Wickedness and misfortune often just happen, even though we have done what is right before Him. Usually it involves what other people do to us. Maybe it's slander or spreading false news about us, or other actions that harm us. In the midst of such misfortune, a believer knows very well that only God is the foundation and the place to take refuge.

Psalm 69 as a whole is a psalm that expresses individual lament. Particularly in this chapter, the lament is about the suffering and reproach that the psalmist endured. This happened to him because he loved His house, where God could be found. The psalmist longed for God in all his being. He was inexorably crushed like one who is about to drown and the water is up to his neck or sinking into a deep swamp with no support (v. 2). In a little while he will have trouble breathing. Swept away by the swift current.

Despite this, the psalmist continued to cry out to God (v.4). He knew that God would protect the righteous. Even though there were many people who wanted his destruction. He was slandered and cornered in such a way that he was blamed for things he had never done. The psalmist felt that it was only fair that he finally turned to God for help because he had done nothing wrong. This suffering even occurred because he was a righteous man who sought to live a holy life before Him.

Friends of the Bible, the reflection that we can take today is the faithfulness and determination to keep hoping in God despite the sufferings and challenges that come in our lives. Gratitude to God makes us a person who is always directed towards the truth, which is the essence of our existence. Despite all the reproaches and tribulations that come our way. Let us not be careless and tempted to leave His path and choose to live in worldly comfort.