Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Psalms, chapter 37. Psalm 37. Let's ask our Lord's blessing. Our Father, how good it is to
be in your presence. by the precious blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, as we call upon you tonight,
verbally and in our hearts, Lord, would you take the words that
are feebly spoken. I don't know what to say. I don't
know what to ask. But Lord, would you take, by
your Holy Spirit, words covered by the blood of Christ through
our great High Priest and make our petitions known unto the
Father. Help us as we worship, try to
worship, as we try to seek, for Christ's sake. Amen. The 37th Psalm was penned by
David in his latter years. I know that. He says in Psalm
37, verse 25, he said, I have been young, and now am old. Yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed beckoned great. Now, obviously, the Lord has
taught this man something. And I pray that tonight, as we
look, I want to look not at every verse in this 37th Psalm, but
some of the verses in this Psalm. And there's seven precepts. that David learned, that God
taught him. And I pray that tonight, through
the wisdom that the Lord gave this man, he said, I've been
young, now I'm old. I thought of that verse in Proverbs
16.31, the hoary head, the gray. The gray head is a crown of glory, it be found in the way of righteousness. If God's taught a man or a woman
something, that's a great blessing. I told you what Brother Henry
told me. He said the greatest loss this
world suffers in our day is when God removes an aged and taught
believer. because of the wisdom that lives.
Wouldn't you like to still be able, if we could, to talk to
some of these dear saints that God removed? Think what they
know now. What they knew then, but oh,
what they know now. Here's the first thing that I'd
like for us to look at concerning these These truths, these precepts,
this that David learned by the grace of God. As I read these
seven things to you, I think to myself, Lord, help me. I want to hear this. I want to
hear what God taught this believer. Verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 37, fret
not thyself because of evildoers. Neither be thou envious against
the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down like
the grass and wither as the green earth. Believer, don't think that God
Almighty has harshly treated you because it appears as though
that others that know not our Lord are prospering. That they seem to have everything
going right and nothing really seems to affect them. Don't envy them. Don't even look
to it. Don't look upon them with a heart
that's fretting. Don't let their apparent and
momentary false security that they possess confuse you and
cause you to be angry. Why I think so with me? Why is
it going like this? Those that know not our Lord, they're arrogant, and they're
proud, disrespectful. They don't believe God. And His
wrath may not appear to be on them now, but it is. I tell you, the time is coming
in this world. I mean, we just crossed over
into 2013. 2013, I remember just a couple
of years ago hearing all about when it went into Y2K. It was going to go into the year
2000 and all the computers were going to go down and everything
was going to... Thirteen years ago, or twelve,
it started. Time is so quickly. The scythe of God's justice,
wrath, is approaching quickly for those that know Him not in
their destruction. It's going to be over. In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, The trump of God is going to sound.
Dead in Christ will rise. Those alive will meet Him in
the air. The day of judgment, judgment will be over. And just threaten not thyself because
of evildoers. Don't be envious against the
workers of iniquity. They're going to be soon cut
off. be taken up with things that
distract from the honor, the worship, the praise of Almighty
God. Whenever you find yourself being
burdened down, weighted down, things I look around, as soon
as I start looking around, The worst thing in the world for
me to do is start listening to too much stuff on TV. And I just
think, you know, go to God's Word. Get into God's Word. Get into your closet and talk
to the Lord. Be with God's people. I'm telling
you, fret not thyself because of evildoers. This whole world
lies in wickedness. I said, it's not going to get
better. It's not getting better. It's going to get worse. We've
got God's Word on that. When men say peace, there's no
peace. This is the way. of God's purpose,
God's will. Don't fret. Verse 3, trust in the Lord. Now these are things that God
taught David. I need to learn. I need to go back and remind
myself of the first one, fret not. Don't fret. Trust in the Lord and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land,
and verily thou shalt be fed." Trust in the Lord by faith. Cast
yourself upon the Lord right now. And do good. I looked at that. Do good. Believe Him. Believe Him. Lord, I believe that you are
working all these things after the counsel of your own will.
But you say, I don't trust Him as I ought. I don't trust Him
as I desire. I don't trust Him as I should.
