Psalm 71 Part 3
Most bible commentators suggest that David wrote this psalm when he was being pursued by Absolom. This psalm exposes the dialogue that the psalmist has with his God, this highlights the essential aspects of talking to God at all times. This is something that most people need to learn because most people come to God when they have a need they cannot resolve. Many years ago there was a book titled “Good morning Holy Spirit”, the author wrote this is how he started each day with a conservation with the person of the Holy Spirit and that communication was how he lived every day. This is an area that I have grappled with most of my life and with perseverance am slowly being more effective in this area of my life. Verse 6 says “By you, I have been upheld from my birth; you are He who took me out of my mother’s womb, my praise shall be continually of you”. This is something we are to do when we are under pressure, for it is easy at times to forget, but this does not alter the truth. God has been with us from the time we were conceived. It is so good to realise that we are not alive by chance but we have been known by God since the early part of our life. The psalmist records that this understanding caused him to continually praise the Lord. When we live with this understanding our lives are full of praise to the Lord, and when we experience the pressures of life they do not overwhelm us because the Lord is our focus. Verse 7 says: I have become as a wonder to many, but you are a strong refuge”. Sometimes the difficulties that we face cause other people to say that the Lord has forsaken us but we know better because our Lord is a strong refuge. Verse 8 says “Let my mouth be filled with your praise and with your glory all the day”. This statement shows the depth of the psalmist’s relationship and trust in the Lord. This relationship does not happen overnight but is learned by continually trusting in the Lord even when we do not understand what is happening to us. This has been my situation during the last few years of the pandemic. WE have suffered seasons of lockdown and when we could not go to church and when we were allowed to attend church, the restrictions imposed could have caused attending church an unpleasant experience. Despite these difficulties, we have been victorious and this year the Lord is moving in a mighty way in His church. Now we come to the part where the psalmist talks to the Lord about the situation that he is experiencing. Verses 9-11 say “Do not cast me off in my old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait to take my life take counsel together, saying ‘ God has forsaken him, Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him”. The psalmist did not stay in the situation of listening to what others were saying because his confidence was in his God and he would not allow the pressure of circumstances to change his unshakeable belief in the goodness of his God.