Tests reveal the quality of our vision, our faith, and the quality of our message. Of course, the Bible clearly tells us that testing is the norm for Christian life. In this Psalm, David gives us one of many chapters that remind us of how God brought His people through trials. David's purpose is not only to remind us of the past, but also to prepare for the future. The same faith that redeemed the past will preserve the future.
Great leaders associate with, rather than deny, their history.
Malevolent leaders like Marx, Mao, Hitler, and Stalin denied and disassociated from their histories. By denying history, they doomed their own futures, and the future of multitudes. Many people have proven his axiom. Of course, neither history nor those who made it were perfect. But from them, we learn that courage, not perfection, is the greater virtue, and that God can redeem our frail efforts if we have the courage to obey.