Psalm 71

Read Psalm 71

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge.” The author of Psalm 71 called out to his God. There was no other savior who could compare with his “rock of refuge.” No other helper had the righteousness necessary to deliver the psalmist in his time of need.

An unjust and cruel man stood against him. The Lord was the psalmist's hope. He called out to the One in whom he had always trusted as long as he could remember. He had worshiped God from the earliest moments of his life, and he continued to praise him now.

This worshiper of the Lord was no longer a young man. Those who sought his destruction sensed his weakness. They made a plan against him. “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.”

As we often hear in the psalms, this suffering servant was not only singing to his God in his time of distress, he was also making a promise. He vowed that he would give hearty testimony to the Lord in front of all of the other worshipers when the day of his deliverance arrived. The righteousness and power of the Almighty were not merely matters of private meditation for him. He would continue to do what he had always done. He would praise the Lord in the hearing of many others.

The Lord's servant especially desired to bring a good word concerning God to the next generation. Young people would hear about the great works of Yahweh. They would hear the specific account of one man's deliverance from peril so that they also might give glory to God.

Prior to the coming of Jesus, many of the Lord's servants must have found great strength in the words of this song. They might easily relate to the experience of the writer. They too had been low, and the Lord had brought strong help to them. Yet in the case of the Son of God, His fulfillment of these words went further than any man before Him. He had experienced deliverance from the grave.

Jesus was brought up from “the depths of the earth.” His cry of “revive me again,” resulted in a glorious resurrection. He is bringing the praise of the nations to His Father on high. Because of Him, we have joined the community of the redeemed throughout the world. Our tongues will sing of God's righteous help forever.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, we take refuge in You, and we come to You every day. The wicked man would fight against us continually. We will praise You forever. We know that You will not cast us off when we are weak. Evil men would accuse and destroy the righteous. They actively seek our hurt, but You will come with mighty deeds and with a powerful love that will never end. You have done great things for us. You are bringing us up again from the dead, and we will shout with joy forever.