MAYDAY!

Psalm 40:11-17
11 Do not withhold Your mercy from me, O Lord; may Your love and Your truth always protect me. 12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me. 14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame. 16 But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!" 17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

Mayday is a desperate call for help. This international radio-telephone signal word is used as a distress call only in cases of "grave and imminent danger." Anyone hearing a Mayday call knows that the person sending it is in serious trouble and may not survive without immediate assistance.

Psalm 40:11-17 is a spiritual Mayday. It's the cry of David--a man about to sink beneath the waves of turmoil. On the inside, he's suffering from his own disobedience to God. "My sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me" (v.12). On the outside, he fears for his safety. "May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace" (v.14). In both cases, he pleads for immediate rescue. "O Lord, come quickly to help me. . . . O my God, do not delay" (vv.13,17).

Not all of our desperate situations are of our own making. But even when our mistakes and disobedience have brought us to the end of our rope, we can turn to the Lord for help.

It's difficult to imagine someone resisting rescue after calling for help. But have we ever refused to accept God's terms for yielding to Him when He wants to lift us out of the mess we're in? Even when the danger is threatening and our need is pressing, we, like the psalmist, should pursue God's plan to guard us: "Do not withhold Your mercy from me, O Lord; may Your love and Your truth always protect me" (v.11). We are looking for immediate rescue, but God also wants to be our help and deliverer as we seek Him each day.

Our term Mayday has its origin in the French m'aidez--meaning "help me." When we cry out to God for His help, we should expect Him to respond as we yield to His way. --Dave McCasland

DESTINATION POINTS

* What help do I need from God today?
* How will His ultimate plan to guard me affect my future choices?

LINKS:
Where Are You, God?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2002/005/3.30.html

bottom line: God responds to our Mayday and everyday calls.

soul journey