Aug-14-0490-God fulfills his purpose for those who trust in Him
490_God fulfills his purpose for those who trust in Him Psalm 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. 2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3 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! 4 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. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! 6 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 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! 8 Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! 9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. 10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! Years ago, a missionary named Alan Gardner set out to preach the gospel in one of the most remote and difficult parts of the world—the southern tip of South America. He and his team faced hunger, sickness, and harsh weather. Eventually, all of them laid down their lives on that desolate shore. When Gardner’s body was finally found, the explorers found his journal nearby. Scribbled with fingers trembling with weakness were his last words: "I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God." Words like this, written with death so near, point to a deep understanding that nothing can ever separate us from the goodness of God. It comes from the unshakable faith that God’s purpose is never frustrated, even in suffering. This sense comes from the knowledge that the storms of life are not meaningless. This is the same faith and courage that David records, in Psalm 57. Hiding from King Saul, probably in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22), David is surrounded by darkness and danger. And his response? A flood of prayer, interspersed with triumphant and trustful song. The opening words are: “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.” (Psalm 57:1) The long experience David knew, from the long experience of faith, how to transmute desperation to trust. He did not ask that the storm be stilled. He simply lifts his voice to God, calling for mercy. At the same time, with humble boldness, he shelters under the