Psalm 71

Psalm Category: Individual Lament

Central Thought: When we face difficulties, we are reminded of the few things that matter most.

Psalm 71 is not attributed to David, but the language and themes of his psalms echo throughout this one. There is the pressure of relentless enemies, and the desperate prayer to God to “be my strong refuge.” Whether or not the author is David, this psalm gives us a view of how true faith responds to the pressures of adversity with a renewed focus on a few fundamental things.

First, the psalmist takes stock in the one fundamental fact of his life—his salvation. Whatever else may be said, this is not in doubt: “You have given the commandment to save me” (v. 3b). These words express the sovereignty of God’s saving grace by envisioning it as a divine commandment, something that is authoritatively pronounced and therefore unquestionably secure.

We don’t often think of our salvation as a “commandment,” but to see it this way reminds us that our salvation is steadfast and unchanging. It is comforting to read in Psalm 119 how firm, perfect, and unchanging are God’s commandments, and to realize that your salvation is one of them. The commandment of salvation gives the author of Psalm 71 a comforting assurance that enables him to face the challenges of the moment. We, too, will share in this comfort if the fundamental fact of God’s sovereign grace forms the context of our thoughts.

Second, the psalmist reviews the fundamental history of God’s mercy in his life. He has had his share of hardships (v. 20), his ups and downs as we might call them, but God’s grace has always prevailed. Whatever challenges there were to face, this is the fundamental storyline of his life: “You are my trust from my youth. By you I have been upheld from birth” (vv. 5-6). “O God, You have taught me from my youth” (v. 17a). The long precedent of God’s grace, when remembered and dwelt upon, gives the psalmist the assurance that his present troubles will not overwhelm him.

Our disposition to respond a certain way to present circumstances—our attitude—is built upon the evidence of past experiences and is a reflection of what we learned from them. As Christians, we have a large and growing body of evidence, as long as redemptive history and as close at hand as our memories, that affirms that our God’s grace is more than sufficient to meet any challenge. The believer’s attitude, especially in times of trouble, should be founded upon this long precedent of God’s unchanging mercy, and should reflect what we have learned from it. Even in the midst of great hardship and strong opposition, the psalmist could only confess that the fundamental storyline of his life has been, and will yet be, the prevailing grace of God.

Finally, the psalmist embraces his most fundamental purpose—to glorify God and enjoy Him. His response to the challenges of the moment is to redouble his worship: I will praise You yet more and more (v. 14). The entire psalm is punctuated with words of praise to the point where the psalmist’s troubles are outshined, and his enemies drowned out, by joyous exclamations such as this: “Also with the lute I will praise You—And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel!” (v. 22). One may almost envision the psalmist blissfully ignoring the encircling enemies while playing his harp and singing his praise, but this is an escape to reality rather than from it. What glorifies God is truly what is best for us, and we are never so rightly oriented in life as when we are rightly oriented toward God in sincere worship.

The basics are still what matter most. The psalmist’s hardships led him a long way in realizing that a few fundamental things—the gift of salvation, the history of God’s grace, and the calling to worship —are the things that enable us to live joyfully and godly in service to Christ through all the circumstances of life.

—C. J. Williams