#47 - When Life Keeps Pulling You Under | What Psalm 69 Taught Me

0:00 Welcome back to Mind & Faith Matters. It's been a minute since I've regularly put out episodes. And as I said last week, I wanted to share some things that were happening and what God has been teaching me during this season. Life has been full in so many ways that it stretched my time, my energy, and even my capacity. And I've been trying to move through this as honestly and as intentionally as I can to give it the best attention that I can. And I wanted to talk about during this season of my life, I found myself approaching scripture differently on purpose. I decided instead of reading a passage once or a couple times and moving on, I've been staying with the passage for several days. Sometimes I've read it in the morning and then come back to it later that evening.

0:55 I look up different translations of it. I'll ask questions. I'll pay attention to what stands out and what shifts. It's felt less like studying and more like sitting with a companion. And one of the passages that has stayed with me in this season is Psalm 69. The more time I spend with it, the more I realize how much it connected with what I've been experiencing. Psalm 69 begins with these words, When I first read those verses, I immediately connected with the image. And as I reflected on those words, I realized that finding solid ground has been a significant theme in my own life recently. Part of that involved the move, part of that involves work responsibilities, and part of that involves something I've been working on personally, as well as on the episodes, which is creating healthier boundaries. And here's where I want to be clear. Psalm 69 isn't about

2:27 boundaries. It's not a passage that will talk directly about boundaries. It's a lament, in fact. It's a cry for help from David, someone who feels overwhelmed, surrounded, and stretched thin. Now, does that sound familiar in your own life? But the imagery of sinking, of losing footing, searching for something solid to stand on. That has helped me understand why boundaries matter in my own life. The psalm gives language to the emotional and spiritual experience that often leads us to begin setting boundaries in the first place. A little later in the psalm, David says he is weary with crying and that his eyes fail as he waits for God. That line stayed with me.

3:24 It's the picture of someone who has reached the end of themselves. Someone who has been treading water for a long time. Many of us know that feeling. The feeling of being tired in a way that sleep doesn't fully fix. The feeling of carrying more than we were meant to carry. The feeling of trying to stay faithful while the waters keep rising. And as I sat with Psalm 69, I began to notice something else. The Psalm doesn't only describe David's experience. It reveals some things about God. One of the first things the Psalm shows us is that God hears the cries of the overwhelmed.

4:17 David prays because he trusts God. and he trusts that he is listening. Even when he feels like the waters are rising, he believes God is attentive, not distant. The psalm also reminds us that God's love is steadfast. David appeals to God's abundant mercy. That's, in biblical terms, covenant language, the kind of love that doesn't shift with circumstances. Another theme that rises to the surface is that God acts out of compassion. David asks God to answer him in the abundance of your mercy. He expects God's response to flow from compassion, not irritation or distance. Man, wouldn't that be nice if that was how it was in our other relationships?

5:21 people responded to us out of compassion and not irritation or distance. That's what I want in my relationships and that's why boundaries are important to me. And woven throughout this psalm is the truth that God rescues and delivers. David uses language like deliver me, save me, and draw near to my soul. He believes God is the kind of God who steps in lifts up and pulls people out of deep waters. Oh God, I need that. I think we all do at times. There's also a quiet confidence in the psalm that God sees injustice and does not ignore it. David is mistreated, misunderstood, and mocked. He trusts that God sees what is wrong and will act with justice in his time. And then there's this tender theme.

6:28 God draws near to the brokenhearted. David says, I'm in pain and distress. Let your salvation, O God, set me on high. The psalm assumes God is close enough to lift. to steady and to comfort. And all these themes begin to shape how I read the Psalm. They also shaped how I understood my own search for solid ground. There's a moment in Psalm 69 where David says, but as for me, my prayer is to you. It's a simple line, but it's a turning point. It's the moment where lament becomes trust. not because the circumstances have changed, but because David is choosing to bring his whole self to God in the middle of it. That line has become a quiet prayer for me in this season. As for me, my prayer is to you.

7:38 You see, there's another reason Psalm 69 has been especially meaningful this year. At the beginning of the year, my wife chose a word for the family and that word has been restore. As I continued reading Psalm 69, I noticed how often David's prayer or his prayers point toward restoration. He's seeking God's help. He's seeking God's presence and he's seeking God's intervention. He's seeking renewal and restoration. Toward the end of the psalm, David begins to express hope that God will revive him and save him. Those words stood out to me, too. They're gentle words. And they don't promise instant change, but point toward the steady work and sometimes slow work of renewal.

8:39 The more I thought about that, the more I realized that restoration is often a process. And it does unfold one step at a time, one day at a time, one prayer at a time, one faithful decision at a time. Sometimes restoration begins while we're still walking through the challenge. That realization has been encouraging for me. It's reminded me that God is present. in every season, in every transition, in every uncertainty, and God is present in seasons that feel busy. He is present in seasons that feel exhausting when the waters are rising. One of the practices I've appreciated most recently is staying here with a single passage long enough for it to become familiar. Each time I read Psalm 69, I noticed something different.

9:47 One translation highlights a word I hadn't paid attention to before. Another translation may bring out an emotion I hadn't noticed. A verse that seemed ordinary suddenly feels deeply personal. The passage becomes a conversation that continues over several days. And if you never tried this approach, I want to encourage you to give it a try. Pick a song. Read it every day for a week. Read it in different translations. Ask what it teaches you about God or what it reveals to you about your own life and situation. You may be surprised at what you discover. As I wrap up today's episode, I want to thank you for your patience during this busy season. The podcast room is done. The boxes have all disappeared and life is beginning to settle into a new pattern.

10:46 There's still work to do and there's still responsibilities to manage and lessons to learn. Psalm 69 has reminded me that finding solid ground begins with bringing our self, our whole self, before God. It begins with honesty, crying out, lamenting. and it grows through trust. And David shows that it continues through faithfulness. And along the way, God works restoration into places we may not have expected. Thank you for the time that you spend with me each week and that you listened today. Until next time, take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Take care of God's Word. And remember that growth often happens one faithful step at a time. God bless and have a great week.