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Life is very complicated and uncertain today. I could run off a laundry list of financial, emotional, and spiritual problems plaguing us as individuals, families, communities, and as a nation, but I think at this point you know the tune well.

Often, I find myself having conversations with people about their suffering and uncertainty because of everything going on. Particularly around my age and younger it is often these kinds of questions: What do you do when you feel completely overwhelmed? What about when it seems like everyone has abandoned you, even the Lord? Or people turn on you and now actively hate you because of what you believe?

These are deep and serious questions, reflecting crucial issues in a believer’s life. Unfortunately, the answers they hear to these questions is not always good. Some are told to give up or maybe to shut up. To abandon the Lord and what is true, to be liked and accepted. Or perhaps to still believe secretly, but in public always be silent. Never letting the truth of your life be known. Hiding the light of the Lord away from others.

Now it would be easy and patronizing for me to stand here and tell you to just have faith and leave it at that. To encourage you to push aside how you feel, stoically suppress your emotions, and maybe feel bad for not enduring the times we live in better. However, it would not just be wrong of me to give that answer, but it would also be unbiblical.

Instead, as we always should in times of difficulty, we need to look at the Word of the Lord and see what truths it has for us all. Specifically, in times of trouble, one of the best books to turn to is the Psalms. This morning we will be looking at Psalm 31, a psalm of David written when he was feeling helpless, abandoned, and overwhelmed. It is a psalm that candidly looks at what it means to trust in the Lord when everything just seems to be going wrong.

The heart of psalm 31 is that we can patiently trust in the Lord to faithfully be a refuge who guides His people to redemption. We can also trust that Adonai will bring His righteous judgement against those who pridefully ridicule and go against His people.

We begin with the words, For the director of music. A psalm of David. This not only tells us the author, King David, but also this is a psalm to be performed and sung. 1 Samuel 13:14 tells us that King David was a man after God’s own heart. While not perfect, he was a man who was very close to the Lord. He was also a man who experienced great highs and lows in his life. So, this prayer, written through the Holy Spirit, is a prayer written by an imperfect but sincere person. A man I believe we can relate to in his times of trouble. Let’s begin to take a look.

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;

  let me never be put to shame;

  in your righteousness deliver me!

2 Incline your ear to me;

  rescue me speedily!

Be a rock of refuge for me,

  a strong fortress to save me!

Our psalm opens with King David declaring that the Lord is his refuge. When troubles come it is to the Lord we should turn. One of the main themes of this psalm is given in these two verses. King David is asking the Lord to save him from serious trouble.

Since the Lord is his fortress, he asks for his prayer to be heard and that he would not be shamed. The type of shame King David is describing is not just a bit of embarrassment. It is the complete destruction of his entire life and his faith in the Lord. But despite the doubts he is experiencing emotionally, he still has deep trust in the goodness of Adonai to save him from his enemies.

Our psalm now shifts to a beautiful prayer declaring King David’s total trust in the loving-kindness of Adonai. We will see this shifting from praise to lament and back to praise again throughout this psalm. It is a raw example of our own emotions in times of suffering.

3 For you are my rock and my fortress;

  and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;

4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,

  for you are my refuge.

What does it mean to say the Lord is our rock and our fortress? These are common titles we pray and sing about often at Shema, but do we understand them? In these verses we see a connection between the poetic and the practical. God is not just a static force. He is not just a rock who sits around unmoving. Because of His name, because of His nature and character, Adonai leads and guides us.

The root word here for guide is נָהַל (Nahal). We find this same type of guiding in the familiar verse of Psalm 23:2. A verse that poetically describes the Lord leading us to calm waters, another kind of refuge. So, the Lord guides David, and by extension His people, from the traps of our enemies to places of safety.

Satan’s traps are very real. So are the traps of those who are in his kingdom of darkness. There are constant schemes to trap, capture, and kill us. We can see Satan’s schemes throughout Jewish history and in the history of Messiah’s Community. Yet the Lord constantly turns situations to the contrary, to borrow the language of Purim. He thwarts the schemes of His enemies and saves us.

When David considers the goodness of the Lord. That He is a place of safety, a fortress that leads us from troubles and guides us to Himself, there is only one logical response. This response we read in verse 5.

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;

  you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Our response is to give ourselves fully to our Good Shepard. We commit ourselves to the Lord, who then redeems us in His faithfulness. This commitment is not just signing a statement of faith or some sort of casual agreement. David is passionately and deliberately reaffirming his dedication to the Lord. Even in this moment of terrible trouble there is no other hand he is reaching for.

