Save us, O Lord
by Tom Brennen
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But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life (Psalm 54:5).
We are a homeless people, a suffering people, a people with a seemingly impossible race to run and a people that will be persecuted on account of Christ. Sounds like a lot of bad news this week, doesn’t it?
Friends, look at the psalms for a reminder that God’s people before us have wrestled with their faith and their fear since time began. We are not the first to cry out as this psalmist does, ‘Save me, O God, by your name’.
As a commentator writes of this psalm:
God may seem absent from the world, but those who invoke his name with faith and courage will discover the reality of his awesome presence … The message of the psalm is clear enough: the name of God will not fail the supplicant in a time of crisis. The enemies will not prevail. Yahweh will make a necessary connection between act and consequence, and the power of ruthless foes will be turned back against themselves.
In this time of trouble and suffering, the psalmist seeks God in prayer, honours his holy and precious name, acknowledges him as the creator and sustainer of life, and proclaims that only he can save them. Verse 7 is so clear: ‘God has delivered them from every trouble’.
In one of our readings earlier this week, Paul encouraged us to look to our mothers and fathers of faith for examples. This psalm, once again, shows the rich heritage we can draw upon for such examples.
God has indeed delivered us from evil. We have the gift of eternal life in the future and the intimacy of knowing our Lord now. This doesn’t remove suffering from our lives nor the pain of suffering.
To be a Christian is to enter into suffering. To be a Christian is also to enter into the joy of knowing our Lord. When we are in trouble and amid suffering, let us cry, ‘Save me O God, by your name’, for this prayer has already been answered with eternal hope.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, save us by your holy name. May you rescue us from our strife and empower us to do your will on earth. You are the upholder of our lives. Amen.
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