Save me, O God! The water is already up to my neck!
I am sinking in deep mud. There is nothing to stand on. I am in deep water. A flood is sweeping me away.
I am exhausted from crying for help. My throat is hoarse. My eyes are strained ⌊from⌋ looking for my God.
Those who hate me for no reason outnumber the hairs on my head. Those who want to destroy me are mighty. They have no reason to be my enemies. I am forced to pay back what I did not steal. [vss 1-4]
O God, you know my stupidity, and the things of which I am guilty are not hidden from you.
Do not let those who wait with hope for you be put to shame because of me, O Almighty Lord of Armies. Do not let those who come to you for help be humiliated because of me, O God of Israel.
Indeed, for your sake I have endured insults. Humiliation has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my ⌊own⌋ brothers, a foreigner to my mother’s sons.
Indeed, devotion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
I cried and fasted, but I was insulted for it. I dressed myself in sackcloth, but I became the object of ridicule. Those who sit at the gate gossip about me, and drunkards make up songs about me. [vss 5-12]
May my prayer come to you at an acceptable time, O Lord. O God, out of the greatness of your mercy, answer me with the truth of your salvation.
Rescue me from the mud. Do not let me sink ⌊into it⌋. I want to be rescued from those who hate me and from the deep water.
Do not let floodwaters sweep me away. Do not let the ocean swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O Lord, because your mercy is good. Out of your unlimited compassion, turn to me. I am in trouble, so do not hide your face from me. Answer me quickly!
Come close, and defend my soul. Set me free because of my enemies. [vss 9-18]
For the choir director; according to shoshannim; by David. (Psalms 69:1-18 GW)
We all deal with despair—a sense of hopelessness—from time to time. At times the dark hole of despair may seem inescapable for some of us. Even when someone else's despair appears deeper and darker than our own, we can relate.
The depth of emotion in the Psalms captures great heights of joy and disorienting depths of despair. They paint a picture with words we can all relate to at different times in our life.
This is God's design. His intention. David and other psalmists express for us the heights and depths and in-betweens of life.
This is an important reason why God sent His Son Jesus, so we would know that God can relate to us in all the highs and lows of our humanity.
This psalm is considered a Messianic Psalm. Jesus quotes directly from it and applies it to Himself (John 2:17; Rom 15:3). It also includes descriptions of what Jesus experienced in His life on earth and upon the cross as the Son of Man.
No matter what depth of despair we may experience, or what height of joy, God can relate to us. He hears. He knows. He Cares.
If you're in a place of despair, call out to the Lord! He hears you and He understands!
If you know someone trapped in despair, pray with them and encourage them to reach out to the Lord themselves.
©Word-Strong_2017
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I won't cover all 150 Psalms, but do selective devotionals through the rest of Psalms.
So if I skip one that you like... let me know and I'll try to cover it!