Psalm 71:16: “I will go in the strength of the Lord God; / I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.”

March 17th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

According to this psalm, wise travelers are well prepared before they leave on a journey. As believers, we are in fact travelers and we are to go, prepared for our journey, by abstaining from fleshly lusts. We find the same concept in the New Testament: “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). The word stranger carries with it the idea of a person who lives for an extended time in a land that is not their own. They are not there long enough to need a house to live in, so they do not become permanent residents. Therefore, they are strangers, exiles, living in a foreign land.

David said he would “go in the strength of the Lord,” and would not even mention righteousness except for the righteousness of God. Paul the Apostle wrote something similar in Philippians 3:9: “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” David had a clear picture of his own need to rely on God’s righteousness, not his own. Someone said God never alters the robe of righteousness to fit man but changes the man to fit the robe.

“LORD, please change us a little bit more this day, conforming us into Your image.”

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Psalms 71 KJV

¹ In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

² Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

³ 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.

⁴ Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

⁵ For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

⁶ By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

⁷ I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

⁸ Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

⁹ Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

¹⁰ For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together, 

¹¹ Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him .

¹² O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

¹³ Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

¹⁴ But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

¹⁵ My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof .

¹⁶ I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

¹⁷ O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

¹⁸ Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.  

¹⁹ Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

²⁰ Thou , which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

²¹ Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

²² I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. 

²³ My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

²⁴ My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.