During 2025, Peachtree Church is focusing on the Book of Psalms with a series called Dwell, through which we seek to deepen our conversation with God and open ourselves to hearing his response. The practice of praying three times each day will unite the voices of our hearts and souls as we seek the day when we will see the full realization of the Kingdom of God, promised in Revelation 21:3: “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
We will email devotionals twice weekly with Monday’s providing an overview of the Psalm as a whole, and Wednesday’s focused on that week’s Daily Dwell.
Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, LORD, to help me.
Psalm 70:1
Devotional
One year when I was in college, I drove over to my brother’s home in Hot Springs. Arkansas, for a visit. I learned that Hunter (my brother) was planning to canoe the Ouachita River that weekend, and he invited me to join him.
When Saturday rolled around and everyone was in their respective canoe, my brother and I discovered pretty quickly that while we were planning to canoe the river, most of the other guys saw this as an excuse to. . .well, let me say “consume carbonated grain beverages.”
After we all stopped for lunch and headed back out down the river one of the other canoes was alongside us. As we approached a set of rapids, Hunter suggested we let the other boat go through and observe them. Suffice it to say that they swamped, and chose to swim after the cooler instead of the canoe and paddles. Once they were safe, Hunter laid out a plan for us to go through the rapids without turning over.
It worked, but not the way we intended.
Once we were in the middle of the set of rapids, the current pushed us against a large rock, which neither of us could grab; we then were pushed backwards, and despite everything we tried, we were sucked through the rest of the rapids backwards. We reached the eddy beyond the rocks, and Hunter suggested we paddle to the shore and catch our breath.
“Did you pray?” he asked me.
“Yeah, but I only had time for Number 8,” I said.
“What’s that?”
“I call it the ‘International Prayer of Distress.’ It’s one word, but a long word. HEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLP!”
There are those times in all of our lives when we long for God to come to our aid, and quickly. God heard and answered my prayer that day. How the Lord responded to David when he was in distress, and what that distress was, we do not know. But knowing that David, the “man after God’s on heart,” could ask for a rapid response, certainly gives us permission to do the same!
For Reflection
- When you have prayed for God to help you, and quickly, what has been your experience?
- What are the prayers that you often mark with “urgent?” Why are they so rushed?
Prayer
O God, thank you that you are always more ready to hear my prayers than I am to turn to you. Forgive me for the times that I neglect you and rush to you, asking you to rush to me. But even then, Lord, I see and thank you for your response and your goodness. Help me to trust you today and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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