Psalm 31 laid bare in all its ugliness the suffering of the psalmist, and yet amid this soul-wrecking agony, he confessed his trust in the Lord. And his good profession was not shallow, like some cheap Hallmark card, but it was rich and profound, demanding to be unfurled for our good. Therefore, with this confession in verse 3, the psalmist tacks on several more affirmations of faith. You might guess that as he wastes away in grief, as everyone shames him to death, that the psalmist would be overrun with despair and hopelessness. The unsavory sentiment of Job’s wife would be ruling his thoughts, “Just curse God and die.” But there is no whiff of any such despondency; rather, his faith holds firm with professions of devoted trust. Three times, he asserts his trust in the Lord. His exclusive faith denounces idolatry and rests in the One and Only Lord (v. 6): “I hate those who keep worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord.” When troubled times come, the pagan instinct is to reach out to any and every god; they will try every idol option. But this disgusts the psalmist. He abhors idols and their empty promises; thus, he will not even flirt with the idea of an idol, but his faith has eyes for the Lord alone.

Indeed, he entrusts his whole being to the Lord (v. 5): “Into your hand, I commit my spirit.” His spirit is his breath, his life-force, his whole animated self. To entrust yourself into another’s hand is to be completely dependent on them. You relinquish all control of yourself, and you hand it over to God. This submits your desires, plans, and fate to the Lord. Particularly, it rests in the Lord no matter what happens. If his prayers are answered or not, the Lord knows best. Whether he lives or dies, he puts himself in God’s hands. And this is a healthy faith. Psycho-somatically, he is sick, depressed, and abused, but spiritually, his faith is hearty. The Lord may add or subtract, but David will bless the Lord.

And he does this very thing as he lists off God’s past benefactions. He praises the history of the Lord’s gracious help. As he says about the Lord, “You have redeemed me. . . . You have seen my affliction; you know my distress.” Previously, God did not give the psalmist into the power of his foes. He plucked him out of their net, and he set him on firm ground. God and David have a long-standing relationship, and their history together is filled with salvation. The Lord has been his redeemer for ages. And as they say, the best predictor of the future is past behavior. Hence, the history of redemption ensures his faith of future grace, which comes to pass.

Now, David does not say much about his rescue in this psalm, but it is implicitly assumed. So, in verse 21, he blesses the Lord because he made marvelous his steadfast love. God’s love was miraculously astounding to him, for when he lamented of being cut off, Yahweh heard his voice. David had prayed for grace, and God answered to give grace. He put his life in the hands of heaven, and the Lord did him good. The psalmist, though, does not drone on about his rescue, because his interest lies elsewhere; his concern is for others, for us. He desires for others to benefit from his experience. Thus, he moves to application (v. 23): “Love the Lord, all you his saints.” Behold, what Yahweh did for David and fall deeper in love with the Lord. The redemption, the safe protection, the merciful hearing of prayer, these God does, not merely for the psalmist, but for all you who trust in him, for each one who confesses him to be their God. We should witness the wonderful love of God and love him more.

Besides, the Lord preserves the faith and repays the excess of the arrogant. His goodness is abundant for the humble, but he brings low the proud and haughty. In addition to calling us to love God, he encourages us to be strong and brave. Take courage and make strong your hearts. If the Lord is the Rock and Redeemer to his people, if God heard and delivered the psalmist from cruel shame, then you have nothing to dread. Indeed, he calls us to courageous fortitude as those who wait for the Lord. And to wait on God includes faith in his salvation, hope that it will come, and the realization that it is not yet. You wait for what you do not have and not what you possess. Waiting takes place in the thick of suffering and trouble, which is why brave strength is needed.

Therefore, let your patience in God be steadfast when sorrow and pain besiege you. May the DNA of your waiting be love for God as the agony grows old. Yahweh’s sweet deliverance may not come today or tomorrow; you might not see it for a decade, but it will come. The Lord fails his people not. He is your sure fortress, his goodness abundant, his love miraculous. Our faith can wait upon him with love and bravery, knowing God’s grace will never forsake us, never let us go.

