Psalm 31
Lord, I trust in you alone. Don’t let my enemies defeat me. Rescue me because you are the God who always does what is right. Answer quickly when I cry to you; bend low and hear my whispered plea. Be for me a great Rock of safety from my foes. Yes, you are my Rock and my fortress; honor your name by leading me out of this peril. Pull me from the trap my enemies have set for me. For you alone are strong enough. Into your hand I commit my spirit. You have rescued me, O God who keeps his promises. I worship only you; how you hate all those who worship idols, those imitation gods. I am radiant with joy because of your mercy, for you have listened to my troubles and have seen the crisis in my soul. You have not handed me over to my enemy but have given me open ground in which to maneuver. O Lord, have mercy on me in my anguish. My eyes are red from weeping; my health is broken from sorrow. I am pining away with grief; my years are shortened, drained away because of sadness. My sins have sapped my strength; I stoop with sorrow and with shame. I am scorned by all my enemies and even more by my neighbors and friends. They dread meeting me and look the other way when I go by. I am forgotten like a dead man, like a broken and discarded pot. I heard the lies about me, the slanders of my enemies. Everywhere I looked I was afraid, for they were plotting against my life. But I am trusting you, O Lord. I said, “You alone are my God; my times are in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. Let your favor shine again upon your servant; save me just because you are so kind! Don’t disgrace me, Lord, by not replying when I call to you for aid. But let the wicked be shamed by what they trust in; let them lie silently in their graves, their lying lips quieted at last—the lips of these arrogant men who are accusing honest men of evil deeds.” Oh, how great is your goodness to those who publicly declare that you will rescue them. For you have stored up great blessings for those who trust and reverence you. Hide your loved ones in the shelter of your presence, safe beneath your hand, safe from all conspiring men. Blessed is the Lord, for he has shown me that his never-failing love protects me like the walls of a fort! I spoke too hastily when I said, “The Lord has deserted me,” for you listened to my plea and answered me. Oh, love the Lord, all of you who are his people; for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but harshly punishes all who haughtily reject him. So cheer up! Take courage if you are depending on the Lord. Psalm 31 (TLB)
David’s pleas to God, remind me of someone who is asking for help while at the same time flattering the intended helper. He is doing this while he reminds God that he (David) is one of God’s fortress of believers. But the majority of this Psalm is a “woe is me” story. According to David, his life has been a miserable mess created by his enemies and friends alike. But sprinkled throughout this Psalm is David’s strong respect for God and the help that God can provide to those who believe! He is trying to convince God (and perhaps himself) of his own strong belief.
I suspect that is what I and possibly others do when we attend church, pray to God for his help and ask Him to forgive our transgressions. Well after David’s time, Jesus came onto the scene and has assured His believers of eternal life. (John 3:16). Yet David more or less said the same thing in verses 23-24 of Psalm 31. This assurance in both instances seems to have one requirement, belief. It does NOT say that those who are saved must be perfect. None of us are. But we must be believers! If we had to be perfect to enter the kingdom of God, I suspect it would be a pretty empty place. So in the end, this rather long Psalm, assures us of God’s love for us and that we will be protected if we believe.
Questions for Reflection:
- Does David’s plea to God sound so familiar that it could be you? Explain.
- Have you ever been in a situation that seemed so bad that you literally cried out to God for his help? Think back about that time and see if it was as bad when observed in your rear-view mirror.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, there are times when I need your help when I forget to even ask. Please take pity on me and help me anyway. I do know that you have intervened in my life and I do appreciate it. I am not good at always remembering to thank you. So, thank you for your help that is often not known to me at the time. In Jesus name I pray.
Amen!
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