Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen you heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. [King James translation.]
Summary:
Psalms 31 is one of the sacred hymns or songs of David. Psalms were and are still used in sacred Christian and Jewish worship. Like most hymns, Psalms 31 is a praise song to GOD. David had a lot to praise GOD for in his lifetime because David faced a number of trials, tribulations and challenges:
- It was David who faced his own person “life and death” Olympics against a foreign challenger named Goliath. (1Samuel 17)
- David was spent many years running for his life and in hiding from a jealous King Saul (1Samual 19:9; 20:24)
- David was homeless, living in caves and fields (1 Samuel 20:24; 22:1)
- David was hungry and had to ask for help from a priest (i.e. the “church” or “temple”) during those times. (1Samuel 21:6)
- David sinned and had to confront the situation he put himself in (2 Samuel 12)
- David lost a baby (2 Samuel 12:19)
- David had a child who rebelled against him (2 Samuel 15)
- David had family confusion and mayhem in his house, resulting in one son, Absalom, killing his brother, Ammon, who raped
his sister. (2Samuel 13:30).
- David grieved, mourned and suffered deeply when he lost his son Absalom, who was trying to unseat his father as king.
- David watched his own sins (rebellion against GOD, deceit, abused of power, manipulation, seduction of a woman, etc.)
seemingly being played out in his sons’ lives.
The Revised Standard translation calls Psalms 31 “Deliverance to the distressed.”
Felix Mendelssohn, the German Jewish composer, in his composition called “Defend Me, Oh Lord, from Shame” put Psalm 31 to music.
David, the musician, knew there is something about being able to strengthen one’s own heart, in song, with the “WORD of GOD.” David knew that just humming a tune, moaning a verse in praise of GOD, no matter how bad things can get, is enough to strengthen the heart.
WHY CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
Cardiovascular exercise is any exercise that raises your heart rate. The cardiovascular system is the large circulatory system which moves fluids and blood throughout the body. A major part of the cardiovascular system is the heart. As the diagram below shows, the heart is responsible for blood going to all of the extremities of the body.
The heart is essential for all parts of the body to function properly. The heart is a muscle and like any muscle, it needs to be exercised.
According to Dr. Samuel Yoon, cardiovascular exercise is important at any age, but especially important as we age:
Many of the problems commonly associated with aging — increased body fat, decreased muscular strength and flexibility, loss of bone mass, lower metabolism, and slower reaction times — are often signs of inactivity that can be minimized or even prevented by exercise.
See, “Strengthen Your Heart With Regular Cardio Exercise, by Dr. Samuel Yoon, http://www.mybwmc.org/strengthen-your-heart-regular-cardio-exercise.
Examples of cardiovascular exercises include: running, jumping, walking, swimming, cycling, rowing, water aerobics, sports games (e.g., racket ball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, etc.); doing lunges, squats, jumping jacks, skipping rope, squats and burpees. Many gyms have trainers with training on how to give a person a proper cardio workout, given their age, medical condition, and level of physical fitness.
Limited mobility doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. There are a number of mobility exercises that one can perform seated, in a wheelchair, recovering from an injury or under other circumstances (e.g. weight problems, diabetes). See: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/exercise-fitness/chair-exercises-and-limited-mobility-fitness.htm#wheelchair; http://livehealthy.chron.com/aerobic-exercises-wheelchair-users-4940.html. Always consult your personal physician if you have health issues before starting a new exercise program to make sure what you are doing is right for you.
Most of us will never be Olympians. We will never have the speed, reaction time or agility of the Olympians we see on TV who have spent hours, months and years (not just watching TV or sitting) training day after day after day. We can’t be them. But, we can do something---namely, stop watching, get moving and strengthen our own physical hearts.
LET GOD STRENGTHEN YOUR SPIRITUAL HEART
Trials and tribulations are a form of spiritual aerobics---putting us through “the ropes,” testing our “endurance.”
Let’s learn from Psalm 31. In times of distress, put your hope in GOD. “Tell HIM all about your troubles.” Open your heart to GOD and then give HIM your heart. Like David, praise HIM. Or, as our ancestors said in times of distress: Praise HIM anyhow!
Have a strong heart and BE BLESSED!
