Psalm 31:24 - Courage As You Hope And Wait In The Lord.
Psalm 31:24 - Courage As You Hope And Wait In The Lord.
Psalm 31:24 (NIV) Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in
the LORD.
CONTEXT
Psalm 31: The Lord a Forress in Adversity. [Remnant SOP SB]
WORD STUDY
Hope in the Lord. Literally, "wait for the Lord." Hoping and
waiting go hand in hand along the Christian way. Hope is a tonic to
Christian experience. [SDA Bible Commentary]
COMMENTARY
Even Christians of long experience are often assaulted with
the most terrible doubts and waverings.... You must not consider that
for these temptations your case is hopeless.... Hope in God, trust in
Him and rest in His promises.
When the devil comes with his doubts and unbeliefs, shut the
door of your heart. Shut your eyes so that you will not dwell upon
his hellish shadow. Lift them up where they can behold the things
which are eternal, and you will have strength every hour. The trial of
your faith is much more precious than gold.... It makes you valiant to
fight the battle of the Lord....
Satan connects with everyone that will connect with him. If
he can get those that have had an experience in religion, they are
his most effectual agents to reach just such men and compass their
souls with unbelief. You cannot afford to let any doubts come into
your mind. Do not please the devil enough to tell about the terrible
burdens you are carrying. Every time you do it, Satan laughs that his
soul can control you and that you have lost sight of Jesus Christ
your Redeemer....
We are to show forth Him who hath called us out of darkness
into His marvelous light. It is by living faith that we rest in that
light. It is by living faith that we rejoice in that light every day.
We are not to talk our doubts and trials, because they grow bigger
every time we talk them. Every time we talk them, Satan has gained the
victory; but when we say, "I will commit the keeping of my soul unto Him,
as unto a faithful witness," then we testify that we have given
ourselves to Jesus Christ without any reservation, and then God gives us
light and we rejoice in Him.
The soul that loves God, rises above the fog of doubt; he
gains a bright, broad, deep, living experience, and becomes meek and
Christ-like. His soul is committed to God, hid with Christ in God. {OHC 86 re
Psa. 31:24}
COMMENTARY FROM RELATED PASSAGES
Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes,
wait patiently for the LORD. Psalm 27:14
Ents, the treelike beings of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth,
were known for having meandering conversations with seemingly
tangential trails that might or might not come back to the subject at hand.
Such conversations would be painfully tedious in a world of e-mails
and text messages, but in developing relationships, they might be
enlightening.
Our well-conditioned impatience wars against God's Ent-like
conversations with us. Microwaves, drive-thru windows, and ATMs have allegedly
made life easier, but they have also made a relationship with God
much more difficult. We have learned to expect that if things don't
work out quickly, they won't work out at all. And in a conversation
with God, that simply isn't true. His dealings with us are usually a
process. A lengthy one.
It takes courage to remain focused on God when He seems
absent or silent. The faith required to take a step forward is usually
easier than the faith required to wait when everything in us is itching
for a resolution. When we've asked God to speak to us, give us
direction, or work out a problem, it's much easier to believe "it just
wasn't His will" than to believe He is still planning to accomplish
what we asked, though the answer is lagging long after the request.
Holding on to faith in a situation that dictates against it requires
fortitude, patience, and boldness.
We strive for efficiency in our lives. It's a common cultural
value in a post-modern world. But God values drawing out our
interaction with Him into a piece of artwork. He's writing an epic poem in
our lives, and we'll miss Him if we have a Post-it note mentality.
We need to sit. And listen. And listen some more. And be very, very
patient. And over time, we will find the conversation entirely
satisfying,
Lord, my conversations with You resemble Morse code more than
lengthy and winding dialogues. Yet You have so much to say in the
process of communication other than the words themselves. Give me
patience - and courage - to hear You in the pauses and tangents of our
talks. [The One Year Hearing His Voice Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here
in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13
We have a pesky habit of expecting that anything truly good
and lasting from the Lord will be given to us only in heaven, when
the Kingdom has come in its fullness. In other words, we get the
good stuff only after we die. Meanwhile, everything on earth is a
heavy burden and a cross to bear.
Scripture is clear that this world is broken and won't be
completely renewed until Jesus comes again. But it is also clear that God's
promises are good in this age as well as the next. We can experience Him
now, we can receive answers to prayer, we can enjoy the redemption of
past mistakes and difficult situations, and we can taste of His gifts
and goodness. He is a present God in present circumstances. He means
for us to experience abundance in the land of the living.
