Psalms 30 – 31a

Never Be Moved?
Psalm 30

One little phrase is repeated seven times in Psalm 30–“You have.” David was praising God for what He had done for him. Are you doing that today? “You’ve seen that plaque that says, “Prayer changes things,” and that’s true. I’ve also seen a plaque that says, “Praise changes things,” and that is also true. It’s amazing how your whole attitude, your whole outlook, can be transformed by praising God.

In Psalm 30:6 David gave a testimony: “Now in my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved.'” When you have prosperity without humility, it leads to adversity. Did you know that? It’s because you start to be more concerned with things than you are with God. David said in his propserity, “I shall. I shall never be moved.” But then he found out that he could be moved. He found out that his prosperity did not guarantee security. So instead of saying “I shall” or “I shall not,” he began saying “You have.” He submitted his will to God’s will. “You have” defeated the enemy. “I will extol You, O Lord.” Six times in this psalm he said, “O Lord.” “For You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me” (v. 1). “You have” given me victory. “You have” answered prayer. “O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You have healed me” (v. 2). “You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive” (v. 3).

God did some marvelous things for David. He defeated his enemy. He answered his prayer. He saved his life. He established him (v. 7). And then He gave him joy. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (v. 11). Do you want your life to be transformed today? Move from “I shall” to “You have.” and in humility praise God for what he does.

Whose Hands?
Psalm 31:1-8

Psalm 31 is one of David’s exile psalms. He wrote it when Saul was chasing him through the rough hill country of Judah. David was going from cave to cave and from hill to hill, being chased by his enemy.

David discovered that God’s hand was adequate for every need of every day. Have you noticed in the Psalms how often David talked about hands? He had been a shepherd. Hands are very important to a shepherd. He has to carry the shepherd’s crook, the staff. David also had to have his slingshot didn’t he? And then David exchanged his slingshot for a sword. And once in a while David would exchange his sword for a harp. The hands that had been in battle would produce beautiful music for the glory of God.

David also talked about the hand of the enemy. “And [You] have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy” (v. 8). “My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies” (v. 15). You do have enemies. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Your enemies would like to destroy you, but God’s hand goes to work.

“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth” (Ps. 31:5). This is the prayer of little Jewish boys and girls. Our little boys and girls say, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” But whenever a little Jewish boy or girl went to bed, that child would say, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit.” When our Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for us on the cross, He said, “It is finished! Into Your hands I commit my spirit” (John 19:30; Luke 23:46). When you commit your life into God’s hand, you don’t have to worry about any other hand because the hand of God protects you, provides for you and guides you.

Warren Wiersbe

Dr. Warren Wiersbe (1929-2019) was an internationally known Bible teacher, author, and conference speaker. He graduated in 1953 from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. While attending seminary, he was ordained as pastor of Central Baptist Church in 1951 and served until 1957. From September 1957 to 1961, Wiersbe served as Director of The Literature Division for Youth for Christ International. From 1961 to 1971 he pastored Calvary Baptist Church of Covington, Kentucky south of Cincinnati, Ohio. His sermons were broadcast as the “Calvary Hour” on a local Cincinnati radio station. From 1971 to 1978, He served as the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago 1971 to 1978. While at Moody Church he continued in radio ministry. Between August 1979 and March 1982, he wrote bi-weekly for Christianity Today as “Eutychus X”, taught practical theology classes at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and wrote the course material and taught a Doctor of Ministry course at Trinity and Dallas Seminary. In 1980 he transitioned to Back to the Bible radio broadcasting network where he worked until 1990. Dr. Wiersbe became Writer in Residence at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids and Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. In his lifetime, Dr. Wiersbe wrote over 170 books—including the popular Be series, which has sold over four million copies. Dr. Wiersbe was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).