Our Times Are In God Series

“Our Times are in God’s Hand’s”

Pastor Jose F. Maldonado

Hillburn Drive Grace Baptist Church Nov.12, 2006

“My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from them that persecute me." Ps.31:15

This is one of those encouraging Psalms that soothes the soul as the child of God goes through difficulties, troubles and trials. It reminds us that God is in control and has not lost one bit of His Sovereignty. It teaches us that God is still in command of all things in our lives, though at times difficult to understand especially when going through adversity.

David is engaging in fervent prayer before the Lord His God. As he pours out his heart to God, he also opens it to us as we read this Psalm. It becomes very clear that he is going through a very strenuous and challenging time and his prayer is for the LORD not to fail him. His desire is to be delivered and vindicated even before the presence of his enemies.

But as you read this Psalm you see more than a plea for help and deliverance. What we also see in this Psalm is the great confidence and conviction of David’s faith and trust in His God. We see David’s faith saturated and cemented in the living Hope he had. David has a great hope because he has great faith in a Great God.

Faith is set forth in the expectation of our hope. In other words our trusting God is done on the basis of our faith and hope. Remember Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the substance or confidence, yea foundation of things hope for, the evidence or conviction of things not seen. Faith and hope are twin sisters that are the confidence and conviction of our Christian walk. We see this so clearly in Psalm 31 as David exhibits his faith, hope, trust yea his love for his God. This is not an in-depth study of Psalm 31, just an overview of this blessed Psalm.

There are 6 things I would like to share with you out of this Psalm:

I.David’s Confidence (1-6)

II.David’s Consideration (7 & 8)

III.David’s Concern (9-13)

IV.David’s Consistency (14-18)

V.David’s Confession (19-22)

VI.David’s Command (23 & 24)

The first thing we want to consider is, I. DAVID’S CONFIDENCE in verses 1-6. Here we see David’s faith and trust. We see the certainty of his confidence in the 20 pronouns that he uses in verses 1-6. He uses such possessive language. He uses over and over I, MY, ME to authenticate and substantiate his assurance and confidence in God. Let’s read these 6 verses. Spurgeon says, “Let us therefore shun mistrust; doubt is death, trust alone is life. Let us make sure that we trust the Lord, and never take our trust on trust.” David’s confidence was in God and not in himself. This is where we fail and make our mistakes when we go through trials, we reason with our wisdom as the trial unfolds, we set our thoughts on what can I do? David never looked to himself he set his eyes and his faith in God, he boldly declares with such confidence, “IN THEE, O LORD DO I PUT MY TRUST…”

David is applying the principle set forth by the Apostle Paul in Phil.3:3, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Brethren let us have no confidence in the flesh, let us put our confidence in God. Eph.3:12, tells us, “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Notice the warning of Jeremiah in Jer.17:5, “Thus saith the LORD; cursed be the man that trusted in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah gives good instruction, if you trust in yourself or another person your heart and faith departs from the Lord. In other words, instead of trusting and having confidence in the LORD you put confidence in your wisdom and strength and you depart from trusting and having confidence in God. Micah tell us, “Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide…” Solomon reminds us, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint” in Prov. 25:19. He continues in Prov.3:25, “For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” David echoes in Ps.118:8, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” The Apostle John faithfully assures us in 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”