When fear surrounds us, God is our shelter, our strength, and our song.

How do you feel when you see the innocent crushed by the injustice of wicked and opportunistic leaders? Do you suppress your desire for justice? Do you desire personal vengeance to settle the score? Or do you pray like Psalm 58 -- trusting and surrendering the situation to God and knowing deep down that he will one day make all things right?

David has fled to a cave to hide from Saul but he knows his real refuge is the Lord. Discover how David pivots from prayer to praise and turns a cave into a sanctuary of praise. See how he anchors his heart to the character of God.

David repeatedly and deliberately counsels his own heart to turn from fear to faith. He reminds himself that God is aware of every tear he sheds and he looks through his present fears and frustrations to the victory on the other side.

The first treachery David bemoans is the corruption and fraud of the city. The place of refuge has become a place of danger, and the place of justice has become a source of injustice. But worse is the second treachery: the betrayal of a close friend. This message unpacks how David processes that betrayal and learns to cast his burdens on the Lord.

David is on the run from Saul and his armies after being betrayed by his own people from the tribe of Judah. David acknowledges his need for deliverance and vindication from the Lord, but quickly shifts his focus from his circumstances to the character of God. He trusts God before his situation changes because he knows God is faithful and just.

There are few true, theological atheists but many practical atheists who live as if there is no God. But this rejection of God leads to God's rejection of them. They are punished for their unbelief and corruption, while the righteous are rescued.

What do we do when evil seems to prosper and the wicked appear to get away with it? In Psalm 52, David reflects on the betrayal of Doeg the Edomite and reminds us that God sees every act of injustice and every destructive word. Contrasting the temporary success of the wicked with the enduring security of those rooted in God's steadfast love, David calls us to trust the Lord, wait confidently for His justice, and find refuge in the God who judges rightly, keeps His promises, and never forsakes His people.

2 Samuel 11 is the historic backdrop of Psalm 51. David has committed the sin of adultery with his neighbor's wife, and he's committed murder to try to cover it up. When he finally realizes the gravity of what he's done, he's crushed and broken in his spirit. He stops covering his sin and starts confessing it instead - calling it what God calls it. And he throws himself solely on God's mercy.

This Psalm is a courtroom drama. The LORD, the righteous Judge, summons the earth to come and hear his verdict. Those who worshiped him thinking he needed their rituals are rebuked. Those who worshiped him to cover up and compensate for their wicked deeds are warned of death. Both groups are offered salvation if they’ll repent, call upon him in faith, and offer him the sacrifice of thanksgiving from the heart.