One of the features of the Psalms that I have come to appreciate over the last decade or more is the window that it gives to see into the human heart. A friend recently asked me what the Lord was teaching me these days. The answer is expressed in this Psalm. David, a man after God’s own heart, the slayer of Goliath, the youngest of his family, selected by God above all others to be anointed as king…is in a deep pit of his feelings. That’s not to say that there isn’t good reason! There is! His enemies are fierce, and his friends are scarce. This lament of grief flows from that.
In the opening verses, he declares that he has already taken refuge in God (v.1), that God is his Rock, Fortress, and Leader (v.3), that God reveals hidden traps and is his strength (v.4), and that God has set David free by paying his ransom (v.5). These are statements of faith. They are presented as facts.
Often, we as disciples of Jesus have categorical statements of faith like this. Jesus is my Lord! He is my Refuge. He is sufficient. He sees all. I Trust Him. He is Sovereign. He spoke to me, and I acted according to His Word! Our faith feels strong!
This informs David’s response to the ungodly.
6I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the Lord.
7I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, Because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul,
8And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a large place.
Psalm 31:6–8 (NASB95)
He not only trusts in the Lord but has set Himself squarely on the side of God and hates those who regard idols. Not just idols, but he hates those who regard wickedness! He rejoices in God’s loyal covenantal love (He-Sed), the lovingkindness of God…
Then the shift of feelings within him as he reflects on his circumstances…in the very next verse! He says that he is wasting away from grief (v.9). Notice how he expands on that feeling.
11Because 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.
12I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
13For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life.
Psalm 31:11–13 (NASB95)
David is a hot mess! Not the next day or the next hour but in the very next thought! He KNOWS truth! Theologically, he has settled on the Person and provision of God. And his feelings are so overwhelming that he experiences “terror on every side.”
Is there any better image of a disciple’s heart and experience in the narrow and shadowy places of life’s journey? God, I know…but I feel…
Verse 14 helps us if we have ears to hear. What do you do when your feelings conflict with what you know to be true about God?
A decision, by faith.
Now if you are like me, doubt can creep in. You can start to wonder if you truly knew what you said you knew. Doubt has always been the “adjustable wrench” in the devil’s toolbox (you can make it work in nearly every situation). The only effective response to doubt is a reasoned response. Before the flood of feelings that churned up doubts…you had settled in your heart who God is and what God does. You were thinking clearly then. There was no barrage of emotional missiles flying overhead. By faith, choose that again.
14But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.”
Psalm 31:14 (NASB95)
We will never experience the enemy’s “cease fire” or “surrender” in this life. Here, we will have troubles but take courage, Jesus already won! (John 16:33).
My mom had a favorite response that she always had on a hair trigger to encourage folks going through difficulties. “This too shall pass.” It seems simplistic, but it is a wise observation of life.
David offered a similar encouragement in a Psalm that was written as a song of dedication. It served as a reminder that nothing in this life lasts forever. Not homes, fortunes, or even relationships. Not even brokenness and suffering. No matter how glorious or how awful life seems to be now, take courage, “This too shall pass.”
…Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5 (NASB95)
What has arrested your spirit? What has brought you immeasurable pain? What relational conflict are you embroiled in as we speak? Perhaps your situation, your suffering, or your dispute has a grip on you that seems relentless. Remember, “This too shall pass.”
The principle applies on the other end of the spectrum as well. You may be living your best life. Perhaps you are sitting in the catbird seat. Maybe you are the most comfortable and secure you have ever been. Take care, “This too shall pass.”
Some struggle with the suffering of this life. They experience it and, at times, will attribute its existence as evidence that there can be no loving and good God in the world; otherwise, they would be more at ease. Is the Lord less loving when He accompanies us through the valley than if He happens to guide us around it? Personally, I find that I am more aware of His gracious provision when I am in a difficult place than when I am resting on a mountaintop. My self-interested heart doesn’t need much of an excuse to start singing my own praises and attributing my comfortable existence to my own efforts.
