One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #288, April 2025
“O My Lord” — Psalm 30:1-4
“I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. (2) O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou has healed me. (3) O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul (rapture) from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (4) Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness”.
The Meaning of “O” in Biblical Context
There are many words in our language that have a diversity of meaning but still have the same spelling. Among these words, there is one that is used in our Bible that probably has more importance than all the others. This word is “O”. Ever so simple to express, but very deep in Biblical meaning. In the Old Testament the word was used as an exclamation in direct address as in the Psalm or in prayers. As an example, in the fifth Psalm. David prays, “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation”.
O My Lord, An Exclamation of Awe and Praise
Later in the thirtieth Psalm, David praises God by saying, “I will extol thee O Lord…”. The word “O”, I feel is not just simply a word to describe a sigh or a word to fill in a gap in an expression, but it is an expression that comes from the heart, filled with awe and devotion. Many times the sigh reveals disappointment, which is a reaction of the selfish natural mind, but when it comes from the spiritual mind it is the same as kneeling in reverence to the higher power. It doesn’t matter how we use the word “O” it expresses a feeling. Since no other word could express or describe this feeling well enough, it is left in it’s simplicity state.
O My Lord, A Cry of Grief and Longing
There is one more time that the word “O” was used and this was by the Messiah when He approached the Jews about their attitude concerning their Holy God. Of all the other uses of the Word, there is none to compare to the amount of feelings that is expressed from the deepest recesses of the heart of God through his offspring the Word of Truth. “O” the anguish and lamentation that flowed from his heart. It gnawed at his will with tribulation and grief. It can come from a spirit that is swallowed up in grief and regret. It can come from a body that is racked with pain.
It takes experience in a similar situation to know how Christ felt and to know the definition of the word “O”, when He cried out in travail over Jerusalem and his people. Christ loved His people, the Jews, but He also loved the souls of mankind. Even though He knew that the world of His people and all other worldly people, would rebel against Him, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son in order that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life and light. In the face of chaos and confusion, God still presented His love. Christ’s lamentation and anguish was because of the denial of the promises that God had shared over hundreds of years of long-suffering and patience. His anguish was out of His knowledge and wisdom that He knew was truth.
“O” Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killed the Prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. “For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”.
O My Lord, A Call to Compassion and Commitment
The anguish Christ expressed over Jerusalem calls us to reflect on our own faith journey. “O” is a cry for compassion. “O” that we could have the compassion He had. “O” that we could have the diligence for our calling that He had for His. “O” that we would be the example He set for us. “O” the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. “O”, I often wonder how many times God’s people grieve His spirit today when they refuse to abide in the Faith, the Grace, the Will, and the example that He has set for us. “O”, I wonder, if it were possible, could we still hear an echo from that moment in time when he stood facing a Christ rejecting people; His voice filled with authority, disguising His emotions of anguish and grief, but yet revealing the true feeling of His heart in his words predicting their doom.
O My Lord, Teach Us to Abide in Your Truth
God is not a respecter of persons. What He esteems is the soul that esteems His truth higher than personal opinions; His Holy Spirit higher than any other spirit and His person above any other man-made god or object of worship. Through the word “O,” we are called to be humble and reverent before God. Our prayer should echo Christ’s compassion, as we seek to align our hearts with His will. “O” is a plea to abide in God’s truth, to honor His Word, and to walk in His Spirit.
The only Jewish person that received esteem was the one who believed Christ and drew close to God; the one who separated their soul from the religious atmosphere of the law and the one who accepted the Holy Spirit as their Priest and comforter.
Conclusion: O My Lord, Haste to Help Us
“O” calls us to a place of reverence, humility, and a deeper understanding of God’s will. Take this word into your heart, allow it to shape your response to God’s grace, and may it lead us all to live with the same love and dedication that Christ exemplified.
“But be not far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.”
“O My Lord,” let us live faithfully in Your truth. God bless.
Rodney Roberts