Yet more and more
"But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more." (Psalms 71:14)
May 10, 2025
Dear friends,
At a men's prayer group this morning we prayed through Psalm 71.
This is a psalm recognizing God's work in the believer's life from youth to old age. The psalmist has seen God's lifelong faithfulness toward him. Yet, he is still surrounded by those who oppose him, and he desires God's continued help and deliverance to the end. He feels his natural strength weakening: "Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent." (v. 9) In fact, he desires to praise God "yet more and more" (v. 14).
He recognizes God's faithfulness to him from earliest days to old age, and wants to keep praising God in the hearing of the coming generation: "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." (v. 17-18) He wants to be revived, and to finish well (v. 20; cf. Paul, 2 Tim 4:6-7).
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints -- that God gives the grace necessary to finish the life-long race-- is the foundation upon which we pray with confidence. The Lord has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (see Deut. 31:8; Josh. 1:5; Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). Jesus said, "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day." (John 6:39) We must persevere, and we will persevere! But will it be, as the psalmist prays, a "yet more and more" perseverance? Will our praise and worship of God overflow to the next generation?
This is the time of year -- Kentucky Derby time -- when I think about that great thoroughbred, Secretariat, who broke so many records in his 1973 Triple Crown triumph. Every race, every lap, every quarter mile, he got better and better. In the Belmont Stakes his 31-length lead gives us an example of "...yet more and more." Of course, at the end of the season, the poor tired horse gets to rest and enjoy pasture. But our race is not quite finished yet!
You can read a little more about the more-and-more lessons from Secretariat in a previous post here.
IN OTHER READING.
-- I'm finishing To Be Near Unto God, a magisterial volume of devotional writings by the Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837--1920). This is a unique collection of meditations about what it means to walk closely with God. It is even more remarkable in that it was written during Kuyper's years serving as Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1901-1905). I don't think there is a very recent English translation, though there are several from the last century. It's also free online at CCEL.
-- In reading group, we finished Chance or the Dance? A Critique of Modern Secularism, by Thomas Howard (Ignatius Press, 2018), and have begun Dove Descending: A Journey Into T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets, by Thomas Howard (Ignatius Press, 2006). Howard is a professor of English, and also the brother of Elisabeth Elliot. I'm looking forward to learning more about The Four Quartets.
CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHIES.
I was recently asked to recommend some good biographies about Christians in history. I came up with seven of my favorites, and here they are in order of shorter/briefer to longer/more in-depth:
-- Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, by C. S. Lewis (HarperOne, 2017).
-- Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life, by Colin Duriez (Crossway, 2008).
-- Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, by Ellen Vaughn (B&H, 2020).
-- Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1899-1981, by Iain Murray (Banner of Truth, 2013).
-- Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, by Eric Metaxas (Thos. Nelson, 2020).
-- Jonathan Edwards: A Life, by George M. Marsden (Yale Press, 2003).
-- Augustine of Hippo: A Biography, by Peter Brown (UCP, 2013).
LISTENING TO...
-- Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra, a Norwegian bluegrass band. I didn't know they had bluegrass in Norway! More about Hayde here.
-- Lazarus, the 1970s band. These three singer/songwriters from Abilene (TX) were discovered and promoted by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary) way back when. They produced two albums, and were one of the earliest Jesus folk music groups in America. (By the way, whatever happened to the folk music genre? Was it subsumed into other genres like Country, Blues, or Rock?)
-- "Tears in Heaven", a classical arrangement of the sad and beautiful song, written by Eric Clapton after the death of his young son. I pray that Clapton, who turns 80 this year, may come to faith and find his place in heaven!
-- The making of "Now and Then", the last Beatles song.
-- We love the cheerful variety of songs of the gray catbirds in our yard.
FINAL QUOTE.
"The least thing in nature is worthy of study because it is the revelation of a present God." (A. H. Strong)
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That's it for this week!
Sandy
Afterwords is an occasional newsletter on topics of interest to me (Sandy Young) since my retirement from full-time pastoral ministry. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.