How can Psalm 31:15 encourage us during uncertain or challenging times? The verse at a glance “My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” (Psalm 31:15) What “my times” covers • Every breath, every year, every season of life • Smooth sailing and sudden crises • Seen and unseen threats, outward enemies and inner fears Encouragement #1: God’s sovereignty over every season • The psalmist does not say “Some of my times,” but “My times”—all of them • Isaiah 46:9-10: “I am God… declaring the end from the beginning” • Because the Lord literally holds the timeline, nothing arrives by accident Encouragement #2: Personal care in the midst of pressure • “In Your hands” pictures a father’s firm, protective grip (John 10:28-29) • Hands that fashioned the universe (Psalm 102:25) are the same hands on your shoulder today • Enemy plots, market swings, health scares—none can pry you from that grasp Encouragement #3: Guaranteed deliverance in God’s timing • David couples God’s control with a plea for rescue: sovereignty and salvation walk together • 2 Timothy 4:18: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed” • Even when the path includes suffering (1 Peter 4:19), final deliverance is certain Living it out 1. Acknowledge God’s hand daily—verbally place today’s schedule, crisis, or uncertainty into His keeping 2. Replace “What if?” with “My times are in His hands,” speaking the verse aloud when anxiety rises 3. Act in faith: plan, work, decide, but rest in the fact that outcomes remain under His control Related Scriptures that echo the same hope • Psalm 139:16—“All my days were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” • Proverbs 16:9—“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” • Romans 8:28—“We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.” Courage for today Because the Lord literally governs every second of our lives, we can face uncertainty with settled confidence: our times are not adrift—they are held, guided, and ultimately redeemed by His faithful hands. |
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