Messengers of the GospelSample

Psalm 79: God Our Savior

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. (Psalm 79:9 NIV84)

This Psalm is the sad historical record of when the people of Israel walked away from their faith and chose to live in sinful ways. They had rejected God and decided to worship idols and live their lives committed to the evil practices of their neighbors. Consequently, they lost the protection and favor of God and were attacked, defeated, and taken into captivity by the Babylonians. They would be enslaved in Babylon for 70 years.

The author of this Psalm was likely a descendant of the original enslaved group. Somehow, he knew to seek God as "God our Savior". From within his heartache and hardship, he prayed. Psalm 79 is his prayer.

This Psalm is a story for the ages. It stands tall and erect, like a road sign warning drivers to slow down because they are about to encounter a dangerous patch of road. If you ignore the road signs, you may be placing yourself in a position where you must call for help.

Help us, O God our Savior…

God has always been a Savior. Depending on which version of the Bible you read, God is referred to as a Savior in the Old Testament nearly 30 times. You can read of His saving grace in all 66 books of the Bible. Over and over throughout history, God has demonstrated His desire to be the Savior of those who would humble themselves and call upon Him as their Savior. Thankfully, the people of Psalm 79 turned to the Lord and experienced His saving grace. Hundreds of years later, in that same city where the Psalmist wrote this Psalm (Jerusalem), God would provide THE Savior for the deliverance and forgiveness of sin.

At the end of verse 9, the Psalmist cries, “Deliver us and forgive our sins.”

Thankfully, God is responsive and merciful when a person chooses to repent. As my pastor says, “We can take a thousand steps away from God, but it only takes one true, repentant step to come back to Him.” This truth is why God's grace has been called amazing grace. Christian author Philip Yancy wrote, “Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less.”

He loves us despite us. That’s amazing grace. He is always ready to deliver us, forgive us, and be God our Savior.

Reflection:

Are you in need of help today? Are you in need of deliverance and forgiveness? If you are, you are in the company of millions. “Help us” or “Help me” is a simple and profound prayer. Allow the Psalmist to influence you to pray the simple and profound prayer of deliverance and forgiveness. Bow your head and close your eyes. In your heart, pray to the Lord. Acknowledge Him as God and Savior of your soul. Ask Him to step into your life and help you. Ask Him for deliverance from your situation and forgiveness where necessary. May your simple, profound prayer cause you to know the glory of His grace.