Our hope and confidence

Psalm 71 is probably not the most well-known of the Psalms, but the more I read it, the more I like it.  It shows the hope and confidence that the psalmist had from knowing God, even during the darkest of times.

He wrote,

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.

Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.  (Psalm 71:1-2)

I love verse 5 where he writes,

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.

And as he prays for deliverance from his enemies, he once again sings,

As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.  (14)

In a world where people often lose hope because of what they’re going through, this verse resonates with me:  “As for me, I will always have hope.”

Why did he have that hope?  We see the answer in verse 20.

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.

So many times people get angry with God for the trials they have to endure.

But here, the psalmist expresses confidence in God’s goodness.  That though God allowed him to go through many trials, that God would raise him up once again.

And so throughout the psalm we see his heart of praise towards God, as he sings things like,

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things.  Who is like you, God?  (19)

And,

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.  (23)

How about you?  In the midst of what you’re going through now, have you lost hope?

Or like the psalmist, are you filled with hope and confidence that God will see you through?