God Speaks
69 For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.”
1 Save me, O God,
for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
I can’t find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
and the floods overwhelm me.
3 I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
waiting for my God to help me.
4 Those who hate me without cause
outnumber the hairs on my head.
Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,
demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal.
5 O God, you know how foolish I am;
my sins cannot be hidden from you.
6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,
O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,
O God of Israel.
7 For I endure insults for your sake;
humiliation is written all over my face.
8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;
they treat me like a stranger.
9 Passion for your house has consumed me,
and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10 When I weep and fast,
they scoff at me.
11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow,
they make fun of me.
12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip,
and all the drunks sing about me.
13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,
hoping this time you will show me favor.
In your unfailing love, O God,
answer my prayer with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mud;
don’t let me sink any deeper!
Save me from those who hate me,
and pull me from these deep waters.
15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me,
or the deep waters swallow me,
or the pit of death devour me.
16 Answer my prayers, O Lord,
for your unfailing love is wonderful.
Take care of me,
for your mercy is so plentiful.
17 Don’t hide from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
18 Come and redeem me;
free me from my enemies.
19 You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.
You see all that my enemies are doing.
20 Their insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
If only one person would show some pity;
if only one would turn and comfort me.
21 But instead, they give me poison for food;
they offer me sour wine for my thirst.
22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare
and their prosperity become a trap.
23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and make their bodies shake continually.
24 Pour out your fury on them;
consume them with your burning anger.
25 Let their homes become desolate
and their tents be deserted.
26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;
they add to the pain of those you have hurt.
27 Pile their sins up high,
and don’t let them go free.
28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;
don’t let them be counted among the righteous.
29 I am suffering and in pain.
Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.
30 Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
and I will honor him with thanksgiving.
31 For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,
more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
he does not despise his imprisoned people.
34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,
the seas and all that move in them.
35 For God will save Jerusalem
and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
and settle in their own land.
36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,
and those who love him will live there in safety.
70 For the choir director: A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.
1 Please, God, rescue me!
Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
2 May those who try to kill me
be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
be turned back in disgrace.
3 Let them be horrified by their shame,
for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
4 But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
O Lord, do not delay.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Psalm 69: This psalm is many things: a cry for help out of the midst of great difficulty (v 1-3); a recounting of enemies without and within (v 4-5); a plea that the psalmist not bring disgrace to those who hope in God, to God Himself, or to his family (v 6-8); a statement of the misunderstanding and ridicule the psalmist’s activities in devotion to God have received (v 9-12); an affirmation of faith and a plea for deliverance and protection (v 13-15); a request for the application of God’s steadfast love and mercy to redeem and ransom the psalmist (v16-18); an acknowledgement that the LORD knows the reproach, shaming, dishonor. despair, abandonment, and mistreatment the psalmist has received (v 19-21); a call for God’s punishment of the psalmist’s enemies (v 22-28); and an anthem of praise and thanksgiving for the Lord’s rescue of the psalmist (v 20-36).
Psalm 70: This short psalm could be prayed by or for anyone who will admit that they are spiritually bankrupt and in need of forgiveness, rescue and/or deliverance by the LORD Himself.
Prayer: Dear LORD God who listens to and answers the heart-cries of the people who depend on and follow Him, I cry out for help in the midst of great difficulty. I have enemies both outside and within myself. I ask for Your help so that I do not bring disgrace on others who hope in You, to You Yourself, or to my family. Please deal with the misunderstanding and ridicule that my activities in devotion to You have received. I declare my faith in You, Jesus, and plead for deliverance and protection. I request that Your steadfast love and mercy be applied to redeem and ransom me. I acknowledge that You know all the reproach, shaming, dishonor. despair, abandonment, and mistreatment I have received. I call for Your just punishment of my enemies. I sing out an anthem of praise and thanksgiving to You, God Most High, for rescuing me and all who trust and obey You. I admit to You, LORD God, that I am spiritually and morally bankrupt and in need of forgiveness, rescue, and deliverance by You alone. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will forgive those who have wronged me, on the basis of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
- I will seek God’s justice on behalf of others who have been wronged by various enemies.
- I will pray Psalm 70 for myself and anyone else who will admit that they are spiritually bankrupt and in need of forgiveness, rescue, and deliverance by the LORD Himself.
- I will thank God that He is always ready, willing, and able to forgive, rescue, and deliver anyone who asks.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.