You, O Lord, Are Our Hope!
Psalms 71:1-6 (NRSV) 1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress, to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.
This morning I awoke to news of one policeman and two policewomen slain in the line of duty over the last several days. My heart hurts. My tears freely flowed, partially because of the senseless loss of life, partially because the lives of the officers’ families will never be the same, and partially because there seems to be no spiritual or moral restraint left to prevent this type of atrocity.
Psalm 71 was written by David during his old age. David was not a perfect man, but he served a perfect God. David knew where his hope lay, and his faith never wavered. We, too, serve a perfect God, and regardless of the cruelties of this world, our faith must remain strong.
But how do we accomplish such a feat? First, keep a notebook and enter the times your faith was tested, but God proved stronger than your opposition. Trust me, doing this is a faith-builder.
Secondly, stay in touch with God through prayer, scripture reading, and attending a Bible believing church regularly. Can your faith be built up without going to church? Let me put it this way…when you are hungry all you need to satisfy your hunger is to go to the table. If we are spiritually hungry, or our faith is growing weak, one of the best things we can do is go to the Church’s table, where we will find grace, faith, and other Christ followers who will lift us up with their prayers and friendship.
Sometimes we may feel we are on this journey alone, but we are not.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Father God, today we call on You for strength. May our faith be bolstered by You and by those You place within our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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