(Psalm 69:1-36) Save me, God,
For the waters have threatened my life.2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.
3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would destroy me are powerful, those who oppose me with lies;
What I did not steal, I then have to restore.
5 God, You know my foolishness,
And my guilt is not hidden from You.
6 May those who wait for You not be ashamed because of me, Lord God of armies;
May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel,
7 Because for Your sake I have endured disgrace;
Dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become estranged from my brothers,
And a stranger to my mother’s sons.
9 For zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept in my soul with fasting,
It became my disgrace.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a proverb to them.
12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me,
And songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, Lord, at an acceptable time;
God, in the greatness of Your mercy,
Answer me with Your saving truth.
14 Rescue me from the mud and do not let me sink;
May I be rescued from those who hate me, and from the depths of water.
15 May the flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the pit close its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, Lord, for Your mercy is good;
According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me,
17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in distress; answer me quickly.
18 Come near to my soul and redeem it;
Ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my disgrace, my shame, and my dishonor;
All my enemies are known to You.
20 Disgrace has broken my heart, and I am so sick.
And I waited for sympathy, but there was none;
And for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me a bitter herb in my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22 May their table before them become a snare;
And when they are at peace, may it become a trap.
23 May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their hips shake continually.
24 Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their camp be desolated;
May there be none living in their tents.
26 For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded.
27 Add guilt to their guilt,
And may they not come into Your righteousness.
28 May they be wiped out of the book of life,
And may they not be recorded with the righteous.
29 But I am afflicted and in pain;
May Your salvation, God, set me safely on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with song,
And exalt Him with thanksgiving.
31 And it will please the Lord better than an ox
Or bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The humble have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, let your heart revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy,
And does not despise those of His who are prisoners.
34 Heaven and earth shall praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah,
So that they may live there and possess it.
36 The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name will live in it.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
In this psalm, David points out the different reasons why we go through tests, trials and tribulations. It can be because of our own sin, or our own foolishness, or other people's sins against us, or we can be collateral damage because of other people's sins, or we can suffer due to natural disasters or diseases, and/or because of spiritual warfare... We live in a fallen, broken world because of sin.
Someone came up with this saying, "Life is short. Death is sure. Sin is the cause. God is the cure." While God saves and protects us, God will also allow us to go through challenging times, giving us an opportunity to strengthen our faith and walk even closer with Him. Whether we are experiencing peace or struggles, the Lord is the cure. He is always the answer.
When we stumble and sin, it is not only against God, but we are also hurting ourselves, others, and even the reputations of other Christians. Therefore, David not only pleads to God for himself to be kept safe and get through these struggles, but he also prays that those who are innocent will not suffer consequences from his actions and personal situations. And just like David, the call to action for us, and the lesson for us to learn, is that as we pray - then wait for the Lord to answer our prayers at the acceptable time (as it says in verse 13).
Waiting for the Lord to sort out our issues does not mean that we just simply sit back and do absolutely nothing. It means that we continue living in obedience to His will, as we should, while we patiently try NOT to fix the issue ourselves in our own strength, wisdom and timing.
This seems like a contradiction, but it is not. I know! There have been times that I have quickly asked God to give me wisdom, discretion and clarity, then zealously, rashly dashed off in efforts to solve something... only to make things worse. But in those times, when I've prayed the same prayer, and then exercised self-control, Godly love and patience, and settled into a peaceful certain trust - all the while making sure to work on MYSELF... WOW!!! God is so very amazing and faithful!!!
As it says in verse 32, we need to let our hearts see, while seeking God, and allow Him to revive us. In confessing any sins that we might have, is to reconcile issues with God, and then allow Him to help us reconcile with others. In this, with a strong, close relationship with the Lord, we will then have stronger, closer relationships with other believers. The Lord works things out for good, because He hears the prayers of those who love His name and humble their hearts, praising and exalting Him with thanksgiving.
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