Today's Reading: Introit for the 12th Sunday after Trinity (Psalm 70:2b, 4a, 5b; antiphon: vs.1-2a)

Daily Lectionary: 1 Kings 1:1-4, 15-35; 1 Corinthians 12:14-31

You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! (From the Introit for the 12th Sunday after Trinity)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Psalm 70 expresses a prayer that sooner or later, every believer in God has prayed, namely: Help! It is the most basic and often the most sincere and heartfelt prayer.

David had his sworn enemies, both foreign and domestic. He had conquered rivals within Israel and many kings and armies from other nations as well. The number of men slain by him and the armies he led was easily in the tens of thousands. As a result, there were a lot of people out to get him. People who, as he put it, "delighted in my hurt" (Psalm 70:2).

Some might think that a man like King David wouldn’t need any help taking care of his enemies. Remember how quickly he dispatched Goliath? But David seemed to understand that whatever success he had in battle was only a gift from God.

When people tried talking him out of fighting Goliath, he told them, "The Lord. . .will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37). During the pre-battle trash-talking, David told Goliath, "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down" (1 Samuel 17:45-46). David didn’t trust in his own strength, but in all his battles, He relied on God, his help and deliverer.

You probably haven’t had anyone actually plot to kill you, and hopefully, you never will! Yet, you can still relate to the need to be rescued from your enemies. Have you had kids put you down in order to build themselves up? Have they said unkind things against you and posted it online for all to see? Teenagers can be cruel and downright vicious. While going through these situations is no fun, take heart, and cry out to God for help.

In fact, the Lord God Almighty has already delivered you from your greatest enemies: sin and death. Jesus, the Son of David, fought Satan and defeated him. He gave Himself up for you on the Cross, and His victory over the grave in His resurrection is complete and final. Now all who are in Him are delivered and will be forever. Therefore rejoice and be glad in Him and say evermore, "God is great!" (Psalm 70:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Seek Him alone Who did atone, Who did your souls deliver. O seek Him first, All you who thirst For grace that fails you never. In ev’ry need Seek Him indeed; To every heart He will impart His blessings without measure. ("Seek Where You May to Find a Way" LSB 557, st.3)

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch