#DailyDevotion Base Your Prayer On The Mercy & Kindness Of The LORD
Psalm 69 9The zeal for Your house consumed Me, and the insults of those who insult You fell on Me. 10I wept and ate nothing and was insulted for it. 11I made sackcloth My garment and became the butt of their jokes. 12Those who sit at the gate gossip about Me, and drunkards make up songs about Me.
Verse 9 we see in the Gospel narratives was fulfilled when Jesus cleansed the Temple of the money changers. If they had such attitudes toward the LORD that they would set up a marketplace in the area of the Temple for gentiles to pray to the God of Israel, then likely they had no qualms about insulting the LORD. Indeed it was an insult to the LORD to do those things. These insults then fell upon Jesus Christ as the LORD incarnate.
During Jesus’ passion, from the garden to the cross Jesus became the butt of their jokes. He was certainly gossiped about from the beginning of His public ministry. While there is no record of it, there were probably songs about Jesus written by drunkards, no doubt unflattering songs at that. The insults and gossip He endured certainly will fall upon us who are His disciples. So we join with Jesus in His prayer.
13As for Me, My prayer is to You, if now You’ll accept it, O LORD. You’re so great in kindness, answer Me, O God. By Your faithful help, 14pull Me out of the mud—I don’t want to sink into it. I want to be rescued from those who hate Me and from the deep water. 15Don’t let the flood sweep Me away, or the deep water swallow Me, or the pit shut its mouth over Me.
Jesus in the garden directed His prayer to His heavenly Father. Though Jesus is God, in His humanity He humbled Himself to rely in faith upon the Father and His will. He prayed to God the Father for mercy. If Jesus prayed to God the Father, how much more should we be on our knees praying? Jesus appeals to the name of God revealed in Exodus 34:6 when He appeals to the great kindness and faithful help of the LORD. Based on His name, Jesus prays the LORD to rescue Him from those who hate Him. In His suffering and death, Jesus is like one having been sunk deep in the mud and the deep waters. The pit had shut its mouth over Jesus in the grave. We too, at times, may feel like we are sinking in the deep mud. The waters seem breaking over us and we feel like we are going to drown. We may even be at death’s door. We should remember the Father answered Jesus’ prayer by raising Him from the dead on the third day. We are joined with Jesus in our baptism into His name. Jesus is going to raise us all from the dead to eternal life when He returns to settle us in His kingdom.
16Answer Me, O LORD, Because Your kindness is precious. Your mercy is so great, turn to Me. 17Don’t hide Your face from Your servant; because I’m in trouble — answer Me quickly. 18Come near Me and redeem Me; because of My enemies, set Me free.
Jesus repeats His petitions based on the name of God referenced above. We also should remember God’s name when we pray. It is merciful, kind, steadfast love and forgiveness. Jesus needed the Father to turn His face to Him and not hide it. We, in our daily struggles, also need the Father to turn His merciful and kind face to us in our trials and troubles. Jesus was in trouble. Death was eminent and indeed came upon Him. The Father came near and fulfilled His promise in raising Jesus from the dead on the third day. Jesus has set us free from sin and death by His suffering and death. We believe this has occurred for us in our baptism. As Jesus placed His hope on the third day, we place our hope on the Last Day when Jesus shall raise us in bodies immortal, imperishable and powerful like Jesus’ resurrected body. Our hope in not in this world but in the world to come.
Merciful and kind Father, hear our prayers for deliverance from all trials and troubles and give us faith that we may hope in Your promises. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.