Psalm 31:1-24

Sin has caused disastrous effects on the world in which we live and on our own lives.  We are surrounded by sinful men, we live in a world that suffers under the ruthless reign of Satan but most significantly our own hearts are sinful by nature.  God has graciously provided a means of freedom from sin and forgiveness of sin to those who trust Christ but we still live in the same sinful world and though our hearts have been given a new divine nature we still struggle under the sinful desires that come from within us.  This reality of our lives leaves us in a very difficult situation time and time again.  Fortunately we are not without hope in these circumstances because God is always available to help us and deliver us when we cry out to Him.

WE CAN CONFIDE IN THE LORD: When we face difficulties, no matter what the source, we can always call out to the Lord and confide in Him.  Just being able to tell our hurts to someone else is a great blessing and source of comfort to us when we are in need.  David complains of two basic problems in this Psalm: one is that he was surrounded by unrighteous men who sought to kill him; the second seems to be some sort of a physical illness.  When he was confronted with peril or pain David confided in the Lord.  We must learn to cry out to the Lord when we are in distress.  Too often, we struggle and strive on our own to try to make things work out in our own strength.  This type of attitude is folly when we have the Sovereign of the universe at our disposal.  He is honored and glorified when we confide in Him.  We demonstrate our dependence upon the Lord when we call on Him in prayer.  


WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD: When we do call out the Lord in prayer we can be confident that He will go what is right.  David uses a phrase in this Psalm that was repeated by Christ on the cross and Stephen when he was being martyred.  He simply said: “into your hands I commit my spirit.”  That short but powerful statement communicates a complete confidence in God to take care of the most intimate part of our being.  God must be our source of strength and a Refuge in which we place our trust.  He loves us and wants us to be able to rejoice in Him and give praise to Him.  We are in a very secure place when we are in His hands and we must learn to trust Him.  Even when the source of our suffering and distress is due to our own sinfulness as David indicates in this passage that his bones were wasting away because of his own iniquity; we can and must have confidence in the Lord’s love and forgiveness.  All those who surround us may want to destroy us or despise us, but God is our hiding place and we can trust Him. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more