Waiting: the crescendo

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the LORD!

Psalm 31:24

There is background to this enthusiastic encouragement. Psalm 31 shows us how to wait with strength and courage. It is worth summarizing all of Psalm 31 to get to this powerful ending. This is the joyous crescendo that ends Psalm 31. We have to understand the other more plaintive melodies and rhythms that led David to compose this full orchestral blast of praise at the end.

MOVEMENT ONE: God redeems a life needing shelter (Psalm 31:1-5). This is the short opening to this symphony of praise. There are sad and slow tones as David cries out to God as his refuge, needing God’s deliverance. He needed a place of safety from attacks from enemies. And he found that God had led him even then. God did indeed save him as he committed his spirit to God. Verse five contains some of the last words of Jesus and is a prophecy fulfilled at His crucifixion. This is an intense trust in God the Redeemer, and points us all the way to the cross where Jesus secures us safely in His sacrifice. “Into Your hands I commit my spirit.” God’s hands are shelter where we are safe.

MOVEMENT TWO: We can trust a God Who holds our times in His hands (Psalm 31:6-18). This is the longest part of the symphony. It moves in melodies and countermelodies, picking up and weaving together three major themes as the worship orchestra performs:

• God showers us in His grace and steadfast love (Psalm 31:7, 9, 16).
• God knows our affliction, grief, and suffering (Psalm 31:7, 9, 10-13).
• God controls our times and circumstances, making Him worthy of our trust (Psalm 31:14-17).

MOVEMENT THREE: Love the God Who saves you as you wait! (Psalm 31:19-24). God is abundant in His goodness to us (Psalm 31:19). God covers us constantly with His presence as we seek His perspective and power (Psalm 31:20). God shows His steadfast love to bring wonder in the waiting (Psalm 31:21). God is to be loved by His saints (Psalm 31:23). God preserves His faithful ones (Psalm 31:23). God humbles the proud (Psalm 31:23).

So as the song moves from our need to call us to trust in a trustworthy God, it compels us in relationship to love Him. We can find then that waiting on the Lord is a good task. We can be strong because Jesus is already a strong Savior Who committed to us and the Father by His sacrifice. We can take courage because God already holds our times firmly in His hands. God sets our lives safely on the Rock of our Salvation. We wait on Him as we wait in Him and having sung about His redemption and sovereign control, we can confidently love God as we wait.