My Only Comfort
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In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb,
I will ever praise you.
I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
- Psalm 71:1-8
“God will never give me more than I can handle.”
We’ve probably all said this, or at least heard someone say this. I admire the sentiment behind it. I think it shows a faith and trust in God. I think it also recognizes that God wants us to play a part in the Christian life—that he wants us to do our best to resist temptation, to do the right thing, to seek him when things get rough. I think there’s a way in which this fits with our reading from Psalm 71 today too. The psalmist sees God as his rock of refuge to which he can always go.
But I think we need to go deeper. I’ve decided that I think that statement (that God won’t give me more than I can handle) is actually wrong. It can lead us to despair when we’re in the midst of suffering and trials. We might ask ourselves, “Why can’t I handle this, do I not have enough faith?”
I think it’s wrong because it allows us to believe that we can do more than we actually can. But notice verse 2 of our psalm today. “In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.” If God doesn’t give me more than I can handle, why do I need to be rescued? Why do I need to be delivered? Indeed, why do I need to be saved?
God frequently allows us to be pushed far beyond what we can handle. That’s why we’re in the shape we’re in. That’s why the world is in the shape it’s in. And yet, he is still our rock of refuge to which we can always go. He has, and does, rescue us, deliver us, save us.
Notice the pattern of this psalm. We see this plea for rescue (in vs 1-4), and then praise (in vs 5-8). That’s common in the psalms. This pattern is comforting. I’ve only put the first 8 verses of the psalm above, but it goes through verse 24. If you read the entire psalm, we see the pattern repeat two more times. God, come quickly and help me (v12), and then, in v15, I will tell of your saving acts all day long. Verse 18, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,” and then praise again in v23: “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered.”
I think it’s even more comforting to see this pattern repeated in the same psalm. It’s like all of life is a pattern of plea, then rescue, then praise; of confession and pardon, and thanksgiving; even of guilt, grace, and gratitude. Again and again, we find ourselves unable to handle things, but our faithful God rescues us, and we praise him yet again. Through all of this, the Lord draws us closer to himself, and we’re assured that we belong to him. Indeed, it becomes our only comfort in life and in death.