How Long, O Lord?

Q: What does the Bible say about waiting on the Lord?

The Bible encourages believers to wait on the Lord, as He will strengthen their hearts and provide comfort during trials. Waiting on the Lord is a theme deeply rooted in Scripture, particularly highlighted in Psalms. David, the author of Psalm 27, exhorts, 'Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.' This waiting is not a passive inactivity; rather, it is a trustful expectation that acknowledges God's sovereignty over our circumstances. In times of trouble, it is natural to feel overwhelmed, but the act of waiting involves bringing our burdens before God and relying on His timing and wisdom. The comfort found in waiting is that it shifts our focus from our difficulties to the faithfulness of God. The psalms often illustrate this principle. For instance, in Psalm 13, David wrestles with feelings of abandonment, yet turns ultimately to the assurance of God's mercy and salvation. Such passages remind us that while trials are inevitable, God's presence remains steadfast, offering the peace and strength necessary to endure and even rejoice amidst adversity.

Q: How do we know God's promises are true?

God's promises are affirmed through His faithfulness throughout Scripture and His unchanging nature. The truth of God's promises is rooted in His unchanging character and the historical evidence of His faithfulness. Throughout the Scriptures, believers are reminded of God's covenantal love and His commitment to His people. For example, in Isaiah 49:15, God reassures His people that even if a mother could forget her child, He will never forget them. This illustrates His deep commitment to His covenant relationship. Additionally, the entirety of Scripture points toward the culmination of God's promises in Christ, who embodies the ultimate fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. As we reflect on the victories, trials, and tribulations portrayed in stories such as that of David, especially his testimonies in the psalms, we see the faithful hand of God at work through all circumstances. Thus, believers can rest assured in the certainty of God's promise because it operates from the foundation of His eternal purpose and faithfulness.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to lament?

Lamenting helps Christians express grief and acknowledge suffering, allowing for healing and a deeper reliance on God. Lament is an essential part of the Christian life, as it provides a space for expressing sorrow and acknowledging pain. Throughout the Psalms, many of which were written by David, we see raw emotions laid before God, reflecting a deep trust in His ability to handle our anguish. This practice is not merely for venting feelings but serves a greater purpose in aligning our hearts with the Lord's will. In Psalm 13, David openly presents his feelings of abandonment and sorrow, asking, 'How long, O Lord, will you forget me?' Such expressions of grief encourage believers to bring their struggles to God rather than suppressing them. This process of lament can lead to personal healing and spiritual growth, as it compels us to remember God's mercy and past faithfulness. It is in this vulnerability that we find the opportunity to better understand our need for divine comfort and strength, ultimately drawing nearer to God.

Turn back to that psalm that
Brother Dan read, Psalm 13. I'm just delighted to be here
this morning. This is like one of these family reunions you
go to and you haven't seen those people for a long time, but as
soon as you see them you have those remembrances, those treasured
remembrances of almost all of you that I've known for ever
and ever and ever and a long time. And we're thankful to be
here. I'm sorrowful that it's under
these circumstances. I talked to Brother John Friday
night, and he told me just a little bit about what's going on. And
I said, I wish there was some magical thing I could say that
would just take it away, and there isn't. I said, I can tell
you this, that we do indeed pray for you daily. You know, and
I was reminded sometimes in these situations we say way too much.
Back there in the book of Job, we studied, we went through the
book of Job in our Bible study here a couple of years ago. Those
three friends of Job's, and they traveled back then, think about
this, 4,000 years ago, they traveled to comfort Job in his time of
trouble. All that happened to Job, he
lost his family, he lost all his possessions, his body was
wracked with pain, sickness and suffering. And they made that
journey and they came there and they saw him and they wept. They
couldn't believe, this is Job, this is Job. And they sat down
there. And for seven days, seven days they sat there with Job
and he didn't say anything. And you know what? That was the
best thing them three men did. Because when they started talking,
it went downhill from there. And sometimes I think We say
way too much, and I can say genuinely from our heart, me and Jackie
and those brethren and sisters of Grace Fellowship, we think
of you all regularly. We pray, we especially pray for
your pastor and Vicki that the Lord is going to remedy this
situation. Alright, having said that, I
want to say before we look at Psalm 13, I want you to turn
to Acts chapter 13. A couple of Scriptures here in
Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13 and verse 16. I want
to kind of lay the groundwork of who it is we're speaking about
here in Psalm 13. The writer of this psalm. We
all know it's King David. But here in verse 16 of Acts
chapter 13, Paul stood up. Now, Paul's in Antioch. He's
on one of these missionary journeys and he's in Antioch. He's traveling
and he's preaching the Gospel to these Gentiles. And he's in
Antioch. And he stood up and he beckoned with his hand and
said, Men of Israel and ye that fear God, listen to what I'm
going to say here. The God of this people of Israel
chose our fathers. Chose our fathers and exalted
the people when they dwelled as strangers in the land of Egypt.
