Day 11 - Psalm 31

It is believed that Psalm 31 was written while David was on the run from Saul, who was trying to kill him. It is a conflicted Psalm. One the one hand, the Psalmist talks about utter despair while on the other, he talks about his utter confidence that God will be his refuge.

What do you do when you find yourself in crisis? David reminds us in verses 1-8 and again in verses 9-17 that he has been in similar trials before and God is trustworthy. Out of trust and prayer come confidence and a true vision of our identity and significance; not just our significance right now, but a significance that lasts through eternity. We are actually immortal beings!  Notice that David said, “I commend my spirit to you.” He understands that his body is temporary. We were placed here for a reason, and God’s plan will be victorious! I don’t know about you, but when a crisis comes my way, I start trying to fix it myself instead of looking at it with a vision of eternity. I am terribly nearsighted. I need to cultivate an imagination for the eternal.

This Psalm is quoted twice in the New Testament, both times during death scenes.  Luke 23:46 says, "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, 'Father, into they hands I comment my spirit.'"

Again when Stephen was being stoned he said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59).  

David’s prayer to God, in the Psalm is a desperate plea for rescue from death’s dark spirit.

Also in this passage, David is being slandered and maligned by those he described as "neighbors". Being rejected by people you know and love is crushing. David experienced a lot of rejection in his life from those he loved, people in whom he had invested his life’s energies. Is that where you find yourself today? We all are afraid of rejection and will create many masks to try and keep rejection at bay. The only thing that works, however, is to know that God, through Jesus’ work on the cross, will not reject us. 

David understood where to turn for refuge. He understood that God’s unfailing love would always be available. Had I been in his circumstances, I would have been reaching for Chocolate. Oh Lord, help me to turn to you first and to trust you to provide what I need.

- submitted by Sandy Welfare