Revering the Word
Psalm 56 This I know, that God is for me. What can man do to me?
Good morning everyone. This morning we are in Psalm 56, and it is a psalm written at a time when David was being heavily persecuted, even seized by the Philistines. David had quite the life. He was the anointed one. He was the one who was king who became king after Saul failed as king. And, you know, Jesus ultimately came in the family line of David as king. But David in his endeavor to become king had so many people against him. And, you know, think about it today. We're in the midst of a presidential election in the United States. And there's heavy persecution right no matter what side you're on either of the presidential candidates. You know, if you turn on your television set in America right now, you will see attack at after attack at it'll be one after the other and it'll just be, you know, one against one candidate and the next advertisement will come on, or come, you know, against another candidate and it's just attack after attack. And that's when you put yourself in a position of leadership, whether it be political as really was the case with David but David, you know, it was a spiritual political thing if you put yourself out there as a Christian. And if you stand for the ways of God and for the Bible in a world that wants to change and alter and really be devoted to their own opinion rather than that of gods, you're going to face criticism you're going to face persecution. The more that you stand for something there's going to be people that stand against you. You know, one of the things is, is if you never have anybody opposing you, it might be because you're not taking a stand. So think about that for a moment but anyway song 56 is one David is suffering for this persecution and he's crying out to God and what a great place to go to cry out. I'm gracious to me oh God verse one for man has trampled upon me, fighting all day long he oppresses me. My foes have trampled upon me all day long, for there are many who fight proudly against me. And you know, it's really important to have a faith and a trust in God when you stand for the ways of God or you know when you get into the political arena. I have so many opposed to you and then, may your trust be in God and also in what God has settled you to believe and this makes me think about Jesus's words. In Matthew chapter five where he said, in verse 10 of chapter five, blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me rejoice and be glad for your reward and heaven is great for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who are before you. Now, I want you to think about this, sometimes when you're involved in, we'll call it controversy but I don't know if that's really the right word when people are against you when people are opposed to you some people will want you to kind of like quiet down or, you know, maybe say that you're doing something wrong. Do not forget that Jesus was killed and his apostles who followed him were martyred for their faith. And that that is going to be what is going to happen with people who are in leadership, whether it be political leadership or whether it be spiritual leadership, there are going to be people who come against you because they don't like what you believe and stand for. And the important thing is is having a piece in God in a piece in what you believe, because when you really are settled on what you believe what others think really won't impact you. What does it matter what some other fallible man thinks about something when you're resting and trusting in what God thinks that does that change anything what they think what really needs to be important is that you have a piece and a fear of God not and a trust in God and really not in man as well. And this is what David says when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you in God, whose word I praise in God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid Hallelujah and that's if you've got peace in the Lord and you've got trust in God and you've got trust in the word what can man do to me. In fact, that's what it says next what can mirror man do to me. Hallelujah. It's a great piece that can be had by man, when man is not worried about what man thinks but rather has peace and trust in God. For some reason I'm thinking of the ladies and how, you know, in our culture they're put in a microscope perhaps of their beauty or their appearance and feel that, you know, that is important. And you know what praise God for you ladies who, you know, whatever I guess I don't even know what I'm saying right now but you know it praise God for a lady who looks nice who dresses nice whatever, but my, my point is that we can get this flipped upside down. You know, in our desire for people to maybe admire us or notice us or to fit in, we can mistakenly get ourselves in a position where we're focused on pleasing man, rather than pleasing God. What I was trying to say and it's kind of hard to talk about but is that sometimes I think just the way culture is it puts pressure on all of us but I'm thinking of the women for a moment. It puts puts pressure on you, and you know you're trying to fit in you're trying to, it's only natural to get in this position where we're worried about what others think about me or think about my clothes or think about my beauty. What I want to say is, you know what, have peace about who you are in God. Have peace that you're living for the audience of one that the only one who really matters is what God thinks and not what man thinks and try to get away from valuing yourself based on what man thinks. Instead, know that you are a child of God, and that by living for the Lord, you are pleasing him, and as we'll see in a moment that you have the favor of God you have the blessing of God God is your father he is your Savior, he is your Lord. And ultimately, it matters what he thinks not what man thinks if we, if we live life, evaluating ourselves based on what man thinks man we're going to be full of anxiety stress we're going to be up and down. We're going to be up and down with the with the waywardness of man who's up and down but if we have our trust and we have our peace in God and what he thinks, what can man do to me hallelujah do you know how freeing that is to just live to please God and not worry about man. Now listen, we care about man, you