reliance on God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

¹Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my neck.
²I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
³I am weary with my crying out;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.

⁴More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
⁵O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

⁶Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
⁷For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother’s sons.

⁹For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
¹⁰When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
¹¹When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.
¹²I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me.

¹³But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
¹⁴Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.
¹⁵Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁶Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
¹⁷Hide not your face from your servant,
    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
¹⁸Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies!

¹⁹You know my reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
²⁰Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
    and for comforters, but I found none.
²¹They gave me poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

²²Let their own table before them become a snare;
    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
²³Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.
²⁴Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.
²⁵May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
²⁶For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
²⁷Add to them punishment upon punishment;
    may they have no acquittal from you.
²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

²⁹But I am afflicted and in pain;
let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
³¹This will please the LORD more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.
³²When the humble see it they will be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
³³For the LORD hears the needy
    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
³⁵For God will save Zion
    and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
³⁶    the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall dwell in it. – Psalm 69:1-36 ESV

Do you ever wonder why difficulty comes into your life? As a Christian, do you ever question why God would allow you to suffer at all? The presence of pain, persecution, and trials is difficult for us to understand, even as Christ-followers. As humans, we seem innately wired to run from trouble or to confront it head-on. Either way, we intend to escape it or remove it from our lives. Yet the reality of pain and suffering is one of the things we human beings all have in common. It comes in varying degrees of difficulty; some seem to suffer more than others. But no one gets to go through life completely untouched by sorrow, hurt, difficulty, trials, and the feelings of despair they bring.

Even as God’s anointed king of Israel, David was not immune to difficulty. In fact, long before his kingdom began, he found himself in dire straits, running for his life and spending his days living in the wilderness instead of a palace. Psalm 69 reflects the words of a man in deep trouble and up to his neck in difficulty. We don’t know the circumstances surrounding his situation, but it is clear that David is having a hard time. He says, “I am in deep water,” “I sink into the mire,” I am exhausted,” “I weep and fast,” and “I am in despair.”

Things are not going well for David, so he calls out to His God for help. He asks Yahweh to save him, rescue him, show him favor, and answer his prayer. He appeals to God’s unfailing love and mercy. David knows that God is his only hope. He fully understands that God alone can rescue him from everything happening to him. While David doesn’t enjoy what is taking place, he sees it as an opportunity to watch God work.

Don’t hide from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
Come and redeem me;
free me from my enemies. – Psalm 69:17-18 NLT

I am suffering and in pain.
Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. – Psalm 69:29 NLT

He knows this is a chance to witness the power of God displayed in and around his life. His pain and suffering provide a platform for God to display His power. And when God does rescue, David will have plenty of reasons for praise and thanksgiving. Not only that, all those who love and honor God will also have ample reason to be encouraged and emboldened to trust God.

The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. – Psalm 69:32 NLT

David knew his difficulties were simply temporal occasions for God to display His eternal power. Our trials are no trouble for God. He is not worried, dismayed, panicked, or fearful about the outcome. He simply wants to reveal His strength through our weakness. He wants to display His power through our impotence.

God loves to save. He longs to rescue. And when His children praise and thank Him for doing so, He is glorified and honored. When God rescues us, others are encouraged. When God intervenes on our behalf and we sing His praises to those around us, they are prompted to trust in God the next time they go through trials and difficulties. Our troubles become opportunities to witness God’s saving power. They provide us with real-life examples of God’s presence and power, and remind us of God’s love and mercy. When we thank Him for His salvation from trouble and tell others what He has done for us, He is glorified. And all who seek God’s help get encouraged.

Father, You long to intervene in our lives and You long to show Your power. You have chosen to do so through our weaknesses. You have determined to display Your glory through those events in our lives that reveal our own weaknesses. May we see those times as opportunities to see You work. And when You do, may we give You the glory and praise You deserve. So that others will be encouraged to trust You more. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

To the Lord.

