Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 Voice
Hope Wins even in the midst of trouble because hope makes you strong and courageous.
Context
There is no doubt that David wrote this Psalm yet the controversy arises around when it was written. David was prompted by pride to number the people so he could boast of his own strength. God gave David three choices as far as punishment for this sin: seven years of famine, three months of running for his life or three days of sickness. David chose the last one because he knew there was more mercy from God’s hand than at the hands of men. (2 Samuel 24:14) He had experienced this first-hand as a young man who was running from Saul before he was crowned king.
Some think that he was sick when he was writing this Psalm because of the way he describes how he is feeling. He repents and falls on the mercy of the Lord. There were 70,000 people who died as a result of this plague. It ends when David builds an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah (perhaps on the same place as Mt. Moriah where Abraham offered Issac or even Calvary where Jesus died). He ends this Psalm with an encouragement in this verse for others to find what he found in trusting God. Paul quotes this Psalm in 1 Corinthians 16:13 that says, ” Listen, stay alert, stand tall in the faith, be courageous, and be strong.”
Courage
We all love the story of David and Goliath. It sounds like a movie plot where the young teenager who shows up with bread and cheese ends up killing the giant with one stone to the forehead and then cutting off his head with Goliath’s own sword. We may have even heard the story told in Sunday School in that same way that you have to have the courage to face your own personal giants. Here we see David at the end of his long reign with a different perspective about it all. He has sinned against God with pride and arrogance. He was confident in his own strength and the army he had amassed. He seems to be saying to all of us – return to the simple faith of trusting God and not your own strength.
Strength
Once again we can call on David’s past experience and the 15 years that he was running for his life. That is a long time to be on the run living in caves and looking over his shoulder for fear of his life. It was in this training ground that David discovered the true source of his strength in the Lord. It is no wonder that in this Psalm he refers to God as his shelter, rock and sanctuary. He says in verse 19, “Your overflowing goodness You have kept for those who live in awe of You, and You share Your goodness with those who make You their sanctuary.” He found goodness and strength in the right place.
Hope
The word for hope here is to wait with the expectation of a good result. This Psalm goes through two cycles from despair to hope. The first one is in verses 1 – 8 and the second is in verses 9 – 24. The biggest problem you can have with waiting is the time factor. You may be feeling like David did that God was far away to the point that He no longer sees you. Here in the is the hope for you. He is providing you the courage that you need to reach the next level. He is causing you to be stronger than you even thought was possible. He is saying to you now to trust Him. He knows what you’re going through and will answer. Healing is on the way.
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Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, sign up to receive Karen’s emails.
