Seeking the Lord to help us each
this evening both in the preaching and the hearing of the word I'll
ask you to turn with me please to the book of Psalms. The book
of Psalms and Psalm 63. Psalm 63 and particularly verse
7. Psalm 63 and verse 7. Because thou hast been my help
therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. Because thou hast been my help
therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. The Psalm of David. As we read
in the title above this psalm. He's written when he was in the
wilderness of Judah. This could have been when he
was fleeing Saul but it is thought more likely that it was when
he was fleeing Absalom. He was being pursued. He was
in great danger. He was far from his family. where he could worship, all the
comforts that he knew and loved. And he was in deep and difficult
circumstances. But in spite of that, David had something. David had a comfort. David had a foundation. David
had something to look back to and therefore something to look
forward to. Do you have that this evening? And in reading this psalm somewhere
last week it was really these two words in verse 7 that really
stuck with me. Because and therefore. Because and therefore. A cause and an effect. And we see it throughout the
Bible. Because of this, therefore I
will do that. most of the epistles because
of what Christ has done the first part of the books therefore this
is what his people must do and will do the cause and the effect that
we see so as we look particularly at
this verse tonight yes we will try and look at it from a natural
perspective in the context that David was writing it. But as
the Lord will help us to look to the greater David, even Christ
himself, the ultimate fulfilment of this verse. To look really in three ways
at this verse. Firstly, thou hast been my help. He helped me then. Therefore in the shadow of thy
wings he covers me now. And lastly he will be my joy
always. I will rejoice or will I rejoice. Because thou hast been my help. We don't really write diaries
now do we or I don't. We probably don't record what
we should record. It is an anniversary occasion
and there are probably many times in these past 12 months that
you have a because. David, we read in verse 6, was
obviously not able to sleep very well. tossing and turning troubled
and distressed but where did his mind go? I remember thee upon my bed and
meditate on thee in the night watches. His mind went back and he looked
back through the previous days and weeks, months, years and
decades of his life and he had something now. A because. Do you have that this evening? As we ponder God's goodness to
us so far in our life, he helped me then. Will he not continue
to help me? We think of David when he was
before Abimelech and in Psalm 34 verse 4 he says, I sought
the Lord, he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. But the next thing comes. The next obstacle comes. and
naturally speaking what do we do? We look at ourselves, our
abilities, our sinfulness, our weakness, we look at all the
troubles round about us and all the obstacles that are preventing
us from doing what we think we need to do and all the time we're
not looking back to when the Lord did work, when he did hear
us, when he did deliver us, And as we have in the lines of that
hymn, he who has helped me hitherto will help me all my journey through.
But we fail to see it. We struggle to grasp it and to
lay hold upon it. Because thou hast been my help. We read that with the lamentations
of Jeremiah, don't we? You know, it's such a deep book,
isn't it? The Lamentations of Jeremiah.
Turn to that third chapter, you know, and he goes on, he hath
filled me with bitterness. He hath made me drunken with
wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth
with gravel stones. He hath covered me with ashes.
My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. And he goes on
and then what in verse 21? This I recall to my mind. Therefore have I hope. See a because and a therefore
again. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great
is thy faithfulness. Have you been brought to that
point recently? The Lord's forgotten me. It's impossible. My sins are too great. There's
no hope for me now. I've backslidden, I should never
have done this, how can I possibly escape? You can escape like David by admitting that we are weak,
by acknowledging that we are sinful, by crying out for help
and by looking away from what we are and looking to that one
that has been our help. He helped me then, past deliverance. We see more in this first part
of our text. Because thou hast been my help,
the nature of divine help. God's help is timely. It is wise. It is personal. We read elsewhere
in the Psalms, don't we? The Lord is my strength and my
shield. It's the Lord that does it. Thou hast been my help, that
one that is omnipotent, all powerful, that is omniscient, all knowing,
that is omnipresent, that is everywhere. But more beautifully
too, that is unchangeable, because you and I can rely on one another,
and it is good when we can rely on those that we have as friends
and brothers and sisters in Christ, and it is right that we do so,
but the hand of death may take us. Sadly, one and another do
stray, but God changes not. This is the thou that David was
looking to. Thou hast been my help. There is that beautiful verse
in the Isaiah, isn't there? Fear thou not, for I am with
thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. Yes, that's it this evening,
isn't it? Whatever you may be in, because
