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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Psalm Chapter 71

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: David, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, Moses, and the Sons of Korah
Date Penned: (1440-586 BC)
Overview: Poetry for the Expression of Praise and Worship to God (c 1-150)
Theme: The Second Book of Psalms (c 42-72)
Message: God's Constant Help (v 1-24)

Psalms 71 Commentary

(71:1) Restoration and Joy - The psalm writer was aging and saw his life as an example and testimony to others of all God had done for him and through him (74.7, 18). Remembering our lifetimes of blessings from God will help us to see the consistency of his grace throughout the years, to trust him for the future, and to share with others the benefits of following him. Let him restore you (71:20-21) and bring you joy (71:23). 

(7:6-7) Give God the Glory - God helps us constantly. He is the reason we succeed at anything in life. He is worthy of our praise and thanks. To take the credit for our success is dishonest and robs God of the slory due to him. 

(71:14) Our Constant Help - As we face the sunset years, we recognize that God has been our constant help in the past. When physical strength wanes, we need God even more, and we realize he is still our constant help. We must never despair but continue to expect his help no matter how severe our limitations. Hope in him helps us to keep going and to keep serving him. 

(71:18) Serving the Lord - A person is never too old to serve God and never too old to pray. Though age may stop us from certain physical activities, it need not stifle our desire or limit our opportunities to tell others (especially children about all we have seen God do in the many years we've lived.)


Dave Burnette's Life Application

An Open Book


Each day, we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter, making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Psalms with Chapter 71. In our text today, we see a theme of God's constant help - from childhood to old age, our lives testify to what God has done for us. In making an application, we see that our Christian lives are a book—a book of testimony to the Glory of God working in and through the life of a believer. Our lives are not perfect, but the life of a believer should be lived as an open book in a world that desperately needs to see Christ. How about you? Do you live your life as an open book before others in your life? Let us learn from our Psalm and text today to remember that our Christian life should be an open book, and although we are not to be "of the world," but are to live "in the world" as an open book of the love, redemption, and victory that comes from a life in Christ-Jesus.

 

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Psalm 71

Psalm 71

 1In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

 2Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

 3Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

 4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

 5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

 6By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

 7I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

 8Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

 9Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

 10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

 11Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

 12O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

 13Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

 14But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

 15My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

 16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

 17O 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.

 19Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

 20Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

 21Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

 22I 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.

 23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

 24My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.