Episode Details

Psalm 55: The Wings of a Dove

There is a moment in this psalm so achingly human that it transcends its ancient setting and lands in every living room where betrayal has done its work. "It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it... But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company." The wound is not from a stranger but from a friend. The knife came from someone who knew where you kept your trust. David's first response is the most natural one in the world: "Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest." Who has not wanted to become a bird when the world closes in? But the psalm does not let David fly away. Instead, it takes him through the pain to a harder and better place: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." Not remove the burden — sustain you under it. The betrayer's words were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. And David's final word, standing in the ruins of a friendship, is not revenge but trust: "I will trust in thee."

00:00 Give Ear to My Prayer
01:00 Violence and Strife in the City
02:00 Evening, Morning, and Noon
03:00 I Will Trust in Thee