Today, Saturday June 24
For Jesus Sake
Psalm 69:6-12
“Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother's children; Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach. I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards.”
If you watched the video for our pastor’s chat today, you might have noticed my black VBS Friendly Community Church t-shirt. This is where I’m currently the interim pastor and we are in our fourth day of VBS this morning with a great group of children! So far, they are learning in a very exciting way, how Jesus gives them the power to do hard things (Philippians 4:13), how Jesus gives them the power to have hope (Psalm 31:24), and how Jesus gives them power to be bold (Isaiah 40:29). And that they can always “trust Jesus”! You can say a special prayer for us as we come together again this morning to help them catch the “Rocky Mountain Train” to connect to the “power of Jesus” and His great salvation!
In the first 5 verses of Psalm 69, David is praying and crying out to God to deliver him from his enemies for his own sake. You can’t help but notice the repetition of “me, my, and I” in these verses. David felt like a drowning man (vv. 1-2). He was overwhelmed with crying and grief (v. 3). He was hated and being falsely accused (v. 4). And he acknowledged that he wasn’t perfect, but God knew his heart (v. 5).
Now, in verses 6-12, David gives his second reason for praying for deliverance. He was pleading God to help him on behalf and for the Lord's sake. This was because those who lied about David were blaspheming the name of the Lord. David did not want God's people to suffer shame because of him (v. 6; see Psalms 25:3; 38:15-16).
The word "reproach" (scorn, insults) is used six times in the psalm (vv. 7, 9, 10, 19, 20). David was being scorned because he stood up for the Lord (v. 7), and because he was zealous for God's house (v. 9). He even alienated his own family (v. 8). Remember this happened to Jesus! (John 7:5; Mark 3:31-35). David knew that the insults that people threw at the Lord also fell on him (v. 9). This verse is quoted in John 2:17.
It is also quoted in Romans 15:2-6 where we are encouraged to glorify God by doing good despite how we are being treated: “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me." For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus told His disciples that the world hated Him and that it would hate them also. (Read John 15:18-25.) Peter must have remember the words of Jesus when he was writing 1 Peter 3:8-9: “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” Wow! We are called to respond to those who scorn and insult us with blessings!
Peter went on in this same chapter to encourage us with these words: “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…” (1 Peter 3:13-18)
May God help us to be willing to suffer for Jesus sake! “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake…” (Philippians 1:29)
God bless!