The Psalms are a great place to find people expressing the reality of life. On one page the authors are praising God for ever-loving kindness, and on the next they feel like worms eating dirt. And in some, like Psalm 57 those two aspects are described together. The Psalm starts
1 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.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
During this time, David, the author of this Psalm, is being pursued by someone who wants to eliminate him. He is crying out to God for help, and for safety. He is feeling the way many of us have felt in times of desperation. We cry out to God saying, “whatever you want Lord, please, just help me!”
And through his crying out to God in desperation, David seems to find his footing. The tone of the Psalm shifts in the middle from the fear of verses 1-4 to the faithfulness of verses 5-11.
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
This is the reality in which we live. One day we can fear for our lives, and other times we can be on a mountaintop of joy. Wherever you find yourself it’s good to remember where you’ve been before. Recognize the good times, and remember that the hard times don’t last forever.