April 2, 2015 –Thursday

Start Time: 5:46 AM

End Time:   6:10 AM

Title: For the Director of Music. To The Tunes Of “Lilies.” Of David.  

Scripture: Psalm 69:1 – 36

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ David sounded in great need of deliverance in this chapter.  He even started his psalm with "save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck."  So in short, he was nearing his defeat or lost.  The next verses, he described his current situation, which clearly a difficult one.  He portrayed himself drowning and tired of calling for help.  Sounds like he was at the edge and any minute now, he can just jump and it will end all his sufferings but it will not be the right thing to do.  So here we see, David desperate for God's help.  He is nearing to making a decision of giving up and just losing the battle.  Yet by verse 5, David started picking himself up.  He spoke of God who knows all his enemies and that there's no secret in him.  So David knew that even if the Lord is not answering, He knew God saw and He knew everything that is happening to him and to the world.  In verse 6, David hope again, implicating the word "may" in his pleas to God.  David emphasize that all these sufferings, he endured because of God and for His sake because God has a bigger and brighter plan than what he can think of.  So he laid his life to His hands. 

In verse 13, David pushed through in his prayer requests for deliverance, favor and answer from the Lord.  David asked for God to rescue him now.  David plead to God to answer him out of the goodness of His love and great mercy.  This reminds me of Jesus when He was praying before He will be crucified then.  He had a pretty solid idea of what's going to happen to Him and so He asked God to take this cup away from Him.  As human as we are, we tend to run away or our preference is to always live a comfortable life without trials or troubles.  But little did we know that in these troubles, God's purpose is fulfilled and our character are changed.  We are changed from glory to glory as God promised.  So the process of going thru these difficult times is part of the fulfillment of God's plans for our lives.  We ought to embrace it and trust God.

So yes, David started sounding desperate.  He described himself as tired and weary and troubled as if he is willing to give up any time soon.  Yet by the end of his psalm, hope is seen in his words.  From verse 22, he spoke again of a victorious future against his enemy.  David envisioned what will become of his enemies when God comes and rescues him and fight in his behalf.  David envisioned this that encouraged him to pick himself up and hope and trust the Lord.  That's why by verse 29, he declared, "But as for me, afflicted and in pain - May your salvation, God, protect me."  He hold on to God as always.  So by verse 30, his lips and words spoke of nothing but praise and worship to God.

So David may have started tired and losing hope but by the end of his psalm to God, he was picking himself up, praising him and worshipping the King.  Clearly, David made a change of decision when he is in the zone or in the presence of the Lord, praying :)  That's why prayer is very important.  It is energy and strength for us.  So never stop praying!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, what a lovely message.  Thank You for teaching me to encourage and pick myself up like David.  Thank You for teaching me to be patient and to always trust You at all times.  Though my whole body, spirit and mind wants to give up, all I need is to talk to You.  To pray and be in Your presence and You will turn my frustrations into hope, my desperations into thanksgiving and my hopelessness into joy.  Thank You Jesus.  Help me to remember this always.  In Jesus' Name, Amen!