circumstantial psalms

Week 9  Psalm 59

59 is today’s reminder to me that not every psalm is completely applicable to me personally on every single occasion that I read it.
The subtitle says it was: a psalm of David the time Saul sent soldiers to watch his house in order to kill him. So under those risky circumstances David prayed: rescue me from my enemies, O God. Protect me from those who have come to destroy me…save me from these murderers. David’s prayer was compatible with his current life experience.
So far the mayor of Medicine Hat hasn’t sent the local police to kill me (and I’m pretty sure she won’t). Which means 59 has a different degree of urgency for me. I’ll tend to locate it in the bottom-half of my Psalm Personal Relevancy List…for now at least…under my current circumstances. 59 is in a kind of drowsy hibernation.
But halfway around the world some guy at this very second here-&-now on March 1/22 who is literally & experientially exposed to genuinely murderous life-and-death attack might be thinking 59 fits the bill exactly. That guy’s life might be replicating David’s: my enemies come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.
That guy…wherever he is – let’s say hypothetically in some place like eastern Europe – has a totally different Psalm Personal Relevancy List from me.
Events can relevantize psalms.

Note: quotes from Psalm 59:1, 14 & 6 (NLT). Bible Reading Report: as of February 28/22: 223 out of 1189 chapters read; 18.7% completed in 16.7% of the year; head still above water.