Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Waiting on God requires patience, because you don't get what you want immediately (vs1-3). He says, “My eyes fail while I wait for my God”. We desire to be without sin, in heaven's bliss, and experiencing no more pain, but it is not God's way, not yet. Paul said, “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you” (Phil 1:23-24).
We are patient, waiting on Him to give us the promises, because they are sure. We glorify God by faith, even as our Lord Jesus, who died for us under the curse of God. He waited upon the resurrection, relied upon the Father to save Him from torments, not by avoiding death, but by being enabled to die faithfully, believing God. Scripture says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2).
It glorifies God that we wait on Him as a Faithful Creator, and we show the beauty of humanity, even as the Man Christ Jesus who relied upon God as a Father and received the promises in full. Do not fear that things aren't the way you want them! Don't lose hope because of sin and sinners. God is faithful, look to Him as Christ did, and the grace that kept Him will keep you! He died to earn it for you, and it is powerful enough to keep you, and then reward you in the end.
Secondly, faithfulness to Christ will cause you harm, and you, like our Savior, will be hated for serving God (vs4-12). He said, “Those who the me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; thought I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it”, and, “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 reproached You have fallen on me”. You'd think that holiness would breed peace, but the more you honor Him, the more adversity you will endure, as people are offended by your goodness and made guilty by your loving example. He says again, “When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach”. You also mean people well, consecrating yourself to God for their benefit, and yet, like Christ, the more you do good, the more they hate you, speak against you, and seek to overthrow your soul.
Christ was hated because He loved and honored God. He went into the temple and cleansed it with a whip, not because He is mean and cruel, but because God's house is the house of prayer, the place where God is glorified in grace and sinners are helped in our need. He said, “Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a den of thieves!” (Mark 11:17). He demanded that men make no religion of exploitation, that people do not use God to exalt themselves and thereby destroy others. It was zeal that made Him faithful, but this exposed the hypocrites, and they chose murdering Him over surrender. It says, “And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching” (Mark 11:18).
They'd rather silence the Light than yield and serve, but don't let man's hatred stop you from obeying God zealously. It is right to love holiness, to preach grace, and to stand for everything God says. We are charitable, non-argumentative, and humble with our knowledge, but we don't compromise God's word and our plain convictions to appease those people who are really angry at God. He said, “the reproaches of those who reproach You fell on me”. We'd rather be hated by man and depend on Christ, even as He bore man's hatred to God, relied on Him, and rose again victorious. Let zeal eat you up, and if people don't like it, let God be your comfort and peace!
Finally, we are in real need, because it isn't easy (vs13-18). He said, “Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters... And do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily. Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; deliver me because of my enemies”. Jesus had no walk in the park putting away sins, but He suffered the wrath of God by the strength that God gave Him, depending on the Father and crying out continually. This is par for the course! You and I have fears, trials, and torments to endure, and yet we have God who answers prayer and saves His people. He is to be turned to in our distresses, and we're never to think trouble is greater than God. He has said, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”, and we believe Him (Rom 5:20). And, where grief and trouble abounds, there is grace abundant to meet our need. Your situation isn't too desperate for God, but the situation must bring us to Him, if we are wise.
You haven't been saved to live on Easy Street, but the God of glory is your answer. You and I are not by ourselves, alone, and without help. So, when things get hotter than you expected and the way seems to be up steep hills and against the wind, remember, do what Jesus did: pray, lean on God, openly acknowledge your griefs and foes, and God will do the same thing for you that He did for Christ, which is save, keep you persevering, and then reward you eventually. The enemies will never win against anyone who believes God. They will hurt, and the floods will come up to the neck, but the God who saved Christ will assuredly save you!
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