Alright, we're getting ready to start Psalm 71, continuing our study in the book of Psalms. And before we get to Psalm 71, I want us to read a couple of passages of Scripture. I told you this morning that when we were looking at Psalm 71, that This is going to be David remembering his life. I've kind of titled this Faith of the Aged One. So it's David looking back and remembering what God has done in his life. And before we get to Psalm 71, I want you to turn to the book of Isaiah in chapter number 46. I'm going to look at two passages before we read Psalm 71. So in Psalm 46 verses 3 and 4, we're going to see God's promise to Israel. Isaiah 46 verse number 3 says, Listen to what God promises to Israel. And even to your old age I am He. And even to whore hairs will I carry you. I have made and I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you." Now, even to whore hairs, even to gray hairs. I was working at the school one day this week and I said something about needing a haircut and one of the students said, yeah, you're getting a lot of gray in there. You're going to have to get that cut out. So, that's true. It happens to us. The gray hair comes along the way, but notice it says, this is God's promise to Israel. He says, even to your old age will I carry you. I've made I will bear and I will carry and will deliver you. So that's the promise that God made to Israel. And as God made that promise to Israel, I think there's no danger in us believing that God will do that for us. I know that David believed this promise was his. As a matter of fact, that's what we're going to look at in Psalm 71, how that David is thinking about that promise coming to the end of his life and all of the difficulties and the struggles that he was facing. and looking back and thinking about the promises of God and recognizing how God had delivered him in the past and what God had done for him and having the anticipation and the expectation that now towards the end of his life that God was not going to forsake him, that God was not going to leave him, that God was going to continue on with him. So think about this, what a great blessing it is As one who is aging, to be able to look back and remember the years of faithfulness that you've had in your service to God. No matter how old you are, it's really a blessing to be able to stop and look back and think about all of God's blessings. Again, that's one of the reasons that we're doing this, bringing hope to the community and sharing these blurbs of how God has blessed us because no matter how old we are or how young we are, as a child of God, you can look back and you can recognize some of the blessings of God. And you can recognize when you've been faithful to God and how God has helped you in that time. Now let's go to 1 Kings chapter 1. And as we've said, David is approaching an old age. There was a lot of discussion about this. Again, any time as you're looking through the Psalms, any time that there's not a definite title given, in the Scripture, there's always a lot of discussion about, well, what events caused, what was going on in the psalmist's life to encourage them to write this psalm? Psalm 71 doesn't have a title tied to it. It doesn't tell us what was going on in the psalmist's life. But we can look at the events of David's life and we can kind of surmise There's a little bit of discussion about, you know, some say, well, this probably happened here. And some others say, well, it might have happened in these events. I'm going to share with you, this is, David's getting to the end of his life. First Kings 1.1 says, Now David was old and stricken in years. So we know this is the condition of David's life at the end. And if you're one that knows the Word of God, if you're one that reads the Word of God, you know what the condition of David's life was like. But for some, I'm going to go back and read this. Now King David was old and stricken in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. Wherefore his servant said unto him, Let there be brought forth for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. And they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coast of Israel, and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him. But the king knew her not." Okay, so there wasn't any sexual relations between the two. But you can see how he was in his old age. Then Adonijah, the son of Haggath, exalted himself, saying, I will be king. And he prepared him chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? And he was a very goodly man, and his mother buried him after Absalom. So I read all of that just to kind of give you an idea of what it was like during David's last years. You know, he was old. He was getting, you know, how as people as they age, their capillaries, you know, they kind of close off and maybe their blood gets thinner and they don't get blood to the tips of their fingers and they get colder and that's the place that David was at. But also, David now has another son that's going to try to usurp his throne. Adonijah was trying to exalt himself to take the king's place. So again, this is what's going on in David's life. as he pins this psalm. Compliment in his commentary on Psalm 71 and you can go ahead while I'm reading these comments and be finding your way, finding your place in Psalm 71. Kaufman, in his commentary, quotes Dr. George DeHoff, who says this about David at this time. David wrote this psalm in his old age. He was beset by many enemies and so near death that he could feel himself sinking in