INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:23 KJV – Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalms 31:23 KJV – ​Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

In our closing devotional in this series David shares with each of us to courageously serve the Lord, in whatever situation we may be facing in life…

Be of good courage,

Christian, no matter what opposition we may be facing, no matter what trials may come our way, no matter what temptations lie in our path, we are to be confident and bold in our service to Christ.

No matter what may be our lot in life, we can know with certainty our Lord is with us, enabling us and performing His will for our lives, which will ultimately bring about our victory.

1 John 2:14 KJV – “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”

1 John 4:4 KJV – “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

and he shall strengthen your heart,

Our courage in the midst of life’s difficulties is not our talents, abilities, or wisdom, it is based entirely on the Lord’s intervention in our life. It is what He does in us, enabling us, gracing us, blessing us, strengthening us, and intervening in our day to day walk.

It is not US but HIM!…

1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV – “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 8:37 KJV – “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Notice that David especially points to the Lord strengthening our “heart”. Throughout the Bible, the heart represents our inward being (especially the set of desires that lie within us).

When we are told that the Lord, “strengthens our heart”, David is describing the Lord giving us the courage and boldness we need to continue serving Him in the midst of life’s trials. In a sense, He is strengthening our desire to serve Him during times when opposition and discouragements would normally dampen our desires to please Him.

all ye that hope in the LORD.

As Christians, when we recognize our victory is found in Christ’s intervention and not ourselves, it causes us to always have hope no matter what life situation we are facing. Even if our life situation seems impossible for US to overcome, we know that the LORD can work miracles in our life and bring us through victoriously! This is the basis of the never-ending hope of God’s people. Christ in us the hope of glory!

Colossians 1:27-29 KJV – “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.”

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

Folks, as we come to the conclusion of this devotional series, may we all use this portion of the Word to give us strength and courage as we face the many difficulties our life holds.

If we remember that we are more than conquerors through Christ, we will see our difficulties as opportunities for the Lord to intervene, work miracles, and bring us forth victoriously. We will no longer see them as hindrances that make our lives more difficult, and threaten to snatch the ultimate victory from us.

Knowledge of these truths will allow us to see our trials as opportunities to grow stronger in Christ and bring glory and honor to Him. It will cause us to rely more upon Him and less upon ourselves and our carnal fleshly emotions, plans, and thoughts. Finally when we accept the truths we have seen in this Psalm and apply them to our lives, they will give us confidence of victory in the midst of the most seemingly impossible of life’s situations we may face.

By God’s grace, may we all apply these truths to our lives and boldly continue in our service for Christ!

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:22 KJV – 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.

Psalms 31:22 KJV – I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

In this section, David is listing many of the blessings that the Lord gives to His people. David has told us about the Lord’s wondrous goodness and protection that He shows to His people. In the last verse that we studied David explained the wonders of the Lord’s consistent, unconditional love that He shows to His people.

In this final verse of David’s praise, David sums up the Lord’s miraculous deliverance in his life despite his doubts and fears …

For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes:

David recognizes that, at times, he did not trust his Lord as he should. David’s doubts in the Lord were based upon what his physical eyes told him. He was facing great trials that seemed to be insurmountable. This led him to assume that the Lord was no longer watching over him and had no intention of intervening in David’s life and bringing him out from his trials.

The idea of the word “haste”, which holds the idea of “running away in fear”, clearly reveals David’s fear in the presence of a great past trial. Not only did these actions reveal his fear of abandonment, but his words revealed that fear also… “I am cut off from before thine eyes:”

nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

In spite of David’s doubtings and fears, the Lord still acted upon his requests for deliverance when David cried loudly to Him. He was faithful to David in the midst of David’s unfaithfulness. He accompanied David in spite of David’s lack of recognition of His presence. He was protecting David in spite of David’s fears.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV – “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

What a wonderful principle for us to see in these verses. In spite of our unbelief, the Lord is still there with us, watching over us, accompanying us, and ready to intervene in our life’s situations.

Truly, Christ’s love for us is unconditional. Nothing, including our times of doubting, will separate us from His great love. As believers, we need to recognize that His presence in our life, or not, He is ALWAYS there with us. He blesses in spite of our unbelief.

