Psalm 31:1-8
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning! It’s great to be with you again today. Thanks for joining us — and for those watching online, thanks for tuning in this morning. I hope this message encourages you, inspires you, and ultimately transforms you (from the inside out) as you allow God’s Word to shape your life.
TRANSITION:
Our tradition has been to spend our summers studying and preaching the Psalms (because the Psalms tend to speak to where we are in life). And, I so love the Psalms. As a musician and a creative — I’ve always had a love for the poetic nature of the psalms. But with the shift from our routines over the past several months (because of this strange COVID season), we turned our attention to other plans.
But as SUMMER is coming to an end, I want to spend the next 3 weeks exploring one single psalm — PSALM 31!
Its a psalm that speaks to the subject of trusting God, so I’m calling this mini-series:
IN GOD WE TRUST!
There is no doubt we are living in unstable and turbulent times—values are eroding, our moral culture is deteriorating, and there is an increasing pull away from godliness and the person of Christ. It’s in just such a moment — that Psalm 31 sounds forth a call for us to have great faith!
David wrote Psalm 31 as a declaration of his faith and trust in his Lord in the midst of difficulty. In the middle of his trial, David especially trusted his God. It’s within these unique times that we have an opportunity to live by faith, and not by sight.
Well, Psalm 31—could be summed up asf: Possessing a deep trust in God, within the depths of difficulty. It’s a Psalm about declaring an absolute dependence upon God — regardless of our circumstances! While these days of our lives may be turbulent — Our God is trustworthy!
As we begin, I want to draw your attention to this. I hold in my hand today — a single ONE DOLLAR BILL. It first appears on our currency in 1864. First with our coins…but later added to our paper currency. During the Civil War, while the great difficulty and pain — faith began to increase in our nation. And there was an earnest desire to recognize that which was most important. This came about to clarify that the United States would never forget that we are not a faithless people. And so, in 1861, Salmon P. Chase (the Secretary of the Treasury) had received many letters requesting a notion of our faith in God on our money. And so, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861: “Dear Sir, No nation can be strong except the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins. You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition.” In 1956 it was added to paper money and had remained.
Remember, it was at this time that our great nation was struggling in great pain — and yet at that time, we were then a nation hearing to recognize God. And yet it seems that today, we are a nation yearning to eliminate God!
Our nation today seems to be headed in the wrong direction. There is an increasing rejection (almost daily) of our faith and trust in God.
The question remains, during these days — where will you and I stand? When the dust settles on the chaos of our culture — where will we be found? How will we respond to the current pain and difficulties that we are facing?
Will you choose to stand in faith and TRUST IN GOD — no matter what?
This is a critical question for us to answer today.
And it’s in such a moment (a moment of tremendous pain and challenge) that David established his declaration and answer to this question.
So, if you have your Bible — turn their with me. We will spend the next few minutes considering the powerful words of Psalm 31.
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
Psalm 31:1-8 (NIV)
There are 4 primary reasons (within this text) as to why we must put our trust in the Lord (today and always). First of all, David says…
1. I CAN TRUST GOD TO BE MY REFUGE!
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.
Psalm 31:1-2 (NIV)
Trials were everywhere — yet David trust in God as his refuge.
We don’t know exactly when he faced this trouble (included in this psalm), but the truth is, all of his life was speckled with trouble.
God continues to allow troubles to come our way — because, it’s often in the midst of difficulty that God often calls us to stand the tallest for Him.
And here’s David, under attack and feeling the pressures all around him. His anxiety was increasing. Uncertainty surrounded him.
It reminds me of a story I heard some time ago about a National Geographic photographer was assigned to get photos of a forest fire. There was too much smoke at the scene, so he called a local airport and asked to hire a plane.
“No problem,” they said. “Come here and we’ll have one waiting for you.” When he arrived at the airport, he saw the plane warming up near the runway. He quickly ran across the tarmac and jumped in. He looked at the pilot and said, “Alright, let’s go! Let’s go!”
Seeing that the man was in a hurry, the young pilot swung the plane around — made his way down the runway. He positioned the plane into the wind. And soon enough, they were in the air and on their way.
As the photographer looked out his window — he said, “I’d like you to fly over the north side of the fire and make three or four very low level passes.” The pilot asked, “Why do you want to do that?”
