Psalm 31

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 31

The Lord Preserves the Faithful

Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:23-24, NKJV

David begins this Psalm with a plea from God, and ends with praise to God. We see this theme in so many Psalms. David was a real person with real trials and a real faith in the Lord. Again and again he cries to God for help, and then praises Him, many times even before the answer comes.

How is your faith today? Do you just pay lip service to God? Do you believe that because He already knows your needs before you ask for help that He will take care of you so it is not necessary to go to Him with your needs? Do you think the Christian life should be happy, happy, happy all the time, or it is evidence of a weak faith in God?

Actually, the reverse is true; we are real people with real trials. God loves to hear from us; He loves to spend time fellowshipping together. Go to Him with all of your needs and trials, and then go to Him with your thankfulness, even before your prayers are answered. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

David cried out to the Lord again and again. Did God truly hear his prayers? Did God come to his aid? Yes, again and again we read David's Psalms of praise in God who never forsook him.

Where is David today? David is, and has been, with the Lord now for over 2500 years. That is hard to imagine, is it not? This is the God we serve. Soon these days will be for us but a memory, and we, too, will be with the Lord forever!

Pray today that God would strengthen your heart and grant you a strong faith in Him.

Next: Psalm 32, Be Glad in the Lord and Rejoice

More Devotions on the 31st Psalm from my blog, Daily Bible Devotions

In Thee, verses 1-5

Lying Vanities, verses 6-8

Slander of Many, verses 9-18

Thy Goodness, verses 19-20

Cut Off, verses 21-24