And with a high arm, he brought them out of Egypt. Do you remember
that story? down there when the nation of
Israel was captive down there, and servitude people down there
in Egypt. And God sent Moses down there,
and with a high hand, God delivered those people out of Egypt, which
is a very vivid picture of how the Lord Jesus Christ rescues
us from sin and Satan and shame and guilt. He brought them out
with a high arm, and about the time of 40 years, He suffered
their manners in the wilderness. You remember that. They rebelled.
They wouldn't go into the promised land. Joshua and Caleb said,
God said, let's go in and possess it. And they went in and spied
out the land and came back and said, oh my, there's giants over
there. We can't whip these people. These people's got weapons and
they know how to fight. We don't have anything. And they
wouldn't. They wouldn't go. And God turned
them back and they went into the wilderness. And all those
men that was over 20 years of age, they died in the wilderness.
They was there for 40 years. And then in verse 19, and when
the Lord had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
and he divided their land to them by lot, the nation of Israel
went in and inhabited that land, verse 20, and after that he gave
unto them judges about the space of 450 years until Samuel the
prophet. Now, after that, the people,
the nation of Israel, they looked around. All those other godless
countries around them, they all had kings. God gave judges. God gave those judges, raised
up them judges to judge the people, to settle those quarrels and
to answer those questions and all. Well, the people didn't
want that. They wanted to be like those other nations. They
had kings. Why can't we have a king, you know? And so God
gave unto them Saul, the son of Sis, there in verse 21, a
man of the tribe of Benjamin by the space of 40 years, verse
22. And when God removed Saul, He
raised up unto them David to be their king. Look at this.
"...to whom also God gave testimony, and He said..." This is found
over in Psalm 89. God said this about David. "...I
have found David, the son of Jesse. He is a man after mine
own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." That's who wrote
this psalm. That's David. A man after God's
own heart. My, oh my. God never testified
about anybody in the Scripture. Any man in the Scripture is like
He did David. I found Him to be a man after mine own heart.
Look over here in Psalm 27. Psalm 27 verse 14. This same man, King David, he
wrote this psalm. You see that, Psalm 27? A psalm
of David. Look in the last verse, verse
14. David wrote this. Wait on the Lord. Boy, I wish
I could do that. Does anybody here wish they could
really take this home and say, I've got a hold of that. I'm
going to do this trial through this trouble, through this sickness,
through this pain, through all this walk here below. Wait on
the Lord, David said. Wait on the Lord. Be of good
courage. He shall strengthen thine heart.
Wait, I say. Wait on the Lord. Isn't that
good? Oh, isn't that good? Oh, don't
you just wish you had a hold of that with both hands? I heard
Henry tell a story. My goodness, I was just a kid.
I wasn't much bigger than this little girl over here. Years
ago. Sixty years ago. And Henry told
a story about a farmer way back in his horse and buggy days,
way back in the old west. And there was a fellow that had
a little old farm outside of town. Lived about eight miles
outside of town. And he, on a Saturday morning,
he got up, harnessed up the old horse and hooked it to the buckboard.
Him and his little boy, about eight years old, went to town.
And he went to town, and there was a town square there, and
they had some benches and tables and stuff. And he told that little
boy, he said, sit down there. He said, I got some shopping
to do. He said, I'll come back and get you in a little bit.
And that little eight-year-old boy, he sat down on one of them
benches, and there he sits. Well, the father went to the
mercantile, you know, and done some shopping, and got some grain,
and loaded it all up in that buckboard, and he headed home.
And he got home. It was late in the afternoon.
I mean, it was way up 5 o'clock in the afternoon when he got
home. Pulled up there in the yard, you know, and his wife
ran out and said, where's Joey? He said, oh my goodness, I forgot
him. He's still in town. And they
quickly unloaded the buckboard and back to town the father went. And he pulled up right there
at that same bench that he told his son. He said, you wait here.
You wait right here and I'll be back. And there sat that little
boy. And his dad pulled up. He said,
I'm so sorry, son. I forgot all about you. He said,
I didn't forget, Dad. He said, I'm sitting here waiting.
I knew you'd come back. I knew you'd come back. Don't you want
to be found waiting on the Lord? I want that to describe me. I
want to wait on the Lord. And I'm telling you, these are
tough times. We talked about it a little bit in the Bible
study. These are tough times we live in. These are tough times
in our nation. This world, Scott Richardson
said, God's got it in a handbasket
and it's going to hell. And that's true. It's crazy.
You pick up the news. You pick up the paper. You turn
on the TV. You think, I can't get any worse
than this. Just wait till tomorrow. Wait till you turn on Fox tomorrow.
It'll be even wilder. And it's that way all around
us. But yet, David said, oh, wait on the Lord. Be of good
comfort. Be of good cheer. He'll comfort
your heart. Wait on the Lord. Can I really do that? Can I really
do that? Wait on the Lord. I want to.
I want to be found waiting on the Lord. So let's look at this
Psalm 13, knowing who it is that wrote this psalm. This is a man
after God's own heart. This is a man that said, wait
on the Lord. Oh, be of good comfort. Be of good comfort. And David
starts this psalm. Now, we don't know the occasion
of the writing of this psalm. We don't know what's going on
in David's life. We don't know if he's got conflict without.
A lot of the old writers say this was after Absalom. After
Absalom had wrested the throne from his father. You know, Absalom
stole the heart of the people and they turned against David.
David had to leave in shame and went into exile, you know. And
Absalom assumed the throne. And some of them say that it's
during this period of time that David wrote this. But whatever
the conflict that's going on in David's life, we don't specifically
know what's going on. But he's in trouble. David's
in trouble. And it may be that the Lord will
bring us into a time of trouble. And I'm so thankful that this
Scripture is here. I have read this in the last
few weeks. I've read it and read it and read it. We know. It's not like you meet
somebody on the streets, you know, and you haven't seen them
for a while and they're telling you all about you know, their religion
and the decision they've made and they've decided to live right
and straighten up their life and witness for Jesus and all
that. Well, you go away, you really
don't know what that fellow knows, you know. God testified about
this man. God said this is a man after
mine own heart. And yet David, here he is. Here
he is. And he said, how long? You see
that in verse 1? How long was I? Forget me. Oh,
Lord. How long? Forever? Whatever's
going on in David's life here, it's a deep trial. It's severe. David's in trouble. He's weeping. He's in sorrow. His heart is
breaking. And when your pastor called Wednesday,
I went right to this psalm. I went right to this psalm. I
know many of you, and I've said previously, I know many of you,
Me and Cecil were boys together at 13th Street. Little boys.
We go way back. Cecil's dad was the first elder
at 13th Street Baptist Church. Jeff Thornberry was the first
elder. There were three elders. Cecil Rhodes, Jeff Thornberry,
Charlie Payne. There were three elders at 13th
Street Church. Me and Cecil were little boys
there at 13th Street. I've known him all my life. And yet here
he is. He's in a time of trouble. He's
in a time of trouble. And we don't understand. He doesn't
clear these things with us. And He don't give us a clear
revelation of why is these things going on. Why is it that the
Lord has visited your pastor in these troubles? Why is it
that this is going on? We may never know. It may not
be for him and Vicki. It may not be for them boys.
It may not be for us. It may be for somebody that's
watching outside. God has a purpose in these things.
We know that all things work together for good to them who
love God, to them who are called according to God's purpose. God
has a purpose in these things. We don't understand it. But it's
so comforting to me to see this man. This is a giant in the Scriptures. This is a man of faith. This
is a man that looked to the Lord Jesus Christ, rested in His complete
and finished work, all His hope, all His help, based on the Lord
Jesus Christ. And yet here he is in a time
of trouble. And he's pouring out. I can just see David. Three
o'clock in the morning. He's woke up. His eyes are that
big. Sat straight up in bed. And whatever's going on in David's
life, it's intense. You may be weeping. And he said,
how long, O Lord? How long will you forget me,
Lord? Forever? Have you written me off forever?
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt that way?
This is comfort. This is comfort. How long will
you hide your face from me? You see that? How long? The Lord said, in this world,
You're going to have tribulation. We know it's coming. If it hadn't
visited you, it's going to. I promise you that. I can't make
you promises about many things, but I can promise you, in this
world, you're going to have trouble. It's a tough place. It's a place
of sorrow and weeping and grief. And David's right in the midst
of one of these things now. You know, the Lord visited Job
with trouble. You remember that? He told Satan, he said, have
you considered my servant Job? There's nothing like him. Listen
to this testimony that God made of his servant Job. He said there's
nothing like him. He's perfect. Job's perfect.
Yeah, he's perfect. Like you're perfect. Like I'm
perfect in the Lord Jesus Christ. The perfection that's found in
the Lord Jesus Christ. And that He freely gives to those
for whom He came and died. Have you considered my servant
Job? He's perfect. He's upright. He fears God. And
he avoids evil. Have you considered him? Satan
said, well, you've edged him about. You've made a fence about
him. Nothing can happen to him. He said, alright. He said, you
go ahead and afflict him. Go ahead and afflict him. He
said, only don't touch his lot. And Satan took away everything
that man had. Took away all of his possessions. He was a wealthy
land baron. He had cattle. He had horses.
He had goats and sheep and she-asses and camels. All those things.
And he had seven sons and three daughters. And the Lord allowed
Satan to take all of it away. All of it away. How long, O Lord? How long, O
Lord? Are you going to forget me forever?
The old writers say that ordeal that took place in the book of
Job lasted seven years. Seven years before the Lord restored
Job to that place of prosperity and that place of seven sons
and three daughters. Seven years. Seven years that
ordeal went on. Old Job sat there on that pile
of ashes and scraped those boils and sores after he had lost everything. Don't you know what went through
Job's mind? How long, O Lord, are you going
to forget me? Forever? How long will you hide
your face from me? How long? Verse 2. How long shall I take counsel
in my soul? How long shall I Toss and turn
and come up with solutions to what's going on in my life, and
none of them is to any avail. Have you ever done that? Have
you thought, this is how I'm going to get out of this mess.
This is what I'm going to do. And you try these things, it
don't take it away. It don't take away that burden.
It don't take away that sorrow. It don't take away that grief.
It just keeps going on and on, and you may get away from it
just for a minute. Side track you just for a minute.
Oh, but quickly you come right back and you focus on this grief,
this sorrow, this pain, this suffering, and you come up with
solutions and none of it works. And David said, how long, Lord,
are you going to leave me to get me out of this mess? How
long are you going to leave me to come up with a solution? How
long? Look at that. The middle part
of verse 2. Having sorrow in my heart daily. Daily. It just goes on and on
and on and on. Lord, have you forgotten about
me? Have you forgotten about me? Look at Isaiah 49. Look at this here. Isaiah 49. Have you forgotten about me,
Lord? Look at this, Isaiah 49, verse 13. Sing, O heavens, and
be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains.
For the Lord hath comforted His people and will have mercy upon
His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath
forsaken me. My Lord hath forgotten me. That's
exactly what David is saying there. How long, O Lord? Are
you going to forget me? Have you forgotten me forever?
Look at this, verse 15. Can a woman forget her sucking
child? Is that possible? Is that possible
for all you dear young mothers? Can you forget that child? And
you know what? The older you get, they're bigger
children, but you don't ever forget them. They're still your
child. Frank's still your child. He's still your little boy. How
long can a woman forget her sucking child? That she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb? Look at this. Yeah, they
may. They may forget. You see that?
