20 September 2015
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Psalm 71:1-2
Psalm 71:1-2 (NIV)
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.
--
"Life is hard -- it's even harder if you're stupid" -- this is one of
my favorite quotes from John Wayne, because I think it sums up the way life is
-- life is hard -- bad things happen, even to good people -- the question,
then, is what you do when the bad things happen? -- how do you react? -- how do
you respond?
-- back in
1995, Lawrence Hanratty was named as the unluckiest man ever to have lived in
New York -- in 1984, Lawrence was nearly electrocuted in a construction site
accident that put him in a coma for weeks -- and the company refused to pay for
his injuries -- he hired lawyers to fight for his liability claim, and lost all
of them in the process -- one of them was disbarred -- two died -- and his wife
ran off with the last one
-- he spent
years fighting heart and liver disease -- and then to top it all, he wrecked
his car in a crash in 1994 -- when the police left the scene after writing up
the accident, Lawrence got mugged -- he was held up and robbed
-- he told
the New York Daily News in a description of more than ten years of agony, "How
much more am I going to be tested in life to see how much I can endure?"
-- as if
things weren't bad enough, at the time the article was written, his insurance
company wrote him saying they were going to stop his worker's compensation
benefits and his landlord threatened to kick him out of his apartment
-- "Depressed
and suffering from agoraphobia, a fear of open spaces, Lawrence uses a canister
of oxygen and takes 42 pills a day for his heart and liver ailments" -- but,
amazingly, despite everything that has happened to Lawrence in his life, he is
not giving up yet -- "’There’s always hope’, he said."1
-- there's
always hope -- a truer statement has never been said -- no matter how hard life
gets -- no matter how dark things may look -- the Bible tells us that there's
always hope if we trust in God
-- that's
really the message of this Psalm -- when life gets hard, don't give up -- know
where to turn -- trust in God and have hope in His deliverance
-- let's
take a look at this Psalm now in more detail and see what we can learn about
dealing with the hardships of life through the words of the Psalmist
II. Scripture Lesson (Psalm 71:1-24)
-- look
back at verse 1
Psalm 71:1-4 (NIV)
1 In you, O LORD, I
have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and
deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of
refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my
rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my
God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men.
-- author
of this Psalm is unknown -- but most people attribute it to David and consider
it part of Psalm 70 -- this is a Psalm of reflection and instruction -- the
Psalmist -- and I'm going to conclude that it is David -- is looking back on
life as someone who is nearing the end -- he is old and gray now and he has
experienced much of what life has to offer -- the good and the bad -- and in
this Psalm, David passes on his thoughts of life and encourages his readers to
always rely on God, no matter what
-- we see
in these first four verses that David is a man that knows God -- he has a
personal knowledge of God -- not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge -- he
knows God because he has experienced the hand of God in his life
-- David
describes God here as his strong refuge and righteous Savior -- his mighty rock
-- his fortress -- he came to know God as his deliverer when times were bad --
when he was surrounded by the wicked and in the grasp of evil and cruel men
-- you
especially see that in verse 2 -- in this verse, David uses three different
Hebrew words to express his experience of God's salvation in the midst of
life's storms -- Deliver me -- depicts
snatching someone away from danger -- such as delivering someone from the jaws
of a wild beast
-- Rescue
me -- refers to bringing to safety -- to removing someone from a place of
danger
-- and
finally, Save me -- the word that David uses here comes from the same root word
that we get the name Jesus from -- this word looks at the result of God's deliverance and rescue in someone's
life -- it means a complete salvation -- a salvation forever2
-- David's
point here to us is that when bad things come -- when evil confronts you and
the wicked bring you down -- don't be stupid -- don't give up hope -- but look
to God in the midst of your storms and your hardships, and trust that He will
deliver and rescue and save you from all that you are going through
-- so for
the rest of the Psalm, David outlines for us the steps to salvation -- to
deliverance from problems in our life
-- look at
verse 5
Psalm 71:5-8 (NIV)
5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence
since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from
my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.
7 I have become like a portent to many, but you are my
strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your
splendor all day long.