Additional important note note:

If the Lord does bless us in spite of our unbelief, why does what does the Bible mean when it says…

Matthew 13:58 KJV – “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Keep in mind the unbelieving people of Nazereth, the hometown of Christ, had consistently denied Christ’s position as God and Messiah. In spite of seeing Him grow up among them and come to know Him intimately, they refused to recognize Him for who He really was (Matthew 13:53-58).

Because of their sinful unbelief in the face of many proofs, the Lord choose to no longer do miracles in their presence. This was a gracious effort to show them their condition of alienation from the Lord and their need to repent of their sin and trust in Him as God, Messiah and their Savior.

Their unbelief did not take away from the power of the Lord, nor did it limit what He could do for them in anyway. It simply caused Him to willingly choose to no longer work in their midst due to their continual rejection of Him. He can work in spite of our unbelief as David clearly showed us. However, at times for the good of those who do not believe, He limits His workings among men.

May we never believe that our faith or any other good work adds to His power or enables Him to do what He otherwise could not do. This is a vain, humanistic belief that puts mankind in a place of empowering God to do what He otherwise could not. This is vanity at its finest.

May the Lord bless us as we think on his amazing unconditional love that He has placed upon us and use His love to motivate us to greater service for Him.

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:21 KJV – “Blessed [be] the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.”

Psalms 31:21 ESV – “Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.”

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

In this section, David is listing many of the blessings that the Lord gives to His people. David has told us about the Lord’s wondrous goodness and protection that He shows to His people. In this next verse, David addresses the Lord’s consistent, unconditional love that He shows to His people…

Blessed [be] the LORD:

The idea of “blessed” means “to kneel down”. In other words, David is saying that the Lord deserves to be knelt to… He deserves to be worshipped (recognized as God) and He deserves to be submitted to (recognized as King of our life).

Psalms 95:6-8 KJV – “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:…”

for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

One of the many reasons why the Lord deserves our worship and submission is because of His wonderful kindnesses which are motivated by His love for us.

David speaks of these kindnesses being shown to him “in a strong city”. Probably, this is describing an event in David’s life found in 1 Sam 23:7….

“And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.”

King Saul had thought that he had David trapped within the gated and barred city of Keilah. However, David had escaped from the city before Saul and his men could arrive. The Lord had delivered David from a seemingly hopeless situation, once again showing David His wonderful mercy and love.

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

Folks, along with the many different ways that the Lord shows His people His kindness, mercy, and protection, we should never forget His great love for us. It is that love for us that motivates Him to show us these many acts of kindness and grace throughout our lifetimes.

Romans 8:35-39 KJV – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

May the Lord bless us as we think on his amazing love that He has placed upon us and use His love to motivate us to greater service for Him.

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:20 KJV – “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.”

Psalms 31:20 ESV – “In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.”

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

Following David’s bringing his needs and desires to the Lord, he now takes time to praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done for His people. Previously, David reminded us of the Lord’s wondrous goodness and mercy that He shows to His people. Now, David reminds us of the protection the Lord supplies to us…

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man:

The Lord puts the protective covering of his presence over His people. When in His presence, we are hidden from the prideful traps laid for us by the world.

Folks, keep in mind that:

1. Lost mankind, in their arrogance, sets traps to overcome the people of God. Their pride leads them to believe that they can gain a spiritual victory over the people of God. They believe their carnal wisdom, knowledge and power are enough to overcome those who are protected by the Lord.

2. As the people of God, we need to always be aware of the world’s continuing efforts to trip us up and render us ineffective in the service of the Lord. Also we must keep in mind the basic principle of this passage. It is when we are in the intimate presence of the Lord that we can be assured of His enablement and protection for our lives.

Of course, there is a level of protection and enablement given to any of us who are a part of the family of God (those who have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior through faith). However, the closer and more intimate our relation to the Lord, the more protection can be had. This means that a lifestyle that includes consistent Bible study, prayer and meditation on the Lord throughout our day, will give us an increased level of spiritual maturity. This, in turn, gives us more spiritual wisdom and Godly enablement as we face the pitfalls the world has set for us.

Isaiah 54:17 KJV – “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

Proverbs 3:21-23 KJV – “My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.”

