Psalms 31: My Times Are in Your Hand

The title says this psalm is for the Chief Musician and is a Psalm by David. David takes refuge in Yahweh, his rock and fortress, and says, Into your hand I commend my spirit. He describes great distress, sorrow, and enemies who plot against him. But he trusts in Yahweh and says, My times are in your hand. He praises God's great goodness laid up for those who fear him, and he ends, Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

Go to worksheets ↓

Bible:

Read Psalms 31

World English Bible · 24 verses

¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
² Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
³ For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in Yahweh.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, a horror to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹³ For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁴ But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, “You are my God.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁵ My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁶ Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁷ Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁹ Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²¹ Praise be to Yahweh, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²² As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²³ Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints! Yahweh preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁴ Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

Worksheets

1Pick a grade below
2Look over the worksheet
3Tap Print worksheet. Print the answer key separately.

Pick a grade:

Answer key (print separately)More print options ↓

Open Preschool on its own page

Psalms 31 · Preschool

God Holds My Days

Name Date

Color the hand and the heart. Every day of our lives is in God's hand.

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.”

Psalms 31:15 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: God holds every day of our lives in His hand. Let's hold out our hands and say, My times are in Your hand!

Open Grade 4 on its own page

Psalms 31 · Grade 4

Into Your Hand I Commend My Spirit

Name Date

Read and Think

Psalm 31's title says it is for the Chief Musician and is a Psalm by David. It moves back and forth between trouble and trust. David begins, In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. He calls God his rock and fortress and asks God to pull him out of the net his enemies have hidden. Then he says, Into your hand I commend my spirit. To commend is to entrust. In the New Testament, Jesus prays these words on the cross (Luke 23:46).

David honestly describes his distress. His eye, soul, and body waste away with grief. People who see him on the street run from him, and enemies plot against him. Yet he says, But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, You are my God. My times are in your hand. He praises God's great goodness and recalls that even when he felt cut off, God heard his cry. He ends, Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

Show What You Know

What does commend mean?
In the New Testament, who prays verse 5 on the cross?
What does My times are in your hand mean for David?
What happened when David felt cut off?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

trustrockrefugeGodspirit

It moves back and forth between trouble and .
David begins, In you, Yahweh, I take .
He calls God his and fortress and asks God to pull him out of the net his enemies have hidden.
Then he says, Into your hand I commend my .
I said, You are my .

Think About It

David said, My times are in your hand. What part of your life do you need to trust into God's hand?
Psalm 31 moves between trouble and trust. How can you say But I trust in you on a hard day?

Memory Verse

“My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.”

Psalms 31:15 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for holding my days in Your hand. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How does God hold you together when you feel broken?
Who could you pray for who feels left out?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

Psalms 31 · Grade 5

Trouble and Trust

Name Date

Read and Think

Psalm 31's title says it is for the Chief Musician and is a Psalm by David. It is a prayer that swings between distress and confidence, showing how faith works in real life. David opens, In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. He asks God to be a strong rock and a house of defense, and he confesses, Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, Yahweh, God of truth. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks these words as he dies on the cross (Luke 23:46), and Stephen prays a similar prayer to Jesus (Acts 7:59).

The middle of the psalm is full of pain. David's life is spent with sorrow and his years with sighing. He even says his strength fails because of his iniquity. He has become a horror to acquaintances, forgotten like a dead man, like broken pottery. He hears slander and terror on every side as people plot against him.

Then come the words that hold the psalm together: But I trust in you, Yahweh. I said, You are my God. My times are in your hand. Every moment of his life is under God's control. David praises God's goodness laid up for those who fear him and the shelter of God's presence. He admits that in his haste he said he was cut off, nevertheless God heard him. So he calls all the saints: Oh love Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in Yahweh.

Show What You Know

What does Psalm 31 show about faith?
Who in the New Testament prays words like verse 5?
What does David compare himself to in his distress?
What did David admit he said in his haste?

Crossword

Across

For you are my ____ and my fortress.
But I ____ in Yahweh.
Into your hand I commend my ____.

Down

For you are my rock and my ____.
Which you have worked for those who take ____ in you.

Think About It

In the New Testament, Jesus trusted his spirit to the Father with words from Psalm 31 (Luke 23:46). How does his example help you trust God?
David admitted he spoke in haste, yet God heard him. What does that teach you about God's patience with you?

Memory Verse

“My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.”

Psalms 31:15 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for holding my days in Your hand. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How can you keep trusting God when others say mean things?
David hid in God's presence from the plots of others. Where do you go when words from others hurt you?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

More print options

Student sheets have no answers on them. The answer key is a separate document for teachers and parents.

This gradeOnly the Preschool sheet

Whole chapterEvery verse of the chapter, in the translation you pickOpen & print

All student sheetsEvery grade, preschool to grade 5Open & print

Answer keyAll grades in one, each grade labeledOpen & print

‹ All Psalms chapters · All books

Psalms 31: My Times Are in Your Hand

Read Psalms 31

Worksheets

God Holds My Days

Prayer

Take It Home

In God's Hand

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

I Trust in You

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

In God's Hand

Prayer

Take It Home

My Times Are in Your Hand

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

Into Your Hand

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

In God's Hand

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

Into Your Hand I Commend My Spirit

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

Trouble and Trust

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

More print options