"How do we get through times of doubt?"

Back in the 1940’s there were 2 young men who were growing in the Lord, and both had a desire to be evangelists. As many of you know, Billy Graham was one, and another man by the name of Charles Templeton was the other. Early in their careers they were friends – close friends. Many have said Templeton was the one that everyone thought was going to overturn the world with the Gospel. However, Templeton ended up leaving the Christian faith, eventually becoming an atheist. In 1982, though still an atheist, he said of Billy Graham, “There is no feigning in him: he believes what he believes with an invincible innocence. He is the only mass evangelist I would trust” (Anecdotal Memoir). Templeton died in 2001 at the age of 86, shortly after he wrote one of the most heart-breaking books ever published: Farewell to God. One man Billy Graham continued to trust the Lord throughout his life while the other gave up all together.

Psalm 71 is about finishing this race in life well. One of the things that stands out to us about this Psalm is that the writer is obviously old (like a Billy Graham). We see this in verses 9 and 18. So, this prayer is given to us by someone who is in the later years of his life. Now, if growing old is not tough enough, what we see here is that this aging brother is being harassed for his faith in God. There are some wicked people who are plotting against this guy. At the very core of this attack we see that the this is an all out war on the psalmist faith and the God whom he trusts in. The people that are coming against this elder statesman claim that God has abandoned him and left no one to come to his rescue. As we grow older and continue to live out our faith, one of the things we realize is that there will come trials and struggles in this life. There will come times where we have to stand up for our faith and defend the gospel. Over the years Jennifer and I have had the honor to know some pretty amazing faithful men and women of the faith. They have gone through the battles of this life and have continued to be faithful to the end. One of the things that we have witnessed is that their trust in the Lord for many years has helped them be confident in their faith, even during times of suffering. They have kept the faith and finished well even amid the trials of their later years.

So, how do we get through times of doubt?

Psalm 71:5 is our key verse here. “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” We must trust in God’s Faithfulness. Here are 4 ways to trust in the Lord’s faithfulness when dealing with doubt.

1. We must rely on God’s Help!

Psalm 71:1–4 ESV

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

Psalm 71:9–13 ESV

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me; those who watch for my life consult together and say, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him.” O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt.

Rely on God!

Notice here that the Psalmist tells us in verse 1 that God is his refuge and in verse 3 God is his rock and fortress. What he is doing here is helping us to see that he has confidence in God as his help. He is appealing to God to rescue him and bring him to safety. In Deuteronomy 32 Moses referred to God as his rock over and over again. In fact, Moses uses the word Rock 6 different times throughout the passage. The word Rock has to do with a solid foundation. The term implies protection. In 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul tells us that Jesus is the Rock.

After this first verse we now see that the Psalmist has a long line of requests for His God to come to his aid.

-Deliver Me. Verse 2.

-Rescue Me. Verse 2.

-Listen to Me. Verse 2.

-Save Me. Verse 2.

-Rescue Me again in verse 4.

-Don’t forsake me in verse 9.

-Help me in verse 12.

The problem has come to the surface here because God has not responded or He appears to be very distant. How many times in our own lives do we feel the same way??? Will you rely on God’s help and call out to Him or will you rely in something else or in someone else? This elder saint has learned over the years to call out to God when he needs help and we see this in several ways here.

First of all he requests God’s faithfulness by pleading to let me never be put to shame (or disgraced.) He wants his God to hear his cry and take care of his enemies by consuming them or wiping them out.

The next appeal we see is very similar in the fact that the psalmist cries out to his God for justice. In verse 2 we see that he wants God to deliver him from his enemies. A just God would not allow wicked people to destroy his people and make fun of their faith.

Finally, his last appeal or request is for God’s strength and ability to, “give the command to save me.” That is what we should all want as we think about God being our rock and fortress.

One of the things that I have noticed over the years is that our godly senior saints who have walked with the Lord for many years have learned that the Lord is their first place to run to and appeal to in times of trouble, not their last resort. Their first reaction is to cry out to him for help and ask him to come to their aid. Why??? Because they have seen him respond faithfully so many times and they can rely with great confidence to do the same again. They have grown in their knowledge and love for God and His Word and they have seen the importance of wonder working power through prayer. May we be a people, may we be a church that runs to God and rely’s on His Power and Help!!!