That knowledge right there is evidence that Almighty God has
given you a new heart. That knowledge right there. Lord, I believe You help mine
unbelief. Trust in the Lord. Knowing that
He is my righteousness. Knowing that He is my sustainer.
Don't look to yourself. You're going to be disappointed
every time. I don't pray as I ought. I don't. I wish I would read as I ought
to. How many times to my embarrassment
have I found myself reading and then all of a sudden I'm thinking, where was I? Where did I go? How did I let that verse just
before that slip away? Let me go back and read that
again. Lord, help me. Lord, that I know that You have
said that You ever live to make intercession for me. Lord, that
You ever live, pleading Your own merit, seeking mercy for Your sake,
For me, Lord, You said, He that cometh to me, I will in no wise
cast out. Lord, help me not to go back
in time and try to think, as I've said before, concerning
when did I trust Him for the first time. Lord, do I trust
You today? Lord, do I cast myself upon your
mercy today? He that cometh and cometh and
cometh. Trust in the Lord and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land." Canaan was a land that was promised
to the children of Israel. A land of rest. Trusting the Lord. We're in this
world. We're not of it. But we're in
it right now. And trusting Him, Right now,
God's people dwell in the land of this world, kept and protected
by Him. In this spiritual Canaan that
we're in right now, you say, yeah, but this world holds so
much. But I know this, He's here. He's with me. He promised. He promised that He wouldn't
leave me. And I shall be fed. You trust in the Lord. You believe Him. You do good.
So shalt thou dwell in the land, eventually in heaven itself.
His Word, Father, I will that those that thou hast given me
be with me where I am. One day real soon, all this is
going to be over. All this is going to be over.
And there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more heartache,
no more dishonoring God. Be with Him. And thou shalt be
fed. He'll feed us tonight. If He
tarries, He'll feed us the next time. We're going to eat His
flesh and drink His blood, His life, His death. Feast on Him
who is the manna, the bread of heaven. Trust in the Lord. Here's the third. First one,
fret not. Secondly, trust. Here's the third one, verse 4.
Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires
of thine heart. Find your delight. and seek your happiness in Him. Lord, I waver so much. Lord, draw my mind to Yourself. Lord, cause me to think upon
You. May I find my rejoicing in you, in this fleeting world. Lord, cause me to remember as
you speak through your Word, blessed by your Spirit, Lord,
that I'm yours and that you're mine. Cause that new man that
delights only in you. Bring back to my memory these
things that you've taught me. Delight yourself in the Lord. Lord, cause me to remember. Let me reflect upon electing
grace. Cause me to remember that when
the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and He laid down His
life for His sheep, Lord, You've given me a heart to trust you,
to delight in you. Lord, cause me to remember that
the Spirit of God effectually called me out, sealed me till
the day of redemption, and teaches me even now. Let me remember
that as I read, as I hear, that it is your Spirit, Lord, that
causes me to understand. And that faith cometh right now. And that I live right now trusting
Him whose faith, Christ's faith, has justified me. Delight thyself
also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires, the petitions,
that's what that means, of thine heart. Now, I know this. I know that that's a true statement.
I know it's a safe statement. It's safe for me to say this. Because I'm quoting what God
says. Delight thyself also in the Lord,
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. I know this. I know that the
will of a believer I'm talking about that new man, that one
born from above. I know that the will of God's
people is that the Lord's will might be done. I know that. I
know. I know that the believer's will
is subdued to God's will. They bow. I know they struggle. I'm not
talking about that old man. I'm not talking about that one
that so foolishly thinks that you ask for the fleeting things
of this world. I'm not talking about that. I'm
talking about, and those of you that know Him, you know what
I'm talking about. You truly do want what God wants. You do
want that. That's what you want. I know
you do. What desires does a believer
possess? What desires does he possess?
Scripture says, delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall
give thee the desires, the petitions of thy heart. I believe, and
I want you to turn with me to Luke 11. Luke 11. The Lord's disciples Asked the Lord one day. Gave
a petition. And I believe that in his answer,
Luke chapter 11, the Lord's answer to the request made by his disciples
gives great insight into the desires of a believer's heart. In Luke 11 chapter 1, it came
to pass that as he was praying in a certain place, And when he ceased, based on
that, as far as I can tell, his disciples were sitting there
listening to him pray. They were listening to the Lord
pray. It says, one of his disciples
said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his
disciples. I know this. I know that believers
pray. And what they ask, right there,
when you say pray a prayer, is petitioning God. To pray, to
thank Him, to petition Him. Lord, teach us to petition thankfully. I know that we don't know. What to say? The Spirit of God
has revealed that. We know not what to pray. But
the attitude that our Lord taught His disciples in what He's about
to tell them sets forth truly a believer's desire. Delight
thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thy
heart. These desires that our Lord promised
would be given or sent forth in his teaching," here's what
he said, verse 2, "...and he said unto them, When you pray,
say, Our Father which art in heaven..." Now let me tell you
the first desire that a believer has. They want to pray to the
Father that is in heaven. Father by creation, yes, but
oh, much more than that. Father by grace. Sovereign grace. The God of all glory. This is
the desire of a believer. They want to pray. They want to talk to the Lord. They don't want to talk to saints.
They don't pray to angels. They don't pray to Mary. They
don't pray to a priest, to a pope. They pray to the Father. Our Father, You who set Your affection on
us eternally, Lord, You who adopted us You who redeemed us by Your precious
Son. You who regenerated us by Your
Holy Spirit. You who saved us by Your grace,
our Father, which art in heaven. I want to talk to Him. I want
to talk to Him. Hallowed be Thy name. I want to acknowledge that He
is holy, hallowed, holy. Father, holy is Your character. Holy is Your name. I pray and
desire that Your name be honored and magnified and glorified more
here in this place, more in my heart and the hearts of Your
people. Hallowed be Your name. I desire to speak to Him and
of Him rightly. I want to talk of Him and to
Him in a way that He is to be spoken to. All the while, I know,
Lord, You must take the desires of my heart. Lord, cleanse them,
wash them into blood, May the Lord Jesus Christ pray for me
that as the Spirit of God makes petitions with groanings that
I can't. Lord, this feeble effort that I make, Lord, I know You're
in heaven. Holy is Your name. Here's another one. Thy kingdom
come. The Lord has a kingdom. God has
a kingdom. He's a king and he's got a kingdom.
He's got subjects. He's always had a kingdom. He's
always had his saints. He's always had a sheep, I mean.
He's always had a people. They were never goats. Goats
never become sheep, and sheep never become goats. Wheat has never been a tare. They've always been weak. And
a tare never becomes a wheat. His subjects, He has sheep. He told some there that were
not of this fold. They weren't in Israel. But He
said, them I must bring. There's going to be one fold,
one shepherd. There's one kingdom. His kingdom. He's always had
them. They've always been His. They've
always been the bride. The son has always been the bridegroom. But here's what he wants. Here's
what a believer wants. Thy kingdom come. Lord, I desire
to behold You honoring Yourself, glorifying Yourself in the salvation
of Your people. I want to see God's people called
out of darkness. I do. If the Lord would be pleased
to save one of your kids, save your husband, save your wife,
your mom, your dad. If God were to call out one of
His own, my heart just rejoices. Listen, if somebody even shows
up here that hadn't been here before, I think to myself, Could
that be one of God's elect? Could that be one of His sheep?
Could that be one of His own? Lord, establish Your kingdom
openly in this world in the salvation of Your elect. Lord, save Your
people. Lord, save me. Have mercy on
me. Honor yourself in the salvation
of those that you've everlastingly loved and chosen and accepted
into beloved. Thy kingdom come is another desire. Thy will be
done as in heaven, so in earth. Lord, I know according to the
Scripture that all things work together for good to them that
love God. Lord, I want your will to be
done in this world as your will is being done in heaven. That's
what I want. And Lord, let me look and accept
and settle and proclaim with a settled heart that what God
is doing in this world is God's will. I want to know that. Here's another desire. Give us
day by day our daily bread. Lord, I want to trust You for
my daily need as You providentially Lord of my steps, Your hand of
mercy sustains me and I remain in this earth and this world.
Lord, I love knowing that You take
care of me every day. I know. I know. Lord, it is by
Your good pleasure that I've eaten today, I've got a house
today, that I've got a mind today, I've got a place to worship.
