Psalm 31 from my book, "Praying the Psalms for the Unborn Child."

Psalm 31
A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.
The Crucifixion

1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
4 You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.

6 I hate those who regard vain idols,
But I trust in the LORD.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
8 And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

19 How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
22 As for me, I said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.

23 O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD.

In humiliation on the cross, Jesus addresses the Father⁵⁹. His trust in God is firm (rock of strength). God will keep His promise (for His name's sake) and deliver Jesus from His enemies. With absolute trust in the Father, He abandons Himself into His Father's hands (31:1-5). Unlike those who place their confidence in false idols, who have no power to save, He trusts completely in the mercy (lovingkindness) of His Father who knows His suffering (troubles) and will rescue Him from the hands of evildoers (31:6-8). Look at Me, Father, and see my distress: in grief and sorrow, My life is almost spent. My strength is failing and I am despised by those who await My death (31:9-13). Yet, My trust in You will not be shaken. In Your mercy save Me and cast the wicked who are tormenting Me into hell (Sheol) (31:14-18). How good You are to Me, My shelter and refuge, for You heard My cries and delivered Me. Let those who Love You, Father, rejoice in Your faithfulness. Let the wicked see that their evil ways lead to utter destruction. May the godly always be strong and courageous in their hope of salvation. (31:19-24).

Prayer for life: Father, I am surrounded by a wicked generation that seeks my baby's life. Have mercy on them and give them the grace to see that the road they walk and the false idols they worship, lead to destruction. As for me, I place all my trust in You for You are faithful to those who love You. Be my rock. Help me to be strong and courageous in my determination to do Your will for that road will lead me to salvation. Amen.

Have a blessed day!
John

⁵⁹The Orthodox Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008. 700. Print.

Scripture (Psalms 25-36) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.