Scripture
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?
Psalm 71:19
Observation
It would be easy to assume from this verse that everything is going well for King David and he’s sitting on top of the world. The truth is that he’s the lowest he’s ever been. Most scholars believe King David wrote this Psalm while on the run from his son Absalom who had rebelled, led a political coup to take his kingdom, and was now hunting him down. This must have felt all too familiar to David. He probably thought his days of running for his life and hiding in caves were long behind him. Now, here he was, old and gray, and hiding in a cave once again. His muscle spiritual muscle memory kicked in and David did again, what he had done then. He turned to the Lord and, in His presence, found the perspective he needed to see this new trial through. This Psalm gives each of us the pathway to perspective that we so desperately need in these “cave days” of quarantine.
Hindsight: “5O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. 6Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you!” (Ps. 71:5-6) Hindsight is 20/20. Even when we can’t see clearly the path ahead we can see clearly how God has led us to this point. We look back to look forward. Remembering is a central theme in scripture. We remember not to forget and therefore we must not forget to remember. A daily journal like this is a good way to remember. In this season of uncertainty, I have seen the certain leading of my Lord by looking at journals and remembering how God has led me through.
Foresight: “21You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. 22Then I will praise you with music on the harp, because you are faithful to your promises, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me. 24I will tell about your righteous deeds all day long, for everyone who tried to hurt me has been shamed and humiliated.” (Ps. 71:21-24) Notice David looked back and now he’s looking forward and calling those things that are not as though they were. This is the life of faith. He’s declaring his future tense reality in his present tense pain. When we only focus on the problem right in front of us we become shortsighted quite quickly. King David pictured himself back in Jerusalem, back with his people, all of his enemies subdued. This is a great spiritual discipline for those who are going stir crazy right now on quarantine. Write out your faith statement of what you know God has promised you that has not yet come to pass. This is not “positive thinking”. This is not ignoring that life is hard. David even says to God, “You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.” (Ps. 71:20). Foresight is able to look at our current situation and acknowledge the very real possibility that the cure might be worse than the disease with the Covid-19 shutdown. Our country is very likely going to head into a Recession and it will be a rough road ahead. Here’s the key, keep looking ahead, because our God has already been where we are about to be. He is leading us into His preferred future for our lives and wants to give us wisdom in our present reality. I know it sounds cliche, but prophetic foresight moves us from being bitter to better as we put our hope in Him!
Insight: “17O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. 18Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. 19Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God?” (Ps. 71:17-19) This is the “Aha!” moment. Having looked back and looked forward David might have walked outside of his cave and looked up. Hindsight and Foresight lead to Insight. God reveals where we might have made an oversight in our judgment and restores our perspective. David declared that even in the midst of this massive betrayal and his own unrighteousness nothing could limit the reach of His God. He reached all the way up to the heavens and all the way into his cave. God reached all the way back to his childhood and all the way into his future restoration. 2 Samuel 18 reveals David moving forward with a fresh battle plan that very likely came out of this moment described in Psalm 71. The power of the pause can not be underestimated when seeking fresh perspective. I’ve heard it put this way, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” God wants to speak to us, but we aren’t going to hear Him unless we take the time to follow the pathway described here.
Prayer
Lord, this has been a very revealing season to me. I have realized how much of my life has been defined by activity and accomplishment rather simply being your son. I see David, removed from his throne, and coming back to that place of intimacy he had as a young shepherd boy alone in the fields with You. Let my actions be led by You rather than fear. Let my words be measured and flowing from You rather than just filling the air. I pray this Irish blessing over myself on all those who are following You through these tumultuous times: “May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far.”
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