Month: April 2024

Psalm 31:21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege.

David says in verse 22 that he called out in alarm because he was cut off from God’s sight, yet God still heard his cry for mercy. That line brings me such hope. How many times have I been unable to see God in my immediate circumstances but I have called out to Him anyway? Not as many as I would like, but I should because even though I can’t see Him, He is still there. Thank You, Jesus.

Psalm 31:22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.

He also ends the chapter by encouraging others to “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” He is with us. He hears us. Even when we can’t see Him. Even when we feel pressed down on all sides. Even when we are afraid. Call out to Him. He will answer. Hold on to Him. He is with us.

Psalm 31:23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.

Precious Savior, Thank You for being a constant in my life. Thank You for being a Rock and a Refuge for me. Thank You that I can call on You and depend on You even when I can’t see You, even when I am afraid, even when all seems lost. Thank You that I can be strong and take heart in You. Amen.

Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 31:17 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.

Shame is a tough, powerful, negative emotion. Humans often do all kinds of things to avoid feeling shame or having others perceive them as having shame. We bury things that we think will cause shame. We hide them away where they often fester, causing us all kinds of problems later.

Psalm 31:18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

The first line of verse 17 resonates with me: “Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you….” Let me not be put to shame that I believe in Your goodness despite all the evil I see. Let me not be put to shame that I trust Your sovereignty even though nothing is going as I think it should. Let me not be put to shame that I find respite and safety in You, despite the storm still raging all around me.

Psalm 31:19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.

Precious Savior, Because we are human, we are prone to shame. Because we are prone to shame, we tend to bury and hide things that cause us great pain later. Be with us, Lord. Help us cry out to You. Let us not be put to shame because of our dependence on You alone. Amen.

Psalm 31:20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 31:14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”

Two prayer requests came in yesterday, nearly back-to-back. Folks who are struggling mightily for so many reasons. David and the Psalms immediately came to mind. In them, we see David struggling mightily, praising, railing, begging.

Psalm 31:15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.

To be able to say, even when everything feels like it is falling apart, “But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God’” is such a gift, but even David struggled at times. I don’t have answers, and God doesn’t always give answers, so today I just stand in the gap, continuing to lift those who are struggling mightily.

Psalm 31:16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

Precious Savior, Today I pray specifically for those who are struggling mightily. Life has beat them up again and again. They have called out to You again and again. Maybe they even wonder if You are still listening. Lord, I know the bleakness of that precipice. Cover them with Your unfathomable love. Renew their spirit. Help them to feel the prayers that are lifted on their behalf. Help them to hold on to hope, to hold on to You. Always. Amen.

Psalm 31:17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you;

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 31:11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me.

Have you ever had those days where one minute you feel on top of the world and the next you are so low you have to look up to see bottom? David seems to be showing us a bit of the ups and downs of life in Psalm 31.

Psalm 31:12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.

He begins the Psalm praising God for being his refuge, for listening to his troubles, for being a safe space. Then he swings really low, lamenting the hardships he is facing on every side. He has become an object of contempt and dread, but still he clings to God.

Psalm 31:13b For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!”

Precious Savior, We all know that life is full of ups and downs. Thank You for being there with us for all of it. Thank You for being our rock and our fortress, no matter what we face. Help us cling to You always. Amen.

Psalm 31:13b …They conspire against me and plot to take my life.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 31:9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

One thing I like about the Psalms is that they feel so real, so honest. One chapter is full of praise and the next is full of despair. I’ve lived that before, and it helps me to see that the stories of the bible are grounded in the lives of real people, human, fallible, broken people just like me.

Psalm 31:9b …my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

And this struggling, hurting people turned to the same God who is there for me, railed, cajoled, praised, thanked the same God, my God. In a world where it is so ostracizing to feel othered, to know that folks all those years ago celebrated and cried out to the same God brings me comfort.

Psalm 31:10a My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning;

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your love, Your grace, Your word. Thank You for helping me see and understand new truths with every reading. Thank You that You are the same today, tomorrow, and always. Thank You. Amen.

Psalm 31:10b …my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 31:6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord.

I’ve learned a lot about terrain as my guys have been on the trail–how different terrain affects hikers and speed. Uphill is slow, downhill is cautious, rock scrabble requires careful footing, flat and spacious, you can really go. It’s easy to place your feet, determine a pace that works best for you, because in a spacious place, there aren’t hidden surprises. You can breathe and unwind your steps.

Psalm 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

I don’t guess I’ve ever thought much about how life mirrors the trail. Some days are blue skies, breezes, sunshine, and wide open terrain that is easy to traverse. Some days are socked in, rocky, uphill, just plain tough. But God is with us always, guiding us, guarding us. We just have to keep moving forward, trusting in Him.

Psalm 31:7b …for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the lessons from the trail, for the beauty of wide open spaces, for being with us when that’s not the terrain we face. Help us to trust You, to praise You, with every step and every breath. Amen.

Psalm 31:8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Have a blessed day.