Beginning this week I will be writing a synopsis of the previous Sunday's sermon for people's review and hopefully encouragement! Stay in the Word and stay prayed up!
The background of this psalm is believed to be found in 2 Samuel 15-18. David is fleeing from his son Absalom, who was trying to usurp David’s throne. His heart is heavy with sorrow as he cried out to the only One he knew could meet the need of his heart.
This psalm is filled with longing. Longing for safety, strength, refuge, length of days, and for God Himself. In the broadest of terms this is a prayer for security and then one of thanksgiving for the assured answer, and a constructive request for a lasting grace on this life.
This psalm, like many, is very personal. It brings home to each of us our own cries to God when we are hurting the most.
Strong emotions are prevalent in this psalm:
· Crying out
· A heart that has grown faint
· Deep longing
· Strong confidence
· Joyful praise
It is so important that we understand that we are created in the image of God and our ability to feel and have strong emotions is from Him! The key to it all though is that we keep our emotions under the control of the Holy Spirit and allow the God who gave them to help us control them. This can only happen if we do what David is doing here—bringing it all to the throne room of grace and finding shelter under God’s loving care.
Take a moment to read Hebrews 4:16 and be assured that the "throne of grace" is there for you!
THE CRY OF FAITH
David is not content with just the expression of his need: to give his sorrows a vent is not enough for him. He wants an audience with heaven.
Jeremiah 33:1-3 says: While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time: 2 “The Lord who made the earth,[a] the Lord who forms it to establish it, the Lord is his name, says this: 3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.
The wonderful assurance of this portion of Scripture is that if we will call on God, He assures us that He will answer us in ways that will astound us.
I John 5:14-15 says: This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.
As God’s children, we have full access to the Lord and can come before Him with confidence and boldness.
Genuine prayer is not an attempt at precise means of getting God to meet our desires and demands; but rather in surrendering our will to His, we open the doorway to His fullest blessings being released in our lives. It is a matter of finding and coming into agreement with God’s will. We ask according to God’s will; then we stand in faith, confident that God hears us.
In verse 2 David expresses himself “from the ends of the earth.” He has been forced away from his center of worship—Jerusalem. So often when difficulties come we become off-center and feel like we are on the edge of the earth—ready to fall off!
George Woods shared this aspect in a prayer: “Lord, can You hear a prayer from one as far away as I? I’m not in Jerusalem today. I am out past all the mail routes, the courier trails, the phone, fax, and modem paths. I am way out on the edge of humanity this morning. I feel so out of touch and away from even those who love me. I am at the end—and if I go any further, I will simply drop off the edge. Can You hear me from where I am?”
The “end of the earth”—a place of being totally depleted of emotional and spiritual resources. Your heart senses no reserve strength to go on. Your courage falters.
Then David writes this “When my heart is overwhelmed within me.” A personal plea for strength when there doesn’t seem to be any.
THE CONFIDENCE OF FAITH: vv 3-5
In verses 3 and 5 of our Palm today David expresses the confidence of his faith.
Lord you Have:
· Been a shelter
· Been a strong tower
· Hidden me from the destruction of the enemy
· Heard my vows given me a heritage
What we need to understand is that the confidence of faith walks in spiritual warfare.
· Because of this constant conflict we can also understand this psalm as a warfare prayer!
o David is hurting because the enemy is assaulting
o In faith he cries out to God
o In faith he remembers the power of God previously in his life
o In faith David is putting on the armor of God
o In faith he give praise to God for releasing his heart and carrying his cares.
o In faith he stands on God’s Word that promises that the Lord is a shelter and provider for those who fear Him.
THE PLACE OF FAITH:
“I will dwell in your tent forever.” In other words—I am going to make it a purposeful part of my life to remain in the Lord’s presence no matter what is going on in my life. I am not going to let anything rob me of the Lord’s indwelling presence.
THE DESIRE OF FAITH:
The ability of God to keep and fulfill His promises in our lives.
To always remain in the Lord—to walk worthy of His power and grace in our lives.
THE RESULT OF FAITH:
“Then I will continually sin of your name…” No matter how overwhelmed I feel—when I come into Your presence—when I stand in confident faith in Your protection and provision in my life—I WILL SING!
THE ACTION OF FAITH:
“fulfilling my vows day by day.” In other words—remaining faithful. Allowing the Holy Spirit to develop in you the fruit of faithfulness, being obedient to God’s Word, and daily giving praise—in the good and the bad times.
THE END RESULT OF ALL OF THIS IS TO WALK IN VICTORY—TO RISE TO A NEW LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE IN YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD DESPITE ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IN YOUR LIFE.
EXERCISING YOUR FAITH ON A DAILY BASIS HELPS YOU TO NOT HAVE SPIRITUAL ATROPHY!