I can be with your people. Lord, give us day by day our
daily bread. Lord, feed me Yourself today. Lord, cause me to eat of You
today. My daily bread depended on You. Feed me, Psalm
30 verse 8, with that food that is convenient, that which is
proper. Lord, I know it's right to eat
of Christ. I know it's right. Feed me. Here's another desire. Forgive
us our sins. I acknowledge what I am. I know what I am. I know that I am. In this world,
here's an old man, an old nature that's still with me, and there's
a new nature that's with me. And I know that that old man
whose guilt was made to be his. My sin made to be his sin. The
debt of my sin was made him. And he put it away. I know that. And I know that in this world,
in this body, in this life, I'm never going to be separated from
the presence of that old man that does nothing but continually
sin. Bob, I know that. But it was for this sinner that
Christ died. While we were yet sinners, He
died for us. Paul says this is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into this
world to save sinners of whom I am chief. I want to remember
that the Lord paid my debt to God's law by the shedding of
His own blood, and now, Almighty God, faithfully and justly forgives
us of our sins. I know that. I know that we are
fully justified and forgiven of all sins before God by the
merit of Christ's sacrifice. I know that. I know also it is
the life of faith to apply daily for the forgiveness of sins.
Our Lord told His disciples, He said, I'm going to wash your
feet. And Peter says, not my feet you're not going to wash.
He said, if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me. He said, Lord, my head, my hands.
No, He said, your feet. Our walk needs to be cleansed
by the blood washed by the water of God's Word daily. God's people know what they are
in themselves. They know what they are. Verse
4, forgive us our debts. Verse 4, for we also forgive
everyone that is indebted to us. The Lord has granted repentance
to His people. And God's people desire to forgive
as they have been forgiven. That's just part of a new nature. It's part of a believer's nature
to forgive as they have been forgiven. Grace experienced in
the soul makes a regenerated sinner gracious. God's people
are not hard. Oh, I tell you what, they'll
find it, poke its head up, but I'm telling you, they can't stay
like that. They just can't. Ephesians 4.32,
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. And
here's another desire. Lead us not into temptation.
Lord, You who rules and reigns in heaven and earth, I don't
know the way. I don't know which way to go.
Lord, order my steps away from temptation. Keep me from the
danger. Lord, order that which is for
my good and keep me for the rest. Deliver us from evil. Deliver
us from evil. Lord, You've said that You're
not going to allow us to be tempted above that which we're able,
but will with the temptation. Also, make a way of escape that
the temptation might be born. Let me not be overtaken with
evil. There's evil within. Lord, deliver
me. Evil without. Lord, deliver me.
I said a while ago, this whole world lieth in wickedness. Lord,
help me. Satan is a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour. Lord, deliver me. I can't deliver
myself. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give
thee the desires of thy heart. Here's number 4, back in Psalm
37, verses 5 and 6. Commit thy way unto the Lord,
trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall
bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment
as the noonday. Commit thy way unto the Lord.
Boy, I tell you, I went back and read these things again and
I thought, Lord, only by Your grace, only by Your grace can
I fret not, can I trust, can I delight, can I commit my way
unto the Lord, trusting also in Him. Leave the burden of your
life upon the strength and the pleasure of Almighty God. You know, as we've trusted Him
for our eternal deliverance. Trust Him now. Lord, help me. Lord, help me. You know, a farmer
goes out, plows, plants, all covered over. He can even
irrigate it. He can water it. But you know what he's going
to have to do then? He's going to have to just wait on God.
Because only the Lord will cause those plants to come up. Only
God Almighty is going to bring a harvest. Trust Him. He shall bring it. He'll bring
your way to pass. He ordained it. He shall bring
forth thy righteousness as light. Thy righteousness. Your imputed
righteousness. Outside of His righteousness,
all we've got is filthy rags. Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in Him. He shall bring
thy way. to pass, he shall bring forth
thy righteousness as the light." I know right now that in myself,
I look at myself and I see failing and I see inconsistencies. I would desire, as I said, to
not fret, truly to trust, truly to delight. But in Christ, I
do these things. In Christ, who has truly Himself
done this, He never fretted. He always trusted in the Lord.
He always delighted Himself in the Lord. He always committed
His way unto the Lord. And His righteousness, imputed
to this sinner, robed in Him as He is. So am I. So is His people in
this world. The Lord will bring forth Thy
righteousness as the light. He is going to show who His people
are in His Son. And that's their righteousness.