thou hast been my help. Those everlasting arms are underneath. Something substantial to rest
upon isn't there this evening when we manage to look away and
meditate on thee in the night watches. Do you know what it is to meditate
sweetly on the Lord in the night watches? To yes be sleepless but to be
resting, to be strengthened, to be encouraged. As your heart
and mind and affection is drawn away from tomorrow's, from today's
troubles, tomorrow's troubles, looking to the Helper. Thou hast been my help. But we want to go more than just
looking to our natural needs this evening. For our greatest
need is as sinners before a holy God, is it not? And the ultimate
fulfilment is in Christ, isn't it? Christ is the ultimate helper
of his people. You know, I love that verse in
the book of Romans that we read in chapter five and in verse
six. When we were yet without strength. That's when we need help, isn't
it? We're without strength. We are powerless. We are unable. But when we were yet without
strength, what? In due time. Christ died for the ungodly when
we were yet without strength because yes you may be in natural
troubles tonight, you may be in natural troubles in the next
year but if we know him, if we know Christ and him crucified
If we are brought to know the weakness of our own sinful nature
and are drawn to look unto Him for salvation and to understand
when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. You know, we just sung that hymn,
didn't we? 173, Christ a sanctuary. Whatever woes and fears betide,
In thy dear bosom let me hide, And while I pour my soul to thee,
Do thou my sanctuary be. Through life and all its changing
scenes, And all the grief that intervenes, Tis this supports
my fainting heart, That thou my sanctuary art. The pace the
solemn hour draws nigh When I must bow my head and die But oh what
joy this witness gives Jesus my sanctuary lives This is where
our help truly comes from Our reconciliation with a just and
holy God Through our helper Christ himself Because thou hast been
my help. Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will
I rejoice. The shadow of his wings he covers
his people. That's what we see in this illustration
really isn't it, the image of protection. It is a picture that we could
see is drawn really from the mercy seat. It is a picture that
we could see is drawn from the mother bird protecting its young. But dear friends, are we sheltering under the wings
of our God tonight? Are we sheltering under the blood
of Christ? Or are we trying to protect ourselves?
Trying to defend ourselves? Trying to help ourselves? There's
only one place to truly trust. Him and him alone for protection. So Psalm 91, he shall cover thee
with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day. Oh, what a security there is.
In knowing our God as our protector. Naturally, we fear what man can
do to us. But we know no man can do anything
to us unless our God permits it. And we likewise know that
all things work together for good to them that love the Lord,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. And as we have
in the lines of a well-known hymn, not a single shaft can
hit till the God of love sees fit. The shadow of his wings. Are we trusting under the shadow
of those wings tonight? We can often think of shadow,
can't we, as being darkness and distressing or not very inviting. But when we know the shadow of
protection, when we know the shadow from the heat and the
burden of the day, the shadow that we may find sheltering the
precious blood of Christ against the fiery darts of Satan. Oh what a resting place it is. But dear friends how can we be
in the shadow of those wings? We will not be in the shadow
of those rings if we are trusting in circumstances, if we are trusting
in feelings, if we are trusting in emotions. We need to be brought
to trust in God's presence, in God's promises, to meditate upon
him, to know that he has been our help, therefore those wings
are still over us, they will eternally be over us. You know, I do love that verse
in Proverbs. The name of the Lord is a strong
tower. The righteous runneth into it
and is safe. But in that proverb, it's the
name of the Lord is a strong tower. But that name, what does
it show to us? The character, the person, the
attributes of our triune God. This is what it shows. The refuge
of faith. The one true and living God. Have you found that place of
shelter? You've had to flee from all your
own created shelters. You've had to flee from everything
else you've been resting in. to the shadow of the wings of
the Almighty God. Because thou hast been my help,
therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. But as we try and look at this
in the light of Christ, the shelter secured by Christ, the Gospel invitations to shelter
in Christ's redemptive work. Sheltering under his precious
blood, clothed in his righteousness. For you are dead and your life
is hid with Christ in God. hid from the righteous wrath
of God in Christ. Is that a comfort to you this
evening as you feel the weight and burden of your sinfulness? Maybe you've had to be like the
Apostle Paul today and had to cry out once more, O wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? But who did he look to? Apostle
Paul as he was struggling with his besetting sins. He found
himself exposed, he found himself under pressure, he found himself
brought down but what did he look to? I thank God, he said,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. He found himself looking away
and meditating again upon his Saviour, so that he was strengthened,
