Scripture Reading: Psalm 31 (KJV)
Introduction: The Storm and the Anchor
Good morning, beloved.
We gather this morning in a world that often feels like a ship tossed on a raging sea. The winds of anxiety blow hard against us. The waves of uncertainty crash over the deck. We face the storms of personal loss, of financial pressure, of relational conflict, of physical ailment, and of a future that seems veiled in fog. In these moments, the human heart cries out for an anchor, for something solid and unmovable to hold onto lest we be dashed against the rocks.
This morning, we turn our hearts to a song written from the very heart of such a storm. We turn to Psalm 31, a raw, honest, and ultimately triumphant cry from David, a man who knew the heights of the palace and the depths of the pit. This Psalm is not a sterile theological treatise; it is a lifeline. It is a roadmap that shows us how to navigate the darkest valleys of human experience by anchoring our souls not in our shifting circumstances, but in the unshakeable character of our God.
The central, life-altering truth of this Psalm is found in verse 15: “My times are in thy hand.” What a profound declaration! Not my successes, not my failures, not my reputation, not my enemies—but my times. My entire existence, my schedule, my destiny, my very next breath. Today, let us walk with David through this Psalm and learn what it means to truly place our times, our very lives, into the hands of the Almighty God. We will see three distinct movements in this symphony of faith: first, The Foundation of Trust; second, The Honesty of a Heavy Heart; and finally, The Pivot of Faith.
I. The Foundation of Trust (vv. 1–8)
Before David even begins to detail his troubles, he lays a foundation. He begins not with his problem, but with his God. Look at verse 1: “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust.” This is not a passive hope; it is an active placement. It is a deliberate choice to build his house on the rock before the storm hits.
Notice the powerful imagery he uses. He calls God his “strong rock,” his “house of defence,” his “fortress.” A rock is a symbol of absolute stability. A fortress is a place of impenetrable security. David is surrounded by enemies who have laid a “net” for him (v. 4), a subtle trap meant to ensnare and destroy him. But he knows that the schemes of man are no match for the sovereignty of God. He prays, “Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me.” He knows his own strength is not enough; his deliverance must come from his Fortress.
The pinnacle of this opening declaration comes in verse 5, words so profound they were echoed by our Savior from the cross: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit.” This is the ultimate act of surrender. It is to say, “God, my very life-force, my essence, the core of who I am, I place it into Your care.” When Jesus Christ hung on that cruel cross, bearing the sin of the world, in His moment of ultimate agony and separation, He reached for these words of His ancestor David. He showed us that even in the face of death itself, the safest place for a soul to be is in the hands of the Father.
The application for us is clear: Where do you run first when trouble comes? Do you run to the phone to complain? Do you run to the internet to self-diagnose? Do you run to despair? Or do you, like David, run to the Rock? Do you build your foundation of trust before you even begin to assess the damage from the storm? Our first move must always be to declare who God is, before we lament what is happening to us.
II. The Honesty of a Heavy Heart (vv. 9–13)
Having laid his foundation of trust, David now does something remarkably human and spiritually essential: he weeps. He pours out the full extent of his pain. Faith is not a denial of reality. Faith is not a plastic smile in the face of suffering. True biblical faith gives us permission to be brutally honest with God.
Listen to the language of his lament. It is all-encompassing—physical, emotional, and social.
His body is failing: “Mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly… my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed” (vv. 9–10). Grief is not just an emotion; it is a physical weight that wears us down.
His reputation is destroyed: “I was a reproach among all mine enemies… I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel” (vv. 11–12). He has been slandered, rejected, and discarded. His friends run from him; his name is poison.
His life is in danger: “For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life” (v. 13).
This is the pit. This is the place of utter desolation. And the Bible includes it to tell us one vital truth: God is not afraid of your pain. He does not turn away from your tears. He invites you to bring your brokenness, your confusion, your anger, and your sorrow into His presence. He gave us the Psalms, in part, to give us a language for our lament. It is okay to tell God, “I’m falling apart. My strength is failing. I feel forgotten and alone.” Pouring out our heart to God is not a sign of weak faith; it is the very practice of it.
III. The Pivot of Faith and the Proclamation of Praise (vv. 14–24)
Right here, in the depths of the pit, comes the most important word in the entire Psalm. It is the hinge upon which David’s entire world turns. It is the word in verse 14: “But.”
“But I trusted in thee, O LORD.”
After describing all the reasons he has to despair, David makes a conscious, deliberate pivot back to his foundation. He says, “Yes, all of that is true. The pain is real, the slander is real, the threat is real. BUT my trust in God is more real.” This is the heroic choice of faith. It is not waiting for the feelings to change; it is choosing to trust despite the feelings.
And what is the content of that trust? He tells us immediately: “I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand.” This is the antidote to all fear. My timeline for marriage, my timeline for healing, my timeline for promotion, my timeline for deliverance, my very lifespan—it is not in the hands of my enemies, not in the hands of my employer, not in the hands of my doctor, and not even in my own hands. My times are in His hand. The hand that was pierced for me. The hand that shaped the mountains and holds the oceans. The hand that redeems, that guides, that protects. What peace is found in that surrender!
And look what happens when David makes this pivot. His lament turns into a glorious song of praise. He is so confident in God’s character that he begins to praise God for the deliverance as if it has already happened. “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee!” (v. 19). He sees that even when he was in the pit, God’s goodness was being stored up for him. God was preparing a table for him in the presence of his enemies. God was hiding him “in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man” (v. 20).
Conclusion: Be of Good Courage
David ends this Psalm not by keeping this revelation to himself, but by turning to all of us. He takes his personal testimony and makes it a corporate encouragement. His final words are a charge to the church for all time.
“O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful… Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” (vv. 23–24).
So, where are you this morning? Are you on the solid ground of a declared trust? Are you in the pit of a heavy-hearted lament? Or are you making that courageous pivot of faith?
Know this: All three are part of the journey. But the destination is praise. The end of the story is God’s goodness. Your story is not over. The net may be set, the slander may be sharp, the grief may be heavy, but your times are in His hand.
Therefore, do not lose heart. Commit your spirit, your life, your future, your times into His loving and capable hands. Let Him be your Rock and your Fortress. And as you hope in Him, He will strengthen your heart.
