He Will Not Let Us Be Moved

Psalm 55:4–8

My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling come upon me,

and horror overwhelms me.

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

yes, I would wander far away;

I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah

I would hurry to find a shelter

from the raging wind and tempest.” (ESV)

Psalm 55:16–18

But I call to God,

and the LORD will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon

I utter my complaint and moan,

and he hears my voice.

He redeems my soul in safety

from the battle that I wage,

for many are arrayed against me. (ESV)

Anguish, the terror of death, fear, trembling, horror. What have you experienced that caused you to wish that you had wings to allow you to fly away, far away to the wilderness, away from everyone? Fly away to a place of shelter, a place of escape from the world and your pain? We can’t fly and escape the realities of our lives. We can try to distract ourselves for a time, but escape is momentary, always ending with a crash back to where we left off. But we can call to the Lord. He will save us.

God may not change our circumstances. He may leave us in terribly difficult situations. We can raise complaints to him. We can cry to him; moan to him. The creator of the universe hears our voice. He redeems our souls. God is working when we feel hopeless. He is working in and through our pain and struggles.

People will disappoint us. That’s okay; it’s expected. We can cast our burdens on the Lord. He will sustain us. He will not let us be moved.