The photographer said, “Because I’m going to take pictures of the fire. That’s what I do — I’m a photographer.”
At which point the young pilot gulped and said, “You mean, you’re not the flight instructor?”
Now, I can tell you (in that moment) BOTH OF THOSE GUYS knew what it meant to be filled with anxiety.
And no doubt, so do you.
Even so, God can be trusted to be a place of safety in the midst of storms of life.
Although we haven’t gotten there yet, look down with me at verse 13. Here David says,
13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands;
Psalm 31:13-15 (NIV)
David says, it seems as though “TERROR on every side. But…I trust in you, Lord…and my times are in your hands!”
I love that David uses the word REFUGE to define God’s faithful care. In fact, he uses this word or word picture 3 times! And when he does, he is describing the presence of God as the place of safety and security. For God to be his refuge, David is saying that he has made his dwelling place in God’s presence.
There is a commitment to living in that place. He took cover in the permanence of God’s closeness and companionship.
Three times in these opening verses he reveals his view of God. In verse 1 he calls God his refuge. In verse 2 he calls God his refuge. And in verse 4 he calls God his refuge.
The implication is that God was with him. God was able to protect him. And God was faithful to watch over him.
This stands in great contrast to the idea that God is just the creator of life. But he is also the maintainer and sustainer and redeemer of life.
So, David says — When life is the hardest I don’t give up…I look up!
When we know the Lord is our refuge — our faith increases and our confidence rises.
Because, if you hide within the refuge of God — you know you cannot lose, no matter what comes your way or what challenges you face.
No matter what — you win, when you stand with the Lord! You win…come what may. Life or death. Good or bad. No matter what — so trust Him and take your REFUGE in Him!
Here’s the second reason that David gives us to trust in God. He says,
2. I CAN TRUST GOD TO BE MY GUIDE!
Look at verses 3-4.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.
Psalm 31:3-4 (NIV)
Notice how David repeats those same truths we just found in verses 1-2. This repetition is a declaration of faith.
David says, as I remain protected in the fortress of your presence, and I am confident that you will lead and guide me. The request is that God would lead and guide David through life — around and over the traps and through the tricks of his enemies.
This stands in such contrast to the contemporary idea that God (if He exists) is nothing more than the great creator of life. And that somehow, He then stepped aside or moved along — uninterested in us.
That’s Deism — which accepts the existence of a creator on the basis of reason, but rejects the belief in a supernatural deity who interacts with humanity.
But know this, we reject Deism — and instead embrace the Biblical truth of Theism.
Which declares that God is not only the creator of the universe, but He is also the maintainer and sustainer and redeemer of our lives.
And that’s is the GOSPEL OF CHIRST in a nut-shell.
God created the world,
and then entered into it to save us from sin
— redeeming us for His glory!
And so, when David prays — “…for the sake of your name lead and guide me”— He is declaring His faith in God, His trust in God — to guide his steps each and every day.
More than that, David is reminding us that God will guide us through the trials and temptations as well.
Because, here’s the deal — this life is filled with traps and tricks from the enemy of our souls. Satan is out to derail us from our journey with Christ. And yet, as a follower of Jesus we can be certain that our great God will not only watch out for us…not only watch over us…not only protect us, but…He will also lead us and guide us throughout our lives.
This is why it is so important that we trust in God.
There are a plethora of voices in our world trying to lure us away from righteousness. Voices that will try to lead us off the path of Godliness. Voices that will seek to ruin our lives and destroy us by taking us away from the power and the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But David says, it is the voice of the Lord that we must listen to!
The Lord is our guide. Psalm 23 declares that our great God will “lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Here’s the third reason that David gives for trusting in God. He says,
3. I CAN TRUST GOD TO CARE FOR MY HEART, LIFE, AND SPIRIT!
Look again at verse 5,
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
Psalm 31:5 (NIV)
This is one of the most famous verses of this psalm. It’s the verse that Jesus quotes just before he gives up His life for us on the cross.
Jesus says, into your hands I commit my spirit…or my life. And if Jesus was confident enough to entrust his spirit into the hands of His heavenly father — how much more can we trust this same GREAT GOD to care for us and our spirit.
