"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD"
Psalm 31:23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.
Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:
This Psalm was written by King David, it's a Psalm of lament. It's a Psalm where David first speaks to God in addressing his physical distress and danger. He asks the Lord to deliver him and to silence his enemies. He goes on to praise the Lord for delivering his own people. And encourages the Godly to love the Lord and be strong.
1. God's people ( His saints ) are encouraged to love God.
Psalm 31:23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
What a great bit of direction for us. To love the LORD. The word love here means friend, to like, it speaks of loving. And is used in the sense of our now having a God given appetite for God.
In fact to love God is the greatest commandment. The second is like the first, where we are to love our neighbors.
So, we are exhorted to love God. Jesus described loving God as including our obedience to Him.
This helps us to understand loving God. In part it means to obey Him, to hold Him in high regard.
The word saints means, those who have been set apart to God for His exclusive use and pleasure.
2. God is the one who preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.
Psalm 31:23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.
Here's how this reads in the NLT
Psalm 31:23b For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes all who are arrogant.
We have this promise from the LORD to protect us, and He will also have vengeance on those who are proud and arrogant.
3. God's people are to be of good courage, and are promised that God will strengthen the hearts of all who trust in Him.
Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
Here we are exhorted to be of good courage. Or to be strong and to take courage. We find our strength in God as we look to Him, and we can rise up and away from discouragement, and take the courage that comes from God.
Here is what the Lord said to Joshua as he was assuming the role of leading Israel and about to go into the promised land and fight the enemies of God. And what Joshua told the people towards the end of his life.
Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Joshua 23:6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,
The other thing we are told here, is that God will strengthen the hearts of those who put their trust in Him.
We are weak in and of ourselves. But God is strong in and of Himself. He is generous and loving, and wants to gives us the strength that we need.
2Co 12:9* 2nd Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul had learned that when he was weak, then God could make him strong.
The same applies to all of us who trust God. He will make us strong as we look to Him.
Questions:
1. Are you in a fog today spiritually?
2. Did you know that God regards you as a saint? He has set you apart for Himself.
3. Are you worried about making it all the way through whatever you are going through today?
4. Can you see in these verses that God promises to preserve the faithful ( the believers )
5. If you are discouraged God can replace it with courage, will You ask Him to give you courage now?
6. If you are experiencing weakness, you are in the right position for God's strength to fill you.
A prayer:
Father we can so identify with these expressions of David's. Though he was a king, he was a normal human being like we are.
Thank You for giving us these verses that help us to regain perspective and give us clear direction on what to do with ourselves. Help us O LORD to take Your Words to heart. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