God tells us about heaven so we'll look forward to it, and
there's nothing wrong with envisioning its perfections when life gets
difficult. But never let the promise of heaven distract you from the
promises of today. No matter how complicated or heavy life becomes, God
is able to deal with it. His Presence is available. He can turn any
situation around in a moment. He may do that today, or He may take some
time to accomplish His thorough work. Either way, He wants us to hold
on to hope - to keep our focus on who He is in spite of what we see
right now. He wants us to know that we can and will enjoy His goodness
in the land of the living.
Father, I know everything will be perfect one day - that I'll
see You face-to-face and experience all the abundance and
completeness I can handle. But I also believe Your goodness and Your promises
apply to this age, on this earth, in this lifetime. Please help me
keep my hopes focused on You. [The One Year Experiencing God's
Presence Devotional by Chris Tiegreen re Psa. 27:13]
I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from
all my fears. Psalm 34:4
This is the kind of prayer life we want. A request, an
answer, and a heart at rest. No shot-in-the-dark prayer, no long wait,
no more stress about whether God will or won't. That's the kind of
interaction that lets us know He's with us and listening to our hearts. And
that's the kind of relationship we long for.
Verses like this are implicit promises that we can have such
a relationship, but they are condensed versions that may mislead
us if we aren't careful. What David hasn't explained in this psalm
is that he is still on the run from a king who wants to kill him,
that he has had to hide out among Israel's enemies and feign insanity
in order to stay alive, and that he has felt afraid, desperate,
victimized, confused, and stressed at various times in the process. The
psalm is a CliffsNotes version of a victory - the kind of summary that
gets told on a day of celebration - but other psalms give us glimpses
into the whole story: God's Presence and triumph in David's life have
come at an often painful cost.
Be encouraged by psalms like this one when you're in a battle
or struggling through a season of pain. They point to the same kind
of celebration you'll have. You too will be able to say, "I prayed
to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears."
Just understand that for David, the process took longer than the
succinct words imply, and it was considerably more complicated, too. The
path to victory is often steep and twisting, but that's how God draws
us close on the way. Even so, trust in Him for the outcome. He
really does answer.
Lord, I really do want the kind of relationship in which I
make a request, You answer, and I experience freedom and rest. Help
me hang on to that promise throughout the process of getting there.
[The One Year Experiencing God's Presence Devotional by Chris
Tiegreen]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Be of good courage, and I will strengthen your heart. I want
you to face adversity with confidence and firm determination.
Because I am with you and the Holy Spirit lives in you, you have
everything you need to be bold. Cowardliness is not of My kingdom. When you
are feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances, remember who you are
- a child of the eternal King! Invite Me into the very
circumstances that are intimidating you, and let the Light of My powerful
Presence strengthen you. When you choose to live courageously, I am
pleased. And I respond by strengthening your heart, thus increasing your
valor.
Expect to encounter hardships as you journey toward heaven,
because you live in a very broken world. This is why bravery is
desperately needed among My followers. You also need hope. My promise to
strengthen your heart is for those who hope in Me. Courage and hope are
closely connected in My kingdom. So I urge you to hold on to your
courage and your hope. They are more precious than gold! (Psa. 31:24;
Rom. 8:15-17; 1Ti. 1:17; Heb. 3:6) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
Be of good courage, and I will strengthen your heart. I want
My children to be brave - not cowardly. In fact, the Bible contains
warnings of dire consequences for "the cowardly, the unbelieving, the
vile, the murderers.
When you are going through very tough times and there is no
relief in sight, you usually start looking for a way out. These
escapist longings stem from self-pity and a sense of entitlement: You
think you deserve better conditions than your current situation. But
when you think this way, you are ignoring My sovereignty over your
life. Though your circumstances may indeed be painful and difficult,
they are not worthless. So muster the courage to say yes to your
life, trusting that I am in control and I am with you in your
struggles.
Come to Me with a courageous heart, hoping in Me, and I will
bless you in many ways. Moreover, I will multiply your small act of
bravery: I will strengthen your heart. (Psa. 31:24; Rev. 21:8; Isa.
40:10, 11) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
CLOSING THOUGHT
The power that set the galaxies spinning, that holds the earth
in place, that calmed the seas, that turned water into wine--that
power is in your life. Why would we go through life trying to do
things in our own strength? And yet, so many of us fall into that very
temptation. Be different. Thank God for his power at work in your life and
on your behalf. Rely on him instead of yourself. [The One Year
Bible for New Believers re Eph.1:19, 20]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2006/20060925-1211.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2011/20110204-1532.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Special Video Clip On Seeking God: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Your Choice: http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice
