But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!” vs. 5
Psalm 70
Sometimes we get tired of waiting for the Lord! It’s nice to say to ourselves and to others, “Oh, I have plenty of time, and God has given me the gift of patience, so it doesn’t matter when my deliverer shows up.” That’s a good attitude to have, since it seems we spend most of our lives waiting. But it’s not okay when we don’t have anywhere else to turn, and we’re frantic to get a response from our Shepherd. In those moments, uncertain and running out of options, we can’t help but imitate the psalmist. It’s awful to be in that situation. Sometimes all we can do is stand there and cry. Weeping and forlorn we pray for deliverance, often for our own needs, but many times too for a friend in a crisis. It’s interesting that the psalmist doesn’t give any encouragement. The psalm ends with his plaintive cry for help, and we’re left wondering if God came through for him in his moment of need. Often that’s how it is for us. Our desperate call for help turns out to be the end of the story. Even though people tell us that God will always come through, that’s not always true, and like Jesus on the cross, we feel alone and forsaken. We might not like this, but sometimes that’s just the way it is!
Thought for the Day: What do I do when God doesn’t show up for me?
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