Psalms 69:1

Psalms 69:1 says, To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.  Again, we have an introduction, then verse one says, Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.  David asked God to save him because his soul was drowning.  David had reached a point of spiritual suffering, and not just physical.  If we begin to feel spiritually defeated, we need to cry out to God as David did.  Verse two adds, I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.  David said he couldn't find a place solid enough to stand on, and until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will never find a solid rock to stand on.  Verse three states, I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.  David said that he had cried out to God so long that he was weary and his throat had died out.  What we need to realize as Christians is that if we cry out to God He will always hear us and we simply need to wait on His answer.  Verse four adds, They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.  David said his enemies were too numerous to counted and that they hated him without cause, and that he had even given back things to them that he hadn't taken to start with.  Jesus Christ also has many enemies that hate Him without cause, and we as Christians may as well.  Verse five declares, O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.  Like David, we need to acknowledge that God knows our foolishness and that our sins are not hidden from Him.  We may hide sinful thoughts from everyone else, but we will never hide them from God.  Verse six adds, Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.  I believe that David was asking God to not allow others to question Him because of David's situation.  We should also pray that we as followers of Christ never become a reason for others to question God and His goodness.  Verse seven continues, Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.  David said that he had borne shame and reproach for God's sake.  If we are suffering shame and reproach in the world today, we need to make sure that it is for God's sake and not because we have allowed sin to come back into our life.  Verse eight says, I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.  David said he had become a stranger even in his own family.  As Christians, if we fall on hard times, some who call themselves our brothers and sisters in Christ may desert us, trying to put the blame for our situation on sin in our life, even if this isn't true.  Verse nine adds, For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.  David said that he was being persecuted because of His zeal for God's house, or His relationship with God.  We today as followers of Christ may be persecuted because of our zeal for God, but we should never be discouraged if this happens.  Verse ten states,  When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.  Verse eleven adds, I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.  David said that he was being reproached because he was humbling himself before God.  People in the world today may look down on Christians if they live humble lives before God.  We sometimes hear the question that if God is so powerful why do those who put their faith in Him suffer, but they fail to realize that no matter what happens in this lifetime that we as Christians already have a heavenly home that is rich beyond all compare.  Verse twelve continues, They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.  David said that those in power spoke against him, and that even drunkards had made up songs about him.  People in power today may speak out against Christians, and even the drunkards of the world my go along with them, but it is only God's judgment that matters, so we should never be discouraged no matter what is happening in life.