And we see that some in our day. The awfulness, the atrocities
that's committed against small children. Can they forget? Yeah,
they can. Yeah, they can. But look at this.
This is God talking. This is God talking to me and
you. Yeah, well, I not forget thee. That ought to settle it
right there, hadn't it? That's enough right there. God
said it. I believe it. We can go home. We can go home
and be happy. Even in trouble. Even in trouble. How long shall I take counsel
in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long? Look
at that, the latter part of verse 2. How long shall mine enemy
be exalted over me? What is this enemy? Is it without? Is it absolute? Is it something
that's going on without? Outside of the believer? We have
troubles. We have enemies. And they seem
to be exalted over us. They seem to have the preeminence. They seem to be able to cause
us conflict and sorrow and grief. Whatever it is that's going on
in David's life, it could be without or it could be within.
David could be convicted so grievously in his heart about what he said,
what he's done, what he's thought, what his purpose, those thoughts
that come through our minds. Where in the world did that come
from? How can I possibly think something like that? Where does
that come from? And that turmoil and that conflict
that goes on. Lord, I'm in trouble here. I'm in trouble. I sorrow daily.
Have you forgotten me? Have you forgotten me? Have you
hidden your face from me forever? Verse 3, look at this. Consider
and hear me, O Lord my God. I'm in trouble and I'm going
to be overwhelmed by this trial, whatever it is. Whatever it is
that's going on in David's life. Lord, will you hear me? Will
you hear me when you consider, O Lord my God, will you lighten
mine eyes? Will you lighten my eyes? Let
light once more shine on the object of my faith, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Will you fan that fire of faith
and hope that I have in the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of
this trouble? Will you let me see what's really
valuable? Will you let me see what's really
important? Will you let me see the object of my faith, the Lord
Jesus Christ? Will you light my eyes? Will
you take away those scales? Will you illuminate that darkness?
Will you let me see my Savior once again, like I've seen Him
so often in the past? Lord, light my eyes. Will you
light my eyes? Will you light my eyes, lest
I sleep the sleep of death? Now listen, David's fearful of
death here. We know. We know that he was
not fearful of dying. You remember when he was just
a mere strap of a young lamb. And his dad sent him up there
with some provisions for his older brothers. Those up there
fighting against the Philistines up there. You know, you remember
that story. Goliath was that champion of the Philistines,
you know. And he'd come out there. He'd come out there for forty
days every day. come out there and challenge that whole army.
He stood about nine feet tall, you know. His coat of mail, that
protection that he had, weighed more than probably King David
weighed, you know. And he'd come out there and challenge them
every day and curse and make fun of God and laugh at Him like
people in our day do. And David went up there and he
had some loaves and some provisions for his brother, and he just
happened to be there at the time, this Philistine, a Goliath, came
out there and challenged that army. And he looked at his brothers
and he said, you going to let that happen? You going to let
that uncircumcised Philistine, you going to let him blaspheme
our God? And they said, why don't you
go on back home and take care of that few sheep that Dad gave you to
take care of? And he said, oh no. He said,
is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? David wasn't
afraid. David wasn't afraid. He said, I'll go down there and
fight him. And old Saul took off his armor. You remember that?
Saul was a big man. Six foot five. David's five foot
eight, you know. He said, here, take my armor.
And David said, I don't need that stuff. Goliath was covered
completely from head to toe except for right there. One spot right
there just above his eyes. And David went walking down there
in that valley and there stood Goliath laughing. Is this who
you're sending out to fight me? This boy? And David's scooping
up them little smooth stones from the stream all the time
he's walking. He puts one of them in that sling and hits old
Delilah right there in the forehead. Just like that. David ain't afraid
of dying. David knows God. David rests
in the arm of God's strength. Ain't nothing going to happen
to David. Ain't nothing going to happen to any one of us. Not
anything's going to happen to one of God's children until God
purposes it to happen. And then we sure don't want to
be found fighting against our God. We bow to it. We rest in
it. Lord, You purposed it. You brought
it to pass. It's got to be good. It's got to be right. Amen. David's saying here, lest he
sleep the sleep of death. David's saying before God, he's
saying, I'm fearful here that this is going to overwhelm me.