-- the
first step: Remember -- David remembers God's work in his life in past
-- when
Israel was finally going to enter the Promised Land, God told Joshua to have
the people remove stones from the bottom of the Jordan River and to set them up
as a monument and altar there by the river as a reminder of God's mighty works
in their lives -- so that when they doubted and when the hard times came, they
could look back at these stones and remember that God had been with them in the
past, and He would be with them in the future -- these spiritual markers would
be a source of hope and strength for the future
-- we all
have spiritual markers in our lives, if we but look -- if we but remember --
times in our lives when God has been there for us -- times that we can look
back and say, "God delivered me"
-- David
had many such spiritual markers in his life that he now remembers as he is old
and gray -- the time he fought the lion and the bear to protect his sheep -- God's
deliverance of Him in his battle with Goliath -- David's many victories for
Israel in battle
-- even reminders
of the times he fell -- when he sinned with Bathsheba and killed Uriah -- when
he failed his children, and suffered the rebellion by his son Absalom -- even failures
can be spiritual markers because they remind us of what happens when we try to
do life in our own strength
-- these
spiritual markers are a reminder of the times God has worked in our lives in
the past -- in the good times and the bad -- and a promise that He will do so
again if we but trust Him
-- so
David's first word of advice to us here in this Psalm is to Remember
-- verse 9
Psalm 71:9-12 (NIV)
9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when
my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill
me conspire together.
11 They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and
seize him, for no one will rescue him."
12 Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to
help me.
-- next,
David tells us to Surrender -- that the path to victory and deliverance come
not from strength nor from might or from power, but from the Spirit of God
-- as Paul
says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "For when I am weak, then I am strong"
-- David says the same thing here
-- you
won't defeat evil in your own strength -- you can't overcome temptation and sin
and evil in your own power -- it is only when you are weak -- when others say
you have no strength remaining -- that victory is possible
-- as he is
surrounded by his enemies who are conspiring against him, David does not look
to call out his army or rally his defenders to him -- no, he calls out to God
for deliverance, remembering how God had saved him in the past, and trusting
solely in God's providence and deliverance once again
--
surrender and submission to God is the path to victory over bad times in our
lives -- when we have done all we can, the best thing we can do is to turn to
God and say, "I can't -- Help me."
-- there's
a song out on the radio you might have heard that really speaks to what David
is saying here -- let me read to you part of the lyrics:
"Life gets tough and times get
hard
And it's hard to find the truth in
all the lies
If you're tired of wondering why you're
heart isn't healing
And nothing feels like home cause
you're lost and alone
Just screaming at the sky
When you don't know what to say
Just say Jesus"3
-- verse 13
Psalm 71:13-21 (NIV)
13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to
harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you
more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your
salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign
LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this
day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to
come.
19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who
have done great things. Who, O God, is like you?
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again
bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
-- so
Remember -- Surrender -- and then comes Victory
-- in these
verses we see David practicing what he preached -- as his accusers surround
him, wanting to harm him, David recalls God's past deliverances and he cries
out for God to move yet again
-- "I
don't care how bad it looks," he says, "for I will always have hope
in You -- since my youth You have been there -- and even now, when I am old and
gray, I trust in You -- deliver me, Oh God -- save me from the evil that
surrounds me"
-- I think
the most telling verse are verses 20 and 21 -- David stands on the promise of
God and looks ahead to the victory to come -- "you will restore my life
again" -- "you will bring me up from the depths of the earth" --
"you will increase my honor" -- "you will comfort me once
again"
-- Remember
-- Surrender -- Victory
-- verse 22
Psalm 71:22-24 (NIV)
22 I will praise you
with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with
the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout
for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will
tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have
been put to shame and confusion.
