Wednesday Of Holy Week
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, "Aha, Aha!"
turn back because of their shame.
Let all who seek you rejoice
and be glad in you.
Let 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!
Alternate Image
Racing along the dock, the Singer slips and falls
unceremoniously into the water; she doesn't know how to swim. She
yells, screams, bellows for help. She thrashes around furiously
in the water, her hands only grabbing water. She sees someone on
the dock and yells for them to save her, "Help, help! Hurry,
hurry!" she shouts. Her panic grows and she thrashes all the more
furiously, as she continues to scream for help. In her blurred
vision, she notices the woman on the dock smiling at her and
saying something. She pauses for a moment and hears the words
from the docksider, "Put your feet down and stand up." The Singer
stops her struggles, gingerly puts
her feet down and stands up head and shoulder clear of the water.
Feeling extremely foolish, she thanks the woman on the dock and
climbs out of the water, her heart still pounding.
Reflection
How we struggle and thrash about in life as though each moment
was a death defying act! We worry, we plan, we strategize, we
agonize, we anguish and deliberate endlessly about the events and
happenings of our lives. We are fearful that our slightest
mistake may spell our end. Our reward for all this worry? Ulcers.
In the midst of thrashing about and agonizing we hear God's voice
telling us to put our feet down, to stand on the promises of God.
There is a firm foundation that undergirds us. It is a reliable
safety net so we can be involved in the adventure of life.
O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, "Aha, Aha!"
turn back because of their shame.
Let all who seek you rejoice
and be glad in you.
Let 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!
Alternate Image
Racing along the dock, the Singer slips and falls
unceremoniously into the water; she doesn't know how to swim. She
yells, screams, bellows for help. She thrashes around furiously
in the water, her hands only grabbing water. She sees someone on
the dock and yells for them to save her, "Help, help! Hurry,
hurry!" she shouts. Her panic grows and she thrashes all the more
furiously, as she continues to scream for help. In her blurred
vision, she notices the woman on the dock smiling at her and
saying something. She pauses for a moment and hears the words
from the docksider, "Put your feet down and stand up." The Singer
stops her struggles, gingerly puts
her feet down and stands up head and shoulder clear of the water.
Feeling extremely foolish, she thanks the woman on the dock and
climbs out of the water, her heart still pounding.
Reflection
How we struggle and thrash about in life as though each moment
was a death defying act! We worry, we plan, we strategize, we
agonize, we anguish and deliberate endlessly about the events and
happenings of our lives. We are fearful that our slightest
mistake may spell our end. Our reward for all this worry? Ulcers.
In the midst of thrashing about and agonizing we hear God's voice
telling us to put our feet down, to stand on the promises of God.
There is a firm foundation that undergirds us. It is a reliable
safety net so we can be involved in the adventure of life.
