June 15th, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

God Comes Through

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

In You, Lord, my Rock and my Fortress, do I place my trust. What a blessed assurance I have.

Read Psalm 71:1-24

[1] In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. [2] In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. [3] Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. [4] Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. [5] For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. [6] From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. [7] I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. [8] My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. [9] Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. [10] For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. [11] They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” [12] Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me. [13] May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. [14] As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. [15] My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long- though I know not how to relate them all. [16] I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. [17] Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. [18] Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. [19] Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God? [20] Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. [21] You will increase my honor and comfort me once more. [22] I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. [23] My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you- I whom you have delivered. [24] My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright &copy 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.&reg Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“Older people have a peculiar privilege: the chance to see God’s faithfulness over a lifetime. Their troubles do not grow smaller as the years go by (9-11), but their experiences can strengthen their confidence in God (20,21)” (Phillip Yancey).

Think Further

The psalmist is facing the challenges of old age: failing health, diminishing faculties (9), regrets over actions committed and goals not achieved, and uncertainty about the future. He is also under attack; the nature of the attack is not clear but his enemies and accusers are making the most of the situation (10-13), conspiring to seek his death. Our situation and our fears may be different, but we can still learn from the psalmist’s response.

Like many psalms, this moves between fear and hope. The psalmist recalls God’s dealings with him throughout his life (5,6) and this gives him confidence that God will act for him again. Recalling our history and rejoicing in all that God has done will renew our faith and restore our confidence.

The psalmist can praise God for all that he is. Righteousness is a recurring theme (2,15,16,19, and 24). God is faithful (22), strong (1,3,16) and a deliverer (4,15,20,23). He will always do the right thing by his people. Our feelings are fickle and the pain of the present can cloud the recollection of the past, but God’s character is always constant and always reliable. To recall Scriptures which speak of his faithfulness, to sing songs which speak of his righteousness, to focus on his salvation–these are mental disciplines which will see us through times of trouble. We can, with the psalmist, cry out for God to repeat the salvation and protection of the past. This is not to be glib: the pain and the doubts are real. Sometimes it seems almost impossible to hold on, when God cannot be found, when we are in “the depths of the earth” (20). Then, when we can do nothing, God can still deliver, even if we do not see how.

Apply

Analyze your fears and struggles in the light of this psalm. How will you allow it to shape your response? What hope will you take from it?

Closing prayer

Heavenly Father, when there is a whole lot of shaking going on around me, my hope in You keeps me from shaking. All thanks and praise to You!

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store