Actor and comedian Billy Crystal did a character on Saturday Night Live named Fernando whose signature phrase was “You look marvelous!” By the end of each skit, he had told most everyone that they looked marvelous. It was pretty funny. There is a passage in Psalms where the author declares he has become a marvel to many. It’s not from looking marvelous but from God’s marvelous protection.
PSALMS 71:7-8
“I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all day long.”
A Protective Psalm
There are several different types of psalms. You have the praise psalms where the author declares God’s goodness. There are the imprecatory psalms where thy psalmist begs God to rain down fire on his enemies. Then there are the protection psalms where the writer thanks God for providing cover for the many attacks coming at them, and God does it in such a way it leaves the enemy scratching his head. That is the category Psalms 70 falls into.
A Strong Tower
God has been a strong refuge for the psalmist. A refuge is something like a shelter or tower that the enemy can’t penetrate. Instead of a physical building, God has been that. Just when the enemy thinks it has the author in their grasp, God rescues them, and the enemy can’t understand why. He has become a marvel to many because of the constant protection.
You Look Marvelous
Did you know that God still provides that protection for you? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and His love doesn’t change. He is a strong refuge that you can run to and find cover. The assurance that Jesus is protecting you should give you peace and fill your mouth with praise. Don’t be filled with fear, but go forth in confidence, knowing God has got your back.