we find peace and comfort in these ancient words, which hold timeless wisdom for our souls.
Transcript
Psalm 59 Psalm 59 is a cry for help,
A plea for deliverance from enemies.
David,
Surrounded by forces intent on his destruction,
Turns to God in desperation.
For modern readers,
The psalm speaks to the very heart of the human experience.
Our struggles,
Fears,
And the inner battles we face in life,
Whether we face outward adversities or inward turmoil,
The psalm invites us into a posture of trust,
Knowing that God is our refuge and strength in every moment of distress.
As we journey through each verse,
May we find peace and comfort in these ancient words,
Which hold timeless wisdom for our souls.
Psalm 59 Deliver me from my enemies,
O my God.
Defend me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloodthirsty men.
For look,
They lie in wait for my life.
The mighty gather against me.
Not for my transgression nor for my sin,
O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves to no fault of mine,
Awake to help me and behold.
You therefore,
O Lord,
God of hosts,
The God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations.
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors,
Selah.
At evening they return,
They growl like a dog.
They go all around the city.
Indeed,
They belch with their mouth.
Swords are in their lips.
For they say,
Who hears?
But you,
O Lord,
Shall laugh at them.
You shall have all the nations in derision.
I will wait for you,
O you His strength.
For God is my defense.
My God of mercy shall come to meet me.
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
Do not slay them,
Lest my people forget.
Scatter them by a power and bring them down.
O Lord,
Our shield.
For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride.
And for the cursing and lying which they speak,
Consume them in wrath,
Consume them that they may not be.
And let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth,
Selah.
And at evening they return,
They growl like a dog.
And go all around the city.
They wander up and down for food and howl if they are not satisfied.
But I will sing of your power,
Yes,
I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning.
For you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.
To you,
O my strength,
I will sing praises.
For God is my defense.
My God of mercy.
Deliver me from my enemies,
O my God.
Defend me from those who rise up against me.
In times of anxiety,
When it feels as though unseen forces,
Whether external or internal,
Are rising against us,
Our instinct is to seek protection.
The cry,
Deliver me,
Is not merely a plea for escape from difficult circumstances,
But an acknowledgement of our limitations.
We realize we cannot always control our surroundings,
But we can place our trust in something greater.
God becomes our shield,
Offering not only defense from danger,
But a sanctuary for the soul.
As you reflect on this verse,
Imagine all the things in your life that feel like enemies.
Can you offer them up in prayer,
Trusting that God will defend you?
Surrender these struggles,
Knowing that divine protection is always near.
Save me from bloodthirsty men.
In our own lives,
These workers of iniquity might not be people at all,
But may be the forces that distort our sense of peace.
Negative thoughts,
Harmful habits,
Or destructive influences.
We ask for deliverance not just from physical harm,
But from anything that separates us from the light of God's peace and presence.
Take a moment to breathe deeply and acknowledge anything that is pulling you away from peace.
Can you visualize letting go of these attachments and trusting yourself to a higher power who saves and restores?
Let your heart be still and know that you are safe.
For look,
They lie in wait for my life,
The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression,
Nor for my sin,
O Lord.
Sometimes we are overwhelmed by challenges that feel disproportionate to anything we have done to deserve them.
This verse expresses the bewilderment we often feel when hardships seem unjust or undeserved.
Life can be unpredictable and we may find ourselves besieged by struggles that we did not foresee or did not cause.
In these moments,
We must realize the need to understand why and trust in the presence of God who sees all.
Reflect on any challenges in your life that feel overwhelming or unfair.
Rather than dwelling on why they are happening,
Focus on the fact that God is present with you in your confusion.
Rest in the assurance that you are seen and understood even when the world feels like chaos.
Verse 4 They run and prepare themselves to know fault of mine,
Awake to help me and behold.
In this cry for help,
We sense urgency and vulnerability.
David calls out to God to awake,
As if to say,
Notice me,
Don't leave me alone in this struggle.
We too can feel at times as if God is distant,
Unaware of our pain.
Yet,
This psalm reminds us that it is not God who is distant,
But often we who feel disconnected from His ever-present help.
By calling out to God,
We are waking our own awareness of His constant care and presence.
In moments when you feel alone,
Can you call out with confidence,
Trusting that divine help is always near?
Whisper a prayer of invitation,
Welcoming God into your life's unfolding story.
God is already awake.
He is waiting for your heart to notice.
Verse 5 You,
Therefore,
O Lord,
God of hosts,
The God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the nations.
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors.
This verse can feel challenging,
Especially with its emphasis on punishment.
But perhaps the deeper message here is one of justice.
We long for justice in our lives,
For the wrongs to be righted,
For peace to prevail where there is chaos.
When we seek God's justice,
We are asking for alignment with divine truth,
For the world and our lives to reflect the harmony God intends.
What areas of your life feel out of alignment with peace and truth?
Offer these areas up to God,
Trusting that His justice is not one of destruction,
But of restoration.
Allow yourself to be realigned with divine love.
Verse 6 At evening they return,
They growl like a dog and go all around the city.
The image of the growling dog circling the city is one of relentless persistence.
Sometimes our struggles,
Whether emotional,
Mental or spiritual,
Can feel like they never go away,
Returning to us night after night.
Yet,
This verse also hints at their limitations.
Just as the dogs circle the city,
But do not enter,
Our struggles may press against us,
But they do not have to define us.
God is the boundary between us and our worries.
As you breathe in,
Acknowledge the things that are pressing against your heart.
As you exhale,
Imagine God as a protective barrier,
Keeping them outside your inner sanctuary.
Allow your spirit to remain undutched by the growls of fear.
Verse 7 Indeed,
They belch with their mouth,
Swords are in their lips,
For they say,
Who hears?
The enemies in this psalm mock,
Believing that no one hears David's cry.
But we know that God always listens.
This verse speaks to the loneliness we sometimes feel when it seems our prayers go unheard.
Yet,
God is always near,
Even in the silence.
Every cry of the heart is heard,
Even when no immediate answer is apparent.
If you feel as though your prayers are unanswered,
Hold on to the truth that God hears you.
Your cries,
Even the quiet ones,
Are sacred to Him.
Trust that you are not alone and your soul's longing is known.
Verse 8 But you,
O Lord,
Shall laugh at them.
You shall have all the nations in derision.
In the face of arrogance and evil,
God's power is beyond compare.
This verse invites us to release our fears and anxieties,
Trusting that God is infinitely greater than any threat we face.
The idea that God laughs at our enemies is a reminder that what we see as overwhelming,
God sees as temporary and small compared to His eternal strength.
Let this verse be a reminder to take heart.
The struggles you face,
No matter how daunting,
Are not the end of the story.
God's strength and wisdom surpass all.
Rest in His unfathomable power and know that in the grand design,
Peace will prevail.
Verse 9 I will wait for you,
O you with strength,
For God is my defence.
Waiting for God's strength,
An act of trust and surrender.
It is in the waiting that we learn patience,
Dependence and faith.
God is not only our strength but also our defence,
Shielding us from what we cannot bear.
In times of waiting,
We are not alone.
We are sheltered in divine care.
Can you surrender your need to control and simply wait for God's strength?
In this moment of stillness,
Allow God to be your defence.
Imagine yourself resting in the arms of divine protection.
Verse 10 My God of mercy shall come to meet me.
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
God's mercy is active,
Always moving towards us.
We do not have to chase after it or earn it.
It comes to meet us.
This verse assures us that God is not distant or indifferent but merciful and attentive,
Aware of our needs and desires.
Our deepest longings for peace,
Justice and love are heard.
In your quiet moments,
Can you feel God's mercy approaching you like a gentle wave washing over you?
Open your heart to receive this mercy,
Trusting that your desires for peace and goodness will be fulfilled in divine timing.
Verse 11 Do not slay them,
Lest my people forget.
Scatter them by your power and bring them down,
O Lord,
Our shield.
David's request is striking.
He doesn't ask for his enemies to be destroyed but rather for them to be scattered.
There's wisdom in this plea.
He recognises that if difficulties are wiped away too easily,
We may forget the lessons they bring.
Life's challenges,
Though painful,
Often shape us,
Teaching us endurance,
Resilience and trust in God's timing.
By asking God to scatter the enemies,
David seeks a resolution that preserves the opportunity for growth and remembrance.
Consider the challenges in your life that seem persistent.
Instead of seeking their complete removal,
Can you ask God to scatter them?
Just enough for you to find peace and strength without forgetting the lessons they carry.
Trust that God knows how much you can handle and He remains your shield through it all.
Verse 12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
This verse speaks to the power of words and the harm that prideful speech can cause.
