..but You are my God!
July 26, 2008 (Saturday)
Suffering comes to everyone, sooner or later. Psalm 31 was written by a person who was suffering and prayed about it, becoming completely honest with the Lord in expressing his feelings.
This suffering person brought to the Lord his sad complaint (Psalm 31:9-13). He acknowledged that he was afflicted and consumed by grief (vv 9-10), and was depressed (vs 10). He was also being torn by conflicts with others (vv 11-12). He was at rock bottom emotionally, utterly despondent, and had no joy.
He had the comfort of knowing that the Lord was listening to him as he prayed. When we pray, we have a Divine Listener (vs 9). The personal name of God is used in this Psalm 10 times. The Psalmist knew to whom he prayed. He cares for us as a loving father (Psalm 103:13) and has tender feelings for us as a mother for her children (Isaiah 66:13). His love is greater than that of earthly parents for their children (Isaiah 49:15).
We may rest assured that the Psalmist found the Lord to be the Divine Helper (vv 14-18). As we take our burdens to the Lord, we learn to trust Him (vs 14), because He holds us and our future in His hands (vs 15) and gives us hope (vv 16-18).
God hears us, even if we complain, and He wants to help us.
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Psalm 31:9-14, “The Message” translation:
Be kind to me, God — I’m in deep, deep trouble again. I’ve cried my eyes out; I feel hollow inside. My life leaks away, groan by groan; my years fade out in sighs. My troubles have worn me out, turned my bones to powder. To my enemies I’m a monster; I’m ridiculed by the neighbors. My friends are horrified; they cross the street to avoid me. They want to blot me from memory, forget me like a corpse in a grave, discard me like a broken dish in the trash. The street-talk gossip has me “criminally insane”! Behind locked doors they plot how to ruin me for good. Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God!