Psalm 62

"My soul finds rest in God alone..." Psalm 62:1a

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving..." Psalm 62 11-12a

Rest. It's a word that describes something that can be quite elusive in this life. I can't count the times that someone has said to me, "go and get some rest". Physical rest is one thing, but rest for the soul is another deal altogether. The idea is a ceasing from all striving, a position of peace, safety, and security. In the world we live in, people try find this type of rest, and it often alludes them. Family, relationships, work, vacation... all of these things can offer the illusion of peace, security, and safety; but it is never lasting. Families fall apart, relationships fail, Job's come to an end, change, or become stressful, and vacations don't last forever. Real rest can only be found one place, and that is in the Lord.

David tells us about 2 characteristics of God's nature that he had heard about from God Himself. They are simple, and ones we have talked about many times here, but they are so important to our discussion today. David says, "You, O God, are strong" and "You, O Lord, are loving". Strength and love... these two working together create the only perfect environment for true rest.

If God was only loving, and not strong, then the rest we have in Him would go only as far as the first time it was attacked or challenged from the outside. Because God is strong, nothing from the outside can affect the rest we have in Him. Since God is unshakable, when we rest in Him, we cannot be moved.

If God was only strong, and not loving, then our rest in Him wouldn't be rest at all, for we would live in constant fear of being "cast out". Because He is loving, we can believe His promise that He will never, no never, leave us nor forsake us. because we know He loves us, we can have a rest that is full and complete... the very rest He desires all of us to have!

Having looked at God in this light, isn't it foolish that we try and find rest in other things? Friends, rest in the Lord, and not in anything else... He alone will never fail you, He alone will never forsake you!

Psalm 61

To the Chief Musician. On A Stringed Instrument. A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

(Psalms 61:1-4)

Yesterday we talked about the concept of RESCUE. Today I want us to take a look at the way that God brings that rescue to David. David tells us his heart is OVERWHELMED… the circumstances of life are crushing down, and he feels as though he is crying out from the ends of the earth.

What is it that David wants from the Lord? What is it that David asks for?

1. A ROCK HIGHER THAN I – These circumstances were too great for David, so He asked God to lead Him to a piece of higher ground, a firm place where he could stand above the tumultuous storm he was assaulted by. This higher piece of ground is the LORD. He provides us a firm footing, a place that doesn’t shift or move with the waves, a place that will never crumble no matter how fierce the attack.

2. A SHELTER, A STRONG TOWER – A place that provides protection and respite from the attacks of the enemy. Protection from both TRIALS and ATTACKS… this is something we can find only in the Lord… this is REAL RESCUE.

3. ABIDE IN YOUR TABERNACLE, TRUST IN THE SHADOW OF YOUR WINGS – That David would live where God lives, and would really believe that the protection that God provides is MORE THAN ENOUGH. RESCUE leads to RELATIONSHIP. David didn’t want to be left alone on a rock or in a tower; He wanted to live in God’s house, to trust in the Lord like a chick finding refuge in the wings of his mother.

When we find ourselves overwhelmed; when it seems that we are at the “ends of the earth” and God is far off… Where will we turn? Will we follow David’s example and cry out for RESCUE, realizing that what we need is relationship… to abide in God’s presence? I pray we will all learn to lean fully upon the Lord as David did!

Psalm 60

Now rescue Your beloved people. Answer and save us by Your power.

(Psalms 60:5)

RESCUE. I love the word RESCUE. It is probably one of my favorite metaphors in all of scripture. It communicates a situation that was beyond repair… you don’t need to be “rescued” if everything is OK… you only need to be rescued if real danger is imminent and pressing, and there is no way of escape.

In the Hebrew, the word translated RESCUE here is really cool. It can mean to reach in and pull someone out of a desperate situation… to deliver or remove them from danger. But there is more to it than that. It can also mean to prepare someone for battle or equip them for the battles that lie ahead. The Lord doesn’t merely snatch us away from danger… he also prepares us to fight the battles that lie ahead.

We need to remember this when we think about SALVATION. It is true that God has pulled us out of the grip of sin, delivering us from its sting, and the certain destruction that comes with it. But He didn’t stop there… He equips us for the fight that we are forever involved in… this war against sin, this fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. God doesn’t just bail us out… He gives us the tools we need to fight!

Remember this principle. SALVATION is so much more than God just bailing us out! When you face temptation or an assault from the enemy, call out to God for rescue, but don’t forget that He wants to equip you to WIN the battle, not just AVOID the battle!

Psalm 59

O LORD God of Heaven's Armies, the God of Israel, wake up and punish those hostile nations. Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude

(Psalms 59:5)

I want to continue talking about the subject of judgment that we began discussing yesterday. In Psalm 58 we had talked about David’s cries for JUDGEMENT. Here in Psalm 59, we see David asking God to SHOW NO MERCY to hostile nations and wicked traitors. The question I wanted to raise is this: How do we reconcile this with the concept of loving our enemies?

