A Call to God for Help

12O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge.
16I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power
19and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens.
(Psalm 71:12-19a, NRSV)

God do not let me fall, let my accusers be put to shame.

God do not let me drown or fall below.

God do not forsake me, for I have always praised you from my youth until now.

God will not let you drown. God will always be there for you.

God is A Rock of Refuge

1In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
3Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.
9Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.
11They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”
(Psalm 71:1-11, NRSV)

When I got ready to write this post, I searched for an image as I always do, by highlighting the verse and right clicking and finding the option to search swagbucks.com for Psalm 71:1-11 in this case. Well, my search turned up nothing. No pictures, so then I had to figure out what to do next, so I reread the passage and thought what word sticks out to me as I read this. Hope. This passage speaks to me of where my trust is, where my hope lies. God has and always will be there for me. So I highlighted hope, and right clicked, with my mouse, and found “search swagbucks.com for hope”. And I thought wow, how many of us search for hope every day?

How many of us are looking for a glimmer, a little bit of light to attach our lives to? How many of are searching for something to keep us going?

We wonder how we can go on sometimes and here the psalmist tells us, our trust and our hope should be in God because God will not let us down.

So where do you look for hope?

God is our Loving Parent

7“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, NRSV)

How many of you give good things to your kids even when they are getting on your nerves?

When they ask you for what they need, you provide it. And that is how God is to us also.

When we need something God will provide.

Now we need to discern the difference between a need and a want. And know if it isn’t in God’s will it is a want.

But ask God, God will listen and God will respond.

A Call to God for Deliverance

1Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
2I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
3I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
4More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely. What I did not steal must I now restore?
5O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of hosts; do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me, O God of Israel.
7It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face.
8I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s children.
9It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10When I humbled my soul with fasting, they insulted me for doing so.
11When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
12I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
13But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help
14rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.
15Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me.
16Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
(Psalm 69:1-16, NRSV)

The water is around my neck and I’m about to drown…

I have a fear of water. 2 years ago I did a dunk tank for the auction at the congregation I’m currently at and my anxiety level was through the roof. Even though I knew I could put my feet down and stand up just that feeling of going under the water at an uncontrolled time for me was super stressful.

You cry out for help and it seems it isn’t there, I get what David is saying here.

But do you see what David never losses?

He never loses hope. He says in verse 13 my prayer is to you God and I know you will answer me. You will not fail me. You will be helpful to me and come to my aid.

Do we have that hope in the darkness?

God Delivers Us From Evil

1I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
3On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
4All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
6For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
8The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
(Psalm 138, NRSV)

Even though God is over and above all things, God does not forget about us.

God is always there to reach down, and take hold of us and lift us up.

No matter what trouble we find ourselves in God will reach in and be there to save us.

God will not forget the work of His Hands, which is you!

God will deliver you and always be with you.

God’s Love Endures Forever

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
(Psalm 136, NRSV)

No matter what happens in this world or in our lives.

No matter how dark it gets, so we can’t see to take a step.

No matter how many storms we face or trials that come.

God’s love will endure forever!

God Restores Us

1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(Psalm 126, NRSV)

When it seems like things are going wrong and there is no out, that is when God comes in and turns life around.

For as the psalmist says, those who go out weeping sowing seeds will reap a harvest of joy shouting and loving what they have received.

God will not leave us where we are, God loves us way too much for that. God will always guide us through the darkness to the end of the path God has set before us.

God’s promises are true and God will never leave us!

My Help Comes From the Lord

1I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
2My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
4He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
8The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
(Psalm 121, NRSV)

This is one of my favorite Psalms.

It reminds me in any and all circumstances that God is always there for me and will shelter me and guide me. God will always be there to help me and protect me. God will keep me from harm and evil and will watch over me.

That is comforting to me. To know no matter where I go or what I do God will never fail me.

God is a Wonderful Refuge

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
2Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.
3Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
4Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
5Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
7The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals.
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
(Psalm 118:1-9, NRSV)

It has been said that Psalm 118:8 is the center verse of the Bible. Well this would depend on the translation and lots of things but it has been proven that this is simply not true.

Yet it is a great verse to have as the center of our lives. It is better t ok take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. Take refuge, put your trust, or have as your center God. Because God will never let you down. We humans will fail each other. We will fall short and hurt each other but God never will.

God’s love will endure forever and God will never let you down.

Joy in Heaven When the Lost are Found

8“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10, NRSV)

This parable is part of chapter 15 of Luke which is a out lost things that repent… or at least that seems to be the focus of the Prodigal Son. So if that is true how does a coin repent?

It says, “I promise I’ll change…”

But this story isn’t about the coin. It is about the woman. A woman who doesn’t rest until she finds what was lost. And that is exactly how God searches for us when we roll away. Tirelessly searching every where for us!

That is how much God loves you.