Psalms

Psalms 70: God helps His needy servant

Begin in prayer

Before we hear the short cry for urgent help, let us remember that need does not require an impressive prayer. Pray for faith to call on Jesus, bringing our urgent needs before the Lord who helps and delivers.

He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s. He has set the world on them.

1 Samuel 2:8

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word, and help us to see Christ. Show us that God is the help and deliverer of His needy people and deserves their glad praise. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

David cries for God to hurry to his rescue and come quickly to help. People seek his life, desire his ruin and greet his distress with mocking delight. He asks God to turn those who desire his ruin back in disgrace. His prayer also makes room for everyone who seeks God to rejoice in Him and praise His salvation. Calling himself poor and needy, David closes by confessing that the LORD is his help and deliverer and asking Him not to delay.

As you read Psalms 70, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God helps and delivers His needy servant, giving those who seek His salvation reason for glad praise.

Enemies seek David's life, and he comes before God as a poor and needy servant. This psalm repeats the closing prayer of Psalm 40 (verses 13 to 17), so the needy may pray the same words again. The repeated requests for haste show how threatening the situation feels to the man seeking God's help. He asks God to turn the enemies back in shame, for God alone can give the help His servant needs. Their mocking cries expose delight in another person's ruin, which the prayer asks God to stop. David then turns from people seeking his life to those seeking God, asking for their joy in Him. Those who love His salvation are to keep declaring God's greatness, even while this servant remains in need. Poverty here confesses helpless dependence, and David names the LORD Himself as the help and deliverer he urgently needs.

How does Psalm 70 show us that God helps and delivers His needy servant, giving those who seek His salvation reason for glad praise?

God's needy servant may cry urgently for His help.

David asks God to come quickly because people desire his ruin. He brings both the threat and the shameful mockery before the Lord. Calling God his deliverer gives his urgent cry the confidence of dependence.

God's salvation gives all who seek Him reason to rejoice.

David asks for more than the defeat of his enemies. He wants those seeking God to be glad in Him and declare His greatness. His own need becomes a prayer for the whole company who love the Lord's salvation.

Memorise

Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!”

Psalm 70:4

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, what need am I carrying that I should bring to Jesus right away?

David confesses, “You are my help and my deliverer.” His urgent prayer ends with the same need that began it. He depends on God and still asks for everyone who seeks Him to rejoice.

Our helplessness reaches to the guilt we cannot take away. Jesus died for His people as their substitute, accepting the punishment their sins deserved. He rose from the dead. His saving work is finished and enough for their full forgiveness, with no unpaid guilt left for them to settle.

Turn from sinful self reliance and trust the Lord Jesus. Mercy is ready in Jesus for the sinner who seeks His forgiveness and trusts Him. Bring Him the needs that have left you with few words, and ask for faith to depend on His help. Those who belong to Him may pray urgently and still seek the joy of others who love His salvation.

Parent's note

Tell your children that God is the help and deliverer of His needy people and deserves their glad praise. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that He is the help and deliverer of His needy people. Bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever, —

John 14:16

God our help, please hear the needs we bring before You. Lead us to Jesus for the forgiveness we cannot earn. Stop those who delight in hurting others and teach us to leave judgment in Your hands. Give Your people faith to call urgently upon You, and make those who seek Your salvation glad in Your greatness. Amen.