Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. Psalm 69: 1-3, NKJV.
Most Holy God, we thank You for the promises that are to be found in Your Word! The fires cannot burn Your children, neither can the waters drown them. We thank You for the certainty of these promises in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have you ever been in a situation similar to, or exactly like, the one the psalmist is describing – physically, spiritually, or emotionally? When the waters are up to your neck, and stretch as you might, you cannot feel the ground beneath your feet – at a time like this, nothing but prayer will do!
This is one of the messianic psalms. Though this Scripture speaks of the psalmist’s pain, it very accurately describes Jesus’ inner agony on the cross. That should give us an idea of the depth of sadness to which David had fallen. At some time in life, many of us may have felt, or may feel, the way David did. Let us listen to the language used to describe his situation:
“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. . . I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. “ The Spanish translation puts it this way: “¡Sálvame, Dios, porque las aguas han entrado hasta el alma. . . he llegado hasta lo profundo de las aguas y la corriente me arrastra.” (RVR1995)! (Save me God, for the waters have entered my soul. . . I have reached to the depths of the waters and I am being dragged by the current!) The psalmist is crying out, My pain goes beyond what the human eye can see! It is much more profound than you can imagine! It is almost unbearable! If God does not save me now, the waters will “overflow” me!
“I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing.” The word mire, whenever it is used to describe a situation – it is a hard situation! That is because mire makes standing very difficult! You either sink in mire, get trapped in mire, or slide in mire! Mire is slimy, and soft, and very uncomfortable. It produces a feeling of instability. Some of the situations that we find ourselves in, can make us sink. We may never see our dreams realized. Others keep us trapped. We are not free to grow according to God’s plan for our lives. In others, we slip and slide and get hurt; at times hurting others in the process. There is no solid ground on which to stand.
I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. There is only one thing left to do, “wait for God” to rescue me. The way the psalmist expresses the waiting period, you get the impression that while he is waiting, he is wondering, “How much longer must I wait LORD? I am tired of crying. My wailing has made my voice hoarse. My eyes are growing dim while looking for You to appear – how much longer LORD?
Friends, I am sure that the psalmist is not alone in situations like the ones we have just mentioned. As I said before, some of us may have already felt, or, at some time in life, might find ourselves feeling, what he has expressed. If, in these moments we can remember that we are not alone, and that we do not have to face any situation on our own – we will find the strength to keep our heads above the waters. And when the very ground beneath us seems as if it has been removed, let us remember that He is holding our hands – therefore, we will not sink. Finally, remember, “they that wait upon the LORD,” their strength will be renewed (Isaiah 40: 31)!
So take heart dear friend, God has heard, and has already answered your cry!