1.
In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2.
Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3.
Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4.
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5.
For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
6.
By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
7.
I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
8.
Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
9.
Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10.
For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11.
Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
12.
O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
13.
Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
14.
But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
15.
My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
16.
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
A MOTTO FOR THE NEW YEAR
‘I will go in the strength of the Lord God.’
Psalms 71:16
Observe the two thoughts which compose this sentence. (1) ‘I will go’—the language of active, frequent, glad progression; (2) but no less, balancing it and justifying it, in all modesty and holy caution, turning rashness into courage, and sanctifying the fire of an impulsive nature, ‘I will go in the strength of the Lord God.’
I. It is of the first importance that we should understand what is meant by the ‘strength of the Lord God.’—In Himself His strength is in the clouds, and the strength of the hills is His also. He is infinite in power, and His strength from everlasting. (1) But the going forth of His strength is His arm. The arm of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the ‘strength of the Lord God’ to man is Christ, and to ‘go in the strength of the Lord God’ is only, in other language, to walk in Christ. The strength of man is union with Christ. In Him the weakest, according to his capacity, becomes a partaker of the omnipotence of God.
II. Subordinate to this union with Christ, and included in it, are other elements which compose ‘the strength of the Lord God.’—(1) There is a an exceeding strength in the simple feeling of being at peace with God. That man has a giant’s strength who, holding his soul secure, goes in the composure of His confidence, and is therefore at leisure for every providence that meets him. (2) The presence of God is strength. (3) The promises are strength. (4) There is strength in knowing that you travel on to a large result, and that victory at last is inevitable. The sense of a fated life is indomitable: it may be abused, but it is God’s truth, and truth is strength. ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in Him.’
—Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustrations
(1) ‘So long as we live on earth our sufferings have no end; but God’s righteousness, power, and goodness likewise never cease to declare themselves. Only let our faith never cease to rely alone on this strong foundation of salvation, and let it drive us thither with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving! For we will then confess in old age what we have learned in youth, and sing in evil days as well as good: “I will not leave God, for God does not leave me.” ’
(2) ‘The seventy-first psalm stands in our own Office for the Sick; it is the only psalm with its antiphon preserved. “O Saviour of the world, Who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us, save us, and help us.” ’
17.
O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
19.
Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20.
Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21.
Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22.
I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23.
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24.
My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.