the earth. He was an old man, but old age had not dried up his hope or weakened his religious spirit. So that's the condition of David as he pens this psalm. Another interesting aspect of this psalm is the number of times that this psalm either quotes directly other psalms or the language is somewhat similar. Guzedek in his commentary says that it's 23 times in 23 verses. or 24 verses that there is this language that is either directly quoted or similar. Just let me share a few of them with you. Psalm 71, 1-3 is quoted exactly from Psalm 31, 1-3. The thoughts of 71, 5 seem to be suggested by Psalm 22, 9-11. Do not be far from me echoes the words you find in Psalm 22, 11. My God, make haste to help me, takes the thought of Psalm 70 in verse 1. Again, we're not going back and looking at all of these. It would be an interesting study for us to go back and do, but I don't want to take all of our time to go back and look at those items because I just want us to get an idea of Psalm 71, but I'm just sharing some of those with you. Okay? There's a few others, but we won't take the time to look at that. So tonight, as we look at Psalm 71 and divide it, we're going to divide it this way. Verses 1-4, we're going to see faiths cry for help. Verses 5-8 is going to be a testimony of past experience. Verses 9-13 are going to be the plea against his foes. Verses 14-16 is going to be rejoicing in hope. Verses 17-18 are words of a prayer. Verses 19-21, a confident hope which cheers the soul. And then verses 22 and 24, promise of an abounding Thanksgiving. So first, verses 1 through 4, faiths cry for help. And again, this is David as he is, I mean, I can see him as I studied this psalm this week. I can see David lying on that bed and I mean, they've got as many quilts thrown on that bed as they can because he's cold and he gets no heat. And I can see his old hand, you know, maybe shaking as he's trying to write this psalm. It's sort of You know, he's barely weak, barely strong enough to hold up the pen and to hold the pad and to be able to pen this psalm. But here is, here is faith's cry for help. Again, he's remembering. We're going to get to the place to where David is going to say, from my childhood, God, I've trusted Thee. So you can see the old king as he maybe journeys back to his childhood on the hillsides as he's tending his father's sheep. And the bear comes and the lion comes and he remembers God delivering the bear and the lion to his hand. He remembers the time as a young boy, you know, Goliath standing in the valley and defying the armies of Israel. David taking the five stones and the sling in his hands and slaying Goliath. Those battles that David fought as a young man, when Saul had slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands. And those times when David was running from Saul, when Saul would try to throw the javelin and attach him to the wall. David remembers that. Or the time that David would play music for Saul, and his music would soothe Saul's evil spirit. We could go on and on and talk about all the different experiences that David had, but he could go back and look Maybe even he remembered when he heard the words that Absalom was slain. He remembers probably no doubt the times that God said, David, you're the man. And all of a sudden when his servants got quiet, my son has died. David remembers the good times. David remembers the difficult times. Through all of that, he remembers God's deliverance. So as he is remembering all of the places and times that God has been with him and all the things that God has done for him, he pens this psalm. And still as an old man on his deathbed, He says, and thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape. Incline thy ear unto me and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort. Thou hast given commandment to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. So notice, David knows that he has enemies. David knows there's someone wanting him dead. There's someone just waiting to take his position. He has enemies out there. So he's remembering. And in all of those remembrances, he remembers how he trusted God. He remembers all the times that God delivers him. In these later years, when he has opponents, he can't do anything about it. When he's old and stricken in years, he has no strength left to fight. But he has opponents. God, I'm trusting in you just like I always have. Let me not be put to confusion. He's trusting God. No doubt his enemies are questioning his faith. They're questioning God. Maybe they're even questioning David's dependence upon God. But David is asking God to deliver him. But notice what he says, deliver me in thy righteousness. Notice he's not at the end of his life saying, God, look at all those times that I was faithful to you, and look at all that that I did for you, God, and look at all those times I was a better king than Saul, and I was a man after your heart, and though everybody else wouldn't fight Goliath, I went down in the valley and fought Goliath. Notice he's not saying that. He's not saying, God, look at me because of what I've done, and because of that I want you to deliver me. No, he's saying, God, according to thy righteousness, deliver me. David is not depending upon his own righteousness as the cause for God to deliver him. It's really the same reason that God has delivered him all those other times because he is God's chosen one. It's according to God's righteousness, not on his own goodness and his own righteousness. Notice this again, cause me to escape. Listen, David can't be his own defense. David can't Go on the offensive. David really even can't defend himself. He's too old to withstand another rebellion. His strength is gone. God please cause me to escape. He's asking God to listen to me, incline the ear unto me, and save me, deliver me out of the hand of the wicked. And how will he do that? How will God deliver him out of the hand of the wicked? He says, be thou my strong habitation. Be that place where I can go to. Be that place where I can find strength. The place where I can continually live. God, give commandment to deliver me. Why? Because you alone are my rock and my fortress. So you're going to hear the heart of the old king asking God to come to his aid one more time. And then in verses five through eight, we get a testimony of experience. Verse five, for thou art my hope, O Lord God. Thou art my trust for my youth. By thee have I been holding up from the womb. Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels. My praise shall be continually of thee. I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all the days." Listen, David has trusted God from his youth. David is not an apprentice This is not the one that is new. It's not the one maybe as a young boy as he came to the valley and fought Goliath, he was full of zeal and he was full of energy and he was full of youthful zeal and he was ready to go. Sometimes youthful zeal makes one unwise. But David is not there. This is the aged one. This is the one that has He had all of that experience. And he says, God, I've trusted you. Listen, from the time I came out of my mother's bowels, you have been my deliverer. I'm going to continue to trust you, God. David has trusted God his entire life. Again, as I've already mentioned, what a blessing to be able to look back and to remember all the deliverances of the past. Remembering the times that God has shown himself strong on our behalf. And you know, I'm kind of hobbling around right now because I got a little backache. This is one of those times when I'm exercising, I'm hurting more because I'm exercising than I would be if I wasn't. I don't know what up, Kim said, what'd you do? Is it your running? Is it your push-ups? Is it your planks? Is it your sit-ups? I don't know, it just hurts. So sometimes, you know, you wake up and it just hurts. I don't know why, it just hurts. It's one of the blessings of getting older. Kimberly said something to me this morning. I said, Kim, I couldn't hear a thing you said. Quit talking so low. And she was like, I wasn't talking low. I was talking normal. And I said, well, I thought you was talking in hushed tones. I said, I wish I could turn my ears up, but I can't. Another benefit of getting old. So there are some disadvantages of having birthdays. But there's a great advantage being able to look back and think about all the times that God has delivered you, all of the blessings that God has given What a blessing that is to be able to bring to your remembrance how God has blessed you your entire life. And it's also a blessing sometimes when you can look back and just like Joseph did, or I'm sorry, Joseph, but Jacob, and said, all these things are against me. You can remember there's times when you thought what was going on in your life. You thought, this is not good. This is against me. I don't see how God is going to make any good out of this. And when you were ready to throw your hands up in the air and say, I can't do it anymore. I can't take it anymore. Then to see how God took something that you thought was for your detriment and turn it into a blessing. And that's where David's at in his life. Remembering all those deliverances. Again, David recognized the fact that God had been his God from the womb. David might have had the same knowledge that Jeremiah had. If you want to take the time to turn there, you can. It's Jeremiah 1.5. But God told Jeremiah this. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. So God told Jeremiah that he was, that God had chosen Jeremiah. Did God do the same to David? Potentially, maybe. We don't know, but we do know this, that David has trusted God from the womb. And David says, because of that, I'm going to praise you and you're going to receive my honor. And back in Psalm 71 and verse 8, all the day, David is going to continue to praise God for God's faithfulness to David throughout his life. And listen, in the world in which we live today, Some people may not be faithful, but one thing we can believe is this, yet if we believe not, God about a faithful, He cannot deny Himself. Even if our faithfulness wanes, our faithfulness to God wanes, His faithfulness to us will not wane. One thing we can know for sure is no matter where we're at every day of our lives and no matter what we're experiencing in our lives, God is faithful and He will remain faithful to us. And David, at the end of his life, is remembering God's faithfulness to him. Folks, if you can't find anything else to praise God for and to be thankful for, praise Him for His faithfulness to you. That's what David is doing. He's remembering God's faithfulness to him. Now, he says in verse number 7, I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge. Now, what does David mean by that? I am as a wonder unto many. Well, I think that some are questioning, David, why are you continuing to trust God? How can you continue to trust God when you've experienced so much heartache in your life? I mean, you lost a son, and you lost another son. Listen, your daughter was raped by her half-brother. We could go on and on and on. And people could say, David, how can you trust God when you've had so many bad things happen to you in your life? David's going to trust God regardless. Many may question David's continual faith, but David will trust and praise God. David will honor God, listen, have the same confidence in God. Just because bad things happen in our lives doesn't mean that God has forsaken us and David knew that. Remember when Jesus asked Peter, will you also go away? What did Peter say? Where shall I go? You have the words of life. Who else am I going to go to? I don't have any place else to go. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else. You've got the words of life. We need to have the same confidence. David's now In verse number nine, David's pleas against his foes. Cast me not off in the time of old age. Forsake me not when my strength is failed, for my enemies speak against me. And they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him. Persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him. O God, be not far from me. O my God, make haste for my help. David is saying this. God, I've trusted you my entire life. You've given me many victories. Don't leave me now. Listen, what a blessing to know that when your strength is gone, God will not forsake you. You know, one of the things that's going on in our society is people trying to determine the quality of life. of someone. Again, you know, someone gets to an advanced age, they make decisions about medical care because they say, well, they're not going to be able to live a quality life. You see, men will say, well, you're no good to our society. We don't want you. Babies in the womb, they'll say, oh, well, they're supposed to have some birth defect So they're not quality life. Let's remove that life from the womb. But God doesn't say that. Every life is valuable to God. David didn't come down to the end of his life and say, well God, I guess I don't have any strength left and I guess I can't be that great warrior for you anymore, so I guess you're kind of done with me. You want to move me off to the side and kind of kick me to the curb and let someone else come along and take my place. God doesn't say that. As long as you have breath. You know, you're a valuable entity to God. You're really valuable beyond that because you have eternal value to God. But I'm talking about on earth. Man may say, okay, you're used up, you're no good, let's just push you off to the side because you have no value. How can you be of any benefit to our society? So we'll push you to the side. God doesn't say that. And I, for one, am thankful for that. David understood that. That God wasn't going to forsake him. That when his strength was gone, listen, remember this, as long as God gives you breath, you are a useful servant to Him. Maybe in days gone by, you have been the one doing the service. But now as you're advanced in years, maybe you're the one that is the recipient of the service. But in order for someone to serve, they need someone to serve. You're valuable to God no matter your age, no matter your physical condition, no matter your mental condition. You are valuable to God. Let's remember that. So David is saying, listen, my strength is failing, don't cast me off, which he knows God's not going to. But look at verses 10 and 11. David is going to rehearse his enemy's claims against him. My enemies speak against me, and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together. Notice, this is a conspiracy. This is not just one guy wanting to get rid of David. This is they that lay in wait. This is a conspiracy against the throne. They're taking counsel. Look what they say. They're saying, God has forsaken him. There's none to protect him. He's there all by himself. God's not going to deliver him anymore. We can go get him. Now's the time. Let's get while the getting's good. God's left him alone. Let's go take him. They say there's none to deliver him. Just remember this. When the world thinks that they have you surrounded, when the world thinks that they can overtake you, remember the words that God gave to the young man. There's more that be with us than they that be with them. Listen, God has given His angels charge over you. when the world thinks they can overpower you, when the world thinks they can take you, when the world thinks they're going to kick you while you're down. Remember, the angels of God are given charge over you and they cannot overpower you, they cannot touch you, they cannot attack you and be victorious. There's more that be with us than they that be with them. Then we see verses 12 and 13. Oh God, be not far from me. Oh my God, make haste for my help. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt. Again, think about the old king laying in the bed and his spies are still out there telling him about his adversaries. They're still telling him about the conspiracy and the plans they've made and how they're going to take his throne. He's asking God to show up soon. Don't be far from me. Be not far from me. In other words, show up soon, God. Make haste quickly. Then he says, confound them. Confound them. That's the same word in verse number 1 where he says, In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put to confusion. It is the Hebrew word bush. It's the same word the translators translated confusion in verse number 1, and now down here in verse 13, they've translated confounded, and it's used for emphasis to express anger or annoyance. It's defined as this, bewildered, confused, or