Deliver Me

Psalm 6:4 - Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake! 

Back to the Psalms!

Deliver me. David's words to God for the trouble he was encountering. Save me. My bones are troubled. My soul is greatly troubled. How long?

We can all relate to David. We all have sins, to be sure. We can be greatly troubled by our own stuff of life, as well as troubled by what is happening in the world, if we care. We might cry out for deliverance from whatever it is that causes us distress. Although we have Jesus, we will not be completely without trouble. Sometimes we feel weak...and that's when our cries should be to God. How long? Our strength is in Him. He is the answer.

Prayer requests come through weekly at hour church. Sometimes for healing. Sometimes the sale of a house. Sometimes for a job and God's provision until one comes along. Any of these things can be considered an enemy of sorts. David had an undefined enemy for which he cried out, how long, O Lord? Deliver me.

David made a statement, one that I had to read over and over. Verse 5: For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks? I saw it to mean that he, David, loved the Lord, worshipped Him and if death was near it would only remove the ability to do so--the ability to be thankful for all He's done. David was weary with groaning, filled with grief, desirous that his troubles would be over, that his heart would be done with the grieving so he would be able to worship with all his heart, in gladness.

I don't believe for a moment David ever stopped praising and worshiping God. In our human weakness, though, we do grow weary at times. That's when we need to just say to God, thank you--for whatever way you are building me up through this, for knowing exactly when I will see the breakthrough I'm needing. I'm trusting in You.

After weeks of news from around the world, my heart has become slightly troubled. Not to the point of total distress, but where I think, how long, O Lord? How long will this continue? When will YOU bring the end to it all? When will You return? We have to admit there is more sad, frustrating or infuriating news than good. That's what makes news, riles us and stirs us up. There is definitely a double standard, probably from either view point. Evil is becoming the new good and good is taking the back seat. Good is intolerable. Evil is tolerated. But praise God...there will be an end...a good end.

It's a sign of the times. Those days spoken of in the Bible. Evil will only get worse and good will languish. Evil will overtake...for a time...and then evil will be met with Good and will be overtaken once and for all. Funny, though, how people don't get what evil is. Our greatest enemy is satan although not many see it like that. He is permeating society in the act of tolerance of what is not good. He is commonplace and just not recognized anymore. And he's gaining ground. But praise God again! Jesus has overcome the enemy.

Aren't there days when we wonder how long it will be before we are delivered from something that troubles us? The troubles in the world, for instance. When will all this angst subside? Or closer to home...maybe it's an illness. Could be a relationship that isn't going the way you thought. Perhaps a decision that needs to be made that could cause hurt feelings. Or maybe just something you've longed for, something you've asked God about, prayed about, and all you desire is His strength in the ability to do...

In the end of all his vocal commiserations, David remembers God hears and receives his prayers. We cannot stop praying--it's part of our worship. Ask for retribution--in a godly way. Lord, let the enemy be ashamed and troubled (v10). In other words, bring an end to this situation, Lord. Let right prevail and wrong fail. If our personal trouble is our enemy, it's brought on by him who only wants to see us languish and weaken. When we are troubled we can experience disillusionment. However, we are strengthened in our weakness if we hold on to Jesus Christ. Banish the thought, remember His promises and know a end will be near. 

He does hear us as we cry out to Him. We feel weak and yet His Word tells us we are strong in Him. Contradicts? I don't think so. It could be we just are impatient. We aren't waiting on His time. We aren't trusting in Him. For me I cry out for a voice. I have such a desire for my written words to be spoken. I'm a quiet person of sorts and maybe this is my voice, although I know God equips us for whatever He desires we do. Maybe I'm missing opportunities. There are times when my tongue feels like it is stuck to the roof of my mouth. Forgive me, Lord, if I am missing something! Shall I be content with mini-opportunities? Will those mini-moments add up someday? Through it all, though, I will worship You.

We might all have those how long moments. In the grand scheme, I wonder when will the world's eyes be opened to God? When will they listen and actually hear? When will what should be right become right again? When will the Lord return to end all this...so that our enemies would be ashamed and greatly troubled? Remember, the enemy can also be those who do not believe, who do not hear.

Unbelievers are all over the world. They are next door, at work, in our own homes, even in our church. When they refuse to see the power of God at work, when they scoff at the great words He has given us. When they don't believe a relationship with Him is necessary in this life. When they believe all they have is what they can see, touch and smell today. One day those things will be gone and they might be among those ashamed and troubled for not believing what God has shown us. This world is a vast wilderness of unbelievers.

There are some who see what's happening, who try to be the voice, like John the Baptist, the one crying out in that wilderness. Those wanting others to realize what God is trying to show us. Some hear, some do not. Some will be ashamed and troubled one day. Deliver me. Let my voice be heard, Lord. Open my lips to speak. I know the consequences...lost relationships and scoffers. But I also know what the truth is. I stand behind Your Word, O God. Lord, how long?

Psalm 6:8-9 - ...the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication...