MDB 77: Psalm 31

Twice in this psalm (2, 9) David tells us how in difficult circumstances he resorted to prayer and the Lord heard him. Crises are to be met with prayer. David describes it as akin to entering a "fortress" (3) - a favorite metaphor in the psalms to describe safety, peace, calm and security. 

At the heart of the psalm lie the words: "Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God." When all around is giving way, God remains faithful - committed to his covenant with us. God is a promise-keeper. The basis of all our asking in prayer is that God has made promises - promises that he is bound to keep. In prayer we claim these promises, rely upon them, trust them, hold fast to them whatever happens.

Peter writes of "his precious and very great promises" (2 Pet. 1:4), and Paul adds that "all the promises of God find their Yes in him" (2 Cor. 1:20). Receiving and trusting these promises is an integral building block in living the Christian life. As Joshua reflected at the end of his life, "not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed" (Josh. 23:14).

It was for this reason - trust on the faithfulness of God - that Abraham is singled out as a man of faith, justified and in a right relationship with God: "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness'" (Rom. 4:20-22).