so that from that meditation he was encouraged to say, there's
therefore now no condemnation. To who? To them which are in
Christ Jesus. That name, that strong tower,
that place of refuge, that comfort. You're dead. Your life is hid. Christ in God. Because thou hast
been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings lastly will
I rejoice. The resolve to rejoice was great
here for David. He had every reason not to rejoice. And maybe you naturally have
every reason not to rejoice. But if we are brought to meditate
on our God, our Savior, if we are brought to ponder his goodness
in times past, dear friends, there'll be a rejoicing in the
deepest and the darkest trials. Apostle Paul knew it didn't he,
when he was in prison, cruelly beaten, his back ripped open,
in shackles bound in that deep dark prison. What were Paul and
Silas doing? What are they saying? We're in
a bad state, things can't get any worse can they? We don't
deserve this, why are we in this situation? We believe in God. Surely he has power to get us
out of this. They weren't overcome with anger
because what God had seen fit to bring them into. What did
they do? They sang praises. They rejoiced. Why? Because they knew their
God was in control. They knew that even in their
fiercest troubles. They were still sheltering. in
the shadow of His wings. Therefore, they could rejoice
because these people that were oppressing them and these people
that may be oppressing you tonight, they cannot take eternal treasures
from you. They cannot take those riches
that are laid up in Christ. And dear friends, when our earthly
treasures are taken, it's hard, isn't it? But we're exhorted,
aren't we? Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon this earth, but lay up those treasures in heaven where moth
and rust cannot corrupt and thieves cannot break through and steal.
And if we are brought to that point, to make our bodies a living
sacrifice for our God, as David had to, as Paul had to, as many
of the Lord's people had to, there's a joy in it. There's
a joy in it. We think of those words of the
Apostle Paul in Romans 12, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. It's your reasonable service. This is the service of the Lord's
people. And in it and through it, they
won't be abandoned. That's the attitude of the world,
isn't it? To kick back against what God
in his sovereign will gives them. But we're not to be conformed
to this world. We're to be transformed by the
renewing of our minds so that we can prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God, which is presenting our
bodies a living sacrifice, which is being sanctified by the power
of his spirit. Not worrying about tomorrow and
the next day and what car we'll get and where we'll live and
how we're going to do this, that and the other. No, it's to live
in that attitude, to bring honour and glory to his name, submissive
to his will, with hearts broken before him, looking to what he
has done, therefore trusting in him in the shadow of his wings
now and rejoicing and rejoicing evermore. It's the fruit of communion with
God. That's what David knew here,
the fruit of communion with God because joy flows from being
near to God, not from what God gifts his people or takes from
his people. Joy flows from being near to
God and never forget that. You could be the poorest beggar
in this world with not a thread upon your back, but if you're
living near God, you have greater riches than the biggest billionaire
in this world. Joy flows from being near to
God. May we remember that. David remembered
that. He had sweet moments in his sleepless
nights, meditating on his God, feeling that true nearness to
him, that satisfaction in him, his goodness thus far in his
life, and therefore his goodness through the rest of it. And he
could rejoice. There's a beautiful verse in
Psalm 16 that we read, and verse 11, Thou wilt show me the path
of life. In thy presence is fullness of
joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures
forevermore. You children, young people here
tonight, applies to all ages but I'll apply it to you particularly.
The world, the education system, social media, The pressure that
is put upon you is great and immense. Do this, do that. This will satisfy you. You'll
be fulfilled when you do that. This is the pathway for you.
Yes, there is a pathway for all of us. But the pathway that we
need to be concerned about mostly is this. Thou wilt show me the
path of life. In thy presence is fullness of
joy. And when, like David, and when,
like the Apostle Paul, when, like the disciples, when, like
anybody you may read of, the great missionaries or whatever
that have given up much in this life, suffered seeming great
things for the Lord, they have something that cannot be taken.
They have the presence of their God. And there is a fullness
of joy, the fruit of communion with him. But this joy, dear
friends, is secured in Christ, isn't it? Christ himself is the
fountain of joy for the believer. Christ is the ultimate fountain
of joy. And that fountain never ceases. We also joy in God, we read,
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received
the atonement or the reconciliation. This is true joy, being brought
to understand through the precious gift of faith that we can approach
a holy God, just as we are through Christ. The joy that is to be
found in resting in the obedience of the God-man, the man Christ
Jesus. You know, those words of Peter,
if I can think of that, that verse in 1 Peter, we read it,
don't we? I'll turn to it to quote it correctly.
