And I said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.
Psalm 55:6 (American Standard Version)
Have you ever imagined you were free like a bird flying through the clouds, and over the rocks, the trees, soaring the blue skies, free, free, free?
Have you ever wished you had wings to fly away… fly, fly away?
Sometimes the stresses of life just make us want to escape for a while.
David wrote Psalm 55 while he was weary and tired, ready to escape and find rest.
Perhaps he was running from people, or the problems he faced. As you read the Bible, you know he had plenty of struggles in his journey to become King of Isreal.
If you read through Psalm 55, you find David was experiencing intense emotional pain. Along with this he faced the prospect of death. He was fearful and trembling and overwhelmed with horror. David wanted to hide in the wilderness, perhaps amongst the ewes, rams, dams, and lambs he used to Shepherd alone and in solitude.
David needed rest. We all need rest. In stressful moments, we all want to escape to a peaceful setting.
A dove represents peace. They fly with dignity and strength into the security of quiet places in the wild.
Read on and you learn David goes to God and cries out for help. He takes refuge in the God of His life.
So what makes you weary on the road of life?
Are you running from relationship strife? Grief? Money problems? Weary of the daily grind? Is your heart hurting because someone has betrayed you?
Each of us has our own cross to carry, some heavier than others. Buy none so heavy as that of Jesus Christ.
Each of desires to live in peace, we want rest, and we long for quietness. Sometimes we come to the end of ourselves and just want a break. The hustle and bustle grinds on our nerves.
That is a good time to reflect on the suffering of Jesus. He suffered to set us free, in order that we could lay our burden down at the foot of that heavy cross of Calvary. Jesus promises to carry our weariness, our burden, our cross, our pain, our sicknesses. He will do it if we ask Him, and if we let Him.
In that place lies true rest and freedom.
So will we fly to Jesus? Or will we escape to a refuge of our own making? Television, alcohol, drugs, shopping, food, materialism? What is your escape? What is mine?
As we fly instead to Jesus in our weakness and weariness, His love lifts us up.
And we soar above life’s struggles shielded in His arms.
Protected by the one who died for us.
We soar to new heights with His Spirit helping us to stay strong.
The barren land that once was a wilderness, a dry and weary land, becomes an oasis we longer need to escape.
And if life gets hard, we turn to Jesus and fly into His arms again.
Until one day Jesus calls us home to fly in freedom to life eternal, eternal rest and peace.
Turn to Jesus and live.