Author: timritanickel@gmail.com

Psalm 71:1-2 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape; incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

As the Psalm writer was aging he responded by putting his trust in the Lord. He knew the Lord would not let him down, be disappointed, confused, or ashamed. He could count on the Lord to hear him in his need, to deliver him from enemies, and to save him from trouble. And so he prayed the prayer of faith, believing God’s faithful love.

So also, we, in our need and trouble, put our trust in the Lord to hear our prayer. We look to Him alone, and nothing else, in prayer in Jesus’ name. Because of Christ our Father promises to hear, deliver, and save. Therefore, I can put my trust in Him, for He has in love given me everything I need for peace, comfort, and joy.

Psalm 70:1, 5 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord….But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God; thou art my help and my deliverer, O Lord, make no tarrying.

There are times when we feel the world and our enemies are against us, when we feel empty and broken. Then we respond by begging God to come to our aid, to be our help and deliverer. I need God’s help and I need it now. We don’t ask for help, wishing He would come, but we ask in faith knowing that He will come at just the right time, and will not delay.

The OT believers waited for what seemed like a long time for the promised Messiah to come and deliver. And “at the right time” the Son of God came and died for us. It may seem like a long time for God to answer our prayers, But the Lord is not late. He makes haste and comes and delivers at the right time. “Make haste” does not so much mean quickly according to my schedule, but it means at just the right time according to God’s timetable. I believe the Lord will be on time, “in the fullness of time.” He has done it, does it now, and will do it again.

Psalm 69:29-30 But I am poor and sorrowful: let my salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

David confesses that he is a poor, miserable sinner in a poor and sorrowful condition. He desperately needs God. Therefore, he responds by praising God with a song and magnifying with thanksgiving .

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we can still praise the Lord, for He is always good. There is no variableness or turning with Him. When we praise Him with song we feel better and our spirit is lifted. By faith we speak the truth to ourself that He is great and good to us, regardless of how we are feeling at the moment. We carry a song in our heart all the time.

We magnify Him, not to make God bigger than He is, but to strengthen our own faith and perception of God in our minds. We make Him bigger in our minds to stretch our imagination to come closer to the true greatness of God.

We pray to comprehend how high, deep, long, and wide is the love of God toward us. So we thank Him. Every time we thank God He is magnified in our minds and our faith is stronger.

Psalm 69:16 Hear me, O Lord, for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

David prays to be delivered from his enemies and be lifted up out of the miry pit. He trusts that the Lord will hear him and turn to him in his trouble. He knows the Lord will hear him because His lovingkindness is good and because of His mercies toward us.

He prays to and believes in the Lord and that He hears because He knows God and His character. His lovingkindness is good. Lovingkindness is a good translation of chested, steadfast love, the kind of goodness you can count on. And His tender mercies are manifold and ever present..

Jesus Christ is the tangible expression of the lovingkindness and tender mercies of God, and He fully reveals to us what God thinks of us. He is God in the flesh, and He is Love.

Psalm 69:13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

When times get tough and the world seems to be against me, I will remain steadfast in the faith and turn to the Lord in prayer. I believe that He hears me, sees my trouble, and answers. He hears my prayer because of His mercy, shown to us in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the tangible mercy of God. He hears my prayer because of His salvation, graced to me in Christ. The truth is, He loves, cares, saves, and hears.

John 1:14: “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the mercy and truth of God, who came to us in human flesh so we can touch Him, believe Him, and pray to the Father in Jesus’ name.

Other people may trust in horses and chariots and other things, but as for me, I will pray to the Lord in an acceptable time, in time of need. He is my only source and hope for wisdom, strength, and answers. I turn to God in prayer for immediate and constant needs. It is always an acceptable time.

Psalm 69:1-3 Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

Sometimes we get overwhelmed with a flood of deep waters, which threaten our feelings, thoughts, and worries. We respond by asking God to save us and bring us above the flood. He does so in our Baptism where the Old Man drowns and dies and sin and guilt is judged.

During an overwhelming time we grow weary of crying, both crying from depression and crying out to the Lord. We get tired of weeping over our miseries and crying for relief. Jesus says, “Come unto me, ye weary, and I will give you rest [Matthew 11:28].” When we cry, we know whom to cry to, the Lord of all good, rest, and comfort.

Then in confident faith we wait for God. We know He cares, hears, and answers, but we continue trusting while we wait. At the right time the Lord will come and lift our spirits and lift us above the flood. We cry and wait in patient faith.

Psalm 68:32, 34 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the esrth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah….Ascribe strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

Our God has overcome our enemies and established His people, the believers in Christ. Respond by singing praises unto God. The king of the universe is worthy of our praise and worship. Since the Lord God, Jesus Christ, is King and Savior of the kingdoms of earth, and everything is under His control, we may live out our lives singing praises unto God forever.

We have placed our trust in the Lord above all things. When we ascribe strength into the Lord we let go and let God. We simply obey the Lord, submit our will to Him, and enjoy His loving us and taking care of us. When we ascribe we acknowledge that Christ is our King and our God, and we believe that He is good to us and able to handle all things for our good. We can leave it in His strong and faithful hands. This is not natural or easy for us, but with God all things are possible. Ascribing comes from faith and strengthens faith. We pray to our father (who is kind and good) in heaven (who is strong enough to do it).

Psalm 68:3-4 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

With shouts of praise and sound of trumpets, David and his people took the Ark to Mt. Zion. It was time to praise God whose presence brings great joy. The Lord arose and drove away the enemy and the wicked perish at the presence of God. But the believers (the righteous) are glad and rejoice.

When we repent and believe and let Jesus into our heart to take up residence there and make His Presence known in our body, the temple. He drives away the enemies of our soul and brings only joy and peace. Fear, doubt, worry, anxiety, depression, and discouragement flee away, and joy rules. By the power of the Holy Spirit we invite Jesus into the heart to drive away fears and establish peace and love; and we reinvite every day to remind ourselves what we have and whose we are. The daily response is continual praise and exceeding rejoicing.

Psalm 67:3-5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern govern the nations upon earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

The Psalmist asks God to bless us, so that through us His way will be known on earth and His saving health among all nations. The Savior of the nations shall come out of God’s chosen people, and His disciples will spread the Gospel of blessing to all the earth. Then the people, all the people, are commanded to respond with praise to God, be glad and sing for joy. Praise and song and joy is our response to hearing the Gospel of the Savior.

The exact working out of this prophecy could not be known, but the OT believers could believe God’s Promise. Believers in Christ will carry this salvation message to all nations, who will respond with praise and joy. We today are the people who have heard the Gospel, believed it, are glad, and praise the Lord every day and all the time. Life is truly good when all the people are praising the Lord.

Psalm 67:1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.

The response of believers to their needs and to all life’s situations is to ask for mercy and blessing. We ask, not just hoping and wondering, but in faith, confident in the assurance that the Lord will grant mercy and blessing, because of Christ. We beg. We believe. God answers. We have what we ask for and what we need.

The Lord responds to our faith and prayer by smiling upon us. He “makes His face shine” and “lifts up His countenance” upon us. When He sees us, and He always does, He beams with joy over us as beloved children. Our Lord abundantly grants blessing and mercy (Jesus) as He responds to our needs and prayers. God’s mercy makes us happy, and, more surprisingly, we make Him happy. He smiles over us.