“Up to his neck in it”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Friday, July 29, 2022

Psalm 69:1-21, 29-36 (Forward, p. 92) CEV p. 595

Our psalmist has wonderfully evocative images to describe rather vividly the perilous and terrible situation in which he presently finds himself:

“Save me, God! I am about to drown. I am sinking deep in the mud, and my feet are slipping. I am about to be swept under in a mighty flood” (verses 1-2);

“Don’t let me sink in the mud, but save me from my enemies and from the deep water. Don’t let me but swept away by a flood or drowned in the ocean or swallowed by death” (verses 14-15).

Even though most of us have never been caught in quicksand or endangered by a flood or landslide, we probably have seen movie footage of those underdoing such terrifying perils. Truly these are apt descriptions for David’s numerous maladies.

Judging from what he mentions in this psalm, it would seem as if most of his problems stem from people, and what an array they are:

-people who hate him for no reason (verse 4a)

-more in number than the hairs of his head

-enemies (verses 4b, 19, 21)

-many of them, terrible in nature, who want to destroy him;

-he is insulted, mocked and disgraced by them;

-they tried to poison his food (gave him gall to eat) and gave him vinegar to drink when he was thirsty;

-relatives & family members (verse 8)

-they treated him like a stranger, like a foreigner;

-rulers & judges (verse 12a)

-they gossip about him;

-drunkards (verse 12b)

-they make up songs to mock him;

Is there anyone who is missed out in this list? It would appear that the whole world, or at very least, all of his present society and associates are arrayed against him.

However, David is not ready to give up. Even though none of his fellow human beings can be counted upon to help him, he is confident that God will come through for him. He is sure of God’s trustworthiness and love and so is quite able to call upon Him. Here is just instance of his heartfelt appeal to God:

“Answer me, Lord! You are kind and good. Pay attention to me! You are truly merciful. Don’t turn away from me. I am your servant, and I am in trouble. Please hurry and help! Come and save me from my enemies” (verses 16-18).

This, then, is a wonderful example for each of us. While we may not feel quite so overwhelmed and alone—though this may indeed feel like this on occasion—we can know that God can be counted on—on problems as large and looming as this, or on smaller things as well. We have a God who loves us and is there for us, so we can always go to Him for help. Amen.

Forward notes: “O God, you know my foolishness, and my faults are not hidden from you” (verse 6).

Commemoration: Mary and Martha of Bethany

“Every time we have a big family supper, the same thing happens. When it’s time to eat, the food is on the table, and everyone is sitting down. But my mother will stay on her feet, walking around the kitchen and scanning the counters, wondering aloud, ‘Are we missing anything?’ ‘Yes,’ we always cry. ‘We’re missing you!’

“Martha understood that love incarnate had entered her home [see Luke 10:38-41]. She wanted to greet love with love, to greet Christ’s hospitality with more of the same. Yet, she was so intent on her vision of what it meant to welcome a guest that she couldn’t see the bigger picture. Sometimes in our desire to open our homes and our hearts, we end up with a wall of dishes between us. Our worries are powerful, even with the people we love the most. Often we try to show love through what we can do instead of by who we are. We forget that service can be the fruit of our love and not our fears about whether we are good enough.”

Moving Forward: “Slow down doing a familiar chore, or invite a loved one to help you.”