“Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.” —Psalm 69:1

Psalm 69 begins with a cry—a desperate, gasping cry for help. It’s raw, messy, and deeply emotional. For adults, it can be hard to admit when we feel this way. We often put on strength like armor, hide our weakness, and hope no one notices the fear in our voices.

But children, in these moments, don’t pretend.

When they’re afraid, they cry out. When they’re hurting, they run to someone they trust. Psalm 69, when seen through a child’s eyes, shows us that it’s not only okay to fall apart—it’s holy. Because when we cry out, we’re reaching for the One who’s already reaching for us.

Honest Tears Are Holy

Children don’t censor their pain. They don’t feel shame for crying or asking the same question again and again: “Why did this happen?” “Why is it so hard?” “Where are You, God?”

David’s words in Psalm 69 echo this kind of desperate honesty:
“I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” (v. 3)

God is not offended by our brokenness. In fact, He welcomes it. Like a parent who picks up a sobbing child and holds them close, our Heavenly Father hears every cry—even the ones we can’t put into words. Children don’t have perfect prayers, but they have real ones. That’s what God wants from us, too.

Feeling Left Out and Unfairly Treated

“Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head.” (v. 4)
“I am a foreigner to my own family…” (v. 8)

Every child knows the sting of feeling left out. They know what it’s like to be misunderstood, excluded, even picked on. In Psalm 69, David says what so many children feel but don’t know how to say: “I didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m still being hurt.”

God doesn’t dismiss that pain. He validates it.

When seen through the eyes of a child, this psalm isn’t just David’s story—it’s ours. It’s every moment we’ve felt alone in a crowd, every time we’ve wondered if God sees us. And the answer is always the same: Yes, He sees. Yes, He cares.

A God Who Acts, Not Just Watches

Children believe in rescue. If they fall into water, they cry out knowing someone will dive in after them. Psalm 69 is the cry of someone who believes God can still come through.

“Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.” (v. 16)

This isn’t the cry of someone giving up—it’s the cry of someone holding on.

That’s the core of a child’s faith: they might cry, but they always look for a rescuer. And God is that rescuer. The psalm ends not in despair, but in hope:
“The LORD hears the needy and does not despise His captive people.” (v. 33)

A Song in the Pain

In verse 30, David says, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”

Even children who cry can sing. Even in the midst of pain, they look for comfort. This verse reminds us that praise is not the opposite of pain—it’s what grows from trusting God in it. A child might sob one moment and sing the next. God invites us to do the same. He doesn’t require us to be healed before we worship—He meets us right in the middle.

Held in the Flood

Psalm 69 reminds us that life isn’t always easy or fair. Sometimes we feel like we’re drowning. But when we come to God like a child—honest, desperate, trusting—we discover that He is not far off. He is close. He hears. He holds.

As believers, we walk with those who feel like the waters have come up to their neck. But we also remind each other of this: God still saves. He still rescues. And sometimes, all we need to do is cry out like a child—and trust that He’ll carry us through the flood.

*Image Credit: “Sing a Song of Gladness” Arch Books, 1974