Psalm 71

Today's scripture is Psalm 71. Go here to read it in your preferred version.

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

² Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
³ Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
⁴ Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
⁵ For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.
⁶ By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
⁷ I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
⁸ Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
⁹ Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
¹⁰ For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
¹¹ Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
¹² O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
¹³ Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
¹⁴ But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
¹⁶ I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
¹⁷ O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
¹⁸ Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
¹⁹ Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
²⁰ Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
²¹ Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
²² I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
²⁴ My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

Verse 1 - I have got to put my trust in God only. God, let me never be confused or ashamed of my faith. 

Verse 2 - I know when I need God and call out to Him, He'll deliver me from troubles. He'll be my support. He gives me escape from temptation. He hears me and saves me when I cry out to Him. The word "deliver" here doesn't just mean He's going to rescue me when I call out to Him. It means He is going to snatch me out of my trouble. The dictionary says when something is snatched, it is "prompt", immediate, and "sudden". There is no hesitation from God when I cry out to Him.

Verse 3 - I can constantly abide in the presence of God. It is possible. It is something I should want to strive for. God is my rock. God is my fortress. God is my home.

Verse 4 - When people are coming up against me, God will deliver me. Even when people are so cruel (even other Christians), God is there for me. In this verse, the word "deliver" is an escape. When people are coming after me, God will provide a way out for me and a way to safety. He will lead me or help me "slip away". This may not be a sudden delivery like I may feel in other situations as in verse 2. This may be a slow guidance of steps that we need to take to resolve this situation.

Verse 5 - God is my hope and my trust. 

Verse 6 - God is the one who formed me, who has strengthened me and had a plan for me since birth. I should constantly be praising Him for that! There will be so many times in life that we come across people we think we can lean on for support, but in truth God is the only one we can really rely on.

Verse 7 - I may look like a "wonder" or "miracle" to people at times but it's only because God is my strength and my refuge. This word "wonder" here actually means "a special display of God's power". Wouldn't it be awesome if we walked around every day acting like that but giving all the glory to God? We are supposed to stand out and show off (for lack of better term) God's power in our lives. But we never, ever, should point to ourselves as the source of that. I have a good friend who has gotten through many trials in her life. I hear her say this all the time - she speaks of what God has done in her life and then she says, "If I sound like I'm bragging, I am, but I'm bragging on God, not myself." That's exactly the attitude this verse is speaking of.

Verse 8 - I've got to let the praise and honor flow from my lips all day. Ooooh, this is a tough one! Tough for me because sometimes this is me:

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? - James 3:10-11

Sometimes I praise God in one moment and have anger in my mouth in the next moment. This is something I struggle with and am working on constantly to remind myself I need to change.

Verse 9 - I have to run this race to the end! Even when I'm old, frail, and sickly, God will be there to pick me up. He's not going to say that just because I'm old and physically weak, that I can't do anything for the cause of Christ. That isn't true. God will lead me to show me the things I can do to serve Him. 

Verses 10-12 - Many times throughout life there will be people who stand against me. It may even seem as though they are meeting together and figuring out the best ways to drag me down. They may even tell me lies such as God doesn't care about me anymore. In these times, I've got to cry out to God and ask Him to deliver me quickly from that situation so I don't lose faith in a moment of weakness.

Verse 13 - In the end they will see that I was not weak - that God was my strength in those times. 

Verse 14 - From those times of trouble I will get even more hope and therefore given even more praise to God.

Verse 15 - I should be talking about God's righteousness and salvation all day, because even as much as I love Him - I don't even know His limits!

Verse 16 - I must walk in God's strength every day. My strength is not enough. Don't boast in me - boast in God.

Verses 17-18 - When you're young sometimes it's physically easier to work for God and praise God. Don't let that leave me God, as I get older. I want this fire from verse 18 - "not until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come." That is awesome!

Verse 19 - There is no one like my God!

Verses 20-21 - Even through troubles, God will bring me up out of all that and give me comfort, and make me even better due to those trials. 

Verses 22-24 - I will praise God. With song. With my mouth. It will make my soul happy when I do that! I will continue to talk about God throughout the day. When my mouth praises God, my soul can't help but rejoice in what He has done for me.