"Help us O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name! Deliver us and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!"
When was the last time you asked someone for help? Did you find it easy or natural to do, or was it difficult? If it was difficult, what made it difficult? For some of us maybe asking for help is hard because it's a hit to our pride and self-sufficiency- for others it may be that we just "don't want to be a nuisance" to others (which can still be pride just taking on a different form). If asking for help from others comes relatively easy for you, perhaps you've seen your parents' and older generations struggle with doing so- having this idea of "bu4 hao3 yi4 si" 不好意思, - being embarrassed to ask for help.
In any case, the reasons behind our reluctance to ask often has to do with a fixation with preserving our image or reputation- or in other words, our name.
But here in Psalm 79:9, the psalmist's wholehearted plea for help shows a radical God-centeredness.
For a little context, we can take a look at the whole of Psalm 79, and quickly find a pretty bleak situation (v.1-4). Jerusalem has been invaded and leveled, its people slaughtered; in short, Israel has become the butt of jokes among the nations, the very nations they were called to bless and be a light unto. I suspect that for most modern people who would find themselves in such dire circumstances, their question would be "Why would a good God let me suffer like this?"
But for the Psalmist- the question effectively was this- "Lord, how long will you allow your great name to be derided among the nations because of the ruin of your chosen people and city?"
Just from this one single plea for help, we can see three things about what the Psalmist believes:
1) God is the only hope for salvation, for deliverance
2) God's name is glorious and is worthy of honor
3) God forgives the sin of His people
What about us? How often and how boldly do we go to the Lord for help? We believe the same things about God that the Psalmist believed, right? Through Christ's life, death and resurrection, we have the ultimate evidence of God's love and forgiveness in the Gospel. And having been saved by grace through faith, we exult in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2), and live for the praise of His glory by making this gospel known among the nations (Ephesians 1:12-14, Luke 24:47). And having the assurance of God's unfailing love as His children, we go boldly to the throne of grace and anticipate receiving mercy and well-timed help (Hebrews 4:14-16).
As I meditated on this short plea for the past few weeks, I couldn't get past how this plea very much mirrors the heart behind the Lord's prayer that he taught His disciples.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:9-13)
May the Spirit of God living in us increasingly enlighten the eyes of our hearts to treasure the greatness of God's grace through the gospel, to see how worthy He is of all honor and glory, and enable us to go to our Lord for help frequently and boldly- and to honor Him as He comes through for us!
Grace and Peace,
Mike
