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Illustration for Psalm 69: Save Me, O God

Psalm 69

Save Me, O God

ComfortWhen Afraid

David feels like he is drowning in deep water and sinking in mud. He has been crying so much his throat is sore and his eyes are worn out. But he keeps his hope in God, knowing that God hears the poor and cares for them.

  1. 1Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
  2. 2I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.
  3. 3I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
  4. 4Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.
  5. 5You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from You.
  6. 6Lord, the LORD Almighty, may those who hope in You not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek You not be put to shame because of me.
  7. 7For I endure scorn for Your sake, and shame covers my face.
  8. 8I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother's children;
  9. 9for zeal for Your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult You fall on me.
  10. 10When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
  11. 11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.
  12. 12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
  13. 13But I pray to You, LORD, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation.
  14. 14Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.
  15. 15Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
  16. 16Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me.
  17. 17Do not hide Your face from Your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
  18. 18Come near and rescue me; deliver me because of my foes.
  19. 19You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before You.
  20. 20Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.
  21. 21They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
  22. 22May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and a trap.
  23. 23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
  24. 24Pour out Your wrath on them; let Your fierce anger overtake them.
  25. 25May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
  26. 26For they persecute those You wound and talk about the pain of those You hurt.
  27. 27Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in Your salvation.
  28. 28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
  29. 29But as for me, afflicted and in pain— may Your salvation, God, protect me.
  30. 30I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.
  31. 31This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
  32. 32The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live!
  33. 33The LORD hears the needy and does not despise His captive people.
  34. 34Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that move in them,
  35. 35for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;
  36. 36the children of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell there.

What it means

David says the water has come up to his neck and he has cried until his throat is sore. That is what deep sadness really feels like, and the Bible does not tidy it away. Even here he holds on to hope, because he knows God hears people when they are low.

A little prayer

God, sometimes I feel like I am sinking and I have cried until I am worn out. Thank You that You do not turn away from me when I am like this. You hear me. I am holding on to You. Amen.

Memory verse

“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.”

Psalm 69:1 (BSB)

It is a rescue prayer said before the rescue, which is when you actually need one.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. David says he is sinking in mud and the water is up to his neck. Have you felt out of your depth?
  2. He says he has cried until his throat hurts. Does God mind that kind of prayer?
  3. By the end he is praising God, though nothing is fixed. How?
  4. What would help you if you felt like this — someone fixing it, or someone staying?

Try this

Out of my depth

Fill a bowl and try to pick a coin off the bottom without getting your sleeve wet. Talk about the difference between deep and too deep, and read verses 1 and 2.

You will need: A deep bowl, water, a coin.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)