Psalm 31 Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

How timely and appropriate is this psalm for today, Good Friday. Jesus cited the words of verse five while he was on the cross. "Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' And having said this he breathed his last (Luke 23:46)." It is often said that the last words of a dying person are very special. These words are indeed special to all who believe in him. Christ continues to teach until his last breath.

In his hour of persecution and anguish, Christ called unto his Father. The relationship between Father and Son is very tight. He often said that he and the Father were one. As a big brother, Jesus is giving me example on how to depend on the Father in all circumstances. He wants me to have a tight relationship with my heavenly Father too, as well as with him. Persecution, prejudice, or prison should not deter me from praying to my Father. Who will I call in the last moments of my life on earth?

Christ commits his spirit into the hands of his Father. It is a prayer of surrender. When the inevitable is about to happen, Christ teaches me to pray and surrender my life. It is a prayer of trust. When all odds are stacked against me, I must turn to God and trust him to make the best out of my circumstances. Only in God's hands will I be truly secure. It is a prayer of commitment. While he had many options, Christ chose to pray to his Father, he was committed to this relationship. Christ teaches me to make the same commitment. In the last moments of life on earth, only the very important relationships in life will come to mind. Who will that be for me?

Christ lived his life depending on the Father's direction, guidance, and power. His dependence was evident in his time away from the crowds to cultivate communion with the Father through prayer. He did only what the Father told him to do. He said only the words the Father told him to say. Christ, just as he lived, he also died depending on his Father to take care of his spirit at his last breath. What do I depend on in life? What do I hold onto? Christ wants me to depend on my heavenly Father.

Father, I want to be one with you and your Son. Help me surrender, trust in, and commit to you every day, especially in the dark moments of my life. May I be dependent on you for my every move; for my every word. Amen.