Psalm 31:1-24
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.
In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Thy righteousness deliver me.
[2] Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be Thou to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
[3] For Thou art my rock and my fortress;
For Thy name's sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.
[4] Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me;
For Thou art my strength.
[5] Into Thy hand I commit my spirit;
Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.
[6] I hate those who regard vain idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
[7] I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,
Because Thou hast seen my affliction;
Thou hast known the troubles of my soul,
[8] And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
9] Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
10] For my life is spent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.
11] Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
[12] I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind,
I am like a broken vessel.
3] For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.
[14] But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord,
I say, "Thou art my God."
[15] My times are in Thy hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
[16] Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant;
Save me in Thy lovingkindness.
[17] Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
[18] Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.
[19] How great is Thy goodness,
Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee,
Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee,
Before the sons of men!
[20] Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man;
Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
[21] Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
[22] As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Thine eyes";
Nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications
When I cried to Thee.
[23] O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
[24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:1-24
Open It
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.
In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Thy righteousness deliver me.
[2] Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be Thou to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
[3] For Thou art my rock and my fortress;
For Thy name's sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.
[4] Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me;
For Thou art my strength.
[5] Into Thy hand I commit my spirit;
Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.
[6] I hate those who regard vain idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
[7] I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,
Because Thou hast seen my affliction;
Thou hast known the troubles of my soul,
[8] And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
9] Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
10] For my life is spent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.
11] Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
[12] I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind,
I am like a broken vessel.
3] For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.
[14] But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord,
I say, "Thou art my God."
[15] My times are in Thy hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
[16] Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant;
Save me in Thy lovingkindness.
[17] Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
[18] Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.
[19] How great is Thy goodness,
Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee,
Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee,
Before the sons of men!
[20] Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man;
Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
[21] Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
[22] As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Thine eyes";
Nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications
When I cried to Thee.
[23] O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
[24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:1-24
Open It
1. To you, what’s the best example of strength?
* 2. Whom would you describe as a strong person? Why?
Explore It
* 3. Why did David appeal to the Lord for help? (31:1-5)
4. What difficult circumstance motivated David to write this poem? (31:1-24)
5. What one theme unifies this psalm? (31:1-24)
6. How did David describe the Lord in this passage? (31:2-5, 16, 19-24)
7. What was at stake in David’s safety? (31:3)
* 8. What did David commit to the Lord? (31:5, 15)
9. How are the wicked described in this passage? (31:6, 17-18)
10. How strong was the conspiracy against David? (31:9-13)
11. How did David feel about his predicament? (31:9-13)
12. What defense did David have against the schemes of his enemies? (31:14-18)
13. Why did David expect God to treat him favorably? (31:17-18)
14. What did David anticipate in the future? (31:19-20)
15. What did David’s anticipation reveal about his relationship with the Lord? (31:19-24)
16. How does God treat the faithful and the proud differently? (31:23)
* 17. What final advice concludes this psalm? (31:23-24)
18. To whom are David’s concluding instructions directed? (31:23-24)
Get It
19. How is the Christian view of strength different from the world’s?
20. When have you felt the same emotions that David describes in this psalm?
21. When is it most difficult for you to trust in the Lord?
22. Where do we usually turn when we face overwhelming circumstances?
23. What do people often do when they feel overstressed or overwhelmed?
24. What does David teach us about dealing with stress through his example in this psalm?
25. What defense do we have against our “enemies”?
26. What kinds of “enemies” do you face nowadays?
* 27. What overwhelming problem or challenge do you face this week?
28. How can we demonstrate our trust in the Lord during difficult times?
* 29. What does it mean to follow David’s instructions to “be strong and take heart”?
Apply It
* 30. How can you pray this week to help you through the challenges you face?
31. What do you want to remember the next time you feel overwhelmed or overstressed?
TODAY I AM ...
Trusting the LORD, never ashamed.
Delivered speedily.
Blessed with God as my rock, fortress and strength.
Pulled out of the net.
Glad and rejoicing in God’s mercy.
Receiving God’s mercy when I am in trouble.
Trusting in the LORD.
Recognizing that my times are in God's hand.
Showing God reverence and experiencing his goodness.
Kept secretly in God’s pavilion.
Blessing the LORD for his marvellous kindness.
Faithful, and preserved by the LORD.
Of good courage with a strengthened heart.
Hoping in the LORD.
