July 31

Today's Reading: Psalm 69:1-36

Although this Psalm is attributed to David, the final verses refer to a time when the cities of Judah needed to be rebuilt and its people brought back home, which would fit more with the time of the Babylonian exile. The most likely explanation is that the original Psalm up through verse 29 was written by David and then verses 30-36 were added later, perhaps by Jeremiah.

This is a Messianic Psalm and is the third most quoted Psalm in the New Testament behind Psalms 22 and 110.

The Psalmist comes before God with three requests that are all relevant to us today:

• "Save me!" (verses 1-18)
• "Vindicate me by judging my enemies!" (verses 19-29)
• "Be glorified Lord!" (verses 30-36)

When you're in the midst of trouble those are all great prayers to life up to God.