Isaiah 26:7-9 KJV – “The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”

thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

David explains that the Lord will conceal His people, symbolically, in a hut made of branches (“pavilion”). While in the hut, we will be kept from chiding and mocking of the lost around us.

The hut made with branches allows the hut to blend into its surroundings, and remain unnoticed to the outside world. This reminds us of a soldier’s camouflage that is used to hide them from their enemies’ view. Satan is the enemy of the saved and is actively seeking to devour them (1 Pet 5:8). When the saved are in this God-given “pavilion”, they are kept safe and unnoticed by the enemy.

Psalms 64:1-2 KJV – “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:”

Please notice, not only does the Lord hide His people from the harmful traps of the enemy but also from “the strife of tongues”, or “voices that cause controversy and confusion”.

This is one of the great weapons used by Satan against the ministry of the people of God. False teaching, the defaming of God’s people, words causing strife and conflict, and the taking of God’s name in vain, are a few of the many ways that Satan uses speech to cause controversy and confusion among the people of God.

This type of speech can originate not only in the mouths of the lost but, at times, in the mouths of God’s people as well. This is sad indeed. Satan tempts a child of God to say things that oppose another of God’s servants. When the tempted saint falls into the trap and speakS in opposition to the Lord, they are setting a trap for other children of God.

May we all be on guard against allowing Satan to use our speech to set a pitfall for others who are serving the Lord.

James 3:5-6 KJV – “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

In this lesson, we have had four basic principles of the Lord’s protection brought out in clear view:

1. Satan and lost mankind, in their arrogance, sets traps to overcome the people of God. We must be on constant guard against these traps that are set for us.

2. As the people of God, it is when we are in the intimate presence of the Lord that we can be assured of His enablement and protection for our lives.

3. False teaching, the defaming of God’s people, words causing strife and conflict, and the taking of God’s name in vain, are a few of the many ways that Satan uses speech to cause controversy and confusion among the people of God.

4. Satan tempts a child of God to say things that oppose another of God’s servants. When the tempted saint falls into the trap and speaks in opposition to the Lord, they are setting a trap for other children of God.

May the Lord bless us as we think on his many protective graces and seek to serve Him out of appreciation for His great protection that lies upon us.

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:19 KJV – “[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!”

Psalms 31:19 ESV – “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

Following David’s bringing his needs and desires to the Lord, he now takes time to praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done for His people…

“[Oh] how great [is] thy goodness,

David begins by praising the Lord for His “goodness” (ie His kind, merciful nature and beneficial works He does on behalf of others). David describes His goodness as being overflowing and never-ending.

David understood that the Lord’s kindness had no limits, His forgiveness has no bounds, His beneficial works on behalf of His people never ends. He is good all the time!

Lamentations 3:22 KJV – “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”

which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;

The Lord has reserved His forgiveness and mercies to those who come to Him in saving faith and exhibit a reverence for Him in their lives. Those who are truly saved will exhibit a reverential fear of Him. If a person does not reverence the Lord, they have never experienced the wondrous mercy of the Lord.

This is a very important point that cannot be overemphasized… reverence for the Lord is one of marks of those are His redeemed. When we are accepted into the kingdom of Christ, through God’s grace, we are given a reverential, Godly fear attitude towards our King…

Hebrews 12:28 KJV – “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”

[which] thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”

This wondrous mercy and kindness of the Lord was gained solely through Christ’s work on the cross. It was “wrought” for His people, through His sufferings and death as He paid the price for their sins, which opened the flood gates of His blessing to those who trust in Him.

Psalms 126:2-3 KJV – “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

Summary Of Our Study:

Even in the midst of David’s trying times, he understood the need to keep his eyes upon his Lord, concentrating on His greatness and the wonderful works He has done on his behalf.

Knowledge, and a recollection of the Lord’s goodness, gives the saint the needed encouragement and strength to continue on in troublesome times. It forces us to recognize our need to rely upon Him for our strength and continued safety and not to rely upon our own fleshly, sinful ways to escape from the trials we face.

David emphasizes this same truth in Psalm 25:1-6,15-22…

“O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old….

Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.”

May we all learn from David’s writings and come to trust in Him during every season of our life… the good times, the bad times, the happy times and the sad times…. May we always keep our eyes on the Lord and recognize His never-ending blessings on our behalf!

