Psalm 31

Once again, David is vacillating between crying out to God for deliverance, and declaring God's saving nature.

I love the terms he uses to describe what God is to him:  a refuge, a rock, a strong fortress. I love the way he declares these things to be true, because he knows them to be true, even when it looks quite different at a given moment.  I would do well to learn to practice this more.

I saw something here this morning, that I don't think I have ever quite gotten before.  David asks to never be put to shame.   I always took this as somewhat of a 'face saving' plea for David's sake.  But I think it is more that he has declared God's righteousness before all, and he want's God to be true to Himself, so that David's declarations about Him are not questioned. He is asking to not be ashamed for God's sake, not his own.
One study note put it this way:  he is asking to not be "disgraced by the failure of the Lord Whom he has trusted."

Later, in verse 17, he asks that the wicked be put to shame.

I was thinking of this in comparison with verses 6-7.  David expresses his 'hate' for those who pay regard to worthless idols, but declares his own trust to be in the Lord.
   The gods of men show now love, they have no power, and have no relationship with people, thus are worthless.
   God, however, demonstrates a sure, steadfast love to his people, He is all powerful, and has a covenant relationship with his people.

  God has seen David's affliction, known his distress and has delivered him, putting him in a broad place.

David has known overwhelming grief and sorrow, rejection, loneliness, and  the hatred of his enemies (some were even family!)   He has known even the rejection of his friends and family because of the enemies that surround him, and no doubt his demeanor when struggling with it all.  No one wanted to even be around him it seems.

But.......he trusted in God, even when it was very, very dark for him.  In that covenant relationship, where God has expressed his love for David, David, in turn, states, "You are my God."  He trusts God with his life, his times, and with eternity.  God will take care of him through life, and after death.

a couple of Psalms ago, we looked at the words 'fear' and 'wait'.
 "Waiting on God is more of an exercise in trust.  Not our own timing or abilities, but complete trust and dependence on Him in all things."
"The fear of the Lord is reverence and awe toward God,  not life disrupting anxiety." (study note in the RSB, Psalm 25.) Psalm 111:10 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Here they appear again toward the end of the Psalm.  David sings of God's rich, rich love for him, and all that He has done for him.  He will do this for all who 'fear' Him and 'wait' for Him.

I have been thinking all day about our silence regarding the God we are in covenant relationship with.  I note that David was very vocal, it seems, about his God, and declaring His attributes and great love for him.  Even as he was facing great distress, (quite obvious to all around him I am sure),crying out in very deep, raw, emotional terms, he was in the same breath speaking truth about all that God had done and would do because of who He is.  Once again, it is stated as a sure TRUTH,  not as a wishful sort of thing.

Do we do this?   Not often I am afraid.  How often am I bold enough to declare out loud who God is and what He will do based upon that......so vocally that I dare to ask God to be true to Himself, because if He isn't His name won't be glorified, and there will be disgrace?   I am not advocating bribing God, or pushing Him into a corner to get him to act.  Remember that our requests must be according to His will.  But certain things He has promised to do, we should expect Him to do!.  And be vocal about it!  And certainly, in hindsight, when we can see that He was working mightily, even though it didn't look at all like we thought it should,  Praise Him!  Tell of it!

God, help me to trust You with my very life.....all of it.....like David did.