Into Your Hands

Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

- David, Psalm 31:5

According to scholars, no psalm greater expresses a sturdier trust in the Lord when powerful human forces threaten than Psalm 31. From beginning to end, through 24 inspired verses, David first laments how he has been abandoned by his friends, then expresses a heartfelt prayer that resounds with the theme of complete trust in His God.

Verse 5 is a familiar verse to us, for the first part of it was quoted by Jesus just before He died a horrible death on the cross. Jesus also felt abandoned by His friends, those closest to Him, whom He thought would have His back. Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and most of the rest of the disciples hid in fear when Jesus was arrested.

Alone on the cross, as death drew near, He cried out to the only One to whom He knew He could count on, who would never leave nor forsake Him, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Jesus could have just as easily quoted the remainder of that verse, for David’s words would have rang true for Him as well: “Deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.” Three days after Jesus died on that cross, God truly delivered Him when Jesus was Resurrected from the grave and then ascended back into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Praise be to our God!

When we feel abandoned by those we love and trust, and we feel utterly alone in this world, we, too, like David, and like Jesus, have a God to whom we can turn who will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is a faithful God.

Back in Psalm 22, verse 1, David cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Once again, from the cross, Jesus declared these same words (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34). While many have taught that God turned his back on Jesus as he hung on the cross, that would go against His nature. He is a faithful God and cannot be unfaithful. He cannot forsake Jesus, David, or us. However, it is entirely true that both David and Jesus FELT forsaken… the raw emotions were real. In the same way, we sometimes wonder where God is amid our struggles and trials. The raw emotions are real for us as well. BUT He is always there.

We may, at times, feel forgotten and forsaken, but we can know assuredly that God is right there waiting for us to cry out to Him to either calm the storm or bring us peace during the storm.

Then we, like David in Psalm 31, verses 22 and 24, can declare with absolute certainty, “Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love...be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

Father, into YOUR hands we commit our bodies, our minds, our souls, and our spirits, for You are faithful.

You deliver us and bring us hope!

Pastor Ken

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