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:18 KJV – “Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.”

Psalms 31:18 ESV – “Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.”

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

In this section of our text, David reveals to us his desires for those who oppose the righteous. By “the righteous” David would be referring to himself and all others who are servants of Jehovah, seeking to live their lives for him…

“Let the lying lips be put to silence;

David desired for the criticisms, judgments and deceit of the lost to be brought to an end.

Two of the greatest ways that the lost oppose the servants of God is through false teaching and deceitful judgments of the servants of God. David’s desire was for this speech to be brought to an end by God.

Isaiah 54:17 KJV – “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

John 8:44 KJV – “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.”

The words of the lost which are pointed against the servants of the Lord are spoken in a prideful and disrespectful way. They produce great pain and sorrow in the lives of God’s servants…

Psalms 123:3-4 KJV – “Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.”

Acts 25:7 KJV – “And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.”

Folks, this has been a weapon of the opposition throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The lost will always be fault-finding, judgmental, and critical of all those who seek to serve the Lord.

The greatest example of this was the many lies told about Christ Himself, by the Jews…

Mark 14:55-59 KJV – “And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together.”

Summary Of Our Study:

Folks, we should never be surprised at the lost speaking deceitful, critical words against us. It is to be expected if we are following in the footsteps of Christ.

John 15:18 KJV – “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”

How are we to respond to the lies and insults of those who oppose us? We are to do as David did, and give these things to the Lord and rely on Him to bring them to silence. While in the midst of these things we are to put the Lord desires for us first. We are to love, bless, do good and pray for those who oppose us.

By doing this, we are using this difficult life situation to be a witness and testimony of the love of Christ within us…

Matthew 5:44-45 KJV – “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:17 KJV – 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.

Psalms 31:17 ESV – O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol.

​

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

In this section of our text, David reveals to us his desires for himself, and those who persecute him…

Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee:

One of David’s desires concerning himself was that he would not be found confused and shamed in the eyes of others.

David had come before the Lord trusting in Him to accompany and deliver David from his hardships. David wanted the Lord to intervene on his behalf and work deliverance in his life. If the Lord did not come to David’s aid, he would not be looked upon as confused and shamed by those who opposed him.

Joel 2:26-27 KJV – “And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.”

let the wicked be ashamed,

David did not want to be brought to shame based upon his profession of trust in his Lord.

However, David did desire for the wicked around him to be put to shame in public. What would be the basis of that shame? The wicked had mocked David’s Lord, many claiming the Lord did not exist, while others claimed the Lord could do nothing to help David.

By desiring for the wicked to be brought to shame, David was desiring for the Lord to be publically glorified and vindicated through David’s deliverance. In doing so, David’s faith would also be vindicated and David would not be brought to shame.

(Please note this was not a selfish desire on David’s part. He did not want His Lord to be evil spoken of, nor did he want his faith to become an instrument for his enemies to dishonor the Lord. Instead, he wanted the Lord’s glory to be shown in his deliverance and wanted the lost to see the need to look to the Lord…)

Psalms 83:15-18 KJV – “So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.”

[and] let them be silent in the grave.

Not only did David want to silence the enemies of Christ during their lifetime, but also wanted them to be shamed in the life to come. In other words, David wanted the Lord to glorify and vindicate Himself to the point the lost, when they stand before Christ. They will not be able to open their mouth, or in any way attempt to justify themselves, based upon the Lord’s seeming unfaithfulness to David during his times of trials.

Romans 3:19 KJV – “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

Summary Of Our Study:

When we are abused at the hands of others, what is our attitude towards them?

Do we desire for them to be put to misery and die in their lost state to avenge our mistreatment?

OR…

Do we desire the Lord to be glorified through their salvation, or their eternal punishment?

In other words, when afflicted are we more desirous of vengeance, or the Lord to be glorified in every aspect of the situation at hand?

The truthful answering of these questions tell us much about the closeness of our walk with Christ.

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:16 KJV – Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Psalms 31:16 ESV – ​Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

One of the greatest needs David had was the Lord’s presence to be clearly shown to him. In the midst of life trials what a blessing it is to know that the Lord is by our side… this is the request David is making in this mornings devotional.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:

David desires for the Lord to allow His face to “shine” upon him. In other words, he desired for the Lord to be accompany him and be pleased with him.

