Quick Look: Psalm 71

Let's dip into this one (TM) and see what crops up.

• "In You, O LORD, I put my trust..." Tells right where the trust is going - it's in the Lord Himself
• "...Let me never be put to shame." Now we get the "what" of the trust. What am I trusting the Lord for? For everything, really - to save me from humiliation, and that makes it so personal. The shame that means something to me might be entirely different from what could cause shame for you. But we trust the Lord to keep us free of that.
• "Deliver me..." Start with the end in sight. I'm in trouble. I'm desperate. What is it that I need? I need to be delivered.
• "...in Your righteousness..." Well, we knew it wasn't going to be our righteousness to pull us out of the jam. It's the Lord's righteousness that is strong enough and real enough to give aid to us.
• "...and cause me to escape..." Again, the goal is clearly kept in sight. I'm in trouble, and I need to escape it! I don't think we fool God by beating around the bush, nor do we sneak one in on Him and trick Him into somehow helping us...
• "Incline Your ear to me, and save me." We all want to be heard. (TM)
• "Be my strong refuge..." This is key, because of what it says about my perception of the Lord's role in my life. I'm asking Him to be my refuge, implying that 1) I'll go to Him, seeking Him out of my own volition, and 2) I can stay there and ride out any storm.
• "...to which I may resort continually..." No time for shame or embarrassment here - just put the Lord on your speed dial and keep Him there - use that contact. It's what He wants, anyway.
• "...You have given the commandment to save me..." This clinches it: it is the Lord's stated will to save me, to help me, to rescue me, regardless of where I fall on the good-life or wise-choices meter.
  

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