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Psalm 71
{1}
In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to shame. {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:
It was not that David had never done anything shameful. He certainly had.
But having repented and having asked for mercy, he also asks this: that he
never be put to shame. Coupled with this, he expressed his intention to
continually resort to God for his stronghold. The idea of a stronghold, a
fortress, a rock looms large in David’s thoughts. The world he lived in as
a young man was not unlike Comanche country. It was not a place for a
settler to build a house in the wilderness. What David would have called a
city, we would call a fort. Many cities still carry their old frontier
names, like Fort Stockton, Fort Smith.
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 womb: my praise shall be continually of thee.
Like many, I suspect, David did not recall a time in his youth when he
did not believe in God. Which in turn urges us to be sure our children
will be able to say the same.
{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.
To do that, you have to think about him 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 show 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 showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one
that is to come.
As I have gotten older, this is increasingly my prayer. I have been given
a means whereby I may show God’s strength and his glory to a new
generation, and I haven’t finished yet. A few years ago, I thought I had
retired, but the Spirit would not allow it. So, I soldier on.
{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 showed 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.
David said, “You have taught me from my youth.” I suppose that shouldn’t
be surprising, for God often works with a man when the man himself has no
clue. If we think about our lives, we can often see a winding trail that
has brought us where we are, and it is comforting to know that all along
the way, God was teaching us. And hopefully, we were learning.
I wish that every child would say when he is grown, “I cannot remember a
time when I didn’t know about God, that he cared about me.” With children,
one of the best ways to teach about God is in song. Most of us started
with this one:
Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.
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The Aborted Generation
The Christian Woman |