At the same time, suffering can be unbearable. Hurt, betrayal, criticism, and uncertainty can feel overwhelming for us. We can feel as though we are being crushed in their hands. Such an occasion requires a faith response. To survive, we MUST preach to ourselves, the truth of God’s Word. Listen to how Paul expresses it in Second Corinthians.
5For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
6For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
8we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12So death works in us, but life in you.
2 Corinthians 4:5–12 (NASB95)
The reality for those who follow Jesus cannot be anything except His reality. He suffered on behalf of others. You too will suffer, but “This too shall pass.”
I’m hopeful you’re still here. I know the title is a bit abrupt. But hear me. How many people do you know who are living in their own version of hell, here on earth?
By no means am I implying that the circumstances of this life in any way compare to the severity of God’s judgment against all unrighteousness. Yet, we know that most people live every day in a type of hell of their own making. Listen to this reflective petition of David:
1To You, O Lord, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, for if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.
2Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
Psalm 28:1–2 (NASB95)
David’s prayer was for the presence of God. Do not be deaf to me. Your silence will make me like those who go into the pit. David longed for and was dependent on the relationship he enjoyed with God. He pleads for mercy, “Do not drag me away with the wicked” (Ps 28:3). David reminds that separation from God is a foretaste of hell on earth. His observation reminds me of God’s instructions to His people through the prophet Isaiah who would follow many years later.
1Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
2But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Isaiah 59:1–2 (NASB95)
You and I, as people created by God and in His image (the Imago Dei), are hardwired for communion with Him, for our benefit and His glory. David rehearses the reality that for the wicked…that relationship is broken. It is a foretaste of hell.
No, contrary to the warped view that we sometimes adopt, Hell is not only for “really bad” people (See 28:3-5). Unless you realize, of course, that we are ALL really bad. (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Hell is the place where there is knowledge of the existence of God yet no means by which it can be enjoyed. It is eternally crying for relief, knowing it would be possible for God, and knowing that it was rejected time and again in our lives, thus sealing our fate.
We all deserve Hell for our rebellion; yet Jesus came to give us a second chance; Jesus did not come just to commute our sentence of eternal judgment, but to restore us to the place of communion with God…what He calls abundant life (John 10:10b). And, it is not only a promise of some future reality, but the powerful present reality for those who accept and trust in God’s atoning work in Jesus Christ as our substitute.
Yes, many live in a hell of their own making. They experience the broken fellowship and silence of heaven. They exist every day moving closer and closer to the reality of eternal, outer darkness. And God hates it. Jesus overcomes it. And you can turn from it…to the abundant life you were created for. If you only will.
10“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 (NASB95)
Have you ever watched birds? They seem to have different personalities. Some are stoic and settled. They sit atop a limb and watch everything going on. Others scurry about from point to point, limb to limb…busy to get to the next thing. And there are some in-between. They sit on a limb but are constantly nervous. The wind rustles slightly and they open their wings in preparation to make a quick escape only to lower their wings when the anticipated danger subsides.
Psalm 46 is a beloved song. Only eleven verses in the modern English translations. Only two calls to action on the part of the reader exist; two imperatives directed toward the hearer that demand an obedient response.
In nine of the eleven verses, the Psalmist presents God, the covenant God of Jacob/Israel in all His glorious provision. He is a refuge and help (v.1). He is unchanging (vv.2-3). He is the centerpiece of the city of God and all of creation serves Him as He reigns sovereignly over everything from nature to nations (vv.4-7). He is the great warrior who fights for His own glory and to the benefit of His people (vv.9, 11). He is our Refuge, our Ruler, and the Redeemer!
V.8 begins with the command to Israel and, by extension, to us today. “Come, behold the works of the Lord.” It is not a command to come and help. It is not a call to start something and ask the Lord to join you. It is not even a request for you to fill up the suggestion box of heaven with ideas for how you think God ought to act. It is simply a call to come and behold the Lord and His glorious workings in our midst.
