Reading Reference

Psalm 70–72

The Human Question

What kind of person are you becoming?

That’s a different question than asking what you’re accomplishing.

Most people spend a large part of their lives focused on achievements. We think about careers, responsibilities, goals, projects, finances, houses, retirement, and all the things that seem important during the busy years of life. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that. God created us to work, build, lead, and steward what He places in our hands.

But every now and then life forces us to step back and ask a deeper question.

Who am I becoming through all of this?

Looking back, some of the people who influenced me most were not necessarily the most successful people I knew. They were the people who had become something. They carried a quiet wisdom about them. They had weathered hardship without becoming bitter. They had experienced disappointment without becoming cynical. They had learned how to trust God through enough seasons that their faith felt steady rather than fragile.

You could sit down with them for an hour and walk away feeling like you’d been given something valuable.

Psalm 70–72 feels a little like sitting down with someone like that.

There is urgency in these chapters. There is struggle. There is prayer. But there is also perspective. The psalmists seem increasingly aware that life is moving forward and that what matters most is not simply how a person starts, but how they finish.

The Wisdom Beneath the Passage

Psalm 70 is remarkably short, but it captures something most of us understand.

There are seasons when we don’t have long prayers.

We have urgent prayers.

David isn’t composing a lengthy theological reflection. He is crying out for help. He needs God to act. He needs God to intervene. He needs God to show up.

I’ve noticed that some of my most sincere prayers have been the shortest ones.

The older I get, the less interested I am in trying to sound spiritual when talking to God. David certainly wasn’t worried about that here. He simply told the truth.

“Lord, I need You.”

Sometimes that’s enough.

Psalm 71 continues the conversation, but now we hear the voice of someone looking back over a lifetime of God’s faithfulness.

This Psalm resonates differently depending on where a person is in life. When you’re younger, it’s easy to focus primarily on the future. As the years pass, however, gratitude often grows by looking backward.

The psalmist remembers how God sustained him through previous seasons. He remembers God’s protection, provision, and faithfulness. He is not pretending life has been easy. Quite the opposite. The confidence he expresses comes precisely because life has not been easy.

It reminds me of something I’ve observed over the years. Some of the strongest faith is not found in people who have avoided hardship. It’s found in people who have walked through hardship and discovered that God remained faithful anyway.

Then we arrive at Psalm 72.

Traditionally associated with Solomon, this Psalm focuses on the qualities of a righteous king. As you read it, however, it quickly becomes clear that the vision extends beyond any earthly ruler. The picture is too complete. The justice is too perfect. The peace is too lasting.

The Psalm points beyond Solomon toward a greater King.

A King whose reign would bless the nations.

A King whose justice would never fail.

A King whose kingdom would never end.

Reading it today, it’s impossible not to think of Christ.

What Solomon could only foreshadow, Jesus would ultimately fulfill.

The Manly Training Lens

One of the questions I’ve been thinking about more as the years pass is this:

What does it mean to finish well?

Not just professionally.

Not financially.

Not publicly.

Personally.

Spiritually.

Relationally.

I’ve met people who achieved remarkable things but neglected the people closest to them.

I’ve met others who accumulated impressive resumes but quietly lost their joy somewhere along the way.

I’ve also known people whose names will never appear in history books but whose lives left a lasting impact on everyone around them.

Psalm 71 reminds us that a life of faith is not measured by a single season. It is measured over time.

One faithful decision.

Then another.

And another.

The psalmist isn’t celebrating perfection. He’s celebrating God’s faithfulness across a lifetime.

There is something comforting about that.

Many people worry about whether they are doing enough. The Psalms repeatedly redirect our attention toward a God who remains faithful even when we are weak, uncertain, or unfinished.

That perspective changes how we view the future.

Instead of carrying the pressure of trying to create a perfect life, we can focus on becoming faithful people.

Faithful husbands.

Faithful wives.

Faithful parents.

Faithful friends.

Faithful servants of God.

Over time, those small acts of faithfulness become a life.

This is where Psalm 72 points us toward Christ.

Every earthly leader has limitations. Every mentor, pastor, parent, and teacher eventually falls short somewhere. But Psalm 72 describes a King who does not fail.

Jesus becomes the answer to the longing behind the Psalm.

The ruler who brings justice.

The shepherd who cares for His people.

The King whose kingdom extends beyond every border and every generation.

Reflection Question

If your life continues in its current direction, what kind of person will you become over the next ten years?

Final Thought

Psalm 70–72 reminds us that life is not merely about getting through the next challenge.

It is about becoming the kind of person God is shaping us to be along the way.

David teaches us to cry out honestly when we need help.

The writer of Psalm 71 teaches us to remember God’s faithfulness across the years.

And Psalm 72 reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on the King who reigns over it all.

Looking back, I can see that many of the things I once thought were most important have gradually moved farther down the list. What remains near the top is faith, character, relationships, and walking closely with God.

Those are the things that last.

And those are the things worth building a life around.

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About the Author

Eduardo Quintana is the founder of Manly Training and has spent more than three decades leading teams, developing leaders, discipling men, and helping people navigate the challenges of faith, family, leadership, and personal growth.

His passion is helping others develop the spiritual strength, wisdom, composure, and character necessary to thrive in an increasingly challenging world.

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible.

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