“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.” (Psalm 69:1-3, NIV)
Take five minutes and read this psalm. Psalm 69 is a beautiful prayer to the Lord. I was reminded of it today because of the first few verses I quoted above. As I was praying for fellow Texans down south, this came to mind.
Really, the psalm is about relationships. David is being persecuted. God isn’t intervening. David feels he is at the edge of death and sanity. He describes his situation in terms of flood: a metaphor for his troubles.
But as I said, this is a prayer. He isn’t just bemoaning his situation, he’s asking God for help:
“But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.” (Psalm 69:13-16, NIV)
Then he ends his prayer with praise – confident that God has heard and that God will rescue:
“Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.“ (Psalm 69:34-36, NIV)
Please keep our friends in the Houston area in your prayers!
