Quick Note – Psalm 69:13 – Deliverance at an Acceptable Time

Psalm 69:13 – But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.

I must admit that I am pretty weak.  When troubles or hardships come into my life, I tend to fold fairly easily.  And I, most certainly, can’t live with pain.  If my head even feels a tinge of aching, I immediately take an Advil or Excedrin.  If not, within a few hours, that headache becomes a full-blown migraine.  So I know that when it comes to difficulties, I don’t have much perseverance.  I cave in quickly.  This is why I was impressed when I read Psalm 69. 

In this psalm, David described the trouble that he was in.  In the first few verses, he says that he was sinking in the mire, that the floods were sweeping over him, and that he was weary with crying out (vs. 1-3).  He said that the enemies that surrounded him were as many as the hairs on his head, and not only were they abundant but they were also mighty (vs. 4).  He mentioned how he had borne so much reproach that even his brothers considered him a stranger because of shame (vs. 7-8).  People mocked him (vs. 12); people slandered him (vs. 4); and people were looking to bring him down (vs. 21).  And he suffered all this not because of his own sin or foolishness but because of his love and faith in God (vs.7, 9).  He said it was his zeal for God’s house that this was happening.  He was suffering the reproaches of those who reproached God.  He was dishonored and reproached for God’s sake (vs. 7).  He didn’t deserve this hardship, but it still came. 

This is why I was surprised that David could still say in vs 13, “But as for me, my prayer it to you, O LORD.  At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.”  I’m not surprised that David called out to God for mercy and grace and love, because God is certainly the One we should turn to when we are in trouble.  But I am surprised that David could say, “At an acceptable time.”  David could wait for God’s deliverance in God’s time.  Although he was tired of crying out in pain, although he was suffering in despair, David could still say, “God, save me, when it is the right time to do so in your eyes.”  He trusted that God’s love, God’s faithfulness would come through at the right time.  He didn’t doubt God.  He didn’t fear that God would not be faithful.  He trusted Him completely.  That is why David could end the psalm by telling the earth to praise the God who deserved it.  That is why David could confidently say that the LORD hears the needy and does not despise His people.  David was delivered by God from trouble many times in his life, and he knew that his God was faithful. 

When we are suffering, it can be hard to wait on God.  It is easy to question why God doesn’t deliver you from the trouble immediately.  But like David, we must continue to pray and to trust that God will deliver us at an acceptable time.  We must only wait for Him.  When the Israelites were running away from Egypt and were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, they were told to simply stand still and see the salvation of God (Exodus 14:13).  They needed to wait.  When Joseph was suffering through slavery and wrongful imprisonment, he needed to faithfully follow God until he was put in Pharaoh’s good graces.  He needed to wait.  God will work in our lives in His time.  So wait for God’s deliverance.  He will deliver you at an acceptable time.