David wrote Psalm 31 as a prayer for his deliverance from his sufferings and to encourage those who are going through suffering, difficulties, or persecution to be strong in the Lord. David prayed, "Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God (Psalm 31:3-4)." There are two lessons that we can learn from David's prayer. First, God helped David for the sake of God's honor. Every time God helped David, He fulfilled what He had promised David, that He was his rock and fortress (David's strong foundation and protector). God promised David that He would be His rock and fortress, and if God didn't fulfill what He had promised David, then He was not a righteous God. So every time God helped David, He put His reputation on the line. Secondly, David showed that he believed in God's promises and faithfulness by committing his spirit (life) to God for his deliverance. David fully trusted God with his own life.
We have to understand that God's promises are based on His reputation, that He is a righteous and faithful God. God never lies and always fulfills His promise to us. Many people have a wrong understanding of suffering by believing that suffering is a result of God not being faithful to them. They believe that God should protect them from any suffering, but God did not promise that He will protect us from suffering. But He promised that when we suffer, He will be our strong foundation and deliverer. Everybody suffers whether we have a big faith like David or not. Jesus also suffered when He came to save us from our sins. When we suffer, we can put our lives in the hands of God, as He is our rock and fortress.
We must hold on to God's promises in our suffering. Let us commit our lives to God for our deliverance. The more we try to handle our suffering with our own strength and wisdom, the more we will suffer. However, if we surrender our lives to God and trust His ways, we will find deliverance, peace, and joy in our suffering.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you). Do I trust God's promises in my suffering? Can I commit my life to God's hands in my suffering? Why is it important to trust God instead of trusting myself in dealing with my suffering?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, Thank you for being my rock and fortress. You are the foundation that holds me together and the fortress that protects me. I commit my life into your hands. You are my faithful God. You will do what you have promised; therefore, I completely trust you. May you be blessed in everything that I do today. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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