This probably sounds familiar to many of us outside of the context of the Psalms; Jesus cried out the same words just before His final breath on the cross. And I am learning what big words they are! Before we go any further, let’s define a couple things –
1. Commit: pledge or bind to a certain course or policy; set aside for future use
2. Spirit: the very core of our existence; beyond anything physical
Our spirit is the source of our life. We know this, because in Genesis 2:7, it says “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” We were nothing but dust as David says in Psalm 103 before God breathed His spirit into us, giving us life. So it’s fair to say that our spirit is the
deepest, most vital part of who we are. It’s also fair to say that the commitment David is exercising is the promised setting aside of his spirit for the Lord’s purposes.
Now let’s give some context to Psalm 31:5. David was in the midst of adversity, or as I refer it, dark hours and broken times, when he wrote this. That adds another layer to this doesn’t it? David was being pursued by people that were trying to kill him, and he’s here in Psalm 31 saying, “into Your hand I commit my spirit” to God. And it was no different when Jesus cried these words out – Luke 23:44 says that darkness had literally fallen over the land as He was taking His last breaths.
So the question is: do you find yourself willing to commit your spirit to God in your dark hours and broken times?
Remember, we’re not talking about committing your behavior, decisions, words, thoughts, even your praise, to God. It’s deeper than that. The reality is, your spirit precedes all of those things; they all flow from the influence of your spirit. For example, if you have a spirit of negativity, it will be projected into every aspect of your life, from the way you act to the music you’re listening to.
Our lives become a cycle perpetuated by the state of our spirit. When our spirit is committed to God, it will project into every aspect of our life. We won’t need to artificially manufacture our thoughts, words and actions, because the roots will naturally produce the spiritual fruit Scripture
talks about.
It’s been said that adversity builds character; but before it builds anything – it reveals what is already there. Dark hours and broken times reveal the reality of our commitment to God. And it reveals the unauthentic parts of ourselves that prohibit us from seeing that reality for what it is.
So the better question is: what have your dark hours and broken times revealed to you about the commitment of your spirit to God? And more importantly, what are you going to do about it?
– Alyssa