Ever wanted to just “run away”? Just get in the car and go. No particular destination in mind – anywhere but here.
That’s the mind set of David in Psalm 55 and I’ve often wondered when he composed it. Whenever it was, it had to be a really low point in his life.
From the Psalms we discover that David was either the most paranoid man who ever lived or he had enemies galore. The phrase “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” was never more true of anyone than of David and when you find yourself at the bottom of an emotional well, this psalm can be helpful. The suffocating pressure, fear, a desire to run, anger, disappointment, it’s all here in this psalm.
The prayer springs from betrayal. An old and dear companion has turned against him and brought on David all kinds of trouble – the worst sort. With our closest friends we share the deepest parts of our lives, sharing the pressure and making the burden lighter. But we don’t expect those confidences to be shared with our enemies – and that’s what David’s friend has done. And now David is “undone.” Michael Card writes: “Only a friend can betray a friend, a stranger has nothing to gain. And only a friend comes close enough to every cause so much pain.”
God, however, is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He can be trusted and with him, there is no corner without an exit. When all you want to do is run, be sure you run to Him.