Verse of the Day 9/1

 

Psalm 69:13-14   But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
¹⁴ Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters. English Standard Version (ESV)

 

I read today's verses this morning in my daily reading  in the Psalms in the English Standard Version (above).  There were several things  that caught my attention about the psalmists  attitude.  He is offering his prayers to God and will wait on His  answer in His timing.  He is not  demanding, but trusting.  Why does he trust "because of God's  steadfast love and saving faithfulness.

 

The other thing that caught my attention was his  situation  as  he prayed, he was sinking in the mire and  under oppression, at  least opposition  from  his enemies.  He was under pressure and went to God with it.  Pressure is something  we feel, that we often bring  upon  ourselves and all too often we can't find relief from it  ourselves.  But  God  can  through  prayer and His Word, words of  comfort and encouragement.

 

Then I read the rest of the passage  from The Message (below).  He was in the whirlpool being  sucked  down.  Quite a picture, have you been  there, are  you there today?  You  feel  overwhelmed, the  waters swirling  around you pulling  you down. 

 

We don't know the time frame, how  much time  elapsed between the verses but as we read we see that he does ask for  God's help right now!  He's at the end of his rope, actually in the  whirlpool without  a rope and  is asking  for a lifeline.  The two scenarios, waiting  for God's timing  and  asking  for  an  answer right now are  not  mutually exclusive.  The important thing  is  that abiding, that "holding onto" that we considered yesterday.  God knows your situation  better  than  you do.  He knows when you can and  should  wait for His answer as a way of  building us, shaping us and He also knows  when  we need Him  right  now.  In either case we are to call out to Him to  hold  out for His answer as we hold to Him in faith, with the confidence of His steadfast  love and saving  faithfulness  that  He has  displayed in  the past.

 

"Be assured that thy God will be thy counsellor and friend; he shall guide thee; he will direct all thy ways. In his written Word thou hast this assurance in part fulfilled, for holy Scripture is his counsel to thee. Happy are we to have God's Word always to guide us! What were the mariner without his compass? And what were the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be thou, O God, that we may trust thee to guide us now, and guide us even to the end!" Charles  Spurgeon

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Psalm 69:13-18The Message (MSG)

¹³ And me? I pray.
God, it's time for a break!

God, answer in love!
Answer with your sure salvation!

¹⁴ Rescue me from the swamp,
Don't let me go under for good,

Pull me out of the clutch of the enemy;
This whirlpool is sucking me down.

¹⁵ Don't let the swamp be my grave, the Black Hole
Swallow me, its jaws clenched around me.

¹⁶ Now answer me, God, because you love me;
Let me see your great mercy full-face.

¹⁷ Don't look the other way; your servant can't take it.
I'm in trouble. Answer right now!

¹⁸ Come close, God; get me out of here.
Rescue me from this deathtrap.

 

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