“May You increase my greatness”
[Psalms 71:15-24]
One of the things I felt when I attended the presbytery couple of weeks ago was the idea that the end of a pastor should be beautiful. In order to do that, I thought that I should become more and more like Jesus as time passes by and be faithful from the beginning to the end of the ministry. Then, the end of the pastor will be more beautiful and I will be able to earn respect from younger pastors. Although the beginning of the ministry is important, but the end is more important. And in order for the end to be beautiful, I came to think that I had to walk faithfully and humbly from the beginning to the end, with a growing heart that imitates the heart of the Lord even more.
When we think about our life's journey, I think of Job 8:7 – “Though your beginning was insignificant, Yet your end will increase greatly.” Although our beginning is insignificant, we pray that end will increase greatly. In Psalms 71:21, we see the psalmist praying to God, saying, “May You increase my greatness.” I would like to receive the lessons God gives us by meditating on three responsibilities that we have while asking God to increase our greatness.
First, we must receive God's instruction from our youth in order for our greatness to be increased.
Look at Psalms 71:17 – “O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.” Since youth, the psalmist put confidence in the Lord (v. 5). The reason he was able to resolve from the Lord, ‘I will always have hope,’ even in a situation where it seemed hopeless, was because he was guided and delivered from his youth to the age of writing this poem under God's protection. So he confessed that ‘I have been sustained from my birth’ (v. 6). The psalmist, who had been sustained by the Lord, was confident that God would protect and deliver him even in the midst of the pain, crisis, and despair he faced.
Gene A. Getz emphasizes three points in raising children: ‘parents' example’, ‘direct teaching’, and ‘encouragement’. However, in raising children as parent, what can cause anxiety and instability in our children is ‘parent’s over protection, over-tolerance, over-restraint and over-discretion’. Therefore, we parents must teach our children the word of God from an early age. We must teach them to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength (v. 5), put those commandments upon their hearts (v. 6) and impress them on our children (v. 7). Those who have loved God from their youth, have made the Lord their confidence, and have been sustained by Him will increase their greatness.
Second, we must grow in the immeasurable righteousness and salvation of God despite many and severe sufferings in order for our greatness to be increased.
Look at Psalms 71:15 – “My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.” Those who receive instruction from God and trust in the Lord from a young age need trial to grow in the Lord even more. Through that trial, he experiences God's grace deeper, wider, and more. In Psalms 71:20, the psalmist also said that when he looked back on his life as he grew old, God had made him to see troubles, many and bitter to train him. In the midst of such great troubles in the past, he experienced the Lord restoring his life again and brought him up again from the depth of the earth (v. 20), and was convinced that the same Lord would deliver him in the face of despair. Therefore, the psalmist experienced God's immeasurable righteousness and salvation, so he opened his mouth and determined to speak His immeasurable righteousness and salvation all day long (vv. 15, 24). Also, he determined like this: “I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone” (v. 16).
We may dwell in disappointment and despair because of severe suffering. But we can always have hope in that disappointment and despair (v. 14). It is because the Lord is our hope (v. 5). In particular, our Lord who is our hope is the God of salvation who restore our lives “again” and “again” brings us up when we are in despair (v. 20). He is the God who comforts us (v. 21). Like the psalmist, we are compelled to praise God when we fully experience the grace of God who restores us, lifts us up, and comforts us. Those who grow in God's immeasurable grace will increase their greatness.
Third and last, we must declare the Lord’s power to the next generation in order for our greatness to be increased.
Look at Psalms 71:18 – “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” Looking at these words, it turns out that the psalmist is certainly an old man (Park). In addition, in verse 9, we can see that he is an old man when he prays, “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.” He prayed to God, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me” (v. 18). Why did he pray like that? The reason was because he wanted to declare the power of the Lord to the next generation (v. 18). This shows that the psalmist had strong desire to witness and evangelize the Lord even when his strength was weak because he was old (Park).
What an image of the beautiful old man. Although he was physically weakened more and more, the psalmist committed to spreading the power of the Lord. What an image of the beautiful old man. As the psalmist looked back on his life as an old man, the last part of his life, he remembered the immeasurable grace that God had given him, he couldn’t endure without declaring that God had done great things (v. 19). Our God is the God who does His great things faithfully in our lives (v. 22). Also, because God reveals His greatness through us who are very small, He is the God who makes us to praise God in the end: “I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed” (vv. 22-23).
At the early morning prayer meeting today, I prayed for my eldest son Dillon, who celebrated his birthday. I wanted to write a birthday card to my beloved son. So after the prayer meeting, I wrote a short letter with my heart on the card. And I brought Dillon home from school in the afternoon and handed him that birthday card in the car. Dillon's reaction in receiving the birthday card was ‘thank you.’ Then he read it alone, covering the card from his younger sister, Yeri, because the card was personal. At that time, Yeri’s reaction was, ‘How did Dad draw the shape of the heart on the card and give it to Dillon?’ Also, the youngest daughter Karis asked me, 'Where is my brother's birthday gift?' In congratulations on Dillon's birthday, I wrote on his birthday card, ‘To my beloved son Dillon, God loves you.’ And I said, ‘I thank God for the love of restoration and healing that God has given us through you.’ And I wrote to him that we are praying for him according to the his name “Dillon” which means ‘faithfulness and truthful.’ May Dillon be sustained by God, as he loves the Lord and put his confidence in Him from his childhood. Also I pray that he will grow in the immeasurable grace of God despite many difficulties and hardships in the future. And even when he gets old, I pray that he will be a person who declares the power of the Lord to the next generation. I pray that even though his beginnings may be insignificant, in the end, God will increase his greatness.
‘Lord, may You increase our greatness’
James Kim
(As I sincerely congratulate my beloved son Dillon’s birthday)