“A WONDERFUL PSALM OF AN AGED SAINT” PSALM 71:1-24

The psalmist of this wonderful psalm is unknown; however, Psalm 71 depicts the continual trust of an aged saint in God despite experiencing trouble from the wicked. There are many aged saints that can readily testify that you can count on the Lord to deliver in times of trouble. They can really testify that God is faithful and He will deliver, for Psalm 46:1 states, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And they can testify that if you wait on Him, that He will deliver, for Psalm 40:1-3 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

In verses 1-4, the psalmist begins this grand psalm as he pleads to God for deliverance from the wicked. He first recognizes that it is God alone that can sustain him as he states in verse 1 “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.” The psalmist asked God in verse 4 to protect him from his enemies for he knew that the Lord was the only source of his security; “Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.”

Despite the afflictions of the psalmist, he asserts that the Lord was his hope; therefore he shall continually praise God (vv. 5-8). Verse 5 states, “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.” The psalmist realizes that from the earliest part of his existence God has preserved him.

The psalmist continues to ask God to help him despite the fact that others thought that God had abandoned him (vv. 9-13). The enemies thought to take advantage of this advanced aged saint, but the psalmist prays intensely in verses 9-10, “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth. For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.”

The psalmist also had a resolve to praise the Lord as he had from his youth up (vv. 14-18). The psalmist really had a resolve to testify of the Lord’s awesome saving deeds! His desire was to witness to the generation as he prays in verses 17 and 18, “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. 18Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

The psalmist was confident of the Lord’s deliverance and full restoration, for no one can compare to the Lord in doing great things (vv. 19-21). He exclaims with exuberance in verse 19, “Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!”

The psalmist concludes this wonderful psalm in praise, anticipating that the Lord will deliver him from his enemies (vv. 22-24). He makes his praise known in verse 22, “I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy  One of Israel.”

May God Bless!