Psalm 69 ~ Those who Love His Name shall dwell in

Psalm 69

1 Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire,

where there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters,

and the flood sweeps over me.

3 I am weary with my crying out;

my throat is parched.

My eyes grow dim

with waiting for my God.

4 More 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?

5 O God, you know my folly;

the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

6 Let 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.

7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,

that dishonor has covered my face.

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,

an alien to my mother's sons.

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,

and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,

it became my reproach.

11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,

I became a byword to them.

12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,

and the drunkards make songs about me.

13 But 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.

14 Deliver me

from sinking in the mire;

let me be delivered from my enemies

and from the deep waters.

15 Let not the flood sweep over me,

or the deep swallow me up,

or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;

according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

17 Hide not your face from your servant;

for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.

18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;

ransom me because of my enemies!

19 You know my reproach,

and my shame and my dishonor;

my foes are all known to you.

20 Reproaches 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.

21 They gave me poison for food,

and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

22 Let their own table before them become a snare;

and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,

and make their loins tremble continually.

24 Pour out your indignation upon them,

and let your burning anger overtake them.

25 May their camp be a desolation;

let no one dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down,

and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.

27 Add to them punishment upon punishment;

may they have no acquittal from you.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;

let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

29 But I am afflicted and in pain;

let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

30 I will praise the name of God with a song;

I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the Lord more than an ox

or a bull with horns and hoofs.

32 When the humble see it they will be glad;

you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

33 For the Lord hears the needy

and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

34 Let Heaven and earth praise Him,

the seas and everything that moves in them.

35 For God will save Zion

and 

build up the cities of Judah,

and 

people shall dwell there and possess it

The offspring of His servants shall inherit it,

and those who love His Name shall dwell in it.

Today, this is the Liturgy. And I couldn't decide between 1 or 2. 

The Second Choice turned out to be Job 24.  Psalm 69 is a Psalm of David. David's Saint style was being honest with exactly how David felt. And this I have learned seeing friends attend AA or the offshoot programs.  People generally have a hard time putting their emotions into words. Fester fester fester, makes Uncle Fester.  David just doesn't have the fester problem.  Which is a little unusual, after David was on the run, the crowd he gathered were the mercenaries who were malcontent.  Not the Apple for teacher crowd.  And they lived in a cave, lived rough and killed for the cave rent.  Were kidnapped. Their wives and children. Got ugly and turned on David. This isn't the crowd to whine to. And David has his emotional Scriptures recount all of his sorrows.

God loved David. David knew this and God said He relied upon David to be obedient. Sometimes David was.  The other aspect of David's personality the Lord God Almighty adored about David, David was optimistic. David didn't enjoy the sorrow and suffering aspect, yet David really wanted God to slam in the Home Run.

David continued with God because he was filled with honest clarity.  David gets very sincere how he feels about his family being kidnapped or potentially killed terribly. He does not like the adversity in his life. David is a Mercenary and he feels like - - - David is learning Shepherding the hard way.

David has so much honesty, he can deal with the mafia mercenaries living with him in a ditch and in a cave. And in this honesty, we can understand David and his prayer life. 

David can be understood by Everyone.  Thousands of years down the road. 

Because Jesus said, there are Trouble signs and Trouble in this life.  Overcome.

David was doing exactly that in a very human fashion. Similar to the photos Franklin Graham posts of his family life. They are human. 

Job is very today. He just doesn't see the point of life. And he is going to complain to the real God about how unfair all of this is.  Like Atlas, Job feels the weight of life. We all eventually will. Job is sure life has slipped away and all that is left is to complain. Job felt his friends really did not care. David felt much the same from season to season.

Job and David would have enjoyed each other for a day or two. And then David would have done something a little authoritative or direct or just left. Both Job and David don't change the world or even Israel. God does. God tells us He directs the earth. 

Job sees the same thing every day and feels the burden. David sees the same thing and sees the end, but cries out, "I just know You will have Mercy, O Lord!"  Job is like ... Paul at the end of life. I believe God, but this is hard work. Oh, Lord!

Reading Paul or David, you want to read more. Job has an angle of hopelessness that will remind us of people we pray for.  It's hard work reading Job when he isn't enlightened and complaining. Reading Job we find our own worst aspects. Cringe. And the sorrow we have for the people we would like to see God help. So badly.

As we flip through Job, one can only long to read God Answer.  And know Job did find in the Lord a Help, Helper, Comfort, Comforter.  David just knew this as boulders on fire were launched and arrows on fire flew.  And the beloved first wife traitor ed up. And the best friend went completely and understandably silent. The beloved child was more interested in the power and glory than love.  The other child raped a beloved child.  The wife sought is as cold as ice towards the end. And the wife loyal would help and be comfort.  David seeks a fresh opportunity in his nurse. David is David. While the best friend's son is crippled and honored almost as a prince. Seeking to put the knife in. 

David has seen a lot of variations in life. And still finds the desire to honor God with Life.

Job has seen real adversity and yet finds the small comforts in life are the most rewarding, the most joy and the most opportunities for Joy.

Why? God gave.  During the Middle Ages, the serfs died working in the mud. And then the plagues. And then literacy.  One well known history of the Middle Ages is a serf learning to read from a torn piece of paper read, "God gave."  And the idea that God would give was so joyful that life suddenly had Light.  And as that serf went to the monks to eat, explained what the day had revealed.  God Gave!  The Monk was almost overcome with awe to see Life expand in those years with such gratitude.

And the Monk with a full soul and heart explained who Jesus Christ is and the Savior of mankind.  The serf replied if God would Give, this is extremely understandable and filled the serf's heart in preparation for this Great Salvation.

Ten Lepers were healed, 1 went back to Jesus the Christ of God to say, "Thank You."

Oh, Lord, let me be in their numbers when the Saints go Marching In.

Abba, Father

Thank You 

Father God 

for Mercy.

Dwell in me

Dwell in those I love

Help us to seek You First

and in

Jesus Christ we will finish well.

Thank You,

Jesus

Thank You,

Jesus

Thank You,

Jesus

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Thank You, Father.

Amen!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Thank You, Lord Jesus 

†