God Speaks
71 1 O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced.
2 Save me and rescue me,
for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me,
and set me free.
3 Be my rock of safety
where I can always hide.
Give the order to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,
from the clutches of cruel oppressors.
5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!
7 My life is an example to many,
because you have been my strength and protection.
8 That is why I can never stop praising you;
I declare your glory all day long.
9 And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside.
Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.
10 For my enemies are whispering against me.
They are plotting together to kill me.
11 They say, “God has abandoned him.
Let’s go and get him,
for no one will help him now.”
12 O God, don’t stay away.
My God, please hurry to help me.
13 Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.
Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me.
14 But I will keep on hoping for your help;
I will praise you more and more.
15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
though I am not skilled with words.
16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.
I will tell everyone that you alone are just.
17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
18 Now that I am old and gray,
do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?
20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
21 You will restore me to even greater honor
and comfort me once again.
22 Then I will praise you with music on the harp,
because you are faithful to your promises, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
for you have ransomed me.
24 I will tell about your righteous deeds
all day long,
for everyone who tried to hurt me
has been shamed and humiliated.
72 A psalm of Solomon.
1 Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
and righteousness to the king’s son.
2 Help him judge your people in the right way;
let the poor always be treated fairly.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
and may the hills be fruitful.
4 Help him to defend the poor,
to rescue the children of the needy,
and to crush their oppressors.
5 May they fear you as long as the sun shines,
as long as the moon remains in the sky.
Yes, forever!
6 May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass,
like the showers that water the earth.
7 May all the godly flourish during his reign.
May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.
8 May he reign from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
9 Desert nomads will bow before him;
his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands
will bring him tribute.
The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba
will bring him gifts.
11 All kings will bow before him,
and all nations will serve him.
12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
and he will rescue them.
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are precious to him.
15 Long live the king!
May the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May the people always pray for him
and bless him all day long.
16 May there be abundant grain throughout the land,
flourishing even on the hilltops.
May the fruit trees flourish like the trees of Lebanon,
and may the people thrive like grass in a field.
17 May the king’s name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him
and bring him praise.
18 Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such wonderful things.
19 Praise his glorious name forever!
Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
20 (This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Psalm 71: In verses 1-5a the psalmist petitions the LORD for rescue from wicked oppressors based on who God is and his relationship with Him. In verses 5b-9 the psalmist states that his life from birth to his current old age is an example and role model of God’s care and a human’s response. Verses 10-11 focus on the enemies’ activity. Verses 12-13 tell what the psalmist wants God to do. Verses 14-18 relate what the psalmist is doing while waiting for the LORD to act on his behalf. In verses 19-21 the psalmist expresses his admiration and trust to God Himself. Finally, in verses 22-24 the psalmist enumerates what he plans to do in regard to God in the future.
Psalm 72: The superscript for this psalm reads Of Solomon. It may have been written as a blessing-prayer by the aging King David on behalf of his son Solomon or by Solomon himself seeking God’s blessing on his upcoming reign. It also points to the eternal rule and reign of the Messiah Jesus. The author of this blog is claiming it as a prayer for blessing and plea for wisdom, guidance, protection, and prosperity for all those who are now or will ever trust in Christ Jesus as individuals and as nations.
Prayer: I declare, O LORD God, You are my (and my nation’s) only source of strength, protection, rescue, and salvation. Only You can give the order to save us. O LORD, rescue this nation, especially Your people, from the power of the wicked and from the clutches of cruel oppressors–whatever form they may take. Make my life an example of what You can do to transform what is entrusted to Your care. Show the people of this world that You never abandon those who trust in You–even when we are old or weak and can do nothing for ourselves. Bring disgrace, destruction, humiliation, accusation, and shame back on those who would seek to harm and destroy those who love You. In response, those of us who love and obey You will sing, praise, and proclaim Your righteousness throughout this land and the world. Present and future generations (young and old, men and women, rich and poor, bosses and workers, mighty and weak) will praise You and proclaim Your mighty miracles to all who will listen. No one is like You, O LORD! You promise in Your Word that in the midst of suffering and hardship, You will comfort, strengthen, and restore Your people by Your grace. Your enemies who sought to hurt us will be shamed and humiliated while we will shout for joy, sing Your praises, and tell of Your righteous deeds all day long.
LORD God, You have guided this nation (USA) and its government so that the government is expected to serve the people as they follow You (or at least abide by Your principal directives) rather than the other way around. Therefore, I address this psalm as a prayer asking You to guide and bless Your people as we choose those who will represent us. May those we choose exercise Your love of justice and righteousness, treat the poor fairly, facilitate prosperity and fruitful harvests, rescue the children in need, punish the true oppressors, and fear (highly esteem) You. May the reign of people in positions of authority be refreshing and truly helpful to those who elected or selected them. May this result in their being honored but turning it back to You. Please use the leaders who follow You to answer the poor when they cry; help the oppressed; show compassion to the weak and needy; and rescue the lives of Your precious ones from oppression, violence, and death. May Your people honor their representatives with their prayers and blessings all day long. Then You will respond with flourishing crops, abundant harvests, and fruitful forests. Then the human regime and the Messianic rule will cause the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, to be praised throughout the whole earth. Amen and AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will seek the LORD for protection for myself and for all the righteous ones who are being harassed or persecuted.
- I will talk with God daily: praising Him for who He is and what He has done in the past, present, and future in my life.
- I will not try to defend myself but turn my problems, especially with enemies, over to God.
- I will discuss with God whom to vote for, then pray for and encourage whomever is elected.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.