TLIC Psalms. February 25. Into Your Hands.

Read Psalm 31:1-8. ¹In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! ²Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! ³For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; ⁴you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. ⁵Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. ⁶I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. ⁷I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, ⁸and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.

Twice Psalm 31 will take us on the journey from anguish to assurance. The first journey occurs here in verses 1-8. The assurance David feels is never based on his own merits, but rather on the righteousness and steadfast covenant love of God, and his name’s sake. Not only is God’s grace on display here, but also David’s faith. He rejects idols and chooses rather to trust in the Lord and his redemption.

Like David’s faith, the faith of Jesus was on display when he uttered verse five from the cross – Into your hands I commit my spirit. But Jesus stopped short of quoting the whole verse didn’t he? Why? Because Jesus wasn’t redeemed on that Good Friday. He wasn’t delivered. He wasn’t saved. He wasn’t taken out of the net of his enemies, or delivered from their hands. Instead he was put to shame for you and for me.

And that is why the cross of Christ is the greatest display of faith ever. Committing your spirit to a God who didn’t rescue you, who didn’t come through with the deliverance you needed, who sees your affliction and does nothing, but knowing that this “failure” to respond is actually the greatest response of love ever conceived. And knowing that the deliverance is assured even when delayed for three days and three nights. The feet that were nailed to the cross will stand in the broad place of heaven’s gate.

To live is Christ is to commit your spirit to the hands of God just as Jesus did, knowing that by your union with Christ your deliverance has already come, your feet stand firm, and your shame is gone.

Prayer.  Jesus, I commit my spirit to you. I trust your steadfast love in all things. Help me to rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.  

***

Check out Proverbs on the TLICFamily blog! –> Click Here