Author: Beth Duncan

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.

Psalm 31:3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Verse 5a has my attention this morning. Jesus uttered a version of verse 5a right before he died, which is why, when I read 5a, I read “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” When I looked up various translations of this verse, most say “You have redeemed me,” the NLT translation says “rescue me,” the Good News Translation says, “You will save me,” while NIV says, simply, “deliver me.”

Psalm 31:4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

Remember that we are talking about refuge, and yesterday I said that if refuge is right there and *I* don’t take advantage, it is of no use to me, even though it is there. Today, we learn that simply calling out to Jesus IS engaging that refuge. Calling out to Him, praising Him for redeeming, pleading for Him to save and deliver, that IS using the refuge available to us.

Psalm 31:5a Into your hands I commit my spirit;

Precious Savior, There is still so much to learn about You and about Your love for me. Thank You that You love me fiercely, even though I fall short again and again. Thank You that You are my refuge, even though I am sometimes slow to call on You. Help me to keep You as my center. Always. Amen.

Psalm 31:5b …deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 31:1a In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

A quick Google search defines refuge as: “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” However, a refuge that is not utilized is not useful. If I am standing in the pouring rain, with thunder and lightning all around, and a refuge is inches from me but I’m not in it, that refuge is useless to me.

Psalm 31:1b …let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

I am a worrier. I’ve admitted that before. I stress and I stew and I fret over situations. I often, figuratively, stand in the middle of the storm being lashed with rain and beaten by wind with refuge literally RIGHT THERE, yet I do not take advantage. I continue to stress and stew and fret. Jesus, Help me.

Psalm 31:2a Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue;

Precious Savior, You know I have been trying to reign in my worry habit for a long time. Thank You for loving me anyway. Thank You for helping me to see that my continuing to worry and fret is me not taking advantage of the refuge You lovingly provide for me. Forgive me. Help me. Thank You for always loving me. Amen.

Psalm 31:2b …be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

Have a blessed day.