Psalm 71 – God will see us through life

The title of Psalm 71 did not indicate who the composer was, but it tells us that this is the prayer of a man advanced in age. In fact, it says this is the prayer of an old man for deliverance. The progression of the Psalm can be seen in the man first making his petition in verses 1-4. In his opening words, he expressed his great trust in the LORD. It was not something that just happened. It was a trust that had long been there and will continue to be there. Verses 5-8 re-enforced that lifelong trust he had in God. He reiterated the fact that he had trusted the Lord all his life. A quick scan of these verses reveals how he and the Lord had a wonderful trust relationship. They communed often and God was his hope and trust. He saw his very existence was God’s design. God, he said, was the one who saw to his birth and sustained his youth. Besides, God was also his refuge and had been the subject of his praise and honor.

In verses 9-13, we see the words of his petition. He had a desire to experience God’s continual sustenance. For there were accusations and innuendos that God had forsaken him. He refused to be cowed. How did he do it? By rejecting the negative inputs of those that were against him. Instead of being influenced by the negatives, he chose to focus on the positive. He was constantly rehearsing God’s goodness, and placed his hope in God. Then he sang praises to God and spoke of His righteousness. One other thing he constantly did was to recall and remind himself of the marvelous things God had done for him since his youth.  

This Psalm tells us that so long as we are living, we will encounter all sorts of experience – pleasant and unpleasant. Whether young or old, we will face all kinds of circumstances. There is no exemption for any one in any age. The difference though is that this Psalmist knew who his refuge was, and placed his trust and hope in Him and so must we. What should we do when we face negative talks and insults concerning our faith? This Psalmist teaches us not to feel abandoned. We should instead put our confidence in God, trust Him and continue to praise Him. God is faithful and will remain faithful. He will vindicate us.

This is one orientation we all must have. God cares for us. From infancy His unseen hand had led us through to where we are. Now that God cares for us had been revealed through our knowledge of Christ Jesus, we should be inspired to trust Him even deeper. Remember that so long as we are on life’s journey, we should expect to encounter both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. We can expect to be maligned, misunderstood, and even persecuted. Bear in mind that the Lord will always be our refuge and strength. He will never abandon us and He is not about to start. He will definitely see us through, right through our old age. Praise His name!