Notes on Psalm 31

Psa 31:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
Psa 31:2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for a house of defense to save me.
Psa 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psa 31:4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
Psa 31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
Psa 31:6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.
Psa 31:7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Psa 31:8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
Psa 31:9 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
Psa 31:10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
Psa 31:11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
Psa 31:12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
Psa 31:13 For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
Psa 31:14 But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
Psa 31:15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Psa 31:16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake.
Psa 31:17 Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Psa 31:18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
Psa 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Psa 31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Psa 31:21 Blessed be the LORD: for he hath showed me his marvelous kindness in a strong city.
Psa 31:22 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.
Psa 31:23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
Psa 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

The faithful followers of the Lord will never be forsaken and left alone. Even in times of failure, the Lord is with us. Here we see David praying for God to deliver him from evil enemies that try to defeat Him. These enemies were probably even those of his own household as well as those on the outside of his realm.

God surely answered David's prayer as He will all those that trust in Him.

David also is troubled here because of his own sin as mentioned in verse 10. We see here that even though David sinned, he was grieved over his sin. This is why David is considered a man after God's heart because he did not want to sin. David was a man who repented and was willing to change when he sinned. He recognized that his strength was failing because of his sin. He believed his own sickness was a result of his own sin.

This is why God blessed and saved David. David was one who repented. Repenting of sin is necessary to obtain God's deliverance. If we do not acknowledge our sin and repent, the sin remains in our lives continually. Sin separates us from God.

God made a way for us to be free from sin. The reason many do not know God and walk with God is not because they are not perfect or because they have sinned, it is because they refuse to repent of sin and choose to remain in sin rather than turn to God for salvation.

David on other hand, hated his own sin. David sinned many times but as soon as it was pointed out to him, he would repent. David was one who desired to be in God's favor.

When we sin though as David did, the consequences will come. We reap what we sow. David suffered all his life from the results of sin. Even though David's heart was right with God and God continually delivered Him from His enemies, David paid dearly for the sins that he committed with Bathsheba by losing three of his sons, the respect of some of his people and was refused the privilege of building the house of the Lord because of all the violence in his reign as king of Israel. Yet God said that David was a man after His own heart because David loved God and repented of sin.

This little verse is so important. David trusted in God. Mountains are removed by those that trust in God.

If we all were judged by what we did or did not do, we would all be in big trouble. We are judged by the mercy of God.

Those that hinder, hurt or persecute those that are trying to live for God will surely be judged and God will bring vengeance. God sees and hears every word that is pronounced against His people. His people are those that trust in Him for salvation and do not look to anyone else.

Those that fear the Lord, those that trust the Lord will reap the goodness of God.

Remember not every one that says Lord, Lord shall enter into heaven but those that obey the Lord. Those that will be saved are those that hear, receive and obey the word of God. If we say we love God and ignore what He says, how can we love God?

If a man marries a wife and tells her he loves her and spends very little time with her, how is that love? If you truly love someone, you will want to spend time with them. Yet we say we love God and spend more time doing every thing under the sun and little time in His word and in His presence.

We are never alone and we can continually be strengthened by the power of God.

After we receive Jesus Christ as savior by repenting of sin and giving our life to Him, He gives us the Holy Spirit to abide or be with us forever. We now are never alone and have the strength to face our daily lives in a new better way. We need to stay filled with the Spirit and not allow a day to go by without seeking God for His power in our lives. The Holy Spirit is there but we must yield to Him and pray continually to keep filled with the spirit and stay in the place where we can know what God's will is for our individual lives. He cannot use an empty vessel. If we neglect to seek God and stay grounded in the word, we are no longer filled with the Spirit but have gone back into walking in the flesh and doing our own thing. This is why some go back into the sin that they were saved from.

We can only be fruitful in this life if we walk in the spirit and yield to the Lord on a daily basis. -Dorna

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