Yesterday we saw that David showed us how He was a man of spiritual depth and knowledge regarding His God. Today we continue with the second characteristic of a life lived God’s way.
2. We need to develop the godly habits of trust, praise, and hope.
A habit is developed by frequent repetition over a period of time. Once it’s in place, a habit becomes almost involuntary. Our attitudes, how we respond mentally and emotionally to life’s problems, tend to become habitual responses. Some people become habitual worriers, some become habitual complainers, some become habitually negative, pessimistic, and angry, while others become habitually cheerful and positive.
The habits we develop in our younger years tend to take us further in that direction as we grow older.
A little Hebrew word repeated in verses 3, 6, and 14, translated “continually” (“always,” NASB; “ever,” NIV) tips us off to the habits the psalmist had developed. They are not habits we pick up naturally. They must be deliberately developed. And each habit stems from his knowledge of God. They are the habits of trust (71:3), praise (71:6), and hope (71:14).
The habit of trust (71:3).
The whole psalm is an affirmation of the psalmist’s trust in the Lord. Spurgeon calls it “the utterance of struggling, but un-staggering, faith” (Treasury of David, 3:294). He was struggling because he was in difficult circumstances, with many seeking his life; but he was un-staggering in his faith because he knew whom he believed.
Because the psalmist knew God, he had learned to trust God through some other tough times (71:20), and he knew therefore that God would see him through this time. So in this instance when he needed to trust in God, it was not a matter of, God, if you exist, if you’re out there I need your help! He didn’t need to take a blind leap of faith because he knew his God in a personal, practical, proven way.
Are you developing a habit of trusting God in the difficult times of your life? Or are you frequently filled with worry and doubt and fear?
If you have trouble trusting, concentrate on getting to know God. Also, review what God has already done for you. There is a tremendous emphasis in the psalm on what God has done and that strengthened David’s faith! Has God ever preserved your life? Has He saved you from your sins? Has He sustained you this far? Then you, like David, can trust Him for your present problems and for any which come in the future.
Lynne Jahns
Resources:
“Growing Old God’s Way” Steven J. Cole, 1993.
“A Life Well Lived” Terry DeFoe, 2010.
“The Old Man’s Sermon” C.H. Spurgeon, 1875.
“Treasury of David” C.H. Spurgeon, 1885
Victory Call 