For You are my hope, Eternal One; You, Lord, have been the source of my confidence since I was young. Psalm 71:5 VoiceHope Wins when I find the source of my hope and confidence in God as I remember all the miracles throughout my entire life and share the testimonies with the next generation.
When I was my husband’s full-time caregiver I found great hope and solace in personal worship and time spent with my church family. Often, it was during special times of adoration that I found the courage to face the reality check of a new challenge as I adjusted to the ‘new normal’. Just as each victory led to the strength there was also the need to surrender my own strength and trust God. Praise allowed me to confront my fear and bitterness at the way things were progressing. We experienced hope in the middle of it all because I could trust the process and God’s plan for our lives. I could better leave the timing to Him.
Where does hope come from when the bottom has dropped out? It comes from God who is the true giver of life and hope. David maintained a posture of worship and trust even when running for his life. He had an expectant heart that trusted that God would fulfill every single promise and the testimonies to share with the younger generation.
Context
King David writes Psalm 71 around the time that Adonijah, a rebellious son who was born later in life, tries to seize the throne even before his father is dead. At this point, David is an old man who could be bitter at how his life turned out. Instead, he continues to put his hope in the Lord relishing the reminders that the surge of confidence to kill the bear, lion, Goliath and the enemy, came from the Lord. I can only imagine his heartbreak and pain yet he returns to the only true source of hope – the Lord. Hope and trust truly became his greatest legacy.
Remembering Miracles
Miracles come when we need them the most and David saw many such defining moments in his lifetime. There is no way we would send our youngest child out into the open field to take care of the sheep. We don’t know exactly how old David was when he started caring for the sheep, yet we do know that he was the youngest of 8 brothers. They didn’t even bother calling him home from the field when Samuel showed up to anoint a new king as he was what we would consider the ‘runt’. David took advantage of his solitude to perfect the art of worship and to learn all he could from the Lord. Thank about it, he did not have the scriptures like we have yet was inspired to worship in astounding ways as it says in verse 17 that he was taught of the Lord. The exploits of this young man who grew up to become a great king started with progressive victories. He had the confidence to face a bear, then a lion and then Goliath. He was crowned as the next king yet developed true character in the caves of the wilderness as he ran for his life. The greatest miracle of all was the posture of a worshipper in all situations which granted him the honor of being called a ‘man after God’s heart.’
Praising in All Things
Praise and hope are inseparable. True hope shows up as praise and celebration even on cloudy days as you wait for the hope rays to appear. Sometimes, they are glorious and other times they are pinpoints of light behind super dark clouds that remind us that the sun is still shining. There are four mentions of praise in this Psalm and reveal how much David’s thoughts centered around his true foundation and rock which was the Lord. He sings aloud and joins the songs of others. He also expresses his praise through music and the extending of his hands. To me, that symbolizes surrender and trust.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for all the miracles throughout our lives. I am thankful that You have been working in the midst of even the biggest challenges. Thank You that we have not had an easy time so we can share with our children and grandchildren all the wonders of your intervention on our behalf. Grand us the wisdom to see the progression of challenges as Your hand of purpose and plan. I ask you to give me Your perspective of what I am going through and choose to praise in the midst of it all. I rest in the confidence that You will come through as You have since my youth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through.
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