In 1 Peter, in the first chapter, we read it and verse 8. Peter's
overwhelmed, isn't he? Dear old Peter that had denied
the Lord three times. Peter that had done much that
was shameful and regrettable, what did he say? What did that
dear man say in verse 8 of the first chapter? Whom having not
seen ye love, in whom though now ye see him not yet believing,
ye receive with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Receiving
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls this
is the joy unspeakable this is the glory awaiting the saints
the end of your faith the salvation of your souls. You know the prophets
they inquired and searched for it but Christ has fulfilled it
the joy that is secured in Christ whom having not seen ye love. So can that be said of you this
evening? We haven't seen him. We haven't seen God. We haven't
seen Christ. But have we, like David, been
enabled and are enabled to look back and say, because there has
been my help, Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. Our souls dear friends through
many changes goes but his love no variation knows and that's
something that we struggle with because we are finite creatures
we are continually changing and a one moment hot one moment cold
but our God changes not. He has a people whom he has set
his love upon. He has a people whom he will
never leave nor forsake because thou hast been my help. Therefore
in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. But you're probably
thinking towards the end of the sermon well that's all well and
good what you've said tonight but why did you read Hebrews
4? Well it was for those last two
verses that we read. Because in those two verses I
saw a greater because and therefore. Yes Psalm 63 verse 7 is David's
personal theology we could say rooted in memory experienced
in faith and crowned with joy. But we now stand under a greater
shadow. We stand. sheltering under Christ,
our high priest at the heavenly throne. We have the because. Because Christ is touched with
our weakness, he is able to hold us up. Because he has already
helped us at the cross, he can bring us nigh to a holy God. Because we are sheltered by his
finished work, We have peace and because this great High Priest
is now seated at the right hand of our Heavenly Father and ever
lives to intercede for us, you and I have a therefore. Therefore,
come boldly unto the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. Yes, David had his because. David had his therefore. Have
you got a therefore tonight? Come boldly to the throne of
grace. He is able, he is willing to
help his people. That doesn't mean the problem
going necessarily. That doesn't mean all your issues disappearing. But if it's meditation on the
one true and living God and on a precious Christ, if it's looking
back to what he has done, resting in the shadow of his wings in
the present and rejoicing now and forevermore, we have something. So in conclusion this evening,
just mention one more verse in this Psalm 63. Verse three, thy
loving kindness is better than life. That's a deep phrase, isn't
it? David knew it. Do you know it? His loving kindness, so rich,
so free, to one that is so undeserving. It's better than life. Why? Because
it's eternal life. It's eternal joy. It's eternal
peace where there will be no more absolums. There will be
no more souls. There'll be no more Bathshebas
to tempt us. There'll be no more sin, sorrow,
and suffering. There will be eternal joy. Yes, it's right to remember the
past, but may we be given faith also to look to the future and
be given faith to desire to depart and to be with Christ, which
is far better. because thou hast been my help. Therefore in the shadow of thy
wings will I rejoice. May we each prove it continually. Amen. Closing hymn this evening is
from hymn to worship, hymn number one. All people that on earth
do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with
fear, his praise forth tell. Come ye before him and rejoice. Know ye, the Lord is good indeed. Without our aid he did us make. We are his flock, he does us
feed. And for his sheep he does us
take. Hymn number one to the tune 382. O people that run and do well,
sing to the Lord with joy. ? In his ways of hell ? ? God gave
birth to him and rejoiced ? ? Early the Lord did draw him nigh
? Without our aid he did us make, We are his broken, out of sweet,
And for his sheep he paid. ? To enter in his gates with praise
? ? Approach with joy his courts unto ? ? Praise, Lord, and bless
his name always ? ? For it is He made so to do ? ? Oh, why the Lord, our God, is
world ? ? His mercy is forever ? This truth that all times Thou
bestowed, Earth shall from age to age endure. Praise God from whom all blessings
flow, Praise Him, O gracious Heavenly Lord. Praise Him above, ye heavenly
hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost. most holy and eternal Lord God. May we each be brought to meditate
upon thee to look back at what thou hast done for us all to
bring us to this point in our lives and therefore to continue
to shelter under thy wings and then to rejoice in thee now and
forevermore. So we thank Thee for Thy Word,
may it be a strength and encouragement to each and every one wherever
we are. Pray that Thou wilt forgive everything
that has been wrong in our worship here this evening, but that which
has been of Thee do own and bless and seal with the power of Thy
Spirit. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all. Amen.