Leviticus 23-24, Luke 13

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” – Luke 13:34 NLT

As the people of God, the Israelites existed for the glory of God. Everything about their lives was to be focused on Him – every aspect of their lives throughout the year was to revolve around Him. Everything about the Tabernacle, the feasts, and the Law was designed to remind them of God’s holiness and to bring Him glory. God filled the year with festivals and feasts, each intended to commemorate His divine action on and influence over their lives. From the weekly Sabbath observance to the yearly Passover celebration, they could not escape the fact that their very existence was a result of God’s grace, mercy and unfailing love. Throughout chapter 23 of Leviticus, we see the phrase “to the Lord” used repeatedly. The various feasts are referred to as “holy convocations,” or sacred assemblies. These were to be days that were set apart on the calendar each year to remember what God had done in their lives – from His miraculous redemption of their lives from captivity in Egypt to His gracious provision of crops during the last year. These days were to be dedicated to the Lord and held as sacred. Their lives were to be a testament to God’s glory and grace, power and provision.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God wanted the people to understand that everything He had given them to do was to be done with Him as the focal point. The Sabbath was to be dedicated to the Lord. The Passover was “the Lord’s Passover” (Leviticus 23:5 ESV). The Feast of Firstfruits was intended to honor the Lord as the people presented to Him the very best of all that they had. Pentecost was a one-day celebration where they were to present a thank offering for God’s provision for their physical and spiritual needs. The Feast of Trumpets served as their New Year celebration. The sound of the trumpets signaled the beginning of another new year and called the congregation to once again dedicate the year ahead to God. It was to be a reminder that God was in their midst and working on their behalf. The Day of Atonement was a day of fasting and self-denial as the people gave up their normal activities and dedicated themselves to the task of sacrifice for their sins. This was a once-a-year occasion that provided for the people atonement for the sins committed over the previous year. Apart from their fasting, this was all the work of God. Their atonement was His doing, not theirs. This was a day of humbling before and complete dependence upon God. The Feast of Tabernacles was a yearly celebration and commemoration of God’s provision of their needs during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. He had provided them with shelter, food, water, and even clothes that did not wear out. It was a reminder of God’s faithfulness and provision.

God designed all these things to point to Him. The people were never to take Him for granted or fail to remember that their very existence was dependent upon His love, mercy, grace and presence among them. Without Him they were nothing. But they were not only to observe the feasts and festivals as reminders of God, they were to treat Him with dignity, honor and respect – even honoring His name and never using it in a disrespectful or inappropriate manner. To do so was called blasphemy and the penalty was death by stoning. God’s name was to be treated with the same reverence as one would show Him. God was holy and was to be treated as such.

What does this passage reveal about man?

We have a tendency to make everything about us. It would be easy to think of a day of sabbath rest as a day for us to kick back and relax, to cease from working and simply chill out. But the Sabbath was intended to be a day dedicate to God. The cessation from work was intended to provide the people time to concentrate their attention on God. It was also to be a reminder of their trust in and dependence upon God. If they didn’t work, they would have to rely on Him. The festivals and feasts were not intended to be civil holidays that provided the people a day off from work. They were to remind the people of God’s faithful activity in their lives. Throughout the year, the Jews were given constant reminders that God was to be the focus of their lives and the focal point of their nation. The very presence of the Tabernacle in the midst of their camp was to reinforce that God was to be at the center of all that they did as a people. To this day, the people of God are to live their lives totally dependent upon and focused on Him. We are not the stars of the show, He is. We are not to make ourselves the center of attention. We must make all that we do all about God.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

In the book of Luke, we have recorded for us Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem. Jesus knew that His days were numbered. He had been slowly making His way to Jerusalem where He would face His arrest, trials, and crucifixion. He knew exactly what awaited Him because it had been part of God’s plan from the very beginning of time. He knew the Jews would eventually reject Him and demand His death. But their rejection of God’s offer of salvation was not new. They had stoned and killed many of the prophets of God who begged them to repent and return to Him. They had a track record of refusing God’s offers. Since the days of Moses, the people of Israel had repeatedly refused to keep God at the center of their lives. Yes, they had a Tabernacle and, eventually, a Temple. They had continued to maintain the sacrificial requirements. But they had simply been going through the motions. Their hearts were not in it. And by the time Jesus showed up on the scene, their worship of God had become little more than half-hearted attempt at keeping a set of ritualistic rules and religious requirements. He had long since ceased to be the focus of their lives and the focal point of the nation’s attention.

The same thing can happen to me. I can easily make myself the central focus of all that I do, even making my faith in Christ a convenient resource for living a better life. I can live my life as thought God exists for my glory, instead of the other way around. I can make the costly mistake of thinking that God is somehow obligated to meet my needs and grant my wishes – like some kind of divine cosmic genie. But I am to live my life focused on God. I am to constantly remind myself that my entire existence is based on His faithfulness, grace, love, and mercy. I am nothing without Him. Paul would remind me, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 ESV). Elsewhere he writes, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV). My entire life is to be lived with a Christ-centered, God-focused mentality. All that I do, say, and am should be centered on my Savior and God. Without them, I am nothing. But because of them, I have been redeemed, forgiven, and restored to a right relationship with God the Father.

Father, help me stay focused on You. Forgive me for tending to make it all about me too much of the time. I am nothing without You. You are evident in every area of my life. Your love, mercy and grace permeates the entirety of my life. I can see Your hand at work in and around me constantly. Thank You for providing Your Word as a reminder of who You are and all that You have done. Thank You for Your Spirit who dwells in me and is a constant reminder of Your unfailing love for me. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

Living Lessons

Leviticus 23-24, Luke 13