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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Psalms 71:1-16
Thou art "my trust from my youth . . ." says the psalmist (v. 5) and in v. 17: "O God, thou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works". Happy is the believer who early in youth enters the school of God and learns there to trust in Him. "By thee have I been holden up", he says also (v. 6). The Lord is his strong refuge (v. 7), his rock and his fortress (v. 3), expressions we meet with frequently in the psalms (e.g. Psalms 31:2-3). As far as we in Western countries are concerned, we do not usually meet persecution. But, and we cannot repeat this too often, the enemies which "lay wait for" our souls are no less formidable than those mentioned in vv. 10 and 13. 1 Peter 2:11 puts us on our guard against " fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" . When they rise up, let us without delay seek our refuge in God, where we shall be certain to find complete deliverance. Meanwhile the Lord is more than a strong tower for the believer: "My praise shall be continually of thee . . . Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day" (vv. 6, 8, 14, 22, 23). The Lord Jesus alone could fully say that (cf. also vv. 6, 11, 12 respectively with Psalms 22:9; Psalms 22:11; Psalms 22:19). May it also be given to us, dear fellow believers, to realise this in some small degree.
