Psalm 69:1-4 Save me, O my God. The floods have risen. Deeper and deeper I sink in the mire; the waters rise around me. I have wept until I am exhausted; my throat is dry and hoarse; my eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to act. I cannot even count all those who hate me without cause. They are influential men, these who plot to kill me though I am innocent. They demand that I be punished for what I didn’t do.
“And remember, folks, if it rains steady for more than 30 minutes, go out and check your branch, and if the water’s rising, GET OUT!!!!” It was 1978, and I had recently moved to complete my general surgery residency in Charleston, West Virginia. I was listening to the radio as I prepared to leave for work. Charleston is located on the Kanawha River and surrounded by short steep mountains with valleys known as “hollers” (hollows) and streams up each of those hollers that are referred to as “branches.” The general arrangement of holler geography is a road, a stream, and a flat strip of land on which people have built cabins. Sometimes the cabins are on the same side of the stream as the road, and sometimes cabin dwellers must cross the branch on small bridges to reach their homes. The problem for West Virginians is rapid run-off when torrential rainstorms hit. Those rapidly-flowing streams drain large forested areas, resulting in flash floods. In November 1985, rainstorms raised river levels by nearly 10 inches in six hours. Massive flooding occurred, resulting in losses of 3500 homes, 180 businesses, 46 lives, and damages amounting to $570 million. Even large towns in river valleys found themselves inundated.
Although we think of water-driven floods, there are other kinds as well. Sometimes we might find ourselves in the way of “influential men” who view us as simply obstructions to be eliminated as expeditiously as possible. As I am writing these words, I am praying for the reversal of the horrific decision to allow copper mining into the Boundary Waters wildlife area in Minnesota and the push of data groups and solar groups to ruin prime farm land for their own profit. Farmers in other parts of the world would be overjoyed to possess the land unfeeling profiteers desire to ruin.
5 O God, you know so well how stupid I am, and you know all my sins. 6 O Lord God of the armies of heaven, don’t let me be a stumbling block to those who trust in you. O God of Israel, don’t let me cause them to be confused, 7 though I am mocked and cursed and shamed for your sake.
Sometimes we can say or do wrong things from the very best of motives. We do need to pray that God will not allow us to become a stumbling block or a source of confusion to those who trust Him.
8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me! 9 My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me. And because I advocate your cause, your enemies insult me even as they insult you. 10 How they scoff and mock me when I mourn and fast before the Lord! 11 How they talk about me when I wear sackcloth to show my humiliation and sorrow for my sins! 12 I am the talk of the town and the song of the drunkards. 13 But I keep right on praying to you, Lord. For now is the time—you are bending down to hear! You are ready with a plentiful supply of love and kindness. Now answer my prayer and rescue me as you promised. 14 Pull me out of this mire. Don’t let me sink in. Rescue me from those who hate me, and from these deep waters I am in.
15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me or the ocean swallow me; save me from the pit that threatens me. 16 O Jehovah, answer my prayers, for your loving-kindness is wonderful; your mercy is so plentiful, so tender and so kind. 17 Don’t hide from me, for I am in deep trouble. Quick! Come and save me.
“Why are you going to the mission field? Can’t you find enough good deeds to do right here?” It was 1988, and my 93-year-old grandmother was questioning our calling as missionaries. As far as Grandma was concerned, I was now a fully-trained, board-certified general and pediatric surgeon and I should be making enormous sums of money. Sure, Grandma was willing to go listen to missionary talks at church from strangers, but this was her only granddaughter and the rules should be different for Grandma’s family.
Throughout the centuries, unbelievers have mocked believers for humbling themselves before God, never realizing that God is worthy of far more humility than any of us can express. Obviously, the psalmist’s family contains many doubters who are more than ready to criticize any sacrifices of time or comfort the psalmist is making. Harold Hill, a Christian author and speaker of an earlier generation, has stated that “It isn’t a sacrifice of praise until you have to push it out through clenched teeth.”
One of the worst parts of enduring physical, financial, or spiritual floods is the loneliness. While the National Guard or the Cajun Navy might send out small boats to pick you off the rooftop in a flash flood, you’re likely to have to go through other kinds of floods without any help apart from God. Many times, people who do not understand your situation may even feel qualified to castigate you, criticizing every single thing you have done and blaming you for problems that you did not create in the first place. In the story of Job, Job’s wife even advises Job to curse God and die. We never hear any further mention of Mrs. Job, so one wonders if God quietly eliminated her.
When we’re caught in problems of any kind, the one Person on whom we can rely is God. Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”
Caught in a flood? You can echo the prayer in verses 16-17. O Jehovah, answer my prayers, for your loving-kindness is wonderful; your mercy is so plentiful, so tender and so kind. Don’t hide from me, for I am in deep trouble. Quick! Come and save me. \
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to trust You, no matter the trials we are enduring. We bless Your Name, for You are a prayer-answering God. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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