A short view of Psalm 70

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, "Aha, Aha!" May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!" - Psalm 70

5 verses. In just 5 verses, we see David offer up a short but yet powerful lament. Before we continue with this devotional today, please permit me to remind you of the definition behind lament. So often, we throw around words that don't make sense to some. If you are part of that number (and I was a few years ago); this is for you.

Lament = the function serves in a way that allows the writer to present a difficult situation before the presence of the Lord, pleading for His help. This type of writing consumes about 1/3 of the entire book of Psalms!

OK, we have the definition laid down. Lets look into Psalm 70 together, In these verses, David seeks the Lord's help, His rescue, from enemies nearby. The plea comes out of quick need. Take a moment and look at how verse one begins. Here, we see David begin with, "Make haste, O God." In fact, the ESV translation uses this phrasing twice in just one verse. So, when something is used more than once, we can quickly identify that as a great need, can we? I'd like to submit to you three points from this text (I'm a baptist preacher, so I sometimes look at many things in life with 3 points...it is hereditary, I guess.)

1. In His power and presence, we have the privilege of coming to Him with great despair.
- Look at verses 1-3.
- Here, we see that David is coming out of fear, out of desperation. In verse two, he requests for the Lord to move the positioning, the movement of his enemies. His concern moves from the Lord to making quick movement Himself (v.1), to moving the enemies (v.2). This movement culminates in verse 3, when David pleas for their turning back and dwelling in their own shame.
-Why such strong language, you may ask? It's hard to fully understand what is going on here. I believe it could very easily be a pagan army that was trying to impose false worship and immoral living to God's people. David, as God's selected king, was in charge of protecting the people and leading them to the genuine worship of God Almighty, through faithful obedience. His passion was for the nation. His anger was toward those that would try to abuse the very character and holiness of God. Do you have that anger in you?

Recently, I was in a bookstore by myself. When I walked inside the main entrance, the first book that caught my eye was, "The Shack." Many Christians view this book as, "A great read for understanding God more..." or, "It helps you understand the Trinity." or, "It's just fiction, so we shouldn't freak out over it too much." Well, please permit me to share with you the anger I have toward books that lead people astray. I believe it is the same anger and fear that David, Stephen, Peter, and Paul carried. The holiness, the glory, the beauty of God is found in His truth, His grace, His Word. We know of His Trinity by the way He revealed it to us. We know of His character by the way He revealed it to us. We must develop within us a deep desire to protect the Word, and to preach faithfully to those that are outside the camp (as Hebrews 12-13 refers to). I believe our passion will lead us to praying prayers of lament; requesting the Lord's help as we protect His bride from outside enemies. Oh, may we rise up like the soldiers He calls us to be (Ephesians 6), and faithfully declare His full counsel (2 Tim 4), for the glory of His name (Isaiah 43:7). Think about that today. What is your greatest concern? Is it your own health or prosperity? Or is it for the salvation of lost souls and the elimination of false teachers that serve as wolves to His sheep; His very enemies? (read John 8:44 to help with this point).

2. In His power and presence, we have the privilege of rejoicing in His perfect joy.
-Verse 4 is beautiful. Take a moment and read it.
- Here, we see a powerful display of His infinite worth. I love what John Piper teaches throughout His ministry, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." This simple statement is the backbone of his theology. I enjoy it every time I quote it.
- Here, we see an infinite and eternal God give us gladness in our souls. Do you seek Him? Do you view Him as the ultimate source of joy in your life? Take a moment and read Jeremiah 29:13. I memorized this verse as a teenager. It first was a verse that put the attention on myself. However, when I got older, I viewed it a bit differently. The Lord gives us the privilege of being found. The very fact that He tells us of His predetermined plan (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10), and that plan is to display the glory of Jesus (1 Peter 2:9), than seeking Him as our only source of hope and joy is the culmination of His power and presence working in us already! Verses 1-3 show David, a guy that was wanting God to help in a time of trouble...this king was sought after by God, to lead God's people. You and I have the divine privilege today of His eternal fellowship, by His grace, through His power and presence. Live out verse 4 today, friend. Seek Him in all things (Matthew 6:33). Rejoice and be glad in Him alone (Philippians 4). Declare His greatness (Psalm 115). Radiate His character (1 Peter 1:15). Preach His salvation message (Mark 16:15).

3. In His power and presence, we have the privilege of submitting humbly.
- Finally, in verse 5, we can see humility.
- David here shows his position in view of God's position (my definition of humility).
- He declares to God that he is poor and needy...in need of God to come to His rescue.
-So often, we rely too much on our own effort or decision making for each day. How often do you approach the King in prayer? Even in your own effort, your seeking of God in prayer is ushered by His Spirit! (Romans 8:9, 26). Why would we think otherwise? David places God as the subject of his need. He doesn't go to his friends or other kings...he sought after the Lord out of humility. Do you walk in humility? Do you come to Him daily in your own desperation and need? I have no clue how to be a youth minister. Every day that I wake up, I have to come to Him for help. I have to seek His guidance, for my wisdom is foolish. I've learned that the hard way. I need His power and presence to lead me, even in the midst of enemies (yes, you can even have enemies inside the church...it is a tragedy.) Seek Him today. Go to Him in your need. Trust in His great pleasure. Remember Proverbs 3:5-6.

So, today I want to challenge you to enjoy His power and presence. Trust in Him alone when you feel attacked. May His Spirit fill your soul with the sweetest song of true worship; birthed out of joy and humility in His eternal position.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Dave