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O Lord, Do Not Delay
To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.
70 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!”
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!
(ESV)
Psalm 70 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The reality of this Psalm is palpable. We’ve all had days where we face an urgent situation that requires trusting God quickly and assuredly. It’s one thing to be able to pray over a situation for weeks, months, or years, but it’s an entirely different situation to have a catastrophic series of events thrust upon us in a matter of seconds. How we respond in these situations reveals a lot about our current walk with Jesus. Do we panic? Do we try and take control of something that’s not ours? Do we give up and check out?
The down-to-earth nature of the words is an encouragement to me today. They are also a challenge.
I am weak and poor; come to me quickly, O God. You are my savior and my LORD — hurry to my aid!
Psalms 70:5 GNB
“a first-responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency. Because of the high level of stress and uncertainty associated with the position, first responders must maintain physical and mental health. Even with such preparation, first responders face unique risks of being the first people to aid those with unknown contagions.”
Wikipedia
The Holy Spirit is our first responder. During times when we cry out urgently and desperately, it feels that sometimes God’s silence is deafening. In those moments, believers can experience a peace that goes beyond all understanding.
Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 7 And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 GNB
Through the Holy Spirit, believers can experience a hope that groans for God.
For it was by hope that we were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope. For who of us hopes for something we see? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express.
Romans 8:24-26 GNB
So, where have you placed your trust in desperate times? Who is your first responder? Are you relying on yourself or on the Holy Spirit to give you peace and hope in the most urgent times? Situations may not change, but that doesn’t mean God is silent. The confirmation of His presence is found in a supernatural peace and hope that sustain us during our waiting.