Hobart Herd Devotional – Psalms 71
This is a Psalm of praise for the older believer! As I look back over 30 years of ministry in Hobart Community Church, I can honestly say that the Lord has never failed to be there for me. As I think of David looking back over his youth, I would hope that he could see the continual hand of God on his life. From the battles as a shepherd boy with the lions and the bears (1 Samuel 17), to the battle with Goliath, David had seen God fight for him and bring victory. Then we see the battles with Saul and God’s protection and refuge for him. I can just see David writing in his devotional journal, reminding himself of the many times when God stepped in and became his strength and refuge, bringing victory through it all! In verses 1-4 you hear David call on the Lord to be His refuge and fortress again as He has before. Not only did he need God to be His Rock and Fortress, but to also be His Deliverer from the hand of his enemies.
I love verse 7 which describes the life of David as a “portent, wonder, miracle” to those around him. He was like the cat with 9 lives as God continually came through for him in the face of insurmountable odds. I must say that God has done the same for me. I have been blessed with the Lord’s Presence, Strength, Comfort, Protection, and Power in unconceivable situations. There have been times when I have felt that I should write a book on the situations of a small town pastor, and how God uses them to minister His grace to others. God has been my hope and my confidence and I will truly praise Him more and more as I grow older.(vs. 5, 14)
While David calls on God to continue to be there for Him, in verses 18-19 we find his request taking on a new petition. Psalms 71:18-19, 18 And even when {I am} old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Thy strength to {this} generation, Thy power to all who are to come. 19 For Thy righteousness, O God, {reaches} to the heavens, Thou who hast done great things; O God, who is like Thee?(NAS) David wasn’t just interested in being rescued for his own sake, but he wanted the opportunity to declare the strength and power of God to the generations that followed him. I have witnessed the passing of a number of Hobart saints over the years, and the testimony to the faithfulness, love and power of God in their lives, even in the midst of their final moments have left a lasting impression on my life and my faith in the Lord. I now hope that when my time comes, I will be able to declare the faithful love and salvation of the Lord to all who I come in contact with. Psalms 71:23 – “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee; and my soul, which Thou hast redeemed.”(NAS)
Father, may my life be a testimony to Your loving faithfulness to me. I don’t want to just cry out to You for rescue, but I want to be a testimony of light to those who don’t have the light of hope in You. May I be a portent to those who need to see the wonders of our God. In Jesus Name, Amen! Pastor Rob