Psalm 71 – A Psalm of Hope

Who or what is your anchor?

Psalm 71 is a psalm of hope. It reminds us of God’s constant help and our testimony of being anchored to the Rock. When our future seems uncertain, we can look back and see the certainty of God and we can rely on that certainty to continue in the future. Psalm 71 is a  wonderful mix of problems and praise. We can choose joy in the midst of struggle. We can choose to anchor ourselves to God, our rock and salvation. Make Psalm 71 your prayer today. I’ve been studying and praying through this psalm. Here are some of my notes.

God is our Rock

Verses 1-3: Trust in God who delivers His people

These verses describe the writer’s trust in God and his confidence in that trust. He is satisfied with God’s promises and boldly asks God, his Rock, for deliverance. 

Verses 4-6: Trust in God’s steadfast care

These verses describe the troubles of the writer and proclaim his hope and trust in God. His confidence in God is encouraged by his experiences from the earliest stages of life. With this confidence in God’s continued care, he makes requests and promises continued praise.

Verses 7-11: A strong refuge throughout life

These verses describe that in spite of many troubles, the writer continues to trust in God, his refuge, and it is evident to the people around him. The focus is less on the writer’s circumstances and more on the strong refuge. The praise and gratitude is intentional. As he ages, the writer asks for continued faithfulness of God as he knows his strength will potentially fail – physically, mentally, and spiritually. He continues to trust in God’s faithfulness even when the world claims God has forsaken him. 

Verses 12-13: A strong refuge against enemies

Here the writer asks for God’s immediate help and protection from the enemies determined to bring him down. His prolonged troubles deepened his trust in God and God’s faithfulness. He wants the enemies defeated and discredited.

Verses 14-16: Steadfast hope, steadfast strength, and steadfast praise

In these verses the writer continues to have problems but also continues to hope and praise God. Because of God’s faithfulness, the writer continues to trust in His faithfulness for the future. The praise is intentional and keeps him from despair. There are not enough hours in the day to tell of God’s unlimited righteousness. His confidence comes from relying on God’s strength, and on God’s strength alone. 

Verses 17-18: A lifetime of God’s strength

In these verses the writer shares the benefits and blessings of trusting God early in life, and how he’s still trusting and talking about God in his aging years. He wants to continue to proclaim this truth and testimony. He asks for God’s presence so that he can continue praising Him to a new generation. 

Verses 19-21: God’s greatness

The writer praises God for His greatness that compares to no other. He writes that God has allowed him great troubles and great revivals. God never left him. He trusts God to be steadfast in the future and that he expects to see more of God’s goodness and power.

Verses 22-24: Praise music

The writer proclaims his praise with his words and his music, making melody to God in his heart and his space. It is a song of God’s faithfulness and His holiness. It is the writer declaring he will give praise to God all day long, especially as God defeats his enemies. 

Adore God for His strength and goodness. Praise Him for His shelter and solid foundation. Thank Him for His steadfast love and protection. Ask Him for refuge and strength. Trust His attributes to continue to be true and trustworthy. Never be ashamed of your dependence on God. Come boldly before Him in prayer. Speak of His greatness often to others. Have hope not despair. Continue praising and trusting as you anchor to God, your rock and shelter from the storms of life. Choose joy. Long for glory. Let praise be your lifestyle, not just an occasional celebration.

Whatever we do in word or deed should reflect a lifetime of experiencing the goodness of God in whom we place our trust and hope. Psalm 71:7-8.

Consider memorizing Psalm 71:7-8. Here’s a post about memorizing Bible verses.

Table Talk: Who or what do you look to for protection or safety? Are you able to trust in those anchors when you need to? How does it make a difference day to day? 

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