6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,

  but I trust in the Lord.

There are other things we can reach out to in times of trouble. Worthless and empty idols of various kinds. You have the classics in the form of false gods and fallen angels. But also, ones less physical like money, power, respect, and lust. It is very clear that there are only two choices available for every human being. But King David is lead by the Lord and he rejoices in this fact.

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.

Even though David is in trouble He can rejoice. He knows that regardless of circumstances the Lord’s Chesed, His steadfast love, persists. We are given three reasons why we can always rejoice in the Lord’s unfailing love, despite our circumstances.

Our first reason is because the Lord sees what is going on, He is completely aware of our lives. Much of our suffering can happen behind closed doors. Outwardly we may seem to be in control and happy, but inwardly we are falling apart and barely hanging on. Despite what late night ads might tell you, human beings are not psychic. Even the most perceptive of people can be blind to suffering going on around them. There have been many times where someone has told me they were suffering after it was over and I had no idea. It has also been the same for my suffering with other people.

But the Lord sees all. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He sees our triumphs and our trials. We do not have to explain in detail what is going on in our lives because he already knows.

The second reason we can rejoice is because the Lord understands thoroughly our feelings. He knows our hearts better than we do. I am sure you know the feeling when you tell someone something serious going on in your life and they just don’t seem to understand. Maybe they even want to understand but they just cannot for various reasons. Our heavenly father always understands. He sees not only the circumstances of our lives, but everything we think and feel. We have a wonderful Messiah who has experienced suffering in this world and can relate to us better than any other human being.

Our final reason to rejoice is that the Lord has not allowed his enemies to totally control and destroy us. Even if they harm our bodies, our spirits cannot be removed from the Lord’s hand. There will come a day where all accounts will be settled. Where everyone will receive the reward or punishment given by the King of Kings and the one true judge. There are many times where the Lord will save us in this life. But there will also be times we do not see the Lord work the way we want. However, despite how bad things maybe we can rejoice that have not been given over to Satan and the powers of darkness.

Because of the Lord’s steadfast love, King David knows he can bare his heart to Adonai. We also should do the same and encourage others to do so in difficult times.

As we move to the next section of this psalm we will see how King David is feeling and what he is going through. We move from praise back to lament.

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.

Despite his faith in the Lord, David is suffering. His suffering has affected every part of his life. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually. David is falling to pieces and needs the Lord’s love. Maybe you can relate to these verses?

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,

  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.

In these verses King David shares what is going on. His enemies want him dead, and they have also spread the word about how they plan to destroy him. The result is that everyone has either abandoned or are blaming him.

King David is suffering and is in real distress. You can feel his pain in these verses. But there is also a defiance, a refusal to remain in his lament. So, we turn once again to praise.

14 But I trust in you, O Lord;

  I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in your hand;

  rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

16 Make your face shine on your servant;

  save me in your steadfast love!

David’s response to being abandoned by people is to lean even more heavily on the Lord. He repeatedly declares that he belongs to Adonai. King David knows his life is in the Lord’s hand and that only the Lord can save him.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I do not think it is wrong to reach out to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. But there can come a time, like we see in this psalm, where people abandon or cannot help us. In these moments it is crucial to run towards our heavenly father, not away from Him.

This can be very difficult; I have experienced in my own life occasions when running to the Lord went against my grief and suffering. But in these moments, it is essential we cry out to the Lord and remember exactly who the Lord is.

So, King David desires to experience the Lord’s blessings once again. Specifically, the blessing given by the Lord Himself to Aaron. After this, our psalm once again shifts from the goodness of the Lord to the wickedness of King David’s enemies.

17 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.

18 Let the lying lips be mute,

  which speak insolently against the righteous

  in pride and contempt.

King David prays that instead of being the one shamed and abandoned, those who hate him should experience the justice of the Lord. That his enemies should be put to shame and be destroyed. They are full of pride and have nothing but disrespect for the Lord’s people and by extension the Lord Himself. It is appropriate to pray for the Lord’s justice to be done. But we should be careful that we are praying for the Lord’s will and not our own vengeance.

The rest of this psalm seems to take place after King David has experienced the Lord’s deliverance. Part of it is King David reflecting joyfully on the Lord’s goodness, but it is also directed to all of God’s people to learn from.

19 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!