-- the
final step to overcoming life's obstacles and hardships -- Praise
-- "to
God be the glory, great things He hath done" -- we must give God the glory
for what He has done in our lives -- we must lift Him up and praise Him for His
deliverance -- His rescue -- and His salvation
-- after
all is said and done -- after God has brought the victory -- David says he will
praise Him with his harp -- he will sing God's praises to the heavens -- he
will shout with joy for his redemption and speak of His righteous acts all day
long
-- you
know, if I had to point to one area in the church where we are really not where
we should be, it's in praising God -- how many times do we pass on prayer
requests and surrender them to God, trusting that He is going to work in
accordance His will in these requests, and then we never follow up? -- we never
take a moment to thank God for His deliverance -- to praise Him for His
salvation
-- God
desires our praise and worship -- as the Westminster Catechism says,
"Man's chief end is to glorify God" -- our purpose here on earth is
to bring Him glory and praise -- to speak His goodness -- to tell of His grace
-- to tell the story of His love
-- David
tells us here to not forget to do that -- to remember our God through praise
and worship and to tell others of His glory and His goodness
-- we need
to make praise and worship more a part of our lives than we currently do -- I
am serving on this upcoming Kairos at Valdosta State Prison and God spoke to me
as we went around the room and made introductions -- we were supposed to tell
who we were, where we worshiped and why we wanted to be on this Kairos
-- and a
few men in the room said something that really spoke home to me -- after they
said their name, they made this statement, "I worship wherever I am"
-- they were constantly aware of God's presence in their lives -- constantly
aware of His grace and mercy covering them -- and what they were saying was
they tried to always thank God and praise Him at all moments of every day --
not waiting for a Sunday service or a midweek Bible study -- but every moment
of every day they worshiped God
-- I've
been reading some lately about being present -- about being mindful and
meaningful -- of experiencing life at the moment and not looking ahead or
looking back -- the goal is to "be fully engaged, involved, and attentive,
to what is happening with your body, mind, heart,"4 [and
spirit]
-- I think
that is where we need to be to reach the point where we can honestly say we
worship everywhere we are -- as we become more fully engaged in life -- more
involved -- more attentive to what is going on around us and in us and through
us -- we can't help but remember and realize God's presence -- we can't help
but praise Him at that very moment -- and I think that's what David is
encouraging us to do here -- to praise God continually for His deliverance --
His rescue -- His salvation -- and His love
III. Closing
-- so let's
wrap this up and bring it home
-- as you
leave here today, I want to make sure you understand a couple of things:
-- first,
something bad is going to happen to you in the future
-- as
Forrest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates -- you just never
know what you're going to get" -- but it's a good guess that something bad
is going to happen to you at some point
-- you're
going to get sick -- a loved one will die -- you'll have financial problems --
your car will break down -- something is going to happen because that's just
what happens in life
-- bad
things happen to good people -- people like you and me -- it doesn't mean
something's wrong with you -- it doesn't mean God doesn't love you, because He
does -- it just means that you're human and you live in a fallen world -- a
world of crime and violence -- a world of natural disasters -- a world of war
and greed -- a world of poverty and strife
-- as Peter
wrote in 1 Peter 4:12, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery
ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were
happening to you."
-- bad
things happen -- it's just the way it is -- so you need to be prepared when it
happens, which brings us to the second thing I want you to remember
-- there is
always hope in God -- our God is a God of deliverance -- of rescue -- and of
salvation -- He is our rock and our redeemer -- our mighty King -- our strong
fortress -- a bulwark in times of trouble
-- when bad
things happen, don't give up -- don't despair -- but remember what David told
us in this Psalm by using the acronym "RSVP"5
-- R --
Remember -- remember what God has done in the past and trust that He will do it
again
-- S --
Surrender -- submit yourself to God and let Him take care of the problem
-- V --
Victory -- look for the victory that God is bringing
-- P --
Praise -- and always remember to praise God
-- RSVP --
a good way to live and survive when life gets hard
-- let us
pray
-----------------------------------
1 Printed in the Los Angeles Times March 19, 1995 page a28
[Cited in sermon by James Hardy, "The Battle Belongs to the Lord," http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-battle-belongs-to-the-lord-james-hardy-sermon-on-servanthood-88227.asp]
2 Dr. William T. Barrick, Professor of OT, The Master's
Seminary http://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_071.pdf
3 7eventh Time Down lyrics, "Just Say Jesus" -- http://www.songlyrics.com/7eventh-time-down/just-say-jesus-lyrics/
4 Rebecca Niziol, "What Does Being Present Really
Mean?" [http://careergirlnetwork.com/what-does-being-present-really-mean/]
5 RSVP Acronym borrowed from Nancy Lee DeMoss message on
radio
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