You must live your life. Make it worth while. Every man, every woman has a burden. Lift yours cheerfully and begin to climb…. Love those with whom fate has placed you. And fight—fight the dark moods, the selfish thoughts, the hateful memories! Work…love.”
–Zane Grey (Wanderer of the Wasteland)
“Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”
–Psalm 112:4 (NKJV)
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Psalm 69 is often seen as a Psalm depicting the life of Jesus and what He experienced on earth. We don’t think much about His schedule, or other minor events. He was kept so busy at times teaching, and healing those that were brought to Him that He often didn’t have time to eat. There was one time when His mother and brothers came looking after Him because of their concern. They just didn’t understand Him (at least at this time). Jesus was falsely accused, and He was a man of sorrows. Think for a moment; He was a man and He must have at times felt overwhelmed.
8 — I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children;
9 — Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 — When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach.
11 — I also made sackcoth my garment; I became a byword to them.
12 — Those who sit in the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
13 — But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of You salvation.
14 — Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
15 — Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 — Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17 — And do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily.
18 — Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; deliver me because of my enemies.
19 — You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before You.
20 –Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
21 — They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (NKJV)
Of course, we see Jesus on the cross in the last few verses, but throughout His life He was beset by people, by their problems, by the religious leaders of the day. His own family didn’t understand Him, and for the most part, neither did His disciples. Why do you think Jesus needed those hours of solitude when He stole away from everyone so He could commune with His Father?
Each of us can relate to this portion of Psalm 69 at times in our lives. Because of events, circumstances, and situations we can feel overwhelmed. There seems to be no release from the pressures and stresses of life–they keep coming. We cry, “When Lord, when?” If we are not careful we begin to think of everything as an enemy. Even when we are alone we can make it into an adversity.
Can’t you just hear Jesus praying this Psalm out on the hills somewhere around Galilee? In the cool of the morning, when it was still dark, He would find a place to pray and would pour out His heart to the Father. He found solace, as we will. He had faith that God would not deliver Him from everything, but that He would carry Him through all the storms and the terrible burden that He must bear, just as He will if we put our trust in Him. Fight and persevere through the darkness, fight when the dark moods come upon you for there is one there beside you to help you on your way.
“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O Abide with me.”
–Henry F. Lyte
———————————–
Psalm 69 is often seen as a Psalm depicting the life of Jesus and what He experienced on earth. We don’t think much about His schedule, or other minor events. He was kept so busy at times teaching, and healing those that were brought to Him that He often didn’t have time to eat. There was one time when His mother and brothers came looking after Him because of their concern. They just didn’t understand Him (at least at this time). Jesus was falsely accused, and He was a man of sorrows. Think for a moment; He was a man and He must have at times felt overwhelmed.
8 — I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children;
9 — Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 — When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach.
11 — I also made sackcoth my garment; I became a byword to them.
12 — Those who sit in the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
13 — But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of You salvation.
14 — Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
15 — Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 — Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
17 — And do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily.
18 — Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; deliver me because of my enemies.
19 — You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before You.
20 –Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
21 — They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (NKJV)
Of course, we see Jesus on the cross in the last few verses, but throughout His life He was beset by people, by their problems, by the religious leaders of the day. His own family didn’t understand Him, and for the most part, neither did His disciples. Why do you think Jesus needed those hours of solitude when He stole away from everyone so He could commune with His Father?
Each of us can relate to this portion of Psalm 69 at times in our lives. Because of events, circumstances, and situations we can feel overwhelmed. There seems to be no release from the pressures and stresses of life–they keep coming. We cry, “When Lord, when?” If we are not careful we begin to think of everything as an enemy. Even when we are alone we can make it into an adversity.
Can’t you just hear Jesus praying this Psalm out on the hills somewhere around Galilee? In the cool of the morning, when it was still dark, He would find a place to pray and would pour out His heart to the Father. He found solace, as we will. He had faith that God would not deliver Him from everything, but that He would carry Him through all the storms and the terrible burden that He must bear, just as He will if we put our trust in Him. Fight and persevere through the darkness, fight when the dark moods come upon you for there is one there beside you to help you on your way.
“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O Abide with me.”
–Henry F. Lyte