Psalm 31 - Waiting Room

This week, a friend of mine had to wait over four hours while his wife had surgery. Waiting on God is a bit more complicated than sitting in a waiting room,  waiting for a doctor or dentist. 

Psalm 31 ends with a statement of hope, of waiting on God:
"23 Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!"  (Psalm 31:23–24, English Standard Version) 

In this psalm, David was not just hoping in the Lord, he was hoping for justice from God Himself. Earlier, he asked God to "lead me out of this danger" (v.3). The danger David prays about  people who hate God. Not content with hating God, they hate anyone who loves him.  

Time and again, David turned to the Lord to defend and protect him from external enemies..
"I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, 'You are my God!' 
My future is in Your hands..." (Psalm 31:14-15a)

Waiting while being attacked from without
It would be easy to say "My future is in God's hands"  when everything is going our way.
But David wrote this while he was under attack.

Let me read the rest of that verse:
"My future is in Your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly" (Psalm 31:15b)
"Blessed be the Lord, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city. (Psalm 31:21)

David cried out to God because of attacks from without: his enemies.
He also had to deal with attacks from within. His mind would tempt him to doubt God.

Waiting while being attacked from within
"I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help." (Psalm 31:22)

Paul knew this dynamic when he described
"Fighting without and fear within." 2 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV) 

A graphic illustration of this Psalm comes from the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. With His dying breath, Jesus quoted from verse 5: "I entrust my spirit into your hand." (Luke 23:46)

Father, I don't know what challenges I'll encounter today. Sometimes there will be more; sometimes less. Help me to keep waiting on You, especially when I'm most tempted to give up. Along with Jesus, "I entrust my spirit into your hand." Amen.