Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 31:1-5
Ps 31:1-5
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! I incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Phil 1:21-23
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
I have often heard (and often said) at a graveside that we commit the spirit of a person to God. As he was about to breathe his last breath, Jesus said that he was committing his spirit to God, so this is not wrong. But in our Psalm, David is saying this with the intent to continue living. He is making a commitment to live for and serve God with all of his heart. This is like Noah, who walked with God.
We are told to “walk worthy” of our calling. We are to “walk in the light” because in God there is no darkness. We are to live for the Lord in all we do and say. This is a huge commitment that must be renewed each day. But serving the Lord is not just when we go to church or when we are doing some good deed. It is the way we “walk” or live our entire lives. It is defined by the kind of person we are.
A committed spirit is seen when a husband truly loves his wife and lets her know she is loved. It is shown by a woman who respects her husband and shows it by the way she acts and talks. They are following God’s plan. It is seen in the father who takes time for his children as the spiritual leader of his family. In other words, it is just being the kind of person God wants us to be in every area of our lives.
When we continually live like this, our sins are continually forgiven. This is living up to the glory of God so that our sins are not counted against us. With this comes the continual penitent heart that confesses our sin and weakness to God.
O Lord God, I know that I fail often, and it is easy for me to focus on this. But I also know that I am seeking to live for you and that my sins are forgiven. Help me focus on your success in Jesus and what he has done for me instead of focusing on my failures. Help me keep my eyes set on the things above, not on this world and all that is soon passing away. At the same time, help me enjoy every minute of today and everything you have given me to enjoy. Thank you for this. Thank you for the good people you put in my life. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert