The Daily Psalm

The Daily Psalm: A Devotional by Mark D. Roberts, encouraging prayer based on the Psalms. Learn how to pray the Psalms.

Monday, March 13, 2006

The eleventh day of Lent.

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O LORD, make haste to help me!

Psalm 70:1

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Psalm 70

0 To the leader. Of David, for the memorial offering.
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
  O LORD, make haste to help me!
2 Let those be put to shame and confusion
  who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
  who desire to hurt me.
3 Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!”
  turn back because of their shame.
4 Let all who seek you
  rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
  say evermore, “God is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy;
  hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
  O LORD, do not delay!

Daily Prayer (based on Psalm 70:1)

Dear Lord, I know that Your ways are not my ways, and Your timing is not my timing. And I'm fully persuaded in my mind that Your ways and Your timing are always best.

But . . . sometimes it seems like You are way too slow. Waiting upon You is hard, especially when I face challenging circumstances. I want Your help, now! I need Your wisdom, now! So, with the psalmist I cry out, "Make haste to help me!" Hurry up, Lord!

For the freedom to pray so honestly, even when I know Your timing is best, thank You, gracious God! Thank you for the invitation to share openly what's in my heart.

Postscript

Seven times throughout the Psalms we find the verb "to be quick" in the imperative (chush in Hebrew). Psalm 70 is the only psalm that uses it twice (vv 1, 5). Each usage reflects the freedom of the psalmist to tell God to hurry up.

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The Scripture text used in The Daily Psalm is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved