It is one thing to say, “I am a Christian”. It is another thing to live like a Christian. Just as it is only by our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross that our sins are forgiven, it is by our faith in Christ for the strength and wisdom that we can live a life each day that pleases Him.
In Psalm 31, verse five David acknowledges that he is redeemed by Jehovah and throughout this song David also acknowledges that he is weak and trusts in Jehovah to help him in all of his troubles. The central truth in this song of David is found in verse six, “but I trust in Jehovah” and in verse fourteen, “but I trusted in Thee, O Jehovah”. Whether it is for David’s future life in eternity or for his day to day trials, David’s trust is in God.
What is the object of your trust today? Is it in yourself? Is it in powerful relationships? Is it in wealth? Or, is it in God?
The Bible / Old Testament (Psalm 31:1-24)
1In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge; Let me never be put to shame: Deliver me in thy righteousness.
2Bow down thine ear unto me; Deliver me speedily: Be thou to me a strong rock, A house of defence to save me.
3For thou art my rock and my fortress; Therefore for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me.
4Pluck me out of the net that they have laid privily for me; For thou art my stronghold.
5Into thy hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou God of truth.
6I hate them that regard lying vanities; But I trust in Jehovah.
7I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness; For thou hast seen my affliction: Thou hast known my soul in adversities;
8And thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
9Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am in distress: Mine eye wasteth away with grief, yea, my soul and my body.
10For my life is spent with sorrow, And my years with sighing: My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, And my bones are wasted away.
11Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, Yea, unto my neighbors exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintance: They that did see me without fled from me.
12I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
13For I have heard the defaming of many, Terror on every side: While they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
14But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah: I said, Thou art my God.
15My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: Save me in thy lovingkindness.
17Let me not be put to shame, O Jehovah; For I have called upon thee: Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
18Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak against the righteous insolently, With pride and contempt.
19Oh how great is thy goodness, Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee, Before the sons of men!
20In the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings of man: Thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
21Blessed be Jehovah; For he hath showed me his marvellous lovingkindness in a strong city.
22As for me, I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications When I cried unto thee.
23Oh love Jehovah, all ye his saints: Jehovah preserveth the faithful, And plentifully rewardeth him that dealeth proudly.
24Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All ye that hope in Jehovah.
In the book of Romans, chapter seven, verses 21 through 25 the apostle Paul states that his trust is in Jesus Christ to deliver him in his daily battle against sin
21I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present.
22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
24Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?
25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The apostle Paul gives his own personal testimony in II Corinthians chapter one that his trust is in God to deliver him from a variety of serious conflicts in his life and ministry. Paul also gives a reason for affliction. He states that it is through our own personal experience with affliction that we are prepared to offer comfort to others who go through affliction. Affliction and pain are not self-centered, isolated experiences for the Christian. Affliction and pain serve as teaching moments to allow us to learn how to trust in Jesus Christ to help us. We are best able to comfort others after we ourselves have “been there” and experienced the sustaining grace of our God through Jesus Christ firsthand.
The Bible / New Testament (II Corinthians 1:1-10)
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in the whole of Achaia:
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
4who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.
6But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:
7and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort.
8For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:
10who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;
The words of a hymn, “Have You Been to Jesus?”, by E. A. Hoffman who wrote both the words and the music in 1878 ask a two pronged question. First, have you been to Jesus to have your sins forgiven? And, secondly, are you trusting in Jesus Christ hour by hour, day by day resting in the confidence that He is sufficient to meet your every need? The hymn also reminds us that there will be a day when Jesus Christ will come for us as a bridegroom comes for his bride and we should put aside sinful thoughts and activities and be ready for this glorious reunion. The hymn writer reminds us that what sin we do commit can be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God.
Listen to the message of this hymn, “Have You Been to Jesus?”.
“Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”
Chorus
Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
“Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”
Chorus
Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
“When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white? Pure and white in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright and be washed in the blood of the Lamb?”
Chorus
Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
“Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, and be washed in the blood of the Lamb.
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.”
Chorus
Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?