Reading: Psalm 69
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.
(Verses 1-5)
Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
You, God, know my folly;
my guilt is not hidden from you (NIV).
Spring crocus — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
Above all else Psalm 69 is a plea for help. Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
Have you ever been neck deep in trouble? I’ve been there and it’s not an entirely pleasant experience. I recall hanging upside down in my car, which was sitting on its roof in a snow-covered ditch. My wife was suspended upside down in the driver’s seat beside me.
Suddenly finding yourself upside down after a high-speed-icy skid can be unsettling. I recall unfastening my seatbelt so I could reverse my position and sit upright on the interior of the car roof. Opening the car doors was impossible due to the snow jammed up on the outside. There we sat, trapped, car tires in the air, as the sun began to set.
We had two life lines: a mobile phone and a direct line to Jesus. Both worked flawlessly. Within minutes a young couple helped us out of the car. Later that evening we drove our flipped car back into the city undamaged. There was nothing to indicate we were in a rollover, not even a scratch on the car body.
This true account serves as a reminder to me that God hears us when we pray. When we are in over our head—when we are neck deep and beyond—we can call out to God.
God did not save us because we are faultless. As the psalmist says, “You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.” God saves us because of His great mercy.
Response: LORD God, thank you for showing us mercy when we don’t deserve it. Thank you for coming to rescue the likes of me. For this mercy and a thousand more, I give you thanks. Amen.
Your Turn: Has the Lord helped you when you were neck deep in trouble?
Thank you for sharing your story and how the Lord kept you safe. I had a similar experience only I was alone and my car didn’t flip. But I couldn’t open my door and I was in a ditch several feet deep. I also did not (still don’t) own a cell phone. Nevertheless, 5 cars stopped. They were there almost instantly. One man had a cell and called CAA (if you are in the US, that’s the same as AAA) for me. I was able to climb over to the passenger side and open that door enough to get out. I was back on the road within 15 minutes. A friend I had visited while I was out of town that day had given me a large plastic container filled with home-made soup. It sat on the passenger seat and never moved. Like you, no damage was found on my car. My one lifeline worked like clockwork–I believe Jesus sent angels ahead to set me down (facing the opposite direction from what I was travelling) in that ditch so gently that nothing was harmed.
That’s a great account of God’s protection. It sounds a lot like our experience. God shows us his loving kindness in the midst of adversity. To Him be the praise! He spares even the soup! 😉 By the way, we live in Ottawa and my wife has CAA membership.
I live in London, and was very glad I had a CAA membership.