17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and grey hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come. – Comment: I find, with hair long ago having lost its greyness and being totally white, this has become a prayer that I often pray! Thank You God for my family who taught me a little, for SS teachers, Christian school groups, church who taught me the greatness of God! And I thank God for a lifetime of His gracious leading me. And as I have moved from parent to grandparent to great-grandparent my desire continues to be , ‘to proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.’
19 Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you? – Comment: Sometimes we humans think that we are so clever as we learn how, and sometimes can copy how, You have made things. But You are the Creator of everything God! And unlike us You are totally good!
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again. Comment: – We all know that not everything goes well on earth even for the greatest, most faithful follower of God. Sometimes things become good again during our lifetime spent on earth, but David clears things up for us even when things don’t reverse when he says, ‘from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.‘ I’m not sure how David reasoned this out, but for us we can firmly know that because Jesus conquered death, there is a certain glorious future for those who follow God!
22 I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
who sought to do me hurt. – Comment: The heading for this Psalm in the ESV is ‘Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent.’ And that has been an issue for David in the whole of this Psalm, which we have considered over the last 3 days! These final 3 verses (22-24) emphatically state that to the best of his ability he, David, will do his best to let the world know about God’s greatness and Goodness! And so would I! And You?
1 Thes 5: 16-18….- Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Prayer: As yesterday. I would ask again, Father, that You keep me singing, ‘I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.‘
As I read it! 