Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 31:1-8
Ps 31:1-8
1 In you, O 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, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.
James 5:11
11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
While this Psalm is not by or about Job, we cannot help but think of him and his plight as we read it. Job was afflicted in almost every way one can imagine and yet, he never gave up on God. He did not understand why things were happening as they were, but he was sure God would make it right. When accused of being punished for his sin, he maintained his integrity, while admitting he had sinned in the past. In the end, he still did not know why (even though it is explained to us) these terrible things had happened to him or his family. (Job 1:22) In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Our suffering may not be as severe as that of David in our Psalm or that of Job, but we all suffer from time to time. We face things that just do not make sense but do seem unfair. Like both of these men of faith, we are to put our trust in God, with complete assurance that he is in control and in the end will make all things right. He restrains the devil and his work toward us today as he did with Job. He keeps his promises to us just as he did with David. His protection is always present and his peace is given to us when we trust him in all things.
Heavenly Father, what a privilege it is to come into your presence and know that you will hear me and answer my prayer. Please be with your church, your people, and give us strength to stand for the truth but to always do so with love. Help me do all I can to do my part to maintain your unity in the bond of peace. Use me to encourage those who are struggling. Give me wisdom to teach your word in a way that can and will be put into practice in the lives of those who hear. Don’t ever let me forget that all I have is from you and not my own doing. Give your peace to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray in the name of Jesus my Savior.
Robert
