Psalm 71
1In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; incline Your ear and save me. 3Be my rock of refuge, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. 4Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless. 5For You are my hope, O Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth. 6I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You. 7I have become a portent to many, but You are my strong refuge. 8My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your splendor all day long. 9Do not discard me in my old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10For my enemies speak against me, and those who lie in wait for my life conspire, 11saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.” 12Be not far from me, O God. Hurry, O my God, to help me. 13May the accusers of my soul be ashamed and consumed; may those who seek my harm be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14But I will always hope and will praise You more and more. 15My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure. 16I will enter in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will proclaim Your righteousness—Yours alone. 17O God, You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds. 18Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come. 19Your righteousness reaches to the heavens, O God, You who have done great things. Who, O God, is like You? 20Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, You will revive me once again. Even from the depths of the earth You will bring me back up. 21You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. 22So I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23When I sing praise to You my lips will shout for joy, along with my soul, which You have redeemed. 24My tongue will indeed proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are disgraced and confounded.
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.