Psalm 71:5

Psalm 71:5

You have been my hope

This verse gives us a further hint of the kind of hope that comes from trusting in the Lord. Against a background of intimidation and threats, of wicked and cruel enemies, the writer here needs reassurance. There seems to be no earthly way out, no close accomplices who might come to the rescue, so David’s eyes (see the introduction) go heavenward. As he reflects on his past, he realises that there has only ever been one sure hope, one reason to keep going, one bright beam of light in the darkness of his journey. That light is, of course, the Lord. 

Such hope is more than just a vague anticipation that things might get better. It is more than a diary date that may or may not be kept. It is greater than a rational expectation that something will come good. Farmers hope for good crops. Holiday makers hope for good weather. Exam students hope for good results. Expectant mothers hope for the safe delivery of their babies. These forms of hope have varying degrees of certainty, whereas hope in God is absolutely guaranteed. If you think about it, hope in the Lord is the only hope that is certain, nothing can hinder or cancel what He has promised. Our view of the future must be coloured by the knowledge that what He has said, He will do. There are no ifs or buts. Take that thought one step further and true believers are the only people on earth who have certainty and a correct assessment of what lies ahead!

An old man probably wrote this Psalm and he is full of hope, but note that his confidence in the Lord has been with him since youth. True hope is for all who trust in our God, and it lasts for a lifetime!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 4:1 Smear campaigns

Psalm 4:1    Smear campaigns   The background to this Psalm is so familiar; David is being slandered and maligned by his detractors.  It seems that some calamity has befallen the nation and the king is getting the blame! Lies are being told, a smear campaign has begun, and the reputation of the Sovereign is under threat.  As usual, if something goes wrong, culpability is laid at the feet of the one in charge.  David, quite rightly, turns to the Lord his God and prays for relief and for mercy. The Satan is a master of such campaigns and his emissaries gleefully turn on Christians in leadership positions although the whispering campaign can affect all of us. The whispering starts in our own heads, but it can also come from the lips of our detractors. It goes something like this: - You’re the reason it went wrong You messed up again You should have seen it coming Surely you know better You are not worthy You don’t know what you’re doing Someone else ought to be in c
Read more

Psalm 74:16

Psalm 74:16 God established the sun and the moon “ In  the beginning   God created   the heavens   and the earth.   2  Now the earth was formless   and empty,   darkness was over the surface of the deep,   and the Spirit of God   was hovering over the waters. 3  And God said,   “Let there be light,” and there was light.   4  God saw that the light was good,   and he separated the light from the darkness.   5  God called   the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”   And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” These, so familiar, words from Genesis 1 remind us of who is in charge! There would be no light without God. There would be no day or night without God. There would be no earth without God. And there would have been no living things unless God had created order out of chaos. The sun, moon and stars would not be fixed in their orbits without God and you and I would not exist unless He ordered our conception. It is because we see God as glorious, righteous
Read more
Psalm4:8        I will lie down and sleep                Th ere are times, in the life of all believers, when we no longer have control of situations. We can do nothing more. We have given our all, we have tried every possible solution and now it is out of our hands. As someone has wisely said, “It is time to let go and let God.” If we truly trust Him, if our faith will allow us, we can turn our backs on our enemies. We can block our ears to the threats. We can ignore the lies and the deceit and say,  “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone Lord, make me dwell in safety.” I should imagine that the devil, having sent a hurricane our way is not amused, when we settle in our beds in the midst of it all and drift off into a peaceful sleep! But that is our right and privilege once we let the Lord God Almighty take control. These spiritual attacks are like whirlwinds, they blow with terrifying intensity and threaten to turn us upside down; the disciples witnessed one of thes
Read more