By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher
Text: Psalm
69
James
5:16
Confess your trespasses
to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The
effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
(NKJV)
Jesus warned us that in
this fallen world we would have trouble, but then promised that He would overcome
the world, which occurred when he arose from the grave (John
16:33). Therefore, having trouble in this world should not be a surprise,
but how we handle trouble when it occurs will determine how we get through it. David
had his share of trouble in life, with Psalm
69 giving us a glimpse into the heart of David and how he took his troubles
to God in prayer.
The psalm begins with David
crying out for God to save him from the floods of troubled waters that are up
to his neck, making it impossible for him to stand (Psalm
69:1-2). His throat is dry, and he is weary from crying with his eyes
failing as he waits for God (Psalm
69:3). David then tells God about the magnitude of his troubles, for his
enemies hate him without cause, wrongfully accusing him of theft when he has
stolen nothing (Psalm
69:4).
David then acknowledges
his foolishness and sin to God, desiring that those waiting on the Lord are not
ashamed or confounded because of him (Psalm
69:5-6). For the sake of the Lord, David has borne reproach with shame
covering his face, becoming a stranger to his brothers and an alien to his
mother’s children (Psalm
69:7-8). David finds himself eaten up with zeal for the house of the Lord,
with the reproaches of the Lord falling upon him (Psalm
69:9). David has made his reproach the weeping and chastening of his soul
with fasting (Psalm
69:10). David has become a byword to his enemies with sackcloth his garment,
causing those at the gate to speak against him and his becoming a song of
drunkards (Psalm
69:11-12).
Despite these troubles, David’s
prayer is to the Lord who will in the acceptable time and in accordance with
the multitude of God’s mercies, hear him in the truth of the Lord’s salvation (Psalm
69:13). David then asks for deliverance from the mire, from those who hate
him, and from the deep floodwaters overflowing him, threatening to swallow him
up (Psalm
69:14-15). David makes a plea for the Lord to hear him according to His
tender mercies because his lovingkindness is good (Psalm
69:16). David pleads for the Lord not to hide His face from him because he
is in trouble, wanting the Lord to hear him speedily, drawing near to his soul to
redeem it and deliver him from his enemies (Psalm
69:17-18).
The Lord knows David’s
reproach, shame, and dishonor with David’s adversaries before the Lord (Psalm
69:19). David’s heart is heavy and broken from his reproach, seeking
someone to comfort or take pity, and finding none, with him instead, receiving
gall for food and vinegar for drink (Psalm
69:20-21). David asks that the table of his enemies be a snare, with their
well-being a trap, and that their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, with
their loins shaking continually (Psalm
69:22-23). David then asks God to pour out His indignation upon his enemies
with His wrathful anger taking hold of them, and for their dwelling places to
be desolate, with no one living in their tents (Psalm
69:24-25). These enemies persecute the ones the Lord has struck and talk of
the grief of those the Lord has wounded (Psalm
69:26). David asks the Lord to add iniquity to their iniquity and for them
not to come to the Lord’s righteousness, asking the Lord to blot them out of
the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous (Psalm
69:27-28).
David is poor and
sorrowful, asking the Lord to set him on high by His salvation, promising to
praise God with a song, and magnify Him with thanksgiving (Psalm
69:29-30). This song of praise shall please the Lord more than the offering
of an ox or bull, with the humble seeing it and being glad, and those seeking God
finding life (Psalm
69:31-32). The Lord hears the poor and does not despise His prisoners (Psalm
69:33).
David concludes by asking
the Lord to let the heavens and earth praise Him, along with the seas, and
everything that moves in them (Psalm
69:34). God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah with His people possessing
it (Psalm
69:35). Also, the descendants of the Lord’s servants shall inherit the land
with those loving His name dwelling in it (Psalm
69:36).
Again, we see David in
trouble from his enemies who wrongfully accuse him, asking the Lord for help.
In his plea to God, we see David,
- Telling
God about his situation (Psalm
69:1-4) – In James
5:16, we are reminded to pray for one another because our fervent
prayers are powerful. We are also reminded to cast our cares on the Lord
because He cares for us (1
Peter 5:7). David was not afraid to let the Lord know his situation
and how he felt, even though he knew the Lord already knew.
- Repenting
for his foolishness and sins (Psalm
69: 5-12) – Even though David was a man after God’s own heart (1
Samuel 13:14), he was not perfect (2
Samuel 11). However, when David found out God knew his sin, he
repented (2
Samuel 12:1-14). Deliverance from trouble begins with repentance of
sin.
- He
turns to God (Psalm
69:13-36) – David turns to God and boldly asks God to avenge him and
to pour out wrath on his enemies. When Jesus yielded up His spirit, the
veil was torn (Matthew
27:50-51), and all who choose to believe in Jesus as their Savior have
direct access to God the Father. The question we must ask ourselves is,
will we turn to God when in trouble?
When we find ourselves in
trouble, the first place we turn is an indicator of where our heart is (Matthew
6:21). Some may turn to government or politics, only to be disappointed
when politicians do not keep their promises. Some may turn to their own
abilities or education only to find it insufficient to meet their needs. Still
others may turn to career or business success to deliver them from trouble,
only to be disappointed when it vanishes due to an economic downturn. If the
first place we turn to when in trouble is not God, we will be disappointed.
This psalm, like the other psalms of David, shows a man with a heart that seeks
God for deliverance from trouble.
If you are reading this
and have never prayed to accept God’s gift of salvation, giving you direct
access to God, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23)
and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23).
I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave,
and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.
If you meant what you
just prayed, know God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a
relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans
8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While
God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to
learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that
teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God
convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.
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