Those who trust God
[Psalms 31:15-24]
Do you trust God? What is the way of trust? Brennan Manning says: ‘The way of trust is not to enter into a future that is all planned and determined and clearly described, but to an unknown and uncertain world. The next step is revealed only by discerning God who works in the wilderness of the present moment. The life of a pilgrim who leaves a clear, sure, and safe world and enters an unknown world without any rational explanation to justify our decision or to secure the future. Why do we do that? It is because God sent a signal to move and gave His presence and promise’ (Internet). Of course, there would have been days in which the pilgrims entering the unknown world were dominated by anxiety and uncertainty. But we could also have had a calm voice somewhere reassuring us: “'Do not fear, for I am with you …” (Isa. 41:10). What can give us more trust than God's presence? A person named Job confesses at the crossroads of life and death, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15, KJV). What an amazing trust? By looking at Job's trust in God more than his life, we should ask ourselves if we really trust God like Job.
Are we confessing like Job? Do we believe that, as Brennan Manning said, ‘What is more trustworthy than God's presence’? Under the heading “Those who who trust God,” based on Psalms 31:15-24, I want to meditate on three things about how to trust God and apply them in our lives.
First, those who trust God know that everything that they go through in their lives is in His hand.
Look at Psalms 31:15 – “My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.” Here, the world “My times” means ‘my current affairs’, all the events that will take place throughout my life (Park). For the psalmist David, all the events, circumstances, and changes that will take place throughout his life are in the hands of the Lord. David knew this and believed it. David, who had “But as for me” faith (v. 14), trusted God completely whatever circumstances he was in. He had confidence that everything was in the hands of the Lord. So David, who trusted in God, relied on the Lord’s lovingkindness no matter what happened in his life. Look at Psalms 31:16 – “Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; Save me in Your lovingkindness.” David was being persecuted by the enemy (v. 15). His enemies were the wicked (v. 17) who were arrogantly against the righteous David with pride and contempt (v. 18). Even in these circumstances, David, who trusted in God, longed for the face of the Lord. The reason was that when he was suffering, he could think and feel that the Lord had covered His face, so David asked God to shine His face upon him in times of suffering (v. 16). In doing so, he trusted in the Lord’s lovingkindness. Isn't this amazing that David trusted in the Lord's lovingkindness even in the midst of persecution from his enemies? Those who trust in God depend on the Lord's lovingkindness. And those who trust in the Lord’s lovingkindness have assurance of deliverance and salvation because they know that the Lord’s hand can't compare to the hand of his enemies and from those who persecuted him (v. 15). David, who prayed in this assurance, was also confident that the Lord would not put him to shame but would put the wicked to shame (v. 17). How would God put the saint who trusts in Him to shame? Rather, the Lord put the saints' enemies to shame by making things to come not as they expected, causing them to be disappointed and in shame (Park). David was convinced of this.
We must live in confidence like David. What confidence? We must be confident that everything in our lifetime is in the hand of the Lord. We must believe and be confident that we are in the Lord’s sovereign will, even though we don’t know His will at the time when we face adversities, difficulties, and painful things in our lives. In that conviction, we must seek the grace of God's salvation by trusting in the Lord’s lovingkindness.
Second, those who trust God know how great the His goodness is.
Look at Psalms 31:19 – “How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!” In the midst of the persecution of the proud wicked enemies, David looked back and meditated on the great goodness of the Lord that He had given him. What's interesting is that our God has stored up His goodness to those who fear Him. In other words, He is the God who stores up His goodness that He will give in the future. Eventually, David remembered and meditated on the great goodness of God in the past in the midst of the severe sufferings of the present, and realized that the great goodness He had accumulated was also for his sake. David was convinced that there was great goodness of God which had already accumulated for David who was suffering. Are we really confident and expecting that ‘There must be great grace that the Lord has already accumulated (prepared) for me at this moment?’ even in the mist of our present suffering? What was God's goodness for David? What kind of God's great goodness of the past did David meditate on? It was God's protection. Look at Psalms 31:20 – “You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.” David remembered God’s protection when his enemies persecuted him in the conspiracies of man with the strife of tongues (v. 20). He described it with the verbs “hide” and “keep them secretly” and with the words “the secret place of Your presence” and “a shelter” (v. 20). David already prayed this prayer of assurance in Psalms 27:5 – “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.” David remembered the grace of the Lord’s salvation in the past when God protected him whenever he was in danger, by hiding him in the secret of His presence so that no one would harm him. David, who was convinced that everything was in the hands of the Lord, was confident that the Lord would protect him again while meditating on the Lord’s goodness in the past during trouble and persecution.
We must think of God's past goodness, like David, in the present painful circumstance. We must remember God's goodness of protecting us in the past. We must remember God's goodness in protecting us in the past. We must believe that the Lord has accumulated His goodness in advance to give great grace even in our present suffering. And we must firmly believe that the Lord gives that great goodness when we are in trouble and suffering.
Third and last, those who trust God obey the Lord’s commands.
In Psalms 31:21-24, David said that those who trust God obey the three commands of the Lord:
(1) The first command is ‘Praise the Lord’.
Look at Psalms 31:21 – “Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.” Those who trust God meditate on the great goodness of God in the past in faith in the belief that everything is in the Lord’s hand, and praise God in the present painful circumstance. He praised God as he thought about His wonderful love to him when he was in a besieged city (v. 21). He praised God because the Lord’s grace and love which God brought him out of danger and brought him to the safe place. What should we do? Even in the midst of our present suffering, we who trust God should praise God as we meditate on His wonderful love that was given to us in the past.
(2) The second command is ‘Love the Lord’.
Look at Psalms 31:23 – “Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.” David, who trusted God, experienced the Lord's lovingkindness in the persecution of his enemies (v. 16). He experienced the great goodness of the Lord's salvation of receiving His grace and protection. The Lord's love was “marvelous” (v. 21). David, who experienced this love, exhorted us to love the Lord “all you His godly ones” (v. 23). We must love God. This is the commandment of Jesus. Who is the ones who love God? Those who love God are “His godly ones” (v. 23). God protects those who faithfully trust God and live their faith. But He reveals His justice to those who act proudly.
(3) The third command is ‘Be strong and take heart’.
Look at Psalms 31:24 – “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” Nowadays, while meditating on the words of Joshua 1:6-9, I am meditating on the words “Be strong and courageous” (vv, 6, 7, 9). Since God is with us, we are challenged to be strong and take heart. Also, since God with us has given the word of promise and will fulfill it, we must be strong and courageous. Those who trust God are strong and courageous.
We are those who trust God. We are pilgrims who enter the unknown world. The reason we left this pilgrimage is because God's presence and that He has promised us. As we walk the path of trust toward the promised land of Heaven, we must be sure that everything that happens in that journey is in God's sovereign hand. In addition, we must pray, expect, and wait for the great grace and goodness that He has accumulated in the midst of our current tribulation and suffering, remembering the great grace of God in the past. In the midst of this, we must praise God and love Him through His grace. Furthermore, in the midst of the current tribulation and suffering, we who desire God must move forward toward Heaven as we are strong and take heart.
As I am being established as he who trust God,
James Kim
(Praying for God’s grace and goodness to live in obedience to His Word)