Psalm 71:18-21 - July 27, 2009

Ps 71:18-21 “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. 19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? 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 again." NIV

In our last devotional we considered the psalmists reflection on his past, present and future in the Lord and the testimony that flows out of a life that has developed a history in God. This continuation of the verses in psalm 71 adds to the flavor of the psalmist’s reflection. In verse 18 a father’s heart emerges as the psalmist looks beyond this current generation to express his desire to pass on what God has done in his life. This is the true nature of spiritual fatherhood and mature Christian experience. The psalmist’s vision does not stop with himself. His longing is to pass on what the Lord has imparted to him over the years and he is turning that desire into active prayer. “Do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation…” During a time when it is many people’s vision to retire and to think of self this psalmist’s life vision is to persevere as a mentor to build faith in the younger generation even when he is old and gray. Lord raise up this kind of heart in our day and age!
After this appeal concerning his future role as a father to the next generation the psalmist continues to lift up his confident praises and a confession of his certainty of God’s faithfulness. His praise for the Lord is the message that he desires to impart to the next generation. Righteousness that reaches to the skies, God of power and might, God who is beyond comparison, this is the message that he desires to implant in future hearts. One of the powerful considerations of this passage is that the psalm itself is what God used to fulfill the psalmist own prayer. Even today, thousands of years later the psalmist’s prayer is still being answered as he instructs the generations to come through this very psalm itself. Our hearts are strengthened in their knowledge of God and the psalmist’s prayer is fulfilled as we learn from his testimony of God. It is truly awesome to understand the reality that God answers many times progressively and to a much larger scale and scope than we could have imagined when we pray them. This knowledge should encourage us to pray bigger prayers and believe for even bigger answers from a God who has prepared for us more than we could ask, think or imagine!
This portion of psalm 71 also contains within it a powerful reflection on God’s faithfulness in the context of a life that has tasted pain. The psalmist acknowledges that his life has tasted pain, that God has allowed him to experience trouble. He is not naively confessing that God would never allow such things to touch his life. Where his faith is directed is to the reality that even though his life has been touched by hard things God will be faithful to restore! The psalmist is able to confidently declare his assurance of the final destination. God will restore his honor. God will again bring comfort. This is faith. Not denial of reality, but assurance of outcome! Though the road may pass through the “valley of the shadow of death” it will not end there!!! This is the assurance of faith. It is confidence in the final state that carries us through the rocky road! This is the faith that the psalmist has learned over a life spent with God. Don’t set your eyes on the mountain that you face today. Lift your eyes up and look upon the promise that is waiting for you in God!