“Reproach has broken my heart” (Psalm 69:20).
Dear Praying Friends:
As you know, all the psalms point to Christ, but few with more power and pity than this one, penned by David when he was once again in deep distress.
Quoted often in the New Testament, Psalm 69 expresses the agony of one suffering from unjustified hatred aimed at him because of his service to God. He does not claim to be wise or sinless, but neither does he deserve the bitter hostility, scorn, and reviling from mighty foes, or the lack of sympathy and comfort from even his family.
All alone and totally desolate, he cries out to God, the only one who understands, cares, and can deliver him.
We can imagine how this psalm strengthens the hearts of the millions of Christians in the world today who face this kind of murderous, pitiless persecution for their faith.
Most of us don’t have to endure that kind of rejection and vitriolic abuse, but we all have felt the sting of unwarranted criticism and fault-finding from others. What a consolation to realize the Jesus knows! And that he suffered all this, and much worse, to save us from the eternal condemnation that justice would require of us from a holy God.
Our pastor also reminded us yesterday of the saints who have preceded us (see Hebrews 11) and urged us to remember them and to “lengthen their legacy” in our lives. That is precisely the mission of the biographical history of the China Inland Mission and the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity. Today would be a good time to click on the link and read a few stories posted there.
“But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear me in the truth of Your salvation” (Psalm 69:13).
Yours in his mercy and truth,
Wright