Understanding Psalms 31:14-18 in Depth: My Times Are Yours

Trusting God in Times of Trouble

This passage comes from Psalm 31, a prayer of David that blends deep distress with strong trust in God, found in the first book of Psalms (Psalms 1 - 41), where many psalms express cries for help and confidence in God’s faithfulness.

The psalmist says, 'But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand.' This is a powerful reminder that God holds every moment, even when life feels chaotic. He asks God to rescue him from enemies and to shine His face in kindness, referencing Psalm 27:1: 'The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?'

Holding On Through Honest Prayer

Even in deep distress, the psalmist builds his prayer on the steady truth that God is in control.

He uses repeating phrases like 'rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors' - a poetic way of piling up danger to show how serious things are, yet also showing that God’s power covers every threat. The request 'Make your face shine on your servant' echoes the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:25: 'The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you,' meaning not just safety, but the warmth of God’s personal care and approval. Though surrounded by lying lips and pride, the psalmist clings to the belief that God sees him and will answer.

My times are in your hand - a simple, powerful truth that turns fear into trust.

This kind of prayer doesn’t hide fear - it brings it honestly to God, trusting that He holds every moment and will one day silence the lies and lift up the faithful.

A Prayer That Points to Jesus

This prayer of trust and deliverance goes beyond David’s cry. It is a prayer that Jesus Himself could and did pray, even while surrounded by liars and scorned by the proud.

On the cross, Jesus echoed this psalm’s anguish when he cried, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit' (Luke 23:46), showing that even in utter abandonment, he trusted his times were in God’s hands. And because he endured the lies, the pride, and the grave, we now see God’s wisdom: the righteous sufferer was raised, proving that those who call on the Lord will not be put to shame.

Trusting God’s Face in Our Daily Battles

The psalmist’s cry for God’s face to shine on him is more than a plea for safety; it expresses a longing for God’s presence, a theme that runs from the Old Testament promise in Numbers 6:25 to the New Testament revelation that 'the light of the knowledge of the glory of God' shines in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

When you face a harsh word at work, choosing to trust God instead of retaliating is living out 'my times are in your hand.' When you’re falsely accused and stay calm, knowing God sees you, you’re echoing the psalmist’s hope that lying lips will be silenced. When you pray for God’s kindness to cover you rather than merely seeking escape, you are asking for His face to shine, just as God desires to bless and keep you (Numbers 6:25-26).

This kind of trust turns everyday moments into acts of faith, reminding us that the same God who protected the righteous then is still guarding our days now.

Application