Psalm 31:1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
I have a friend who is a Chicago Cubs fan. You say, “Is he really?” Well, would you lie about such a thing? No! If you are a Cubs fan, you really are a fan. I remember a dear friend who often preached at Bill Rice Ranch, Paul Levin, who was a Cubs fan. I’m not sure Dr. Paul lived to see the Cubs ever have a successful season. My other friend has, but I don’t think Dr. Paul ever did.
Have you ever been ashamed to be a fan or ashamed of something you or your family said? Have you ever been put to shame by some expectation that never came to fulfillment? In Psalm 31:1 David says, “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed.” When we think of shame or being ashamed, we often think of turning red, being embarrassed. But the idea is more of being pale, of having the life drained out of you and your hopes. The disappointment is the shame.
To be sure, we have problems. In verse 7 the psalmist says, “Thou hast considered my trouble.” In verse 9 he says, “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble.” We have problems, and verses 11-23 delineate some of the problems the psalmist had. But, God has power. In verse 2 God is called the “strong rock.” That means stability, steadiness, and strength.
So, in Psalm 31 faith is the conviction that God will put to work the goodness He has in store. You will not be left hanging. You will not be ashamed. This is brought to a head in verse 19 where the psalmist exclaims, “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought [worked] for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!”
There are two things that should be our response to this great truth. First, don’t worry. God’s goodness is enough. He says, “Oh how great is thy goodness.” So, whatever you lack, God’s goodness is enough. And God’s goodness is reserved. It says, “Which thou hast laid up for them.” His goodness is laid up and stored up for them. For who? It says, “For them that fear thee.” I don’t need to fear life when I fear God. So, don’t worry. His goodness is great and His goodness is for you.
Second, don’t hurry. In verse 22 the psalmist says, “Thou heardest…when I cried.” In verse 2 he says, “Deliver me speedily.” When I have a need, I don’t want an answer tomorrow; I want an answer now! Quite honestly, when I pray, I can be impatient. Oftentimes I pray out of desperation. If I’m praying, it is because I need an answer now, not an answer tomorrow.
We worry about time, but God is the Master of timing and time. My perception of time and a three-year-old’s perception of time are totally different. My perception of time and a ninety-three-year-old’s perception of time is totally different. I don’t think any of them are truly objective, but God’s control of time is infinite.
Today, faith is the conviction that God will put to work the goodness He has in store. If you need it, God has it, and God has the timing under control.