Transcript

Where Do You Turn?

Psalm 86:1-17
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Pastor Randy Smith

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To the best of my knowledge there is no other recorded time in our Lord's earthly ministry where He received more praise and approval. As He sat on a humble donkey He inched toward Jerusalem on a road paved with palm branches. The crowds paraded in the processional and chanted, "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Mt. 21:9). Life couldn't be any better, right?

Well, in less than a week many of those same people demanded His execution. "Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all said, 'Crucify Him!' And he said, 'Why, what evil has He done?' But they kept shouting all the more, saying, 'Crucify Him!'" (Mt. 27:22-23). On the night before His execution Jesus lamented in the Garden. "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death" (Mt. 26:38). A friend would betray Him. Another would deny Him. By sunrise Jesus would endure the horrors of hanging on a cross, gasping for the smallest breath of air as the onlookers mocked and taunted Him. Then the midday sky went black when the Father for the first time in eternity turned His back on the Son as Jesus bore the penalty for our sins.

Jesus understands pain and suffering. The prophet declared He would be "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:3). He freely spoke of His upcoming crucifixion (Mt. 20:19). The Bible tells us Jesus is the "author of [our] salvation through sufferings" (Heb. 2:10). No wonder the Scriptures declare, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses" (Heb. 4:15).

I have no doubt that each one of you here today is carrying some sort of a weakness into this sanctuary. Possibly it is oppression from another individual. Maybe it is the result of a poor decision. Perhaps you are dealing with physical ailments. Perchance you are under spiritual assault from the evil one. Whatever the case, trials are not uncommon to human existence. They come in various forms and remain for various segments of time. They are painful.

Trials can easily lead us into sin. They have the unique capacity to produce anger and self-pity and worry and fear and discontent. They can steal our joy in a second. Yet trials can also be used for good in our lives as well. The difference between the two depends on our response.

As Christians we have hope. Regardless of the particular trial we know that nothing has happened apart from God's sovereign oversight. And we also know that with the trial God has promised both comfort and goodness for those who turn to Him in their time of suffering.

Let's expand these realities as we study Psalm 86 from the Word of God this morning.

1. THE CONDITION OF THE HEART

We begin with "The Condition of the Heart," our first point. David wastes no time to reveal the condition of his heart in Psalm 86. Verse 1, "For I am needy and afflicted." Right away we can identify with the man.

The Bible is a book about people who know God. Yet the Bible does not conceal the suffering they experienced despite their relationship with the living God. We come across several characters that could be diagnosed with severe sadness. Saul was tormented. Jeremiah was known as the "weeping prophet." Paul said, "We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life" (2 Cor. 1:8). Moses, Jonah, Job and Elijah begged God to end their earthly existence. If we expand the search to include the general fields of pain and hardship and burdens and trials we seem to find examples on every page of Scripture.

David also could be included in this conversation. It has been said that apart from David's pain we would not have the majority of the Psalms in the Bible that we cherish. "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?" (Psm. 13:1). "My heart is in anguish within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. I said, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Behold, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness'" (Psm. 55:4-7).

From what we know of David it is hard to imagine him being "needy and afflicted." After all he had riches, fame, and honor. David was a valiant soldier. He defeated Goliath with a few small stones. He commanded thousands of men in warfare. How could this stalwart of strength and popularity have any "needs" or "afflictions?"

C.H. Spurgeon put it well: "Fits of depression come over the most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy." He goes on to say, "I note that some whom I greatly love and esteem, who are, in my judgment, among the very choicest of God's people, nevertheless, travel most of the way to heaven by night."

As we read the Psalms and David's life chronicled in 1 and 2 Samuel, it seems as if David was attacked on many fronts. In this case it appears from verse 14 that the attacks were from the unrighteous, the painful persecution from God's enemies. "O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, and a band of violent men have sought my life, and they have not set You before them."

God moves in such mysterious ways. We often cannot predict or understand the pain He permits in our lives. Yet just because we are uncomfortable and confused does not mean that our agony is meaningless. We know from Scripture and experience that it takes these dark nights of the soul to understand our inadequacies. And when we are broken and weak we allow the Holy Spirit to bring our vessels from the stormy seas to the safe harbor of God's benevolent care. We relinquish control at the helm and allow Him to be the captain of our lives. We embrace our weaknesses and rest in His strength.

