"To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”
O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies."
Psalm 54
In the second stanza of the Psalm the mood completely changes, and the sense of urgency and concern gives way to calm confidence and assurance. This is, as we have pointed out, something so often evident in the Psalms, and is a perfect illustration of the meaning of Paul's words in Philippians 4:6, 7, 'Be careful for nothing; but in everything...let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God...'. Here is the peace that God gives: the circumstances have not changed, but the man of God rises from his knees a changed man. He has got through to God. There is almost a sense of wonder in 4, 'Behold God is mine helper...', as if to express the sense of awe at having got through to such a place of confidence in Him. This is one of the great things in prayer, and it is one of the great lessons in spiritual life to learn it. In 6, 7 we see David so confident of an answer that he can begin to think of his thank-offering. Maclaren says, 'Faith sees the future as the present. This Psalmist, surrounded by strangers seeking his life, can quietly stretch out a hand of faith, and bring near to himself the tomorrow when he will look back on scattered enemies and present glad sacrifices!'