Your sin is not greater than the grace of God.
Your enemies are not stronger than your Lord!
You might be forgotten by the world, but you are never abandoned by Christ!
Psalm 31:6-13
6 I hate those
who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in
the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and
be glad in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my
affliction;
you have known the
distress of my soul,
8 and you have
not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet
in a broad place.
9 Be gracious to me,
O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye is wasted from
grief;
my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is
spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because
of my iniquity,
and my bones waste
away.
especially to
my neighbors,
and an object of dread to
my acquaintances;
those who see me in the
street flee from me.
12 I have
been forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like a
broken vessel.
13 For I hear
the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
as they scheme together
against me,
as they plot to take my
life.
If we heard one of our
friends describe their life this way, how would we react? Would we try to
change their perspective quickly? Would we look down upon their discouragement?
Even though these seem
like desperate words, they are interwoven with wonderful truths. There are
times when our lives are hard, when dealing with the trials of life can seem
overwhelming. As I read this, I am encouraged by the fact that God wanted these
words to be included in the Scriptures, for they were inspired by Him.
The writer shows us that,
in the midst of what seems to be a very bleak situation, maybe even a long-lasting
situation, one can and should keep some very important things in mind.
David knows that the world’s
view is worthless. For a believer, although the situation he is facing is hard,
there is no alternative to trusting in God.
Jesus asked his disciples
if they wanted to leave him.
John 6:65-69
65 And he said, “This
is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by
the Father.”
66 After this many of
his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus
said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as
well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed,
and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Everyone was leaving
Christ. His way seemed to many as too difficult and too restrictive, but His
disciples knew that the alternative was earthly and without hope.
David knew that he could
count on the steadfast love of God. We are blessed! That love initiated,
maintained, and sustained by the Lord, is the same love we enjoy! We cannot,
should not, ever lose sight of this. As I am writing, I am encouraged by these
truths, for where else would I go? I am loved by the eternal true God!
David does not hide his
frailty and the reality that his sin has brought much grief and hurt into his
life. He certainly cannot demand anything from God, but he can ask for grace
from his God, Who has shown him such mercy.
Our God is a gracious God.
He does not overlook our sin, He does not always take away the sorrow that has
resulted from it, but He certainly is a gracious and forgiving God.
Has David been crying, has
the weight of his grief burdened him? Are his enemies surrounding him? Does he
feel abandoned by all? The answer is certainly,”Yes”!
Dear friend, is that where
you are today? Does it seem impossible to snap out of your situation? You are
not the first one who has felt this way! Your sin is not greater than the grace
of God. Your enemies are not stronger than your Lord! You might be forgotten by
the world, but you are never abandoned by Christ!
God inspired David to
write these words so that you and I could know that when we are in grief and in
distress, God is always aware. Therefore, don’t look anywhere else for help,
don’t ever think that you cannot approach God, and never believe that God’s
love is earned.
The end of this psalm will
show us that keeping your mind on what is true will bring reprieve!
We are loved by God, and
it does make a difference!
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