2. THE CHARACTER OF GOD

That takes us to the second point, "The Character of God."

Once we are brought low we start searching for answers. And while we may never get all the answers we want, we are forced to draw conclusions about God's place in this whole ordeal. Maybe we feel He doesn't care. Maybe we are angry with Him. Maybe we think we are under His judgment. Or maybe we consider Him as part of the solution. Regardless, affliction is a time to draw near to God or run away from Him.

Like David, humble people admit their need, and humble people submit to God and trust Him. Humble people do not cling to self-focus which is debilitating or personal feelings which are often inaccurate, but rather to the truth that the Bible declares about God. It is because of who God is that we are given hope during the time of affliction.

Because of Christ's work we have now been brought into intimate fellowship with God. We have been accepted and adopted. We are children of the Father who gives only good gifts. We no longer live for ourselves, but God now lives His life through us. We are the full recipients of all that He is.

Look at verse 5. David says, "For You, Lord, are good." Do we really believe God in His goodness has permitted the trial? Do we really believe God will bring good from the trial? Still in verse 5, "[You are] ready to forgive." Do we really believe God will forgive our sins especially if they are the sins that led us into the trial? Do we really believe He delights in forgiving? Still in verse 5, "[You are] abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You." Do we really believe God's love is abundant toward us? Do we really believe He welcomes our requests to experience His love?

Ed Welch once said, "When love is involved, time moves at a different pace. When Jacob served seven years for his wife-to-be Rachel, 'they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her' (Gen. 29:20). Contrast this with what feels like the never-ending present-tense of suffering…relief will never come, sleep will never come, the morning will never come" (Depression, p. 78-79).

This was the loving God that David knew. But knowledge is not enough. This was also the God that David trusted. Based on God's character and God's faithfulness to him in the past (cf. verse 17c) he could declare in verse 8, "There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours."

It is an overused expression, but I again ask the question. "Where do people who do not know the Lord turn during times of suffering?" Astrology? Alcohol? Entertainment? We were not created to carry our burdens alone. The load is much too heavy. We need a God. But with so many gods to choose from which one do I pick? David knew, verse 8, "There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours." David made the wise choice. He pursued the true God. Verse 10, "For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God."

Tell me which god sustains the sun to keep you from freezing to death? Which god is overseeing the 10 with 38 zeros that follow fusions that take place on its face? Which god is managing the 400 trillion tons of hydrogen that are being converted into helium every second in the heart of the sun?

Let me know which god is sovereign over every atom in the universe. In the span of one inch we could line up 100 trillion atoms. If we line up just the nuclei of atoms in the same distance we would fit 10 sextillion (that's 10 with 21 zeros)!

As David said in verse 10, the Scriptures are replete with declarations of God's greatness (Deut. 7:21; Job 9:4; Psm. 2:4; Isa. 1:24; 40:26; Jer. 32:17-19). That is also why we read so often that "nothing will be impossible with God" (Lk. 1:37; cf. Mt. 19:26). So let me ask you fellow sufferer, does the true God have the power to break the stranglehold that sin has on our hearts? Does the true God have the power to defeat the devil and the tormenting taunts and accusations we continually hear? Does the true God have the power to energize us to persevere when every fiber of our being cries out: "Quit!"

So God is able, but does that mean He is willing? Is there any time for me when He is sustaining the cosmos? Does such a God of unfathomable majesty and greatness really focus His infinite energy on a broken sinner like me? The answer is "yes" and David affirmed it in verse 13: "For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol." Verse 15, "But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth." And all that, beloved, is personally directed toward you if you are in Christ Jesus!

In his time of "need" and "affliction" David was not consumed with his problems but was consumed with the greatness of his God.

3. THE CALL OF PRAYER

So the logical question: How do I tap into the greatness of God? How does He become the resource for my needs? The lifeline as we move to the third point is prayer. Verse 1 even identifies this Psalm as "a Prayer of David." David knew, verse 5, "[God is] abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon [Him]."

Prayer will always result when we see our needs and believe in God's resources. One Commentator said David referred to himself thirty-five times in this Psalm. He was well aware of his needs. It is also noted that David referred to God by three divine titles (Elohim, Jehovah and Adonai) and mentioned His name in all but three verses in the Psalm (7, 13, 16). Combine the two (your needs and God's power) and you have rocket fuel for prayer that is humble and trusting and passionate and bold and earnest and persistent and confident.

