Stand!
“You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again and will bring me up from the depths of the earth.” Psalm 71:20
Stand!
Will Bring Me Up – In general, the Hebrew word ‘alah means simply to ascend, to lift or to go up. But there is one particular context where this word has great theological meaning. This word is also used for the idea of standing (going up) before God. It is the word for my personal appearance in front of my Creator for the purposes of accounting for my life. Suddenly this verse takes on a much deeper meaning.
Suppose God shows you what the full measure of worthiness is really all about. Suppose you follow the pathway of Jesus into the tomb. Even then joy floods the scene. If you are taken to the “depths of the earth”, to the grave itself, God will still cause you to stand before Him! Even if your troubles take you to the place furthest from heaven (and that’s what “depths of the earth” means), God can still revive you into His presence. No matter where you go, God is there. Didn’t David say the same thing in Psalm 139:8? There is no place and no circumstance where God is not ready to rescue. Even the worst of life – death itself – is not enough to keep God from making me stand.
Now the full power of this small verse can be seen. It is not simply a remark about the struggles of this life. It is a cry of absolute confidence that NO MATTER WHAT, God is able!!!! Even the worst that the world can fling at me is not enough to overcome God’s care. And if death cannot snatch me from His hand, why am I concerned about anything else I may encounter while living.
This verse is a verse about Jesus. And about Jesus in me. This verse is my battle cry in the spiritual war. Nothing can separate me from the lover of my soul. The man or women who understands this verse is equipped for a life of glorifying the Father no matter how life twists and turns. “I will never leave you” is all that I need. He is my full sufficiency. My life in His hands is more than enough for me.
