The Faithful and the Proud

³ Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
²⁴ Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:23-24 (NKJV)


Faithful = preserved
Proud = fully repaid

Hopes in the Lord = strong heart

// I know pride is a huge thing that tears down a man apart.  This Psalm that David wrote describes his agony of those who continuously plots his destruction.  He was assured that those who are proud (those who want to kill him) are going to be fully repaid.  And if he just remains faithful, the Lord will truly preserve him.  Therefore, he acknowledges that as he hopes in the Lord, he will have a strong heart to go on in life regardless of what's happening.  

// I may be the one who's proud in heart - and yes I am, for being hardened with bitterness and anger towards people who have wronged me over the years.  If what is brought to me is for my good, then I need not to be angry - but if it is for my destruction, just hope in the Lord because the Lord preserves the faithful and will strengthen my heart as I hope in Him.  On the other hand, the Lord will repay the proud.  I will forgive those who've hurt me.  May I not be the one that's found proud in the eyes of the Lord and when I am being proud, that the Lord would remind me - as He is reminding me now.  Every time my walls are up, pride is building.  I need to tear that down in the name of Jesus.  

// Lord, may you help me as I decide moment by moment to be loving and forgiving to those who have ruined my trust. Yet, even You have experienced that but you still loved and died for them.  Help me to just move in and to remember that whatever is for my good, is what you desire for me to have.  Forgive me for my pride and the walls that I've built to defend myself from people who have hurt me.  I pray that you would help my moment-by-moment decisions to be fully of You in it.  Only through you I can do that.  And i trust in you in Jesus' name, amen.