Psalm 55

As I read this psalm, I became intrigued by David's wish to fly away. The impulse to flee disaster isn't terribly new, since it is a temptation everyone faces. What intrigued me was that David wanted to fly away to the desert. Why there? What in a desert would entice David to find safety there? When I spent a night in the desert of Oman, there were times when I felt incredibly vulnerable. I realized that if I had wandered away from the group and found myself too far from the camp to see it, I would be totally lost. All of the sand hills looked the same, and there were no mile markers or signposts guiding me to safety. Yet, this is where David wants to be.

And the desert as a safe place shows up in other places in Scripture as well. Revelation 12 talks about a woman who gives birth to a child and then is attacked. The child is swept into heaven, while the woman is brought to the desert to be cared for. Later, when she is pursued, she flees once more to the desert. Now, the story is a symbolic one, but it still paints the desert as a place for hiding and safety.

The desert fathers and mothers followed David and the Revelation 12 woman into the desert to flee from corruption and find safety there. So I suppose I must revisit my night in the desert. While I was there, I was completely safe. As long as I had companionship, I had no worries about getting lost. Under the big, clear sky, I could see all the stars of heaven. In the quiet breeze tumbling across the sand, I felt no sense of danger. Maybe the desert isn't so bad, after all. May you find your hiding place in God today and throughout this week.