perplexed. Verse 1, David is saying, Don't let me appear to be confused. And here in this verse, he's saying God confused them. David is asking that their plans come to naught. In other words, we always like to go back to Haman. You know, Haman made the gallows for Mordecai. Haman's counsel was confounded because Haman hung on his own gallows. That's exactly what David is asking God to do to his enemies. That word bush is also translated this. It's translated ashamed 72 times and it's translated shame 9 times. So David is asking God to make their plans, which they have made to overtake David, make them look like, when they put their plans into action, make them look like a fool. Because they tried to take an old man out. That's a man after God's own heart. And it's a foolish thing to try to attack God's man. Remember, David wouldn't do it. When Saul was delivered in his hand, he said, I'll not touch the Lord's anointed. And David says, here I am, and I'm an old man. I'm in my bed. I'm cold. I have no strength. And there's nothing I can do. And they want to attack me. But God, you make them look like fools for trying to attack your man. That's what David is asking God to do. Let them be consumed, he says, that are adversaries to his soul. Let the rebellion come to an end. Let them be covered with reproach, which is scorn. Not only make them look like fools, but God let others scorn them." In other words, say, I can't believe those people tried to attack that man in his deathbed. I mean, why didn't they attack him when he was younger? Why didn't they attack him when he could defend himself? You know, make him come underneath scorn. Let them be reproached. And then we see in verses 14 through 16, what does he say? But I will continue, I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more. God, they're going to come against me and I'm asking you to deliver me and I'm going to praise you. My mouth shall go forth, shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day long for I know not the numbers thereof. I'm going to continue, God, just to praise you like I always have because I don't know how many days I got left, but in the days I have left, I'm going to praise you. And you know what? That just popped in here. It's just kind of a bird flying by, but you know what? That probably should be the testimony of all of our lives. I don't know how many days I have left. But in the days I have left, let me use them, showing forth God's righteousness and showing forth His salvation and praising God. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. God, I will give you the credit for it all. Let's never get to the place where we try to take credit for anything in our lives. Let's make sure that we're always proclaiming the righteousness of God. Now returns to prayer, verses 17 and 18, O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not until I have showed thy strength unto this generation and thy power to everyone that is to come. Notice again, David is going back to his childhood and reminding and thinking about the times that he has praised God and he has told others about the wondrous works of God. Listen, one of the things I think that is missing in our lives is missing in Christendom is for us to tell the wondrous works of God. People have, by having a works-based salvation or having a works thought in their mind, they always want to say, well, I've done this good deed and I've done that good and I've done that good and I've done that good, to try to make themselves feel like they are something in the sight of God. Instead of saying, God led me through this, and God gave me this, and God made me who I am. You see, they've stolen God's glory in trying to make themselves feel like they are something before God. To give themselves some confidence before God. They've really stolen God's glory. And so what has happened, the wondrous works of God that God has done for them, they're not giving Him the glory, so God is not being glorified amongst His people. Folks, we need to. That's why that list back there should be full of people wanting to tell people of the blessings of God and His goodness, because we need to tell others what God has done for us. That list ought to be full of people wanting to share with others, this is how God has blessed me. Because there's no greater way to give people hope than to tell them what God has done for you and how He has delivered you and the works that He has done on your behalf. There's no greater way to give them hope than for them to recognize what God has done for you. But notice verse 18. Now also when I'm old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not. Until when? Notice. until I have showed thy strength unto this generation and thy power to everyone that is to come." Notice his prayers to be able to show this generation the strength and the power of God. He wants others. Those that are coming behind him. Those that are younger than him. He wants to show them the strength of God. He wants to show them the power of God. He wants to show them the works of God. He wants to show them how great God is. David wants to show the blessings of one who trusts in God. This is what God does for one who trusts Him. Again, that's one of the things that we ought to be doing. Especially we, as you mature, One thing you ought to do as you mature is to train up the younger. They may not be younger in age, but they may just be younger in faith. And we need to train them up and show them and teach them the blessings of one who trusts in God. Verses 19 through 21, we have the confident hope which cheers the soul. