One Minute Devotional: Psalm 71

Showing posts with label Psalm 71. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Praising God

Then I will praise you with music on the harp, because you are faithful to your promises, O my God. I will sing praises to you with lyre, O holy One of Israel. I will shout for joy and sing you praises, for you have ransomed me. I will tell about your righteous deeds all day long, for everyone who tried to hurt me has been shamed and humiliated. Psalm 71: 22-24 NLT

I will praise you because everyone who has hurt me has been shamed and humiliated.

Well, I really don't believe that is a good thing! I believe the first statements are more sincere: I will praise you because you are faithful to your promises, you have ransomed me and you are righteous in all your deeds.

Interesting that the psalm ends on praise because God has revenged the psalmist, not just saved him.

Despite being betrayed by his own people, Jesus never called down fire from heaven to destroy the Jewish religious leaders. Instead, the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire came and settled on everyone so that all who heard could be moved by the story of Jesus. This was for all the Jews in Jerusalem, not just the laity.

Despite being executed by the Gentiles, Jesus did not strike them down from heaven. Instead, Jesus appeared in a bright light to Saul so that he would be the instrument of taking the message to the Gentiles. This included those Romans in the military.

God has saved us rather than become our instrument of revenge. Let us praise God together!

God, I will praise you for all the wonderful things you have done for me. I especially praise you for saving me through Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Who Can Compare?

Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the hightest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare to you, O God? You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me ocne again. Psalm 71: 19-21 NLT

We do not worship a God of prosperity. We worship a God who loves us and redeems us and provides us with what we need. God will allow hardships to come in our lives. But God also is capable of restoring our honor and our comfort (not our power or riches). It is not that God minds when we prosper but that is not what God is about. In fact, if we are given more we are expected to do more!

Is there any human on this earth today that can compare to God?

Why, then, do we spend so much time on our own prosperity and less time to give God glory and thanksgiving?

Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the hightest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare to you, O God? In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Proclaim to the New Generation

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Psalm 71: 17-18 NLT

So, how is the older generation in your church or family doing in proclaiming God's mighty miracles? How often do they witness to either teens or children?

Or are the generations being shuffled off to their age appropriate activities? Did the children's table morph into the teen table? Are the college agers even at home or at church during the holidays? And if the two groups come together, who is doing the witnessing and who is being silent?

Where can you help different generations to come together and learn from one another? How can you create an atmosphere where younger generations can respect and listen to the older generations proclaim God's mighty miracles?

O God, let your power be proclaimed to this new generation, so that they know of the mighty miracles you have done. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

How Often do I Praise God?

But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. Psalm 71: 14-16 NLT

Okay, I cannot say that I am not skilled with words. Writing comes fairly easily to me. I can speak well in public. But how often am I praising God and giving God the glory?

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed for a local news cast. Instead of praising God for allowing me to witness on television, I have focused on being seen on the news. “Did you see me on the news?” sadly became the first words out of my mouth for about a week. When not many people had seen me, I eventually shut up. I would have been better off spending my time telling God thanks for allowing me to witness and be seen. I would have been better praising God for the opportunity to share what God has put on my heart.

How about you? Where have you needed to give God the glory but didn't?

God, I will praise you more and more. I will praise your mighty deeds. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

An example to many

My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. And now, in my old age, don't set me aside. Don't abandon me when my strength is failing. For my enemies are whispering against me. They are plotting together to kill me. They say, “God has abandoned him. Let's go and get him, for no one will help him now.” O God, don't stay away. My God, please hurry to help me. Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers. Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me. Psalm 71: 7-13 NLT

This is the prayer from a nursing or retirement home. Can you imagine what it is like to live in one? Don't you think those folks sometimes feel abandoned?

I can hear their cries in this psalm. Don't set me aside in my old age, God! Don't abandon me just because I am not as young as I used to be! Don't let people think I have been abandoned. God, don't abandon me, don't stay away. Please hurry to help me because you have always been my strength and my protection.

Of course, the psalmist didn't know about nursing homes. He just knew about growing old and feeling useless. He understood what it meant to be helpless when he used to be able to do for himself. God gave assistance to him when he was young and virile. Surely God wouldn't abandon him and leave him for his enemies now!

God, no matter how old I become or where I end up living, please don't abandon me. Help me to always know you are with me. I will declare your glory all day long. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

With me even before I was born

O Lord, you alone are my hope. I've trusted you, O Lord, from childhoold. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother's womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! Psalm 71: 5-6 NLT

No wonder I am always praising you – you have been a part of my life even from before I was born!

These verses speak to my life. I was put up for adoption as an infant. I now know part of my story and understand the human whys. But as I look back on those events, I can clearly see the hand of God in all that transpired. In fact, I see God at work before I took my first breath. I see God keeping me safe from abortion. I see God directing my blood grandmother and my blood mother. I see God directing the state agency that set up the adoption proceedings. I see God in that hospital when I was born, there in the room when my blood mother held me for the first and last time.

No wonder I am always praising God – God has been a part of my life even from before I was born!

Maybe your story is not like mine. But I know you have a story about God in your life before you were born as well.

God, I praise you for being with me even before I was born. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Monday, February 13, 2012

God, Protect Me

O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of crue oppressors. Psalm 71: 1-4 NLT

What do you need saving from? A sin or temptation? Someone from a previous relationship? A mean employer? A controlling friend?

The psalmist asks for God's protection because God does what is right. God listens. God sets us free. God is our rock and our safety. God provides a place to hide. God saves us and rescues us even from those who are wicked, powerful and cruel.

Think of one time in your life when you clung to God like a rock and hid in God's shadow. Did you feel protected? Rescued? Do you trust that God can do the same for you today?

One Minute Devotional