Psalm 57 is my favorite psalm. It’s action packed and a great example of how fears, anxiety or the troubles we face can be quieted by simply remembering who God is and praising His name. It is also a fantastic reminder of how we should take not just these issues, but our whole lives to our Heavenly Father to guide us, calm us, heal us and transform us. 

Psalm 57 starts with David literally running for his life as Saul is trying to kill him … again! This wasn’t the first time Saul was trying to kill David. Saul was afraid of David, of what and who he represented, and insecurity and self-preservation became his downfall. To give a little more context, 1 Samuel 18:7 recounts the joyful songs of the women of Israel as King Saul and David return home after David slayed Goliath, singing: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (NIV). This made Saul angry! His own people gave more credit to David than to their own king and Saul couldn’t stand it. Saul knew God was with David and no longer with himself. Saul lashes out at David and tries to kill him many times but fails repeatedly, resulting in his anger and jealousy of David growing. This time, Saul sends other men to kill David, but David gets away with help from his wife Michal (Saul’s daughter) and Jonathan (Saul’s son). This is where we come to Psalm 57, David’s praise anthem, as he remembers God’s sovereignty and greatness while he fears for his life running from Saul. 

While being chased, David runs to “the cave.” At the beginning of Psalm 57, notice that it doesn’t say “a cave” but rather “the cave.” Most scholars would refer to this as the “Cave of Adullam,” near the town of the same name. It is fascinating to note that the name “Adullam” can be interpreted as “refuge” in Hebrew. So David is fleeing to the cave of refuge where he sought not only immediate physical refuge, but to also acknowledge that God is the only true refuge he had during this difficult time.

While facing death, David calls out to God: “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me —God sends forth his love and his faithfulness” (Psalm 57:1–3 NIV)

David opens this psalm calling out to God for safety. He acknowledges that he has no power at all. No power to change his current circumstance, no power to keep himself from disaster, no power to stop Saul and the men coming after him. David recognizes that God is his only refuge and the only one who can protect him. The repetition of the phrase “have mercy on me” signals David’s pressing plea for help. He also describes that he is calling on the “God Most High,” acknowledging that God is sovereign over all, transcendent above the world and its problems. David also recognizes that God is who He says He is: that He is loving and faithful. No matter what difficulties David faces, God is in control. How often do we, in the same way as David, cry out to Him as sovereign in our lives and turn immediately to God and acknowledge that He’s got this, that He is in control over all things and circumstances? 

This is what David does, he focuses on God, saying, “God, You are in control, and You’ve got this.” Listing attributes of God, David focuses not on his fears, but on the God he knows can save him. The God Most High, a refuge, a Savior, merciful, loving and faithful. Whatever your fear is, focusing on your fear only intensifies the fear, whereas by focusing on a loving, faithful, merciful, saving, Most High God, our fears lose their hold, and are replaced by peace only found in Him.

 “I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts — men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords” (Psalm 57:4 NIV).

Having stated his dependency on God, David describes his current circumstance with some powerful words. Lions, ravenous beasts, spears, arrows and sharp swords (verse 4) describe the intense danger David was feeling as he fled for his life. But then immediately following these words David transitions and responds with praise in a wonderful refrain found in verse 5, 

 “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth” (NIV).

Even in his adversity David praises God and proclaims His greatness. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are told to cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us. This is what David is doing, but he doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t dwell on the fear he feels but pours out his heart to God in worship. David declares that God is worthy to be praised above the heavens, or in other words, higher than the heavens, way above the problems that David faced on earth. David is acknowledging God is above all things and is worthy to be praised. 

“They spread a net for my feet — I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path —but they have fallen into it themselves” (Psalm 57:6 NIV).

In verse 6, David, feeling his fears again, is “bowed down in distress.” Foreshadowing what’s to come, David says that his pursuers will fall into the pit that they dug for him. Again, he is putting total trust in God’s perfect plan and saying God will ultimately have the victory, not the evil that wages war on earth. 

Recognizing that God will overcome, David ends the psalm by proclaiming his confidence in God: 

“My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Psalm 57:7–10 NIV).

Just like the beginning where David appeals for mercy twice, David now expresses his steadfast confidence in God twice. Overflowing with joyous praise, David exclaims that he will sing and make music to God, praising Him with his whole being. He commands his soul, his instruments and even the dawn to wake up and praise God. His struggles are used to testify to all peoples, all nations that God’s love and faithfulness are great — reaching far beyond what we can even imagine. 

Then in verse 11, David repeats the refrain from verse 5: 

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth” (NIV).

Ultimately, David praises God even in the difficult circumstances that surround him. David’s testimony of praise speaks to each one of us facing struggles or challenges. This psalm encourages us to cry out to God and to remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that He is merciful, His plans are perfect, and He will ultimately have the victory. We know that our only response is to praise God and proclaim His greatness at all times, and by doing so we cultivate a heart of worship and gratitude in our lives.  

Questions for the Journey

• How can you cultivate a heart of praise and worship, even when facing difficulties? What specific actions can you take to express gratitude to God during challenging times?
• Are there moments when you have experienced God’s faithfulness in your life? How can you share those testimonies with others to encourage them in their faith?

AN OPEN INVITATION

You can receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ by praying something like the following:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I need Your forgiveness and grace. I believe that Christ paid the penalty for my sin, and He died in my place, and He rose from the dead. I invite Jesus Christ to come into my life as Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sin and making me Your child. Help me to grow and learn how to serve You. Amen.

Images via Getty | This article was originally titled “Cave of Refuge: Trusting God in Psalm 57” in the September 2025 issue of The War Cry.