20 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.

David knows that the Lord’s goodness is not just his exclusively. Adonai is available and working for all who have put their trust in Him. The Lord has stored up goodness for His people, and His righteous anger for those who mock and trust in idols of their own creation.

He also protects us from the plans of wicked and horrible people. Many times, we are completely unaware of all the situations the Lord saves us from. I am reminded of our recent parashas, where the Lord protected our people from Balaam’s attempt to curse us and we had no idea it was happening. How often in our own lives are we delivered without ever being aware?  It is a truth to be mindful of and rejoice in.

As we reach the final section of our psalm, we see the response that comes from a prayer being answered.

21 Blessed be the Lord,

  for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me

  when I was in a besieged city.

22 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.

King David thanks the Lord that His goodness and Chesed is available even when he has his doubts. When He cried out to the Lord for help, He knows the Lord heard and answered His prayers. The response to the Lord’s deliverance is to bless Him, to give Adonai the praise that He deserves.

There is also another lesson for us in these verses. Often when suffering it can feel like the Lord is far from us or does not know what is happening in our lives. While these feeling are common, they are not true.  King David, a man after God’s own heart, had moments where he felt like he was not seen or heard. But these feelings were not true, he was seen, understood, and received help from the Lord. Our hearts can be deceptive, our feelings do not always reflect the reality we are experiencing.

As we go through the trials of our lives, we need to remember this truth as well. That no matter what is happening or where we go, the Lord is always ready to help us. If we draw breath, we can commit our spirit to the Lord’s hand. Let us now consider the final points of this psalm.

23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!

  The Lord preserves the faithful

  but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

  all you who wait for the Lord!

We are to learn from this psalm to love the Lord. To learn that we can patiently trust in the Lord to faithfully be a refuge, guiding His people to His redemption. We can also trust that Adonai will bring His righteous judgement against those who pridefully ridicule His people.

The type of courage we are encouraged to have is not found in this world. It is not the courage that comes from temporary financial security. It is not the courage that comes from having an eager following online, or the respect of seemingly important people. It is a courage only found through the Holy Spirit. Given freely to all those who have been redeemed through the sacrifice of Messiah Yeshua, the sinless son of God.

This is the courage that our Messiah showed when He was despised by His neighbors and leaders, suffering, and dying on the cross. Yet He willingly endured that terrible death to bring life to all those who join themselves to Him. He endured the shame of the cross, dying a criminal’s death, to make redemption available for us all.

Only a short time later Stephen, the first martyr, would die a criminal’s death as well. Shamed through stoning by his neighbors. He also endured a horrible death, while prophesying and declaring the reality of Messiah Yeshua.

These are just two examples of a strength and courage that went far and above the ordinary. As both drew their last breaths, hated by so many, and suffering on a level we cannot comprehend, they quoted the words of this psalm. Psalm 31:5: Into your hand I commit my spirit. This is the type of courage and strength we can have only through Adonai Himself.

We need that courage because our Messiah taught that we will be persecuted and ridiculed just as He was. Just as so many others have been and will be. In America the persecution is not that bad. To get a real taste of it we need to be under a totalitarian regime like China. But regardless of where we live this is a life filled with suffering, darkness, and death. Those who search for hope in this world will only come up with worthless idols.

We must therefore choose the other path, to commit ourselves to the Lord. To speak the same words as Messiah Yeshua and accept the redemption that He has provided. We can then experience a life like King David’s. A life where though we suffer and deal with persecution, we know that the Lord is near and knows us. A life where ultimate victory belongs to the Lord and His people. We can experience personally how the Lord preserves His people throughout all time.

But the rejoicing and strength found in this psalm is only available for the Lord’s people. If you have yet to commit your spirit to His hand through Messiah Yeshua, then I encourage you to do so today. Today let go of worthless idols that cannot save and grasp the hand of the only one who can redeem us from this world.

If you are in the Lord’s hand, then I hope Psalm 31 is a comfort and a lesson for difficult times. If you feel distant from the Lord right now, let this psalm be a reminder that the Lord has not abandoned you and is as available today as He was during the time of David. Run towards the Lord and His people, not away!

It is my prayer this morning that each of us would have the same commitment and conviction of King David. To love the Lord because He is our fortress and our refuge. That each of us would be guided by our Good Shepard to the redemption and salvation only found in Him. May each of us have the courage to patiently wait on the Lord and through His strength endure the suffering we experience.