Then comes the tenth verse. Cease striving, or in another translation, Be Still. This is the call to confidence. It is not a call to a vacation as we sometimes read it from our human perspective. It is not about passivity but faith. It is not apathy but rest. It is the relaxing of the wings of the nervous bird on a limb…the settling of one’s anxious longings and the answer to one’s worries. You might even use the word Trust in our modern language today to translate the idea. Yes…relax your wings. There are indeed predators and schemers in your midst, but you are known to and called by a God who reigns over them as well. Don’t waste your life away trying to control or fretting about things that are far too big for you to fix or defend against.
Consequently, v.10 draws a connection for us and helps us to see that our resigning, our relaxing of the wings sets the stage for God to be God and to do the things the rest of the Psalm points to. Cease striving and KNOW that I am God. I (not you) will be exalted among the peoples of the world and in the world of the people. The implication is clear and intentional. To continue to strive, to work at resisting, is to fight in God’s place. It is to elevate yourself to Ruler and Redeemer and to make for yourself a Refuge; or we can relax our wings. Trust the Lord who creates and controls the rivers. Trust the God who causes earthquakes to stop shaking. Trust the God who commands the hosts of warriors in heaven’s army. Trust the God who made His covenant with you. Trust the God who has already previewed the end of the story if we cease striving…KNOWING that He will be exalted among all peoples and in all the earth.
King David was no stranger to betrayal. Betrayal, a violation of trust, is a product of the fall. It is exhibited in the sinful nature of humanity. It is the opposite of God. God never betrays. Ever. In fact, one of the most prolific descriptions of God is often translated as lovingkindness in the English translation. It is the Hebrew word, He-Sed, which speaks of the loyal, covenant love of God. The God who made a promise, prompted wholly within Himself, is faithful and loyal to Himself and His promise; therefore, He is merciful and gracious toward us.
In this Psalm, David brings the pain of betrayal into full view.
12For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him.
13But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend;
14We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng.
Psalm 55:12–14 (NASB95)
If an enemy or a hater opposed or undercut David, he could understand it. But for one who was a companion, a close friend, one who worshipped by his side…the weightiness of that is overwhelming!
This hurt is the heart of God’s view on the permanence of marriage and his hatred of divorce. The reality of this is why there is such prolific teaching on guarding unity, extending and seeking forgiveness, and all other manners of reconciliation when relationships are strained. Further, it is why the Bible consistently requiresconfrontation among spiritual family members in nearly every instance when relationships are damaged (See Matthew 5 and Matthew 18). It is never ok to be hurt and to hold a grudge without humbly seeking to resolve the pain.
The life of a disciple in the world we live in is one of constant conflict, predictable pressures, and recurring pain (John 15:18, 16:33, Philippians 1:21-25, Galatians 6:17). In fact, the strife we experience in the world is a “badge of honor” of sorts.
22“Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.
23“Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.
Luke 6:22–23 (NASB95)
But a friend’s betrayal just hits differently. So, what does one DO with betrayal? Three things:
Remember that you and I are first betrayers, then betrayed. We walked out on God long before someone hurt us.
Be faithful and humble in confrontation. A friend’s betrayal and our pain does not negate our responsibility as a disciple. We must be willing to have a humble and hard conversation. After all, what if the glory of God in redemption, restoration, and reconciliation hinged simply on our obedience?
Forgive. In light of our failures in relationships, our betrayal of others…and in response to the desire to restore a relationship through forgiveness, then forgive (See Matthew 18:21-22). Such forgiveness is worshipful as an obedient response to the Lord’s command, and it is mercifully compassionate toward our fellow disciples (Matthew 18:32-33). Forgiveness releases the responsibility to exact justice to the Lord, who is the only One qualified to administer it righteously.
To hold the grudge or to label the betraying brother in a way that is “less than,” simply harms you. Often, the offender has no clue…but the root of bitterness in your soul simply grows stronger and more intransigent. Forgive, by faith for fullness of healing.
We can never experience the freedom of abundant life if we try to renegotiate the conditions of it.
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