Blessing for Success
לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת, לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל, בַּמְּעָרָה. חָנֵּנִי אֱלֹהִים, חָנֵּנִי כִּי בְךָ, חָסָיָה נַפְשִׁי: וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ אֶחְסֶה עַד, יַעֲבֹר הַוּוֹת. אֶקְרָא, לֵאלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן; לָאֵל, גֹּמֵר עָלָי. יִשְׁלַח מִשָּׁמַיִם, וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנִי חֵרֵף שֹׁאֲפִי סֶלָה; יִשְׁלַח אֱלֹהִים, חַסְדּוֹ וַאֲמִתּוֹ. נַפְשִׁי, בְּתוֹךְ לְבָאִם אֶשְׁכְּבָה לֹהֲטִים: בְּנֵי אָדָם שִׁנֵּיהֶם, חֲנִית וְחִצִּים; וּלְשׁוֹנָם, חֶרֶב חַדָּה. רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים; עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ. רֶשֶׁת, הֵכִינוּ לִפְעָמַי כָּפַף נַפְשִׁי: כָּרוּ לְפָנַי שִׁיחָה; נָפְלוּ בְתוֹכָהּ סֶלָה. נָכוֹן לִבִּי אֱלֹהִים, נָכוֹן לִבִּי; אָשִׁירָה, וַאֲזַמֵּרָה. עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי עוּרָה, הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר; אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר. אוֹדְךָ בָעַמִּים יְהוָה; אֲזַמֶּרְךָ, בַּלְאֻמִּים. כִּי גָדֹל עַד שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ; וְעַד שְׁחָקִים אֲמִתֶּךָ. רוּמָה עַל שָׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים; עַל כָּל-הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ.
Explanation For The blessing
David escapes from Saul, runs to Kayla and saves the city from the Philistines. When Saul discovers this, he departs for Kayla. David fears that the inhabitants of the city will hand him over to Saul and flees with his men to the Ziph desert, where he meets Jonathan and the two cut a covenant – in the words of Jonathan: "Thou shalt be king over Israel and I shall be next unto thee".
Immediately after this, the people of Ziph inform Saul of David's hiding place. When Saul and his men are about to catch David, a messenger arrives, announcing the Philistine invasion, and Saul departs again.
Saul leads 3000 men to the desert, reaching the entrance to a cave in which David and his men seek shelter, and stops without noticing them. David's men tell him that God has placed Saul in his hands so that he may kill him. David creeps unnoticed behind Saul and cuts off a piece of his robe but refuses to kills him. He explains to his men: "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord".
Saul leaves the cave and David turns to him from his hiding place, saying: "Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?" In other words, David inquires why Saul listens to those who claim he conspires against him. David addresses Saul as "father", shows him the piece of his robe and tells him he could have killed him, but did not do so. Again, David inquires: "After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea." Saul recognizes the voice of David, his "son", and weeps: "Thou art more righteous than I…And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand." He asks David to swear that his seed will not be "cut off" after him.
Hence, David writes Psalm 57, "to the chief Musician, Altas'chith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave", thanking God for saving him from Saul and expressing his gratitude for performing "all things" for him. This blessing should be read with great intent and focus on the goal that one pursues.
