IN YOU, LORD, I HAVE TAKEN REFUGE

Passage: Psalm 31:1-24

Key verse: 1

NIV

Psalm 31[a](A)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.(C)
2 Turn your ear to me,(D)
    come quickly to my rescue;(E)
be my rock of refuge,(F)
    a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,(G)
    for the sake of your name(H) lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap(I) that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.(J)
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;(K)
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.(L)

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;(M)
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.(N)
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction(O)
    and knew the anguish(P) of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands(Q) of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.(R)

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;(S)
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,(T)
    my soul and body(U) with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish(V)
    and my years by groaning;(W)
my strength fails(X) because of my affliction,[b](Y)
    and my bones grow weak.(Z)
11 Because of all my enemies,(AA)
    I am the utter contempt(AB) of my neighbors(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;(AD)
    I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,(AE)
    “Terror on every side!”(AF)
They conspire against me(AG)
    and plot to take my life.(AH)

14 But I trust(AI) in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times(AJ) are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine(AK) on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.(AL)
17 Let me not be put to shame,(AM) Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent(AN) in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips(AO) be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly(AP) against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things(AQ)
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,(AR)
    on those who take refuge(AS) in you.
20 In the shelter(AT) of your presence you hide(AU) them
    from all human intrigues;(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,(AW)
    for he showed me the wonders of his love(AX)
    when I was in a city under siege.(AY)
22 In my alarm(AZ) I said,
    “I am cut off(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(BB) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!(BC)
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,(BD)
    but the proud he pays back(BE) in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,(BF)
    all you who hope in the Lord.

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
  2. Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

31 (A)In you, O Lord, do I (B)take refuge;
    (C)let me never be put to shame;
    in your (D)righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be (E)a rock of (F)refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your (G)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you (H)take me out of (I)the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my (J)refuge.
5 (K)Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, (L)faithful God.

6 I (M)hate[a] those who pay (N)regard to worthless (O)idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have (P)known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not (Q)delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in (R)a broad place.

9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am (S)in distress;
    (T)my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and (U)my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become (V)a reproach,
    especially to my (W)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street (X)flee from me.
12 I have been (Y)forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like (Z)a broken vessel.
13 For I (AA)hear the whispering of many—
    terror on every side!—
(AB)as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.

14 But I (AC)trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My (AD)times are in your hand;
    (AE)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 (AF)Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, (AG)let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go (AH)silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
    which (AI)speak (AJ)insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.

19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    (AK)in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In (AL)the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you (AM)store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously (AN)shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in (AO)a besieged city.
22 I had said in my (AP)alarm,[b]
    “I am (AQ)cut off from (AR)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all you his (AS)saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly (AT)repays the one who acts in pride.
24 (AU)Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 31:6 Masoretic Text; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome You hate
  2. Psalm 31:22 Or in my haste
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

David came to the LORD in prayer and confessed that he had taken refuge in the LORD. God would not leave David in shame but deliver him in righteousness. While surrounded by enemies, David asked God to quickly rescue him and save him. He declared that God was his rock, fortress, and refuge. He committed his spirit in God’s hands, trusting the LORD, his faithful God, to deliver him. Jesus prayed the same way on the cross, trusting God for full deliverance (Lk 23:46).

David was in a desperate situation. His eyes were weak with sorrow. His soul and body were weak with grief. He was consumed by anguish. His strength was failing and no one would help him. He was held in contempt by his neighbors and became an object of dread to his friends. He felt like a piece of broken pottery. He thought he would die.

Though suffering indescribable distress, David, by faith, trusted in the LORD (14). He asked God to deal with his enemies (15), that they would be put to shame and silenced (16-17). With faith and joy, David knew that God blesses those who take refuge in him (19). He keeps them safe. So, David invites his listeners, even us, to love the LORD, to be strong, and to take heart. In the chaos and heartaches of the world, take refuge in the LORD.

Prayer: Father, thank you for being my refuge. Into your hands we commit our spirits.

One Word: You are my refuge