Psalm 31
“Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.” Psalm 31:9-13 KJV
While 1 and 2 Samuel gives us the history of David's life, the book of Psalms gives us a picture of David's heart - his inner life. As we know by now, David's life was filled with trials and tribulations. The above quotation from Psalm 31 shows that he was "in trouble", filled with "grief" and "sighing". He felt his strength failing; his bones wasting away. Because of this, he became a "reproach"; "a fear to mine acquaintance"; "forgotten as a dead man"; "like a broken vessel". His adversaries were scheming and plotting against him to take his life.
Does David's state in Psalm 31 remind you of anyone else in the Bible? Earlier in the chapter David says "into thine hand I commit my spirit…" (31:5). These words were echoed by Jesus on the cross before He breathed his last breath (see Luke 23:46).
Numerous times in the Psalms David's writing points forward to the promised Messiah (see Psalm 2, 16, 22, for example). The above scripture especially has similarities with Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah in chapter 53. He is described as a "man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief"; "despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3); "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted" and eventually "cut off out of the land of the living" (53:7-8).
Knowing that Jesus was completely human while on earth, is just as important as knowing that Jesus was fully God. He felt pain, fatigue, illness, sorrow, grief, loneliness, rejection and embarrassment, yet without sin. The author of Hebrews also reminds us that "... we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (4:15). Jesus knows and understands; He can identify with our pain and grief. That's only one of many reasons why we can be in a relationship with Him.
Not only that, but He also bore our pain and grief upon Himself - "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows..." (Isaiah 53:4). Over and above Jesus's own pain, He was carrying the worst pain of the world - the very thing that brought the fall of mankind - sin. He became sin for us, so we may be made righteous (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).
This means that all the distress we suffer through in our earthly lives will never compare to what Jesus suffered for us on the cross. More than that, it also reflects how we share both in Jesus's death and His resurrection (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-12). In this way we can have joy in our suffering, since it always points us to the Gospel.
As we approach Easter this year, let's be comforted in knowing that Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses, but more than that, that He bore our weaknesses on Himself, so we can share in the love and life that only He can give.
This hymn, "Stricken, smitten and afflicted", captures the theme of today's devotion. Listen to it as you reflect on God's immense love towards those who believe: https://youtu.be/sge1ZaBoeYE
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4 KJV
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:5-10 KJV
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 KJV
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 KJV
“But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 KJV
“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 KJV
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 KJV
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 KJV
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."