Though this is a complex question, and there may be no “simple” one size fits all answer, I do believe that we can properly assess, respond, and apply this concept to our own lives. I think the first thing we need to remember is that EVERYONE IS A SINNER. When David talks about the “wicked” here, he is not insinuating that he himself is by nature holy and these men are by nature wicked… It is in issue of POSITION and PRACTICE.

God offers MERCY to every man, but it is conditioned upon REPENTANCE and SUBMISSION to Him and His ways. David had RECEIVED the mercy of the Lord, and the wicked men he talks about had rejected it. In fact, the wicked men were actively fighting against it. God’s mercy is ever available, but if a person CONTINUES to reject it, they will eventually have to face the judgment of God.

There is a lot that is not right here on earth. There are a lot of wicked men doing wicked things, and they are getting away with those things. Unless these men repent, they will have to face the wrath of God! When believer’s face wrath or persecution, it is a normal response for us to cry out to God and ask Him “how long until you make these things right?” God’s response is always “trust me; I WILL make this right in MY TIME.”

So for us, we just need to remember that VENGANCE belongs to the LORD. He will see to it that all things are made right… our job is just to continue to trust Him, and love the world around us.

Psalm 58

What is David so fired up about? He says things like “break their teeth” and “let them melt like a snail”… Then he says he will wash his feet in their blood and rejoice in the day of their death. Who are these people and what have they done to deserve this kind of reaction from David?

They are people David refers to as the WICKED, and the problem he has with them is INJUSTICE. There are many examples in the world today of injustice… The ongoing genocide in the Sudan, Human Trafficking all over the world, and most recently, the failure of the Burmese government to bring relief and aid to their dying people.

Justice is a concept that all of us understand, but something only a Christian can fully grasp. I am so glad that though God is just, He is also merciful. If we were working with God solely on an economy of justice, we would all be doomed to the fate of the “wicked” described by David. But we aren’t… God is merciful.

So as we interact with the world, may we stand up for JUSTICE, yet always extend mercy. A sense of right and wrong is important, but it is the compassion that reaches out to those who are both right and wrong that is CHIEFLY IMPORTANT.

There is coming a day when injustice will end, when all wrongs will be made right. Justice will prevail, and the Lord will ultimately claim the victory. In the mean time, we need to be sure that we are people who DO JUSTLY; but also LOVE MERCY. I think it is important to remember Jesus words here… “Love your enemies…”

Psalm 57

Psa 57:7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.

The word steadfast means to be unwavering. It is one who sets himself on a rock, rather than on the sand. One who is steadfast has made a decision to do something, and is going to follow it to the end. They are persistent, unmoving, and determined.

I sense David was trying to be steadfast. H knew what was right. The world around him had turned upside down. He was hiding in caves, afraid for his life. He likens the teeth of his enemies as spears and arrows . He probably was not feeling steadfast. He was probably thinking that his life was on a very slippery slope!

There are times that we are not going to feel steadfast. We will not feel like that unshakable pillar. Instead you may feel like a kite in gale winds. Nevertheless, look at what David did. In his passion for the Lord he repeats that he will be steadfast. "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise." It was not necessarily, "I want to give you praise." It was simply, "I will give you praise."

If you are struggling today, give God praise. Do it beyond your own desire to. Make your heart steadfast. Praise the Lord. Make your heart steadfast.

Psalm 56

Psa 56:3-4 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. (4) In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Fear is a scary enemy. We can fear so many things in so many ways. We can fear that a loved one is in danger. We can fear for our life. We can fear too much stress. We can fear being stuck. Fear is so imminent when it is present, and so hard to get rid of. Every plan we come up with as humans has hopes and fears.

If you have ever had anything bad happen to you it can be very easy to fear. You may be a pessimist and believe that the worse case scenario will most likely be what is going to happen. The simplicity in our verse is just what we need to oppose the complexity of our fears. "When I am afraid I will trust in You." What a sweet thing for someone to say to God. That is true love. Look up to Jesus and say, "I feel safe with You."

Whatever fears you may have today, you have a Father in Heaven that is bigger. It involves two things; recognizing Him and His power, and trusting in Him and His power. Believe that He will keep you safe. When afraid, trust in God.

Psalm 55

Psa 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

This scripture is so beautiful. David has been talking about his enemies. He has been talking about these wicked, blood thirsty men. They hate David. They want to kill David. However the greatest offense David finds is that they hate God. David does the opposite. He runs to the Lord.

Gang, it encourages me so much that you are taking the time to read. Even more so, it encourages me that you are reading you Bibles. David was a man who communed with the Lord. As stated in our verse above, he prayed to the Lord "evening, and morning, and at noon." Now we go to school or work, which makes it hard to pull out your Bible in the middle of your day. Nevertheless, I would encourage you to stop everything and just pray. Slow down your life. Pray to the Lord and draw closer.

Daniel gives us this same example. No matter what was happening that day he as consistent to pray three times a day. It became such a habit that others were noticing. Communion with the Lord is what our lives are about. Take a break from the world and greet Him in the morning, at noon, and at night.