My Hope and My Confidence

In yesterday's post - "My Glory and the Lifter of My Head" - I shared from Psalm 3:2-4, which says:

"Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah. But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah."

This has turned out to be a special and relevant passage for me today.

Last night, Elena and I had a discussion which left me feeling quite depressed (no need to share specifics). I did not sleep well last night, and in the morning I was experiencing a lot of pain (it's always amazing how spirit affects body - when your spirit is low, your body's resistence is also low). Elena and Mum - and Dad (by phone from Sydney) - prayed for me this morning, and the pain went. I then went for a long walk with Mum, and she shared Psalm 71 with me, which she had been reading earlier in the day, and I'll be sharing this with you today. Verse 5 says:

"For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth."

This verse summarises the theme of the whole psalm. The Lord is my hope, despite the vagaries of the circumstances around me.

I'd encourage you to read the whole psalm, but I'm going to take it up particularly from verses 14-24:

14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
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.
19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
22 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.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you I, whom you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

I grabbed a hold of this psalm for myself this morning, and I felt my spirits rising. In fact, by the end of the walk, I was putting the psalm into practice and began proclaiming the Lord's mighty acts and proclaiming his righteousness. And that simple shift of focus is what did the trick.

It's so obvious that the enemy is seeking to attack on the spiritual plane. My confidence, however, remains in the Lord - "For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth." Today has been a lesson for me, once again, on keeping my heart guarded and my spirit focused on the Lord. And with that comes that beautiful promise in verse 20:

"Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up."