Psalm 70

This short psalm written by David is very close to what he wrote back in Psalm 40:13-17.  It has the sense of remembrance of who God is and how He works.  David needs God now.  “Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me”!  He is not crying out about needing God sometime, but David needs Him now. He asked with a sense of urgency.  He is under attack and wants God’s help.  That is one way we can pray and live out our relationship with God.  We can cry out for His immediate intervention and action in our life.

David’s prayer is the deal with his enemies.  “Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt”!  This was the help that David sought. David prayed that God would turn back his enemies and cause them to be confused.  The kindest thing we can pray for people who do wrong is that their plans will fail, for it may be that in their frustration they will see the error of their ways and have opportunity to get right with God and turn from evil to doing good.

David reminds us that we need to rejoice and be glad in our God.  It is a relationship.  “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great”!  It does not say, let God be exalted by me if He makes me successful, happy, and healthy, but it leaves it open. Our focus must be on making God the object of our praise and worship, and giving Him the freedom to do what He wills with us.  David doesn’t define what God is to do.  He cries for His help and is glad and rejoices in Him.

David also knows his place in relationship to God.  “But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay”!  He’s not able to handle this on his own.  He needs God.  He knows God alone is his deliverer.  The urgency still exists, but you can feel the trust David has in God, undoubtedly based on his previous experience and God’s constant faithfulness.  David appealed to God on the grounds that he had no other help or deliverer. He would not look to his own abilities, to others, or to other gods around him. God is his only answer and David has complete dependence upon Him.