Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. 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. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, Aha! Weve got him now! 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! 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. – Psalm 70
This prayer awakens the conscience to the human cry for redress. I encourage you to read the entire chapter– it’s only five verses. Meditate on the last time you asked God to come and help you. Think about why you asked God to come and help you. Most likely it was a last ditch effort to reach out and have somebody beyond your own abilities and the abilities and power of the people around you to help. King David writes this Psalm as a literal cry for help. There is no figurative language and imagery needed to express how he feels. He is in agony and needs God now. This prayer articulates our own disquiet when we are caught in the agony and emotional upheaval of life’s incongruities and injustices. Some of us need to pray this prayer because we need God now. Others need to pray this prayer for others because they need God now.
Comments are closed