Psalm 31:5 "Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth."
We will see these are words of prophecy concerning our Lord Jesus as He hung
upon the cross. But David had a very real need as he wrote these words in his
prayer unto the Lord. The verses previous to this one speak of David's trust
and confidence in the Lord. "Lord, I place my complete confidence in
you." That's such a wonderful expression of faith in the power and grace
of our Lord; yet, immediately he speaks of the possibility of his being
disappointed. There are certain people in the Bible that we can more
readily identify with. David is one of them. He experienced both highs and lows
of life. He knew what it was to have God use him in such a mighty way. But he
also knew what it was like to have disappointment and regret in his life.
His prayers expressed the reality of both extremes.
David used an expression in this Psalm that he also used in the 23rd Psalm.
"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's
sake." (Psalm 23:3) In this 31st Psalm, David reminds himself of his
relationship with God. You are my rock and you are my fortress. You are my
stability and my defense; therefore Lord, please "for thy name's sake lead
me, and guide me." (Psalm 31:3) Lord, I know who you are in my life,
but I also know who I am. I have met myself on more than one occasion and Lord,
I know my capacity for failure if you do not help me.
So Lord, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit." Take me Lord in
your hands and use me so that I might honor you. My heart, my life, my
all belongs to you. You bought me at a very high cost. I need you to have
complete control of my life. I mentioned this was a prophecy concerning
our Lord Jesus. Some of the last words spoken by Jesus on the cross were these,
"Father, into thine hands I commend my spirit." At that moment
of darkness for our Lord, He placed complete confidence in our Heavenly Father.
Even in his death, Jesus gave us the ultimate example of trust and
confidence. It is a certainty that we can trust our Father in Heaven.
We sing this song written by J.B. Coats,
Where could I go? Oh, where could I go
Seeking a refuge for my soul?
Needing a friend to save me in the end,
Where could I go but to the Lord?