Praying the Psalms: Psalm 69

I sometimes imagine David at his writing desk. While it’s probably more accurate to picture him in a cave or on the run, I tend to see him hunched over his papyrus with a quill in hand.

I love that he’s not formulaic. I sit here with a blank lined page and fight the urge to fill it! If David has any formula, it’s this: remember who God is. In the midst of every situation, whether glorious or life-threatening, remember God.

Beyond remembering though, he’s no prisoner to form. Psalm 117 is just 33 words long (depending on your translation) while Psalm 119 has too many to count. Sometimes he’s complaining, sometimes he’s bursting with praise. Sometimes he’s all about his people, sometimes all about his enemies, sometimes all about himself…but his cries or pain or joy always lead him to his Lord and Father.

Psalm 69 starts with God—the only one who can save him. It’s a desperate life-saving plea and you don’t read too far before discovering the plea is not new. David’s worn out from crying and tired of being pursued by pretty much everyone. And it’s not as if it’s a case of David getting what he deserves. He’s praying that God will give him a break from those who pay out on him and are out to get get him because his trust is in Yahweh.

I’ve never experienced anything approaching persecution. Perhaps I’ve had a little soft western-style persecution—being ridiculed or stereotyped for following Jesus but, let’s face it, ’you’re a bible basher’ is a long way from persecution.

I’m often confronted by David’s pleas for the full measure of God’s wrath to be unleashed on these folk. There doesn’t seem to be much non-violent protest going on! What I do love though, is that David spits it out…venom and all. He doesn’t write down: ‘God you’re wonderful, majestic and holy’ while thinking ‘I wish I could pulverise the skulls of those blokes over there’. What he tends to say is: ’I’d love you to pulverise the skulls of those blokes over there and/but you are majestic, holy and wonderful’.

God wants in on the conversation. Every part of it. Better still, he wants to redeem the conversation. The one who formed you and sees into each laugh, cry, pain and bitter comment, wants to be part of the mess. The good news is that Jesus has provided a way. The good news is also that his mercy and saving grace is given freely and compels us to freely give.

He is jealous for you. He knows you and, right now as always, he’s saying: ‘high or low, far away or close by, come to me , talk to me, walk with me and work with me…and I will give you rest’.

– Simon Elliott