Verse 1, "Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me." Verse 3, "For to You I cry all day long." Verse 4, "For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul." Verse 6, "Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and give heed to the voice of my supplications!" And verse 7, "In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, for You will answer me." How many different ways could David say the same thing! The man was committed to prayer!

We are basically given two choices. We can engage in self-destructive behaviors such as complaining, pain suppression, negative thinking and self-pity, or we can cry out to the Lord.

And when we cry out to God, at times we run to Him. We eagerly want His will when suffering. We ask for endurance. We ask for instruction. We even thank Him for what we know by faith He is accomplishing in these unfavorable circumstances. At other times we crawl to God. Reading a Bible chapter is like scaling Mt. Everest. Prayer seems shallow. God seems distant. Do not believe the myth that faith is always smiling. Sometimes life when suffering is the ordinary process of dragging one foot in front of the other with a God consciousness and dependence for moment by moment grace. In chapter 130 the Psalmist said, "Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD" (Psm. 130:1). Regardless of how He gets you there, God is pleased with a dependence on Him because there is evidence of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit. And with that Satan is powerless.

C.S. Lewis makes this observation in an imaginary dialogue between two demons. "[Screwtape warns Wormwood] Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's [God's] will, looks around upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys" (The Screwtape Letters, Macmillian, p. 39).

Prayer is the greatest sign of that dependence. It admits our weakness and trusts God's greatness.

4. THE CONTENT OF PRAYER

The Psalm also reveals the content of David's prayer, our fourth point. In other words what did David pray for? What can we learn from Scripture about the things we should be praying for when going through trials?

David asked to be set apart for godliness. Verse 2, "Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man." David asked for God's help. Verse 2, "O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You." David asked for God's favor. Verse 3, "Be gracious to me." Verse 16, "Turn to me, and be gracious to me." David asked for God's joy. Verse 4, "Make glad the soul of Your servant." David asked for God's instruction. Verse 11, "Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth." David asked to revere God. Verse 11, "Unite my heart to fear Your name." David asked for God's power. Verse 16, "Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your handmaid." David asked for God's consideration. Verse 17, "Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed."

If I can put these requests together, may I submit this prayer to you when suffering trials:

Dear Lord,

Though unworthy I come before You because I know you care. I plea on behalf of Your mercy and compassion and love. My burdens are heavy, but I know You give strength sufficient for the task. May you humble me, keep my attention on You and teach me valuable lessons. I ask for Your joy and peace that You have promised to me. Give me hope. Protect me from the evil one as I wear my spiritual armor. Keep me from sin and wrong thinking. Help me to persevere through this trial trusting You to accomplish Your good and wise purposes. In the name of Jesus who took away all my sins, Amen.

5. THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER

Our final point. What is the conclusion of the matter? And the answer is worship.

In verse 9 David says, "All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name."

Our faith is never more tested during times of trials. It is easy to worship and glorify God when things are going well. Yet how do we do in this area when life turns in a direction we would not have chosen?

The biblical figure Job was put to this test. As a result of his righteousness he experienced more suffering than any of us can imagine. His wife lost faith. "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9). To which Job replied, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). In spite of heavy affliction Job worshiped God. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).

In verse 12 David, the man who was needy and afflicted I remind you, said, "I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever."

It is important to remember that David spoke these words when he was in the heat of his trial - suffering, but yet a full devotion of the heart to the Lord desiring to extend eternal gratitude. As C.H. Spurgeon said, "God [is] never done blessing us, may we never [be] done blessing Him" (Treasury, Psalm 86:13).

We are not in heaven yet. We have a journey to travel that has been mapped out by the Lord. Maybe that's why we are called pilgrims as we press on as aliens in this world that is not our own, yet a world of surprises and a world of trials. We do not know what tomorrow holds, but we are like Abraham and we go as God directs. We too are often called to leave the familiar, seek a new direction, face unknown hazards and get to a point of desperation. Yet we know God is there every step of the way. As David said so often in our Psalm, "[He is] my God" (Psm. 86:2, 12). We call upon Him for help, and He promises us through the suffering to expect something better.

Was that not the case for Jesus?

God's faithfulness in the past.

Verse 17 - "You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me."