Psalm 71:1-6 (NRSV)
In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.
I have a friend named Jim who likes to tell the story of a harrowing trip he took once in a plane. Not a passenger jet, mind you, but a small two-seater plane owned by a friend of Jim’s who was a pilot.
If you’ve ever been in one of those smaller planes, you know how easily they can be tossed to-and-fro by the winds. At times it can feel like you’re sitting in a glider, at the mercy of the natural forces around you. Well, on this particular day the winds were quite strong. And Jim was quite nervous. When it came time to return to the airport for a landing, the winds even seemed to pick up, and the little plane was being flung side-to-side in a way to challenge the strongest stomachs. Then it happened—they hit the runway with a great deal of gusto (no pun intended).
And then they bounced up into the air again.
For someone who had experienced landings in a small plane before, it wouldn’t have been a huge surprise—it happens. But this was Jim’s first time, and he didn’t know that, so in his terror he did something pretty stupid. You see, this was the kind of small plane that had two complete sets of pilot controls, one for each of the front seats. And Jim, seeking desperately to control what seemed like a perilous situation, reached for the controls in front of him. He was going to bring this plane in safely.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that Jim had never had a single flying lesson in his life. It was just sheer panic, and in that panic he did what we often do—he tried to take control. Thankfully a quick glance at his friend’s face quickly reminded Jim that it was the last thing he should possibly do, and he backed off while the pilot brought the plane in safely.
I often think of this story when I consider the chaotic and terrifying moments of my life. I think of it because I’m like Jim—when things start to get scary, I want to take control. I want to figure out, in my own wisdom, the best way out of this terrifying situation. Thing is…that’s usually the very worst thing I could do.
In Psalm 71 we find the psalmist in a perilous situation. His enemies are plotting against him, and his life is in danger. And yet he doesn’t try to deal with the problem himself—he knows that it is God alone who can, and will, deliver him. Note how in each line of today’s reading is completely focused on God:
In you, O LORD, I take refuge…In your righteousness deliver me…for you are my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God…for you, O Lord, are my hope…
Upon you I have leaned…My praise is continually of you.
This is the voice of someone who trusts his pilot, even when the winds are strong, the landing is bumpy, and the fear is real. In our flesh, fear prompts us to “grab the wheel,” but the heart of faith rests in the assurance that our deliverer is faithful and true. He is our rock and refuge, our strong fortress.
He will save us.
Song: “My Deliverer” by The Hedgerow Folk
Lyrics: Click here
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Can you recall times in which God demonstrated his faithfulness when panic and fear were nipping at your heels? Offer your gratitude to God, and offer prayers that you will find trust even when you are tempted to take control.
How do these lyrics from the song speak to your soul today? “You're calling my desperate soul to freedom in surrender. You've offered a hand I can hold to walk boldly together.”
Do you know people in your life right now who desperately need to know God as their deliverer? Spend some time in intercession for them, and for all those who feel the pressure of situations they can’t control.