“I will always have hope”
[Psalms 71:1-14]
President Nixon's assistant, Chuck Colson, wrote his book" Born Again," focusing on his experience in prison. He said he saw three people among the prisoners: the first is a hopeless prisoner who hits his head against the wall and hurt his own body, the second kind is the hopeless prisoner who squat down in their own chambers, and the third kind of prisoners are waiting for the day to leave the prison and thus they exercise whenever they have an opportunity. Although they are in prison, they act like they will go out tomorrow. Even though their bodies are trapped in prison, their minds are out there and enjoy freedom. Those who live in hope are free. Their lives are overflowing with hope. Those who attitude is positive and optimistic are looking at the light even in the dark. But those who are pessimistic see darkness even in the light. Do you look at the light in the darkness or the darkness in the light?
What is God's thought toward us? The Scripture Jeremiah 29:11 says the God’s plans for us is to give us a future and a hope and not for calamity. I hope and pray that God, who gives us hope and future give us hope through Psalms 71:1-14. God wants us to make a resolution that 'I will always have hope'. So today I would like to meditate on three things under the title of "I will always have hope": First, what was the situation of the psalmist David who seemed hopeless; Second, why the psalmist said, “I will always have hope”; and third, what life was like for the psalmist who decided “I will always have hope”.
The first thing I want to think about is the hopeless situation that David was in.
The psalmist David was in danger of life because of “the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men” (v. 4) and his "enemies" (v. 10). They conspired together and waited to kill David (v. 10). Here, the “cruel men” are those wicked men or the unrighteous men, who are utterly evil, who cannot stop evil and repent but make evil more widespread (Park Yun-sun). Because such people were aiming at the life of David, he was in a situation where there seemed to be no human hope at the crossroads of life and death. Then David made this decision: “But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.”
The second thing I want to think about is the reasons why David decided to always have hope in his hopeless situation.
(1) The first reason is because the Lord was his hope.
Look at Psalms 71:5 – “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD ….” This world can never give us hope. It is only despair that this world can give us. Satan keeps trying to make us to be in despair. But in this world of despair, we live joyfully in hope. The reason is that our Lord is our hope. Although all that we believe in this world will be cut off, we must believe in the covenant of our Savior, and thus our hope will be even greater. Although all that we believe in this world is cut off, we must continually hold onto and stand firm on the Lord’s promises. Then our hope in the Lord will grow bigger in the Lord.
(2) The second reason is because the Lord is his rock.
Look at Psalms 71:3 – “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.” Whenever David’s enemies tried to kill him, he always went to the Lord who was his rock and his fortress. In verse 3, David described the Lord as “my rock of refuge”. The word "rock" here refers to a reliable and trustworthy object of faith because it is solid (Park). When his strength was failing because of his enemies, David relied on God who was his strength. The reason why David’s heart didn’t shake in persecution and suffering because of his enemies was because he took refuge in the Lord who is his rock and his fortress. Like Abraham, our fathers of faith, who hoped in hopeless situation, we who hope in the Lord in this hopeless world is because of the promise word of God that He has given us. When we stand firmly in the God’s promise we will not be shaken. And we can pray and wait with expectation that God will fulfill the promise. The word of the promise that David held unto from the Lord who is His rock was the God’s command to save him (v. 3). Therefore, David hoped for salvation and took refuge in God who is his rock with the assurance of salvation.
(3) The third reason is because the Lord has been his hope and confidence since his youth.
Look at Psalms 71:5 – “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.” Even in a situation where there was no hope in David’s perspective, he determined to always have hope in the Lord because he had conviction that God who had been protecting him and delivering him since from his youth to until this time of crisis when he was writing this Psalms 71 would protect him and deliver him from the present crisis. I truly hope that this confidence of David will be planted not only in our hearts but also specifically in our young children’s hearts. If our children learn how to rely on God from their childhood, I am sure it will be great strength and hope for them when they live in this tough world.
The third and the last thing that I want to think about is about the David’s life who decided “I will always have hope.”
(1) He had taken refuge in the Lord.
Look at Psalms 71:1 – “In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; ….” The psalmist David confessed that the Lord was his strong refuge (v. 7). That was why David had taken refuge in the Lord who was his strong refuge when his enemies gave him despair. The Lord was his rock of refuge, to which he could always go (v. 3).
(2) He prayed to his God.
First, David asked God to save him. Look at Psalms 71:2 – “Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.” As David prayed to God to deliver him from his enemies who were the wicked and the unrighteous, he specifically asked God to rescue from them (v.4). Second, David prayed to God not to case him away. Look at verse 9: “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.” David prayed that God would not leave him when he was old and his strengthen was gone. Third, David prayed to God that his enemies fail. Look at verses 10-13: “For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.’ Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.”
(3) He always praised God.
Look at Psalms 71: 6, 14: “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you. … But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” The psalmist David decided to praise the Lord more and more when his enemies spread evil more and more. David, who had always taken refuge in the Lord who was his rock (shelter), always praised Him under His protection. So David said: “My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long” (v. 8). He who always trusts in God always praises Him even in situations where there seems to be no hope. The reason is that he believes that only the Lord is the hope. We who believe in Him who is our hope must praise God whatever circumstances we may be in.
In any circumstance where there seems to be no hope, we must determine to have hope always because of the Lord who is our hope, our rock and our confidence since our youth. And we must always praise the Lord. Let us all who always hope in the Lord praise the Lord all the time, even in despair for He is worthy to receive our praises.
Wishing to be established as a worshiper who praises the Lord by hoping in Him in the midst of despair,
James Kim
(Thanking the Lord for giving me hope by restoring my heart through the Wednesday night prayer meeting)