Did you know, the Bible has about 120+ verses that speak of the hands of God. Here’s a couple of them:
In Psalm 145, the psalmist,
“You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
Psalm 145:16 (NIV)
Isn’t that incredible? God is so great — that when He opens His hand — He satisfies the desires of every living thing. Every one and every thing can find our deepest needs satisfied by His great hands.
Here’s another. In Isaiah 40, the prophet asks the question of God…
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?”
Isaiah 40:12 (NIV)
God’s hands are so great — they can hold all the waters of the earth in the palm of his hands. And if He can hold all of that — He can certainly hold you. He can hold my heart, my life, and my spirit (the real me, my core).
David says, I can trust God with my spirit.
No wonder we can trust in God — there’s none like Him. None so great. None able to care for us like God can (with His hands).
4. I CAN TRUST GOD TO LOVE ME PERSONALLY!
David says, God loves me.
Look again at verses 6-8,
6 …as for me, I trust in the Lord.7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
Psalm 31:6-8 (NIV)
I can trust that God loves me — not just this world, or the great people of this world. But David says God loves me…personally.
Here’s why I rejoice in God’s love. Because,
- As David says — God sees my affliction. This means that He is close to us…close enough to see our affliction and troubles and hardship. He sees our pain and sorrow and doubt and even our despair. And through it all, He holds us close and and understands what we are going through in this life.
In addition, He uses an interesting word for affliction. It’s one that can also be translated as “guilt”. And so, David was also saying, “You see my sin, or my guilt…” And yet, God’s love remains. My sin, my guilt, my failures do not disqualify me from God’s love.
As Paul reminds us in Romans 8:38 (NLT), “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. And its this deep love that gives us reason to trust in Him!
- Along with this, David says — He knows the anguish of my soul. This speaks the the depth of his love and the closeness of relationship He has with us. He knows the things that stir us up and the give us angst. Again, because of His great love for us.
- Another reason I rejoice in God’s love is because — He protects us from the enemy.
- And the final reason, I rejoice in God’s love is because — He has set our feet in a spacious place(or on a solid foundation where we can run without hindrance, free and empowered). This is the opposite of being in a tight spot, or being restricted or confined. The idea is that God loves you so much — in such a personal way, that He will free you from the grasp of your enemy and let you run unfettered, or unburdened. So you can roam with liberty and blessing.
Understand this — when you encounter God’s great love, it will lead you towards faith. And the longer you live in faith in God — the greater your trust should become.
And all of this leads David to rejoice…and KEEP TRUSTING!
But notice this — it’s his history with God that prods him to continue trusting in God! You can see this in verse 7 and following. David speaks to his future by looking to his past. In verse 7 he says,
I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw…and knew…and you have not…but have…
Psalm 31:7ff (NIV)
APPLICATION:
Allow the faithfulness of God in the past to determine your trust in Him in the future!
CONCLUSION:
Understand this — when you encounter God’s great love, it will lead you towards faith. And the longer you live in faith in God — the greater your trust should become.
And all of this leads David to rejoice…and KEEP TRUSTING!
PRAYER:
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word and the way you shape our lives with it. Today it’s our prayer that you would help us to grow in our faith just as we witnessed in the life of David.
May we trust you with our pain, our trials, and our struggles.
May we trust you to guide us.
May we trust you — and place our lives in your hands.
May we trust you — because you love us and are so faithful to us!
And now, would you ignite a fire of faith within us that we would trust you more and more!
PRAYER FOR SALVATION:
And now, just one more thing: If you’re here this morning, and you’ve listened to everything we’ve said toady — from the opening thoughts, the prayers we’ve prayed, our time of worship, and the preaching of the word — if through it all, you’ve sensed God stirring your heart, prompting you to trust in Him. Would you respond by praying with me? Maybe you’d say something like this:
HeavenlyFather, I admit that I am a sinner and I’ve chosen my way over yours too often. But all that changes today. Because, I believe in Your Son, Jesus. I believe that He came from Heaven to earth to pay for my sin. I believe He died on the cross, shed His blood, was put in a grave — and rose again. So, today — I put my faith in Jesus. Forgive me of my sin. Save me and give me new life in you forever. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed today and made a decision to follow Jesus — would you let us know? We are so proud of you.This is the greatest decision you’ll ever make.