Numbers 6:25-26 KJV – “The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

Psalms 30:7 KJV – “LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.”

save me for thy mercies’ sake.

David asks the Lord to save (deliver) him from his trials. The Lord was to do this, not because David deserved it, nor because He was obligated to fulfill David’s prayer. He was to do it entirely of His grace and mercy being shown to David.

The Hebrew word that is translated “mercies sake” carries with it the ideas of love, faithfulness, and undeserved aid. Basically David is asking the Lord to aid Him, not because he deserved the help, but because of God’s great love that caused God to be faithful to His people.

Summary Of Our Study:

When in the midst of our trials do we find ourselves concerned about the Lord’s presence and fulfilling the Lord’s desires for His life?

When in the midst of our trials are we concerned about our relationship with the Lord, or are we self-consumed with our life issues? Do we seek His presence in our life? Do we know that any help the Lord may give to us is entirely by His grace and undeserved by us?

All the above are keys to handling our times of trials in ways that please the Lord. May we never allow our personal problems to stand between recognizing the greatness of God and seeking to please the Lord with our lives.

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:14 KJV – My times [are] in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Psalms 31:14 ESV – My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

Following David’s declaration of faith in the Lord and His role in his life, David now brings his needs before the Lord…

My times [are] in thy hand:

Before David asks the Lord to intervene in his life situations, David recognizes that His Lord is in absolute control of all his life. All the happenings of David’s life …every day, hour, minute and second is in the hand of the Lord who will work everything according to His will.

King Solomon understood this same truth when he said…

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

The Lord has a set time appointed for all of these types of events to take place in the lives of men. When these things take place, it is because the Lord has decreed them to take place and are then brought about in alignment with His sovereign will. This includes all the events that take place in the midst of mankind.

Truly, the many various “times” of our life are in His hand…

Daniel 4:34-35 KJV

“And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”

Based upon David’s understanding of the Lord’s control over all his life events, he now has the foundational knowledge to ask the Lord to intervene in his life’s situations. Whether we realize it or not, every time we come before the Lord in prayer, asking Him to intervene in the trials we may be facing, we are acknowledging His sovereign control over all things.

If He is not in control of everything what makes us think He can intervene in any of our life’s problems?

deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

David is asking the Lord to rescue (or “snatch”) him from the power of his enemies. David knew that the Lord “overrule” the will of his enemies at any time. The best laid plans of his enemies would be brought to an end, if the Lord desired it to be so.

Proverbs 19:21 KJV – “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”

David describes those who oppose him as his “enemies” and “them that persecute me”. We all have this type of people show up from time to time during the course of our lifetimes….

“enemies” – those who oppose due to hatred of heart

“them that persecute me” – to chase motivated by resentment

Both of these titles can teach us much about those who stand against us…

1. The title “enemy” teaches us that those who oppose us, many times do it out of hatred and malice. The big question is this…. Are we hated because we are taking a stand for Christ, or are we hated for being inconsiderate and mistreating others?

We should always strive to make certain we are loving and kind towards others, reflecting Christ’s love in a world filled with hate. If we are hated for showing the love of Christ… so be it.

However, if we are hated and opposed due to selfish attitudes and actions, we need to repent of our sin and seek to make restitution with our “enemies” that we have wronged.

1 Peter 2:19-20 KJV – “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

1 Peter 3:14 KJV – “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”

2. The title “them that persecute me” helps us to see that many times we are opposed because people resent us. Many times resentment comes from the differences between the lifestyle of the lost compared to the lifestyle of the saved…

a. When lost men are faced with great trials they find themselves irritated and anxious, compared to a saved person who can face great trials with kindness and peace knowing the Lord is with them and using the trial for their good.

b. When lost men are mistreated by others, many times they seek vengeance and retribution holding bitterness with them. For the saved, when mistreated, they respond in love and compassion, motivated by an unselfish desire to show Christ’s love in their lives towards those who oppose them.

c. When the lost man receives bad news, they have doubts, fears, and feelings of impending doom believing that many of their life events are out of their control. When the saved receive bad news in their life, they understand the Lord is in control and there is always hope and joy in the midst of these times knowing the Lord can change their life circumstances at any time.

