August 16, 2021
Worship in WORD
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Ps 31 (here is a link to the entire Psalm)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my
eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is
consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my
affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter
contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends — those who see me on
the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I
have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is
terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I
trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue
me. 16
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. NIV |
Ps 31 For the choir director: A psalm of David. 9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. Tears blur my
eyes. My body and soul are withering away. 10 I am dying from grief; my years
are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from
within. 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors—even
my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they
run the other way. 12 I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken
pot. 13 I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror.
My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life. 14 But I am trusting
you, O LORD, saying, “You are my God!” 15 My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. 16
Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996,
2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House
Publishers. All rights reserved. |
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Ps 31
To
the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
9
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with
grief, yea, my soul and my belly. 10
For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength
faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed. 11 I
was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours,
and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. 12 I
am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. 13
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took
counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. 14 But I trusted in thee, O LORD:
I said, Thou art my God. 15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine
enemies, and from them that persecute me. 16
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. KJV |
Ps 31
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my
eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. 10 For my life is spent
with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my
iniquity, and my bones waste away. 11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a
reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my
acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12 I have been
forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13 For I
hear the whispering of many—terror on every side! —as they scheme together
against me, as they plot to take my life. 14 But I
trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My
times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my
persecutors! 16
Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! ESV |
I.
Hope – vv. 1-8
A. Action – v. 1
B. Appeal – v. 2
C. Acknowledge – vv. 3-4
D.
Abandon – v. 5
E.
Abhor – v. 6
F.
Acclaim! – vv. 7-8
II. Help! – vv. 9-18
A.
Sorrow – vv. 9-13
1.
Soul sickness – vv. 9-10
2.
Societal scorn – vv. 11-13
1.
Surrender – vv. 14-15
2.
Shine – v. 16
3.
Shame – v. 17
4.
Silence – v. 18
III.
Hail – vv. 19-22
IV.
Heart – vv. 23-24
Hope→Help!→Hail→Heart
Sovereign – vv.
14-16
As I was reading commentaries on Psalm 31:14-16, I was
reminded of the context in which David declared, “My times are in your hands.” Many
who would confess this truth over their life often take it to mean, as the NLT
translates it, “My future is in your hands.” While this is true, I think it can
be misleading. It may limit, unintentionally, our thoughts to what lies ahead
of us from the standpoint of the present. Certainly, it is comforting to know
that God is in control of my future. However, one should understand this phrase
as encompassing one's life in its entirety. So one can not only look forward
with assurance but also find comfort in the present and even the past.
David confessed this despite his past tribulations, as well
as his present bitter troubles. He saw
even in them the gracious sovereign hand moving, guiding, and protecting him.
Thus, the phrase “my times are in your hands” was not only a truth he professed
but also a promise he possessed.
Because his life was in God’s hands and based on the past
trials and mercies and blessings, David could trust God for his future as well.
And even though he acknowledged that God was in complete control of everything
in his life, that didn’t stop him from praying about the future.
15
My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16
Let your face shine on
your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17
Let me not be put
to shame, Lord,
for I have cried out to you;
but
let the wicked be
put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18
Let their lying
lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the
righteous.
David did not become fatalistic
about his future. He did not say to himself, “If everything is in God’s
predetermined plan, why even pray?” or “Why pray? Prayer can’t change the
future.” While in one sense this is true, for God from eternity past has
decreed whatsoever is to come to pass. God has also ordained that prayer is one
of the instruments by which His plans come to pass. It is also true that prayer
changes the one praying. These truths are a great mystery in one sense, but
they should also be an impetus to pray boldly to our Sovereign God!
My times are in Thy hand.—Perowne: “My times, i.e., all my life, with its ‘sundry and manifold changes,’ its joys and sorrows, its hopes and conflicts, are not the sport of chance, or the creatures of a blind fate but are in Thy hand, O Thou living personal Redeemer. On this confidence are grounded the petitions which follow and the hopes expressed
Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Moll, C. B., Briggs, C. A., Forsyth, J., Hammond, J. B., … Conant, T. J. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms (p. 219). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
Worship in Witness:
Having
been reminded again of the implications of the phrase, “my times are in your
hands,” it was ironic (and providential) that I came across something I wrote
on a piece of scratch paper. I had written it some time ago at work, laid it
aside, and believe God let me find it again. While it does not address this truth directly,
it certainly falls under its parameters. Believing in God’s sovereignty should
lead to perseverance in the face of adversity and assurance that we are held in
the omnipotent hand of God.
Life
is like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs. Both big and little
twists and turns and even some loops. Some thrills accompanied by shouts of joy,
and some chills accompanied by screams of terror.
Fastened in tight, we may even let go and raise our hands (in praise). Or hold on for dear life when we hit a scary turn or rush down a steep incline. One thing we ought not to do is try to get out when the ride gets too much for us. Nor should we try to change seats because we don’t like the one who sits next to us. The results would be disastrous.
So I will ride till the journey comes to an end. Raising my hands in praise sometimes, or like now, grasping tightly to the bar – white-knuckled, even though what (He who) holds me will never let me go!
Worship in Promise, Poetry, Prayer, and Praise:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/8f/dd/838fdd5f0a8b8e9cecd99c6ba55f227a.jpg
Times of glory
Times of pain
My seesaw story
Is such a drain
Yet God is near
Though I be far
He puts my tears
Into His jar
He binds my wounds
Who made the stars
To Him I attune
Who heals my scars
All glory to the Father
Thru His Beloved Son
By His Holy Spirit
Majestic Three in One!
(Psalm 56; 147)
Lord,
All things are from
Thy hand
Even the things I don't
understand
All my days are written
by Thee
My life is embraced by
Thy sovereignty
Days of pain
and
days of sadness
Days of gain
and
days of gladness
These are chapters in
my story
All for my good and for
Thy glory!
Amen
(These
are the two poems that stand at the beginning of my poetry manuscript that I
hope to publish one day. The title of my book will be, The Pain and the
Glory. I felt they perfectly summed up what I have been writing about
in this journal entry.)
I
could not find an appropriate song to sing to (there aren’t many “roller coaster" songs 🎢 written), so I took it upon
myself to write one. Perhaps someone will compose a tune for me if that’s even
possible.
With Me, by me
You
take me high
You
take me low
One
thing’s for sure
You're
with me
Wherever
I go
And there's no place for me to hide
Holding on for dear life with Jesus by my side
Life is a roller coaster ride
Around
the curve
Through
the bend
Of
this, I'm confident
You
are with me
To
the end
Life is a roller coaster ride
And there's no place for me to hide
Holding on for dear life with Jesus by my side
Life is a roller coaster ride
Climbing
to the top
Racing
down the hill
One
thing I know
Either
way, Lord
You're
with me still
Life is a roller coaster ride
And there's no place for me to hide
Holding on for dear life with Jesus by my side
Life is a roller coaster ride
Twisting
and turning
Until
I come to the end
One
thing I'm learning
To
trust in You, Lord
On
You to depend
I'm on a roller coaster ride
But there's no need for me to hide
Fearing not for my life with Jesus by my side
On this roller coaster ride
Further Notes:
This
is a lengthy excerpt from Lange’s commentary (Phillip Schaff, General Editor). I
am going to include the entire section from the HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL portion of this commentary on
Psalm 31 (Lord willing) in my upcoming journal entries. Because it is quite
long for this format, I will break it down into bite-size portions. I found
many jewels among them. Hopefully, you will too.
To
make it easier to read and follow, I changed the format. Originally, they were written
in a long chain of links in paragraph form. I chose to break them up so that
one can follow them more easily. I believe they become more impactful this way.
Homiletical and Practical
Our confession says what we know and teach about God; our prayer, what we believe and hope about
God; our life how we love and honor God.
—Our sins bring us to shame and disgrace, but
not so with our trust in God.
—Man can do
nothing better than trust in God’s faithfulness, build on God’s strength, look upon God’s countenance.
—He who has
God as his friend, need not fear the
crowd of his enemies; God provides him a better
refuge than a fortified city.
—A hearty trust in God can only exist in
connection with a sincere resignation
to God, both mutually strengthen one another and lead to waiting for help and salvation.
—We can
observe how the soul prospers by that upon which it puts its confidence; upon what its love depends; upon what its hope is directed. That man alone is
helped, who not only commits his external fortunes,
but likewise his spirit into the hand
of God.
—It is not
enough to have hopes in the mind; all
depends to what they are directed,
upon what they are based, how long
they hold out
—God sees not only our misery; He is concerned about our needs; He delivers, those who trust Him from ruin;
This is reason enough for prayer, praise
and thanksgiving,
—The effects of sin extend to the soul and the body; but God is the Redeemer
and Helper in time of need; this is
experienced by those who believe on
Him, turn to Him, wait on Him.
—We may
know that we are innocent towards men and appeal to the righteousness of God to protect us
against their unrighteous treatment of us, and yet we must confess ourselves guilty before God and console ourselves
with the grace of God.
—For those
who fear God, there is not only laid up a
treasure of good things in the future, but God likewise imparts to them now
out of these riches that which is needful
of grace.
—Communion with God is the tabernacle of safety for believers in all the trials and dangers
of life.
Lange,
J. P., Schaff, P., Moll, C. B., Briggs, C. A., Forsyth, J., Hammond, J. B., …
Conant, T. J. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms (pp.
221–222). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
