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David’s Prayer in a Seemingly Hopeless Situation | Making A Difference
Categories: Devotions

David’s Prayer in a Seemingly Hopeless Situation

Today’s Reading – Psalms 69 – 72 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 13 – 16Psalms 141 – 145Proverbs 29)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1

Read the “0629 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a another post from this morning’s reading passage – “Who Are You Magnifying?”

Psalm 69

“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul. 2 I sink in deep mire, where [there is] no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. 3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.” (Psalm 69:1 – 3)

This psalm is quoted more in the New Testament than any other save Psalm 22 and Psalm 119.

Notice in the introductory material that this psalm is a psalm of David, and it is upon Shoshannim. We have seen this word once before in the introduction to Psalm 45. The word means “Lily”. It is translated “Lily” in 13 other places in the Old Testament, 8 of which are in the Song of Solomon:

“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Songs 2:1)

This psalm is messianic in that it speaks of Christ (vs. 4, 21), and it is imprecatory, in that it calls for judgment upon David’s enemies.

I          David’s Problem (vs. 1 – 12)

The historical context of this psalm is not revealed.

In v. 1, David cries out to God to save him. 

David uses the metaphor of a drowning man, which he has done before in Psalm 18:4 – 6, and in other places:

“The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” (Psalms 18:4-6)

Sometimes the problems of life overwhelm us and suffocate us. The language used here vividly describes David’s hopelessness as well as his despair (v. 3). 

Notice in v. 4 that David was hated “without a cause”, but in vs. 7 & 9 David reveals that their hatred of him was due to his love for God.

People that hate God will hate God’s children:

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV)

David’s problems lead him to pray. 

II         David’s Petition (v. 6; vs. 13 – 28)

            David prays for his own deliverance. (vs. 13 – 21)

            David prays for his enemies’ demise. (vs. 22 – 28)

Our Lord told us to love our enemies; to pray for our enemies; and to even do good to them:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

Our petition should lead us to praise.

III       David’s Praise (vs. 29 – 36)

This is a familiar pattern in the Psalms. David praises God before the deliverance came, because he knew that deliverance would come. He trusted that God would ultimately deliver him, no matter how bad the situation looked.

Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married for 34 years, and have four children and eight grandchildren. His oldest son, Phil Jr., and wife, Katelyn, are serving the Lord at a church in Paradise, TX. His oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in South Carolina. Samantha, his third child is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord here at the church in Galloway. Hannah is the youngest and is a sophomore at Vision Baptist College while also serving the Lord at Jersey Shore Baptist Church.

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  • god is so good to us. we need to praise him everyday. for what he has done to us. and what we need to do to be better. god has chosen us to be his children. god loves us in so many ways. to be that special person in life. giving back and singing praises to our god. our god is an awesome god.

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