Psalm 7 – Rescue Me

 January 16, 2024

Psalm 7 – rescue me are the words from the first line of Psalm 7 that have stayed with me this past week. They are not words of a victim, crying and whining, not accepting responsibility for their dilemma, but words of humility and trust, recognizing that sometimes in this life, things happen over which we have no control. Sometimes all we can do is call upon God.

Psalm 7

The first line, “O LORD my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and rescue me,” says it all. There is no need for any more , yet the writer goes on.

He claims his innocence:

“O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause, Then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust.” (3-5)

He didn’t return evil for evil. So confident is he of his innocence that he was ready to pay for it with his life if he is found guilty.

He then asks God for vindication:

“The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity. Put an end to the evil of the wicked, but establish the righteous, O righteous God who searches hearts and minds.” (8-9)

He places himself under God’s shield.

“My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.” (10)

And speaks of a God of vengeance:

“If one does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow and has prepared His deadly weapons; He ordains His arrows with fire.” (12-13)

The writer asks that his enemies receive what they deserve,

“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.” (15-16)

Ands ends by praising God:

“I will thank the LORD for His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (17)

The Humanness of the Writer

Part of me thinks, why didn’t he stop after the first verse. But being human, he had to say more. So, he goes on to justify his words, pleading his case before God. This is not to say he wasn’t justified in all he said. Sometimes, through no wrong of our own, we experience hardships and suffering. Sometimes we may become the target of attacks by others, not because of any wrong we have done. Under those circumstances, it can be hard to not respond like the writer of this psalm.

It’s been said that troubles come in threes. I don’t believe this and yet I’ve seen it. (I don’t know why they don’t say anything about joys coming in threes.) Sometimes, when trouble comes, they don’t come alone. They are quickly followed by more troubles till it feels like we can’t bear any more. Sometimes all we can do is cry out to our God in trust and humility, rescue me, save me, knowing that our God hears.

Have there been times in your life when all you could do is cry out to God? I would love to hear from you.

For another take on Psalm 7, see this: Where Does One Find Justice? Psalm 7 – Patricia M Robertson

This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and and receive a free copy of  Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series.      click here to sign up

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