Godly habits on our walk - back to Psalm 71

We humans are creatures of habit, no?

Uh, yes! (Grin)

And many times, those are habits we should try to leave behind! Habits are developed by repeating actions, words, or thoughts over a period of time. And once we have a habit "in place," it's almost involuntary. It's a part of who we are....for a while. Our attitudes, and how we respond to life's problems tend to become habits. 

Some people respond to problems by becoming habitual worriers. Some become complainers. Some people may respond to life's problems by becoming habitually pessimistic or even angry.

On the other hand, some people respond by becoming habitually positive. Their cheerful attitude is one we may find annoying sometimes, but we really should imitate!

There's a word that is repeated in three verses of our psalm that gives us a giant clue. Watch for it and see if you can pick it out:

Be to me a rock of dwelling to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,

I have leaned on you since my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You.

But as for me, I will wait continually,
And will praise You yet more and more. (verses 3, 6, and 14)

Did you catch it? "Continually." In each of the three verses. That tips us off that there were habits that the psalmist had developed. These are not necessarily habits that we pick up naturally. We must cultivate them. We have to nurture them. On purpose! And in verse fourteen, the old man says "but as for me," which makes us know that it was his firm resolve to develop these habits. He was determined to respond to life's issues with these attitudes.

The first attitude he developed was to trust his God. We saw that in verse three, but actually the whole psalm is about trusting Jehovah.

Be to me a rock of dwelling to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress. (v 3)

The man speaking these words was growing old. He was struggling because he was in difficult circumstances. Many were seeking his life. Many others simply wanted to see his downfall. But he was unstaggering in his faith because he knew Whom he believed.

That faith comes from knowledge of God. Knowledge that is "heart knowledge," not just "head knowledge." Knowledge that dispels doubt and fear. We fear and distrust things we don't know, and we are more inclined to trust things and people whom we know well. We know from past experiences if someone or something is trustworthy.

Because the psalmist knew God, he had learned to trust Him through some other tough times:

You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
Will revive me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (v 20)

He knew that God would see him through this time, too.

Are we developing the habit of trusting God in the difficult times? Are we frequently filled with worry, doubt, and fear? If we are having trouble trusting, we need to concentrate on getting to know God. And we need to remind ourselves of the times that God has rescued, revived, and restored us!

We need to follow the example of Psalm 71....reviewing what God has done for us will strengthen our faith! In the past, He has saved us from our sins. He has preserved our lives. He is walking with us each day. 

And we can trust Him for our present and future problems!