Psalm 31:1–5:

“In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter. Never let me be humiliated. Vindicate me by rescuing me. Listen to me. Quickly deliver me. Be my protector and refuge, a stronghold where I can be safe. For you are my high ridge and my stronghold; for the sake of your own reputation you lead me and guide me. You will free me from the net they hid for me, for you are my place of refuge. Into your hand I entrust my life. You will rescue me, O Lord, the faithful God.”

This is a psalm expressing absolute trust in God. You can see it here: “Never let me be humiliated. Vindicate me by rescuing me.” We see danger, but we also see trust in God. David is communicating that he is in an endangered situation, but he is trusting in God.

We see something like that with the three Hebrew children—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—in Babylon when they were thrown into the fire (Daniel 3). You see the fire, but it is not burning them.

Here, David says, “In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter.” Other people were taking shelter in obeying what the king demands: “If the king says worship an idol, we will do that, and that will be our shelter.” But David is writing, “In you, I have taken shelter.” He is communicating complete trust in God, absolute dependence on God.

“Be my protector and refuge, a stronghold where I can be safe.” Again, think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The people thought, “We will be safe if we do what Nebuchadnezzar tells us to do, and the people who do not do that are the people who will not be safe.” But Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

The people who thought they were safe by doing what Nebuchadnezzar said were not really safe. The shelter they sought in pleasing Nebuchadnezzar was not real shelter. It is paper in the ultimate scheme of things.

Verse 3: “For you are my high ridge and my stronghold. For the sake of your own reputation you lead me and guide me.” He is dependent on God. He is trusting in God’s guidance and leading. Paul will later write, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). This psalm is giving us a picture of God who leads.

Verse 4: “You will free me from the net they hid for me, for you are my place of refuge.” In all this, he is not saying there is no danger. There is danger lurking around. But in the midst of the danger, just as we saw with the three Hebrew children, in the midst of the danger, we see God’s operation.

Also in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” He says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:1, 5). What the enemy would prefer is for the psalmist to be dead and buried, but God has another idea—and God’s will is done.

This is an encouragement to you to trust God for leading, to trust God for guidance and direction.

“You will free me from the net they hid for me.” Sometimes it may appear that we have fallen into the trap, but rest: God will free you from the net hidden for you, for He is your refuge. In the ultimate scheme of things, He is your refuge.

Verse 5: “Into your hand I entrust my life.” That is exactly what we see Jesus quote on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). That is a display of ultimate trust in God, that God knows best. Before going to the cross, He said, “Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11). It is going to be a difficult situation, but I have to pass through it; ultimately, I am entrusting Myself to God.

He is our high ridge. He is our stronghold. He is our shelter. So we can trust in Him no matter what. What happened with Jesus hanging on the cross was serious indeed, but He trusted in God, and we see what happened: He rose from the dead. We see what happened on the other side: ultimately, God can be trusted and should be trusted.

God bless you.