Psalms 31:15 - Homiletics

God's sovereign will.

"My times are in thy hand." "The stream cannot rise higher than its source." If this be true in the spiritual as in the material world, then the feelings, desires, trust, which rise so mightily to God in this psalm, and throughout the Book of Psalms, must have their fountain in God. The Psalter is the mouthpiece of the Bible, uttering the testimony of experience, not fictitious, but real, living, personal experience—if such ever was; the genuine outcome of human hearts; yet withal superhuman, Divine; the breath of God's own Spirit ( Romans 8:26 ).

I. HERE IS THE RECOGNITION OF A DIVINE GUIDANCE AND PURPOSE IN EACH ONE 'S LIFE . "My times;" q.d . the daily circumstances, and whole plan and arrangement of my life; the number of its days and years, birth and death, seasons of joy and sorrow, strength and weakness, prosperity and adversity ( Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ). Scripture is full of examples of this special training. Abraham, Joseph, John the Baptist (a life seemingly broken off prematurely), St. Paul. In each child of God there is a character to be formed, fruit ripened, an end attained.

II. PERFECT TRUST IN GOD 'S WISDOM , POWER , LOVE . These words, "my" and "thy," express conscious personal relation to God. Personal trust forms the most sacred relation between man and man—the basis and cement of human society. It is the glory of the Bible, distinguishing its teaching from all human systems, that it rests religion on this personal trust. We are saved by faith. We walk by faith. We love God because we trust him and believe his Word ( 1 John 4:16 , 1 John 4:19 ). Because the psalmist can say, "I trusted ," etc. (verse 14), he fears not to say, "My times are in thy hand;" and to add verses 19, 20, 24. Note that from this psalm (verse 5) our Saviour drew his dying prayer.

III. DUTIFUL SUBMISSION TO GOD 'S SOVEREIGN WILL . If God did not rule all things, he could rule nothing. Each life—yours, mine—with all its vicissitudes, has its place in his great plan. "No man liveth to himself." The cairn happiness and triumph of faith is not merely submission to God's will when manifest, but willingness that he shall choose ( Philippians 1:20-25 ; Philippians 4:5-7 , Philippians 4:11-13 ). Sometimes we are tempted to shrink from this full surrender, from half-unconscious fear that trial may be good for us, which God is too faithful and wise to spare us; as we might dread to call in the most skilful surgeon, lest he should say the diseased limb must come off.

CONCLUSION . The text has a special application to