And the beautiful truth and lesson we learn from Psalm 31 shines even brighter in our Lord Jesus. As we listen to the psalmist’s long distress, we cannot but think of Christ as well. Who spent his life tormented by distress? Who had foes plot his murder, family disown him, and friends abandon him? Who was broken as a vase and forgotten as a dead man? Jesus Christ was so to the full. Whatever the psalmist suffered was only a sliver compared to the crushing weight of Christ’s suffering.

Moreover, Jesus’ commitment to the Father never wavered while shame and hatred were piled upon him. During the temptation, when hunger and thirst tore at his gut, as Satan dangled food and glory before him, Jesus kept confessing the Lordship of God. The Pharisees wooed him with harsh criticism to be more like them, but Christ refused to please man over God. Peter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah and insisted that he could not go to the cross, but Christ set his face like flint towards Jerusalem. And then, on that cross, when the whole world stood united to shame him, fellow Hebrews chanted for his death, mom stood far off, friends and disciples ran away in fear and disgrace. As his body wasted away nailed to that tree—hands, throat, belly and bones throbbing—what did Jesus do? He took upon his lips the words of this psalm. Right before he released his final breath, Jesus entrusted himself to God, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

We are well aware how Christ used Psalm 22 on the cross, but sometimes we forget that he also prayed Psalm 31. He committed his whole self to the Father; he submitted completely to the Father’s will. Jesus closed his eyes and gave himself over to the darkness, knowing that the hands of the Father held him. And because Christ righteously entrusted himself to him who judges justly, he won a great redemption. By his death, Jesus demonstrated the miraculous love of God, that the Father would execute his own Son for the salvation of worthless sinners like us. Good people will rarely die for a noble person, but no one sacrifices himself for a disgraceful rebel as are we. Christ did, though, for you. The Father gave his Son for your salvation. He sacrificed his Son to make Christ your rock and refuge, your stronghold amid the over-stimulation of hardship, trouble, and sin.

Indeed, being the fortress of grace, your faith finds a spiritual oasis in Christ in this life and forever. In Jesus, you have a full pardon applied to you over and over again. In the Son, your prayers are lifted up to the Father without fail. By his labors for you, Christ assures you that he is the fortress of your faith; he is your stronghold of peace and joy, even when the troubles of life drive you crazy. Moreover, by faith, Christ puts you in his hands and issues you the most blessed assurance: No one can snatch you out of my hand. The palms of Christ are the sweetest and most secure place, which induces in you a living and firm hope. Hope secures to you a great future, even as the present kind of stinks. Hope is waiting upon the Lord for a greater deliverance while in the throes of long suffering. Hope endures the current hardship convinced that it will not last.

Hence, by our hope in the resurrected Christ, his love works bravery in you. Without a doubt, waiting faithfully on the Lord surrounded by sorrows is not for the faint of heart. Our faith needs courage; our devotion must be brave. And Christ is the strength of your heart; he is the courage of your soul. Jesus is so because he won for you an everlasting redemption; his love is miraculous and steadfast; his protection and fidelity to you is an imperishable fortress and stronghold. Thus, may we rejoice in the wonderful truths of Psalm 31 that are Yes and Amen in Christ. And may we, then, love our Lord—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as we courageously wait for him.

©Zach Keele. All Rights Reserved.

You can find the whole series here.

RESOURCES

• Subscribe To The Heidelblog!
• Download the HeidelApp on Apple App Store or Google Play
• Browse the Heidelshop!
• The Heidelblog Resource Page
• Heidelmedia Resources
• The Ecumenical Creeds
• The Reformed Confessions
• The Heidelberg Catechism
• Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008)
• Why I Am A Christian
• The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, & Pastoral Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2025)
• What Must A Christian Believe?
• Heidelblog Contributors
• Saturday Psalm Series
• Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to:

Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Post authored by:

• Zach Keele

  

  Rev. Zachary Keele grew up on a ranch in a small town named Crawford, Colorado. He attended Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and received his Master of Divinity from Westminster Seminary California. He has served as the pastor of Escondido OPC since 2006.

  More by Zach Keele ›