Psalm 57:6-11 - "My Heart is Fixed, O God..."

David shares with us some responsibilities and privileges that we as believers have every day. First, David made each day a day of prayer and so should we (vv. 1-5). He began with a cry for mercy, for David depended on the grace of God to see him through his trials. His worship and prayer turned the cave into a Holy of Holies where he could hide under the shadow of the wings of the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark. David was also committed to making each day is a day of praise (vv. 6-11). You might notice that in verses 1-5, the order is prayer (v. 1), witness to God’s mercy and deliverance (vv. 2-3), and a description of the enemy (v. 4), followed by the refrain.  But in this section (vv. 6-11), the order is the enemy (v. 6), witness to the Lord (vv. 7-8), and praise (vv. 9-11), with praise as the emphasis. David now compared his enemies to hunters who dug pits and set traps for their prey. This is an image frequently used in biblical poetry (Psalms 7:15; 9:15-16; 35:7). However, David trusts God and has good reason to sing and praise the Lord. David proclaims, “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!” In the Old King James Version it reads, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed”. A steadfast or fixed heart is one that is fixed on the Lord's promises and not wavering between doubt and faith (Psalms 51:10; 108:1; 112:7; 119:5). This same word “fixed”, is used to describe the constancy of the heavenly bodies (8:3; 74:16). A heart that is “fixed” is one that is confident in the truth that God never changes! He is always a God of love and mercy! And He is always a God of justice! You can only have a “fixed” heart if you take the time to listen, read, study, memorize and meditate on God’s Word. Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is a powerful testimony to the impact and influence of God’s Word in our hearts and life. Today, we also have the added promise in Hebrews 13:8, that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”! It is interesting to note that verses 7-11 are found also in Psalm 108:1-5. David praised the Lord all day long, but he opened the day with special praise and even anticipated the sunrise. Instead of the dawn awakening him, his voice awakened the dawn (Psalm 30:5). Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, years later would write during the darkest time in Israel’s history this testimony to God’s faithfulness: “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:21-26). David wanted his victory in the Lord to be a witness to the other nations, for as king, he knew that Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles. His psalms bear witness today of the great things God did for him. In verse 3, God sent His mercy and truth down from heaven, but in verse 10, mercy and truth reach up to the clouds! There is plenty for everybody! David also wanted us to know that each day should be a day of exalting the LORD (vv. 5, 11). This refrain calls upon the Lord to manifest His greatness in such a way that people had to say, "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:23). If we are praying, trusting, and praising the Lord, we should have no problem exalting His name in all that we say, do, and suffer. We're commanded to do everything to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31), and if "everything" includes hiding in caves, then may the Lord be magnified! The elements of prayer, praise, and a desire for God to be magnified will transform any cave into a Holy of Holies to the glory of God. And we should always be able to say, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed!” God bless!