Psalm 70:1-5
This weekend we were out of town visiting our daughter in college. At one point we were in a bookstore and I began to read a biography about a college football player who suffered terrible injury that has left him paralyzed from the neck down. In the time that I had to read this book I was able to read about that night and all of the experiences that he had gone through in the hours and days that followed.
One of the most memorable of the stories was when this young man was being transported in a helicopter from one hospital to another. He described the noise of the helicopter and his inability to get the attention of the paramedics when he found it harder and harder to breath. In that moment of panic, and unable to motion for their attention, he simply resolved that he was going to die.
It was then that he turned to the only person that he knew could still hear him in this desperate moment. He closed his eyes, stopped trying to get the paramedics attention, and prayed. He turned to the Lord and asked for help. In doing so, he found that he was overcome with peace and his breathing returned to normal. From what I could gather, this man's attention stayed upon Christ from that moment on throughout all that he went through.
I mention all of this because we see the psalmist is Psalm 70 going through a similar experience. Listen to the circumstances of his situation in verses 1-3,
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
Let them turn back because of their shame who say, 'Aha, aha!'
Every sentence in those first three verses end in exclamation points. This conveys the intensity of this situation and the dire circumstances that David found himself in.
But notice in verses 4-5 that David turns away from his helpless situation and looks to the LORD. He says,
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation say evermore, 'God is great!'
But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!
Again notice that every sentence is in the imperative form. Each of them ends in an exclamation mark. The answer to which David looked was not at all inferior to the need that he faced. His problems were BIG; But the LORD is GREAT! So great is the LORD, that he can rejoice and be glad in Him.
It is so hard for us to look to the LORD when we are facing such circumstances that easily capture our attention. But David shows us in this passage that it can be done. And he shows us the blessing in doing so. When he turned to the LORD he could breath easily and he could rejoice and be glad.
We live in a world that so quickly tries to get our attention and keep it. If we do, we will be scared, confused and overwhelmed in no time. Let us follow David's example and look to the Lord.