Psalms 71-75
FIVE SIMPLE PLEASURES:
Being surrounded by my family- Everything going according to plan
- Glorious sunshine
- The deep assurance of knowing without a doubt that my Dad has gone to be with his God
- Singing my heart out
PSALM 71: FAITHFUL TO THE END
Even when I am old and grey,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come. v18
It was my Dad’s funeral yesterday. This psalm is a great one for him. Life had been really tough for him towards the end. His eyesight was fading. His strength was fading. But there had never been any question about his faith. That hadn’t been fading. He’d been relying on God from his birth through his life until he got old and grey and to the very end. Yesterday, his life spoke of the power of God to the next generation. That’s why my daughter sent me this message last night – ‘It sounded like he was happy bless him even at the fact of leaving the earth which I’m proud of him for xxx’.
PSALM 72: A PRAYER OF BLESSING
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth. v6
I think this verse stood out to me because I’m so unbelievably tired today. I need refreshing. My soul needs restoring, I like the sound of God being like a light rain on my face, bringing life and cleansing.
PSALM 73: SELF AWARENESS
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. v2-3
It’s like that when we compare ourselves to anyone actually. Not just the arrogant and wicked. We can be doing just fine and then we catch a glimpse of what someone else is doing and we compare ourselves to that. And that’s when we take our eyes off God and what He is doing in our lives and focus in on ourselves and our own shortcomings. That’s when we stumble. I did it yesterday. I saw a glimpse of how my sister had been with my Dad and felt a failure. But we are different people and our relationship with him was therefore different and we certainly both did our best in our own way. Comparing should be avoided. Always!
PSALM 74: FEELING ABANDONED
But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth. v12
However we feel, this is the truth. However bad life looks, this is the truth. However hard it is to imagine a light at the end of the tunnel, this is the truth.
PSALM 75: IN GOD’S TIME
You say, ‘I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge with equity.
When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm. v2-3
‘I choose the time.’ It’s as simple as that. Whether we like it or not. We can try to argue and persuade and force God’s hand, or we can find a way to relax into God’s truth. Like this song I used to sing ‘In God’s way and in His time, that’s how it’s gonna be in my life.’
