October 21, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in some selections from Psalms and Proverbs? Here’s today’s reading:
Psalms 31-32 (NIV)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
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,
Reading Psalm 31 after reading Samuel it could have been several times throughout his life that David wrote this as he was in such a time of trouble and distress but he remains faithful to God in this Psalm as he did in his life.
He reminds us in both of these Psalms that trouble does come but we must continue to be grateful and look to God for our strength, direction, and comfort.
“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!”
Psalms 31&32
Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord
“But I trust in you, O Lord…” seems to be the theme of this psalm. God is the Deliverer, Refuge, Fortress, Rock and is ever Faithful to those who love Him. David is in despair and fearful but remains trusting in God. “Be strong and take heart…” A good reminder for me.
Why don’t we do one Psalm at a time?
“For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.”
How often do we hastily say to ourselves (and others) that God isn’t revealing Himself, that we are cut off, that God doesn’t answer prayer? We KNOW that God hears our prayers in Christ. He is not ignoring us.
The answer: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”
Many people in history we admonish because of their perseverance. As David speaks here of trusting the Lord even as he writes psalm 31-10. my life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning. Makes it hard to complain about a headache and a ringing ear!!!! Psalm 32 sounds a lot like psalm 51. Forgiveness is an awesome gift. Freeing us from guilt of the past. Hard to believe Christians still carry guilt. After God emptied himself. And pronounced. It is finished!! Thank you Jesus. With all my heart
Psalm 32.
David shares the experience of the burden of sin.
“For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
He relays the confidence of God’s forgiveness and “covering” of his sin.
“I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
This is the gospel – in Christ our sin is not imputed to us, when our spirit is sincere.
“Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”
In Christ our sins are forgiven. Our sin is covered in the blood of the Lamb.
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Psalms 31-32 I love reading the psalms they can be so comforting, and a guide to living for the Lord.
What benefit is ours that God is there for us to cry out to. There is no circumstance that He is unaware of and no problem He cannot handle. We all at times have our enemies, people’s whose hearts are set against us. But God knows and is always promoting justice and making sure everyone is getting what their actions deserve. He does do it in His time and in His way and He will always do it right, with the right balance of grace, mercy and righteousness. And He is able to work in circumstances as well as in the hearts of people, primarily those whose hearts are inclined to Him. He is there to comfort, console and empower. All the things we need when things are hard. As much as the world has changed technologically, it hasn’t changed in terms of the nature and need of the human heart. And God is willing to work within and without. What a great refuge and fortress to have!
And where would we be without His forgiveness: for Him to address our need when we are the ones who have done something wrong. At times we are the ones who are hurtful and selfish. And those things need to be resolved as well. And because of who He is, we are be able to confess and be honest with Him about our sin and find a God who is able to forgive and show us mercy and lift us out of our guilt with grace and cleansing. He forgives because He justifies, atones and has made payment for sin. And that is a great need of the human heart as well!
Psalms 31-32
Psalms 31