We are reminded here that words,
Whether spoken by enemies or even within our own minds,
Can be a source of destruction.
Gossip,
Lies and curses create a toxic environment not only for others but for ourselves when we engage in or are affected by them.
Reflect on the words you've heard or spoken recently.
Are there any that weigh heavily on your heart,
Causing pain or discomfort?
Offer these words up to God,
Asking Him to heal the wounds caused by them.
In silence,
Breathe deeply,
Releasing the power of any harmful speech and allow God to fill you with words of truth,
Love and healing.
Verse 13 Consume them in wrath,
Consume them that they may not be,
And let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth.
This is an intense plea,
Asking God to consume the forces of evil so that they no longer exist.
While the language may feel harsh,
It points to a deeper spiritual truth,
The desire for complete purification.
In our spiritual journey,
We may find ourselves asking God to consume not just external enemies but also the inner enemies,
Pride,
Anger,
Fear,
The inner enemies that keep us from living in harmony with His will.
Take a moment to identify any negative emotions or thoughts that have taken root in your heart.
Can you ask God to consume them?
To purify your inner world and to restore you to peace,
Trust that God's transformative power is at work within you,
Burning away all that does not serve your higher good.
Verse 14 And at evening they return,
They growl like a dog and go all around the city.
Once again,
David returns to the image of persistent enemies,
Likening them to growling dogs that circle the city.
This repetition reminds us of the ongoing nature of life's struggles.
Even when we find moments of peace,
Our challenges often return,
Testing or dissolve.
But rather than viewing these returns as failures or setbacks,
We can see them as opportunities to deepen our trust in God.
When difficulties return to your life,
Perhaps old habits or recurring fears,
Can you face them with patience,
Knowing that God remains your steadfast defender?
Instead of frustration,
Greet them as opportunities to practice deeper faith,
Knowing that God surrounds you with His presence,
Just as the city is protected.
Verse 15 They wander up and down for food and howl if they are not satisfied.
Here,
David describes the enemies as unsatisfied wanderers seeking fulfillment in vain.
This paints a picture of restless souls unable to find peace.
In our lives,
We may also find ourselves wandering,
Searching for something to fill the emptiness inside.
We may seek satisfaction in worldly things,
Success,
Validation,
Material comforts,
Only to discover that they leave us howling,
Still hungry for deeper meaning.
What are you seeking in your own life?
Are there areas where you have been chasing satisfaction but finding only temporary relief?
Can you turn your longing toward God,
Knowing that only He can truly satisfy the hunger of your soul?
In stillness,
Invite God to fill the empty spaces within you,
Bringing lasting peace and contentment.
Verse 16 Amid the turmoil and threats,
David chooses to sing of God's power and mercy.
His response to danger is worship,
A profound act of trust and gratitude.
By praising God for His strength and mercy,
David shifts his focus away from the threats and toward the Divine Presence that has been his constant refuge.
This is a powerful reminder for us.
No matter what we face,
We can choose to anchor ourselves in gratitude for God's protection and mercy.
Is there a way you can turn your focus from fear to gratitude today?
Take a moment to reflect on the ways God has been your refuge in times of trouble,
Both big and small.
Let your heart sing,
Whether aloud or in quiet,
Contemplation of God's faithfulness,
Trusting that His mercy is renewed every morning.
Verse 17 To you,
O my strength,
I will sing praises,
For God is my defence,
My God of mercy.
The final verse is a declaration of praise and trust.
David's heart is fixed on God as his strength and defence.
He ends the psalm with a deep sense of peace,
Knowing that regardless of what comes,
God is merciful and steadfast.
This is the essence of faith,
Trusting in God's goodness even when the outcome is uncertain.
As we close this meditation,
Let us take this final verse as our own.
In moments of fear or uncertainty,
Can you remind yourself that God is your strength,
Your defender,
And your merciful protector?
As you go about your day,
Carry this truth with you.
You are not alone,
And God's mercy surrounds you at every moment.
A prayer of trust and gratitude.
O God,
My strength and my shield,
Thank you for being my refuge in times of trouble.
In moments of fear,
Remind me to turn to you,
To rest in the assurance that you are my protector.
Scatter the forces that rise against me both within and around me.
And consume the fears that keep me from your peace.
I trust in your mercy that is renewed every morning,
And I sing praises to your name.
For you are my defender and my comfort.
Let me walk forward in faith,
Knowing that your strength is my constant companion.
Amen.