2. We must talk about God’s Goodness!

Psalm 71:14–18 ESV

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Talk about God! One of the most amazing things happens here in these few verses. The palmist here expresses a resolve to continue to be faithful and rely on God by passing what he knows, on to others. Look with me at several of the outcomes here.

First of all, we see that relying on God’s goodness means that you never stop growing in your faith. Finishing the race well means that we continue to trust God and serve Him all the way to the end. In verse 14 the psalmist tells us that he will hope in God continually. We never see this mindset that I have done my time and served the Lord, so I am taking a break, and it is someone else’s turn to step up and serve. NO WAY! This senior saint is serving until the Lord calls him home. He will continue to tell others about God’s wonderful saving acts and righteousness all day long. (verse 15) This psalmist refuses to get over the goodness of God. God has been faithful to him over and over again and he will continue to talk about God.

The second thing we see here is that the Psalmist never stops testifying about God’s goodness. (verse 16) Here the psalmist is talking about praising the Lord his God. What he is likely referring here to is that he will continue to keep coming to the sanctuary to report on God’s mighty acts as long as he is physically able to do so. All he desires to do is to meet with God’s people and to testify about the goodness and greatness of God.

The last thing here that we see the Psalmist talk about is the fact that he can’t stop discipling people. In fact, he is committed to passing on his godly heritage to others who will continue the legacy. In verse 17 we see that the psalmist acknowledges that he has been taught about God’s goodness as a child and has faithfully talked about God throughout his lifetime. He has continued to pass the baton of trusting in God too many people, and won’t stop talking about the message of God.

3. We must remember that God has delivered us!

Psalm 71:19–21 ESV

Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.

Remember that God has delivered you! In verse 19 the psalmist testifies to the reality, “O God who is like you?” He knows for certain, but is also remembering that God has done something that no other god can or would do. What is that? To rescue the living from among the dead. This may very well be a picture of the Exodus and how God delivered his people from the bondage of slavery and death. God brought out His people from Egypt and helped them cross over the Red Sea and will continue to show himself to be the strong deliverer over and over again down through history.

However there is also a great foreshadowing here of our deliverer and of our resurrection in Christ. We as humans are lost in our sins and are the object of the wrath of God. If God does not work on our behalf through the cross then we are lost forever. Here is how the Apostle Paul sums this up for us.

Romans 5:8–10 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Church, God has delivered us by raising us from the dead, in Christ Jesus. The old has passed away and we have been given a new life, and because of that, it is possible to get through times of doubt and discouragement only because of what God has done for us. I want to encourage you today to place your confidence in God and know that He can rescue you from your current difficulties, but you can also know that you have been delivered from death and sin so that someday you will be with Christ for all eternity. We have been delivered not just from difficult things but from the worst thing ever sin and death.

4. We must rejoice in the salvation that is to come!

Psalm 71:22–24 ESV

I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.

Find reasons to rejoice. Mainly think about the salvation God has brought to you! The psalmist here is able to find a reason to celebrate and worship the Lord. Why? Because he knows what he has to look forward to. He has been given salvation. Here the Psalmist anticipates that God will deliver him from his enemies and save him. Check out the ways that the Psalmist rejoices.

First of all, he gives himself fully to the praise of God. He praises God by playing instruments, singing and even shouting. Even in his old age he continues to praise God. This should get us young folks fired up. What a wonderful example!!! The psalmist finds a way to praise God because he knows that those enemies who tried to take his life will be destroyed.

The psalmist will also tell of God’s story all of his days. (vs. 24) He will continually speak of God’s faithfulness, His redemption, and His righteousness. The psalmist will never stop telling others about how true God has been, and how God has delivered him from his darkest of hours. If you are here today and God had taken you through some tough times it is so important that you are able to talk about those times and help others to get through those times.

Finally the psalmist rests in the fact that his name has been cleared and his faith is confirmed.

As we journey through this life all of us can be plagued by doubt, depression, anxiety, pride, bitterness, laziness and many other things. I have seen over the years how just a few of these things can immobilize any believer. Satan has so many ways that he comes after believers and tries to attack us. My prayer for our church is that we would lean unto our Great and Mighty God. That we would rely on his help and cry out to him and talk about him. That we would often remember that God has delivered us from the enemy and be reminded of our salvation. We can count on God just like this psalmist did why??? Because God is faithful and He is our refuge, our strength, our Rock, and most importantly our salvation!