Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 1-129 Sunday 22 Jul 2001

Reading: PSALM 70 – HURRY UP, LORD

(From ‘Encounter with God’ Bible Reading Notes)

‘When the calm listing of requests and the courteous giving of proper thanks takes the place of the burdened prayer … we should beware’ (A W Tozer, 1897-1963).

One of the things that draws me back to the psalms again and again is the honesty of the writers. They do not pretend to be anything other than who they really are. When addressing God, they simply pour out their hurting hearts. Surely we can take that as an invitation to do the same. Time and again, David and the other psalmists tell God about their despair, their fear, their grief and confusion, and they are not afraid of telling him what they think he should be doing about it.

Here in Psalm 70 David asks God to hurry up and do something! Hardly the appropriate way for a human being, albeit a king, to address the Almighty God, you might think.

The exact reason for David’s urgency in this psalm is not known, but clearly he is in distress. Experience has taught him that there is only one thing to do in such situations and he is not afraid to tell God exactly what he wants him to do. He asks God to frustrate and overthrow the enemies who want to harm him, or kill him, or who mock his faithfulness to God. In contrast, he commends those who love God, who seek him and rejoice in him, and who want to see him exalted.

The hopelessness of his situation affects David deeply. he describes himself, a wealthy and powerful king, as ‘poor and needy’ (v 5). Yet his writings show that, however many times David felt bewildered and inadequate, he always knew that his help and deliverance came not from his wealth and influence, nor his army, but from his God.

Tell God exactly how you feel. Be honest, and be yourself, and believe that he hears and cares.

– Rosemary Linton

Copyright Scripture Union, 2001

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