Psalms
Chapter 71
May I Not Fail Forever, Lord
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced.
In your justice help me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me!
Be my rock of refuge; a stronghold, to give me safety; for you are my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of cruel and violent people.
For you, O Lord, have been my hope, my trust, O God, from my youth.
I have relied on you from birth: from my mother’s womb you brought me forth. My praise is of you continually.
I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise, announcing your glory, day by day.
Do not cast me off in my old age; do not desert me when my strength fails.
For my enemies speak ill of me; awaiting my death, they set plans.
They say, “God has forsaken him; let us pursue and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”
O God, be not far from me; my God, make haste to help me!
Let my accusers be destroyed in shame; let those who seek my ruin, be covered with disgrace and scorn.
Then, I may trust in you and praise you.
My lips will proclaim your intervention and tell of your salvation all day, little though it is what I can understand.
I will come to your strength, O Lord, and announce your justice, yours alone.
You have taught me from my youth and, until now, I proclaim your marvels.
When I grow old and gray, do not leave me, O God; give me time to declare your might, your power to all generations to come.
Your justice, O God, reaches to heaven; you have done great things. Who is like you, O God?
Many have been my hardships and misery, but once more you come to revive me; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
You will restore me and comfort me again.
I will praise you with the harp, for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing your praise with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will rejoice, and my soul, too, which you have rescued.
I will recall your intervention the whole day long, “Yes, those who sought to do me harm have been confused and put to shame.”
Commentaries
71
An old man reflects on his life. He was taught from his mother’s knee to always trust God. He has not forgotten (vv. 6 and 17), but does God remember him? His enemies say ‘yes’; he knows better. Still, he is anxious. Even a short life can have a crisis; he has lived a long time, and God seems very far away. Although the psalmist expresses himself in traditional language, his real distress is clear. We can imagine Job’s situation here. As we age, we realize how much youthful resilience can boost even the strongest religious optimism. God, gently and gradually, teaches us to let go of it. This naive confidence in ourselves, which once served us well, is now stripped away. God feels closer than ever if old age allows it: the trust is refined.
Like the psalmist, we may have experienced life’s ups and downs and, at times, even felt like Job. Yet, the psalmist’s faith never faltered. He believes that God will lift him from the depths. If we also trust like the psalmist, we will have nothing to fear. And then, as St. Paul says in Ephesians 5:20 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we will “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks to God at every moment. This is the will of God, your vocation as Christians.”