All of these type of differences can bring about a spirit of envy and resent in the hearts of those who are lost and watching our lives. It is just as Christ taught us…

John 15:18-19 KJV – “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Summary Of Our Study:

When we are faced with opposition from the lost around us it is important we keep in mind…

1. The Lord is in control… He can remove the opposition from us any time He sees fit. Until the opposition is removed, it remains in our life for our good and His glory.

2. We are to make certain the opposition we face is not because of selfishness or sin in our lives which causes us to mistreat others.

3. When we are opposed due to our faithfulness to Christ, we are in the best of company, Christ Himself was persecuted for His faithfulness to His Father.

4. When we are opposed due to our faithfulness to Christ, may we accept it with loving hearts and a self-sacrificial spirit, seeking to win the souls of those who oppose us for the cause of Christ.

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION TO OUR SERIES:

Throughout the years, this Psalm, or portions of it, have been a great blessing to me in several difficult situations that I have faced in life. Although, the Psalm does not reveal to us the exact situation that David was facing, it is obvious he was facing a very difficult hardship that, from his perspective, appeared to be insurmountable.

Throughout our lives as Christians, most, if not all of us, have faced the same type of issues. This Psalm gives us many wonderful truths that will give us comfort, hope, and even joy in the midst of these hardships of life.

This is the basic outline we will be using… our devotional will be covering approximately one verse per day…

1. David’s Request (1-2)

2. David’s Recognition (3-4)

3. David’s Commitment (5-8)

4. David’s Sufferings (9-13) (Due to his sin 9-10; Due to other’s sin 11-13)

5. David’s Faith (14-16)

6. David’s Desire (17-18)

7. David’s Praise (19-22)

8. David’s Exhortation (23-24)

TODAY’S TEXT:

Psalms 31:14 KJV – But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou [art] my God.

Psalms 31:14 ESV – But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL:

Following a recounting of the results of David’s personal sins and sins in the life of others, David saw that things had gotten entirely out of his control. In the midst of his seemingly hopeless condition, David turned to his Lord, trusted in Him, and acknowledged His position as the only true God…

But I trusted in thee, O LORD:

The “LORD” refers to Jehovah, the Only True God, the Self-Existent One. He is the genuine God over all. He is not reliant upon any others for His existence, or His sustenance. He is God alone and needs no one or no one thing to exist eternally.

The Hebrew word that is translated “trusted” implies “hiding for refuge”. David was in the midst of a fearsome storm of life. He had sinned against his Lord and his family, his friends, his acquaintances and his subjects knew of his sin, had exaggerated it, and had turned against him. The circumstances he now faced was entirely out of his control.

In the midst of his fearful, helpless condition he runs to the Lord as his refuge in the midst of this life storm. He trusted in the Lord, knowing He is in control and was always ready to forgive him, grant him peace and keep David safe in His hands.

Psalms 56:3 KJV – “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

Psalms 18:1-4 KJV – “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.”

I said, Thou [art] my God.

Not only did David run to the Lord as his Refuge and Strength in the midst of life’s storms, but he also recognized Jehovah as the One that deserved his worship and his allegiance. By this David is recognizing his responsibilities towards Jehovah.

He is not simply a refuge that we run to in times of need and abandon during the good times of life. He is the One who is to be continually worshipped and served throughout the many days of our life, whether in good times or in bad times.

Psalms 42:11 KJV – “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Summary Of Our Study:

Oh how important it is for all of us to recognize the great need of the Lord in every aspect of our lives on earth…

He is in control of what we cannot control.

He enables us to withstand, and do, what is impossible for us if left alone.

He is the One who leads us, feeds us and protects us in the midst of our life on earth.

Therefore, we own Him our all… Our worship, our allegiance, and first place in our lives!

Luke 20:38 KJV – “For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.”

May we all learn from King David and seek to rid our lives of sin on a daily basis, not only for eternity’s sake but for our earthly well-being also!

Homepage…  http://www.settledinheaven.org

Text Blog…  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com

Video Blog… http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

Email… settledinheaven@gmail.com