“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” (Ps 31:24)
The purpose of these daily commentaries is not primarily to give teaching but to encourage as many as possible to daily read the Scriptures.
Today I have so many things on my heart to share from our reading in Matthew 24. But they are beyond the scope of this daily blog. Instead I just want to make a few comments from Psalm 31.
This psalm of David certainly belongs to the most edifying and encouraging of all his psalms, teaching us to completely trust in the LORD. It starts out with David’s heartfelt cry to the LORD for His help:
“In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!” (v. 2-3)
David continues by making a strong confession of his complete trust in the LORD in the midst of his difficulties:
“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul.” (v. 7)
At the same time, David does not hide the great difficulties that he is going through. He is not spared grief and sorrow.
“Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.” (v. 9-10)
Despite these difficulties, David boldly declares the final outcome for all of those who trust in the LORD:
“’But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ …Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.” (v. 14,19-21)
What awesome promises! Here are David’s final words in this psalm: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” (v. 24)
These words are for you today. Paul wrote:
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Ro 15:4)
I hope you are encouraged today from the eternal words of the LORD. They were written down thousands of years ago for you and I! What an awesome, loving God! Regardless of the circumstances we are in, we can trust in Him and His Word for this day! “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4)