That's who they are. I know the unbeliever wants to
claim to have established his own righteousness. And he hates
to hear that anything that he's done is nothing more than filthy
rags. Commit your way to the Lord.
Trust in Him. He'll bring your righteousness
to pass. And thy judgment as the noonday. What judgment's that? Almighty
God has made a judgment that He's declared toward His people.
I said before, you know when we talk about judgment in a courtroom,
it can be for or against. A judge makes a judgment call.
Do I be guilty or not guilty? The Lord says, you commit your
way unto Him and thy judgment, the Lord will bring forth thy
judgment as the noonday. What judgment is that? Justified. Justified. This is thy judgment. Not just as if I'd never sinned
in Christ. I've never sinned. In Him, God Almighty absolutely
declares that we have been justified freely by His grace. By the blood of His Son, evidenced
to our heart by faith, known to others by their belief, by
their works, belief in Christ, by their speech, Almighty God
is going to bring thy judgment that he's declared toward his
people. No sin, no guilt, no condemnation. Almighty God shall set forth
who they are in him. Number five, verse seven, rest
in the Lord. And wait patiently for him. Threaten
not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because
of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Rest in the
Lord. Lord, quiet my spirit. Just settle me down. May I be silent before you. and
not question your providence. Consider, believer, that our
end has been eternally established, and we're just watching it unfold.
The Lord is bringing it to pass. Time is not the issue. Help me
to know that. The Lord is worthy to be trusted,
waited upon, in the accomplishment of His will and purpose for His
people. Rest. I've said this, come what
may, if the Lord settles my heart down, then I'm okay. It's okay. No matter what. If my heart is settled, no matter
what I hear, no matter what comes my way, if it's health, if it's
economic, if it's whatever it is, if God settles my heart,
I'm okay. If He bears me up, I'm okay. If I know this is His will, this
is His doing, This is His purpose. It's okay. Rest in the Lord and
wait patiently for Him. Threaten not thyself because
of Him who prospereth in His way. Because of the man who bringeth
wicked devices to pass. Don't be concerned with the affairs
and ways and devices of this evil and wicked world, what difference
does it make? The Lord's will is going to be
done. God's purpose is going to be brought about. The Lord
is going to do His good pleasure. I know He is. I know He is. Lord,
help me to settle down. Number six, verse eight, Cease
from anger. And forsake wrath. And fret not
thyself any wise to do evil." Boy, you notice how many times
he's told us, don't fret, don't fret, don't fret. I need to hear
it. Don't question God's dealings
with us. Forsake those jealousies that
creep up against others that have no apparent desire for God's
honor. Look at verses 9 and 10. "...for
evildoers shall be cut off, but those that wait upon the Lord,
they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the
wicked shall not be. Yea, thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and it shall not be." Think about this. Just a little
while. We're going to see Him face to
face. Those that know Him, we're going to see Him. We're going
to be like Him. Changed forever, forever with Him. These few moments
that this world just seems to be falling apart. It is. It is. But not God's people.
Not God's people. Here's the last one. It's actually
verse 27. Turn over to it. Here's number 7. The 7th precept
right here. Depart from evil and do good
and dwell forevermore. I looked at that verse, depart
from evil. Boy, I thought there was so much
that could be said, I'm sure, concerning that last precept.
But I believe the heart of that verse is this. Depart from the evil of trusting
and looking to yourself. And trying to not only establish
a righteousness before God, but depart from the evil of not believing
what God has taught in these precepts. Depart from evil and
do good. Believe the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it is to do good.
Believing on Him, resting on Him, waiting on Him, trusting
Him. And dwell forevermore. Dwell
with Him. In this world right now, dwelling
with Him now at peace, settled, trusting, committing yourself,
waiting, fretting not. Lord, oh the peace that You alone
give. Lord, cause these things that
You taught Your servant David. Lord, teach me these things. I would desire to walk, Lord,
with this truth. Lord, bring back to my memory
these things. Cause me to remember afresh,
Lord, that You did these things perfectly in human flesh. Committed them to me. Lord, let
me ever look to You. Waiting on the dawn of this new
year, Remind me of these things for Christ's sake. Amen.