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high. Who has done great things? O God, who is likened to Thee? Thou, which has shown me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side. God's righteousness is evident. It's high. God has done great things and such that David understands that there's none like him. God has delivered him in great troubles. Notice, thou has showed me great and sore troubles. I have faced difficult trials in life. God, you were with me. You brought me again out of the depths of the earth. No doubt there were times when David thought, this is it. This is the end. I'm not making it through this one. He's running from Saul, and he goes down to the enemies, and remember, he feigns himself mad. David probably thought he wasn't going to get out of that. Remember when Saul has David trapped in the cave? I'm not going to get out of this one. And then remember, Israel to be attacked someplace else and Saul and his men left. There were times in David's life when he thought, this is it, I'm not getting out of it. Sore and great troubles. God delivered him. Listen, that's true. Because God has delivered him in the past, David expects Him to deliver him again. Thou shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Because of his past, he expects the present victory. What about you? Where's your faith at tonight? Do you expect God to deliver you the situations that you have going on in your life right now? Do you expect God to deliver you? You should. You should expect God to work in your life in ways that cannot be explained. Why? Because you're His child and He loves you. You should expect Him to deliver you. Oh, but Brother Mark, you don't know. I don't think God will do this and I don't think God will do that. Why? Why do you think God wouldn't do it? But He raised up Lazarus from the dead, didn't He? Look at all the things and go back and look at the Bible and all the examples of the things that God has done. I'll tell you this. What did he do in his hometown? What does it say about his hometown? He couldn't perform many mighty wonderful works there. Why? Because of their unbelief. Maybe the reason that you're not experiencing the deliverance of God is because you don't have faith. Maybe. Just think. It's possible. It's possible. What expectation do we have? God has done great things. There is none like Him. God has delivered Him in great troubles. Expect God to deliver Him again. And David says, if you praise me, verse 22, I will praise thee with a psaltery, even thy truth, O my God, and to thee will I sing with a harp, O thou holy one of Israel. Then he goes on and says, My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee, and my soul which thou hast redeemed, my tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long, for they are confounded, for they are brought into shame that seek my hurt. David understands that God has redeemed him, that redemption is twofold. He has redeemed his soul and he has redeemed his life. David promises to speak of God's continual righteousness, the righteousness which is God's and not his own. David is remembering the righteous dealings that God has displayed in his life. And David is mature enough, listen, David is mature enough to know this, that what God had done in his life was right. What do I mean by that? God had taken David's son because David sinned. The sword never left David's home because David sinned with Bathsheba. David was mature enough to say that he knows that God had done right in his life. David's faith was strong enough to believe and know that God had been faithful to him Even when he was experiencing difficulty, he knew that God's judgment against his sin were far less than what his sin deserved. David knew the mercies of God. David knew that every day he enjoyed was of God's mercies. David knew his days upon the throne were because God was merciful to him. And so David ends this psalm recognizing that his enemies were brought to confusion. They are confounded. They are brought into shame that seek my hurt. He knew they would be brought to shame. David knew that his faith would be vindicated. So David, an old man, lying on his deathbed, so to speak. looks back upon his life and he reflects upon it. That's what we see here in Psalm 71. What will be your words when you reflect upon your life? Will you be able to remember the blessings of God? Will you be able to remember the deliverances of God? Will you be able to look at your life and say that I know that God was right and how he dealt with me In my life, will you know God has blessed you even until the end of your days? David did. And we can know that too. Because we know we're the child of God. We're the one whom God has chosen. We know that he will be with us just like he was with Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time we have to look into your word and to learn from the life of one like the great King David. I pray, God, that as I come down and live out the days of my life, that I'll be able to have the same trust as David had. God, I pray that everyone here tonight knows your son, Jesus Christ, and they will have the same faith as they live out their days upon this earth. no matter how many they might be. At the end, I pray God that we will see your faithfulness to us and we will be able to share with others how faithful you have been to us who are your children. Thank you for your word which gives us hope. In the name of your son Jesus Christ, amen.