know we want to reach man we want to encourage man in the faith, you want to be an example to man but I tell you what if your identity isn't what man thinks you what man thinks you may change by the hour by the day. You know, and then you're going to be up and down with the thoughts of man but rather may we have peace with God and know that we are a child of God hallelujah. It's such a wonderful thing, all day long they distort my words. And isn't that, I mean, you just see that in the world, you know in a huge way today especially politically I mean, there's so much line and deceit that goes on in politics and you know either party is going to try to make the opponent distort their words and make them radical and crazy and it goes on both sides that's just the way that it is today. All their thoughts are against me for evil and isn't that true. I mean we could just see this so evident today, I mean you know I'm very conservative so you know I've already talked to you guys about that but regardless of that right now, what is what does one party do for the other party they just say evil about them when someone disagrees with you then what they want to do is they want to paint you in even even a more negative light to make you look wrong and maybe to make themselves look right that's just what happens that's the way man is and that's why we don't want to put our trust in man but put put our trust in God. Verse 6 they attack they lurk they watch my steps as they have waited to take my life and literally they're trying to take David's life but this is how enemies act they just look for you to slip up and find a way to make you look bad. Because of wickedness cast them forth and anger put down the peoples oh God and may God protect us may God and he does and may God look after us and listen to what says in verse 8 you have taken account of my wanderings God knows what's going on. God knows what you're suffering put my tears in your bottle what an expression think about that that God knows your tears God knows your struggle. God knows are they not in your book and it's as though David is saying here the tears that I have went through it's in your book you know what I'm going through God knows how to do you. God knows and God is there but sometimes in life because of the Adamic Sim problem we have in the world. You know sometimes we go through suffering in this life and sometimes God surrenders his world for a certain time if you want to do evil if you want to go against me. And let's see what that gets you let's see what the consequences for going against me and as a result of the sinful world that we live in. Sometimes we experience hardship but it doesn't mean that God doesn't know. Sometimes he doesn't always fix it sometimes it doesn't get solved right away but God knows what we're going through. Sometimes we just suffer because this is a fallen world we live in but he knows hallelujah then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. And this is this is such a great word listen to this this I know that God is for me. What an amazing word I'll tell you what what seven words this I know or is it eight eight words this I know that God is for me. Do you know that child of God. When you have become born again God has put his residence inside of you through his Holy Spirit. You are a child of God he is for you. Now even if you're going through a hard time even if you're going through a setback maybe you're going through a health element. God is still for you he is your father you are his child. And even if this life doesn't end the way that you want God's got a home eternal in the heavens he's gone ahead of you he's prepared a room for you and one day he's coming back to get you hallelujah. And you can know that God is for you and you know what sometimes you're going to see that amazing blessing on earth you're going to see the favor of the Lord in your life in this life hallelujah. Sometimes it'll be in the next but sometimes it's going to be right in this life that God is going to show his favor for you this I know that God is for me. In God whose word I praise do you praise God through his word in the Lord whose word I praise do you praise God for his glorious word if you're listening now. I think that's because you do value his word and you've wanted to take it in and learn what God has to say and treasure and you know what as this podcast says to revere the word what a glorious thing it is. Verse 11 in God I have put my trust I shall not be afraid hallelujah and we've got nothing to be afraid of. Whether it be in this life or even if this life ends hallelujah then when this tent gets packed up I'm going to be home with my Lord in heaven it's better to be away from the body and home with the Lord. What can man do to me I love and marvel at those passages. It's not natural it's not the way that man thinks a lot of times, but it should be what can man do to me. He is the man who trusts in man but blessed is the man whose trust is the Lord he will be like a tree that's by the waters whose roots grow deep hallelujah that's the blessed man the one who trusts in the Lord not the one who trusts in man. What your vows are binding upon me oh God I will render thank offerings to you and may we praise God for his goodness today. For you have delivered my soul from death indeed my feet from stumbling so that I may walk before God in the light of the living and that's what we need to do today. We need to walk even through persecution even though man may be against us even though maybe sometimes we have suffering on this earth. So that I may walk before God in the light of the living and today we want to walk with God in this life in his light and shine his light in this world that desperately needs to know the Lord. So what what sadly what unbelievers are missing out on huh to not know that they have a God who can be for them who can be their father who will come and reside in them and give them forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life and give a trust and an identity in the Lord Jesus Christ all that more would come to know him and then have his light in the light of the living and walk before God in this world that desperately needs him. What a glorious Psalm even though David was fearing experiencing suffering his trust was in the Lord and that is a great place to place your trust God bless you all.