God help me

Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. May those who try to kill me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We've got him now!” But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!” But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay. Psalm 70 NLT

This psalm is so much like a poem. It begins and ends on the same supplication: God help me.

In the middle there are two parts. The first is what will happen to those who have hurt the psalmist. God will make sure they are humiliated, turned back and horrified by their shameful acts. The second part is about those, like the Psalmist, who love God. Those who are searching for God will be filled with joy and proclaim God's glory.

So the psalm is a prayer for help as well as a judgment and a promise.

This is not my own way of asking for God's help. Instead, I have a really good argument for why God should help me (even if it is just out of God's love for me) and what I plan on doing once I have been saved. I don't usually think of others when I am the one in need of assistance.

God, even when we ask help from you, help us not to be focused on ourselves alone. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims