Big Idea: Life’s opposition forces are formidable, but God holds powerful sway over the evil forces that assail us.

Understanding the Text

Psalm 31 is an individual lament.[1] The lament proper is found in 31:10–13, where the psalmist complains about his crisis, which, judging from the anatomical language of 31:9–10, was an illness, interpreted by his enemies as God’s ill favor. In view of the declaration of trust in the Lord (31:6, 14), the attestation of his deliverance (31:7–8, 21–22), and the affirmation of God’s goodness as the basis of his trust (31:19), it could be considered an individual psalm of trust.[2] Yet, it is not unusual that trust is an integral part of lament.

The unity of the psalm has been disputed because of the repetitious nature of the content and the awkward tra…