DESPITE...

 

April 26, 2021

 

Worship in WORD

Ps 31   For the director of music. A psalm of David.   6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; 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 handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.   NIV

Ps 31 For the choir director: A psalm of David. 6 I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place.   Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Ps 31 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room. KJV

Ps 31 Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.  6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. ESV

 

I. Hope – vv. 1-8

            A. Verse 1: Action

            B. Verse 2: Appeal

            C. Verses 3 & 4: Acknowledge

            D. Verse 5: Abandon

            E. Verse 6: Abhor

            F. Verses 7 & 8: Acclaim!

II. Help! – vv. 9-20

III. Hail – vv. 21-22

IV. Heart – vv. 23-24

 

E. Abhor – v. 6

As I contemplated some more on verse 6, something stood out to me that I didn’t notice before. David says, “I trust the LORD.” He did not say, “I love the LORD.” That would seem to be the appropriate contrast implied here. But I think David uses trust specifically to express how his love is expressed towards God. Love and trust should go hand in hand, but we know in this world that is not always so. Love is often betrayed by those who profess to love someone. But David knows his love will not be betrayed because God is the “the God of truth. (v 5)” Furthermore, he knows that God loves him. We see that confession in verse 7:

“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love...” (7a)

David said this when by all outward appearances, those he hated had the upper hand. This makes the contrast between his hate and trust more powerful and poignant. Hate involves distrust. David distrusted the ways of the idolaters and their false gods.  In contrast, he trusted in the faithful covenant-keeping LORD, the only true God. Despite his circumstances, he refused to capitulate to his enemies but yielded himself fearlessly to the Lord.

Worship in Witness:

May this be my confidence as well, Lord. Despite desertion. Despite debt. Despite my present battle with Covid-19 and the weakness (and yes, worry) it has brought me. May I declare authentically: “I trust in the LORD” and “I rejoice in Your love!”

 

Worship in Promise, Poetry, Prayer, and Praise:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSju1nB6NbLLRFihZrdHcWsB3BoagyfZf7jOg&usqp=CAU

 

https://64.media.tumblr.com/0be3ec1cb0a4d1f143674488ff646153/tumblr_pfewreKbhU1u342cjo1_1280.jpg

Your Praise Will Never Go Silent

 

Not howling wolf or singing Lark

Nor blazing sun or even a quark

Are beyond Thy almighty hand

On this truth, we firmly stand

 

You, who created the Universe

Whose will upon it, doth traverse

Who rules and reigns upon the earth

To Thee, we sing of Thy glorious worth

 

The starry heavens declare Thy glory

Your eternity and power are its story

The land and sea affirm Thy praise

With them, our voices, we raise

 

Marred and ruined by Adam’s sin

Sickness and death did enter in

Satan sought to hush creation’s voice

Through this deadliest of all choice

 

But Your praise will never go silent

Even though all became ugly and violent

Thou didst send Your only begotten Son

And in Him, over the enemy have won

 

Thy Word declares a greater glory

Your love and redemption its story

The heavenly host affirm Thy praise

With them, our voices, we raise

 

O Lord, My Rock and Redeemer by Sovereign Grace Music

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

Greatest treasure of my longing soul

My God, like You there is no other

True delight is found in You alone

Your grace, a well too deep to fathom

Your love exceeds the heavens’ reach

Your truth, a fount of perfect wisdom

My highest good and my unending need

 

VERSE 2

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

Strong defender of my weary heart

My sword to fight the cruel deceiver

And my shield against his hateful darts

My song when enemies surround me

My hope when tides of sorrow rise

My joy when trials are abounding

Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night

 

VERSE 3

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

Gracious Savior of my ruined life

My guilt and cross laid on Your shoulders

In my place You suffered bled and died

You rose, the grave and death are conquered

You broke my bonds of sin and shame

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

May all my days bring glory to Your Name

 

Music and words by Nathan Stiff © 2017 Sovereign Grace Worship/ASCAP (adm worldwide at www.CapitolCMGPublishing.com, excluding the UK & Europe which is adm by Integrity Music). From Prayers of the Saints Live. Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved. www.SovereignGraceMusic.org CCLI #7096627

 

 

Lyrics: https://search.pch.com/pysearch?q=lyrics+to+o+Lord+my+Rock+and+Redeemer+by+sovereign+grace&wunv=2

 

Video: https://youtu.be/yx5BB2J7R-8

 

 

 

 

Some Further Notes & Quotes:

 

Psalms 31:6-8

 

Many vain cheats are impudent to deceive us. Riches, honor, titles, reason, intellect, invite us to rely on their aid. But they are empty bubbles. Their promises are fraud. The believer flees with abhorrence from those who walk in these deceits. He has a large volume of experience. In trouble he has found that God's thoughts were on him. All his adverse circumstances have been lovingly regarded. In all his ways of sorrow God has been by his side. Deliverance and enlargement have been near. Great mercy has been shown; great gladness will acknowledge it.

(from Commentary on the Psalms, by Henry Law, Biblesoft formatted electronic database Copyright © 2014 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

 

Psalms 31:5

 

Men are sure to have some kind of trust or other on which they rely. In David’s day, some trusted to false gods, others relied upon their own strength; the psalmist does not speak in soft tones concerning these people, but he says, “I could not bear them. ‘I have hated them that regard lying vanities.’ I would not come into their secret, or have any connection with them. I was astonished at them, that they should turn away from God; but as for myself, ‘I trust in Jehovah.’” See how he comes back to the note with which he started: “In thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust;” and now he repeats it, “I trust in Jehovah.” It is an unfashionable thing, many will not do it yet David says, “I trust in Jehovah,” as if he dared to stand alone, and did not mind how singular he seemed to be.

(from Spurgeon's Expository Notes. Biblesoft Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2014 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)