Hope continually
“But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.”Psalm 71:14
Reflection
This psalm has a voice we seldom hear: that of someone who has already lived a long time. The psalmist speaks of old age and gray hair (verses 9 and 18), and yet he writes with freshness about hope. "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more." Notice the "But". He has just described enemies surrounding him, strength declining and the feeling of being abandoned. And still he says: but. His hope does not depend on the absence of problems.
The word "continually" shows that hope, for the psalmist, is not an occasional feeling but a repeated decision. Every day, he chooses to hope again. There are seasons when hoping seems natural, and others when it demands holy stubbornness. It is like rowing against the current: if you stop rowing, the boat drifts back. Christian hope is not naive optimism or denial of reality; it is the refusal to conclude that the last word belongs to pain, because God has not finished.
Notice also that his hope comes with growing praise: "will yet praise thee more and more". Praise does not diminish with time; it increases. The longer the psalmist lives, the more reasons he finds to give thanks. Hope and praise feed each other. Whoever praises remembers what God has already done, and that nourishes confidence that He will do it again. Whoever hopes, in turn, has more reason to praise even before seeing the answer.
You may be in a season when hope has grown tired: because of an old prayer unanswered, a disappointment, years of waiting. Do as the psalmist did: say aloud, "I will hope continually". It does not have to be with great emotion; it only has to be a decision. Then choose one thing to praise for today. Even a small one. Hope and praise walk together and, over time, lift a weary heart.
Prayer
Lord, my hope is tired, but I choose to keep hoping in You. Renew me every morning. Teach me to praise You more and more, even before seeing the answer, because I know You are faithful. Sustain my heart until the day hope is fulfilled. Amen.
Put it into practice
When you wake tomorrow, say aloud: "I will hope continually in the Lord". Then give thanks for three specific things and, in the evening, write down at least one new reason for praise.
To reflect on
Has your hope grown tired in your waiting, and what would happen if you decided, again, to hope and to praise?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).