This is shaking me to the foundation of my faith. This is shaking
my whole hope and rest and comfort in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord,
will you help me? Will you consider the mess I'm
in here? And I can't do anything to help me. Help me or I'm going
to sleep the sleep of death. I'm going to go the way of the
world. Verse 4, lest mine enemies say I've prevailed against him,
and those that trouble me rejoice
when I'm moved. try to deceive anybody. I know
how to carry hard dealings. I shouldn't. No believer should.
I know how to. I've told this before. Cecil, they used to say down
there at the mill, he said, that's what they made them dredges for,
you know, to carry. And I can carry one. I can carry one hard
in a long time. It shouldn't be that way. But
I don't think, honestly, I've thought about this. I don't think
I've ever carried one to the point There was a fellow years
ago. Our oldest son was a heck of
a high school basketball player. I mean, he was something. He
could light it up. He scored 50 points several times. But anyhow, there was another
fellow. He was on the team. His dad,
this boy wasn't much good. And his dad, boy, I tell you,
he said some awful things about our son. And he said them in
the community. He was a businessman, had a business. Word got back
to me. Boy, I tell you what, I carried
hard, hard feelings for him. It's been 25 years. I hear a
couple of years ago I ran into him at a high school basketball
game. And he's an old man now. He's almost 80 and he's all crippled
up. He's battled cancer two or three times. He's just a shell
of a man. And I don't want that on him. I don't want that on
him. I can carry a grudge and I can have hard feelings. But
I don't want that visited on somebody. I mean, even for that,
you know. Watch what David's saying here. David's saying here,
They that trouble me, they rejoice. When I'm moved. Isn't that an
awful thing? When a believer goes through
a time of trouble, and believers do. We know that. This is a man
after God's own heart. He's going through trouble. Deep
trouble. Grievous trouble. And for those to stand out there
and laugh at him. And to rejoice over that trouble.
That's heartless. That's cold. That's mean. That's
a mean spirit. But that's what David said. And
the enemy says, David, that's what they were doing. Here's
David. You remember that when Absalom took over the throne
and David had to leave? This was King David. This was
the finest empire on the face of the earth at that time. And
David's leaving in shame. And he's going out of town and
he's got his entourage with him. He's got Joab and he's got some
of those faithful men that stayed with David no matter what through
thick and thin. And there was that man named
Shimei. You remember that? He followed after David and laughed
at him and made fun of him. He even threw rocks at him. And
I think it was Joab who said, you give the word, David. I'll
go over and take his head off. I'll go over and cut his head
off. David said, leave him alone. Leave him alone. Shimei was laughing
at the calamity that fell on David. This is one of God's choice
servants. This is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. A child
of God Almighty. And God's brought him into a
time of trouble. And he's leaving. And people are laughing at him
and making fun of him. And that's what David said here. That's
what David said here. Don't let this happen. Don't
let mine enemies say I've prevailed against him. And those that trouble
me, don't let them rejoice. Don't let them rejoice when I'm
moved. Don't let that happen, Lord. Lord, don't let that happen. Now look here at verse 5. Something's
happened between verses 1, 2, 3, 4 and verse 5. Look at this. Look at this. There's no more
complaining. There's no more weeping. There's no more crying.
Something's happened. David's been in a time of prayer.
Have you ever done this? I can tell you honestly, I've
done it. I've done it and done it. It seems like the world is
caving in on me. And you go to the Lord in prayer.
And I like to recite the Lord's Prayer. You know, our Lord told
us Himself. He said, when you pray, you pray like this. Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day. I won't even get through it.
I won't even get through it. And it just seems like the burden's
lifted. The trouble's gone. The trial is just not that severe
now that I can't bear. And here David is. How long,
O Lord? How long are you going to forget
me? Forever? How long are you going to hide your face from
me? Forever? Are you never going to comfort me again? Are you
never going to take me in your arms, pull me up close to your
blood-stained side, and comfort my broken heart? Are you not
going to do that to me again? Sometimes we feel that way. But
here, look at this in verse 5. It just seems like David has
just settled down. The edge has taken off whatever
the trial is, whatever the trouble is. David's just settled down.
And he says, but Lord, I've trusted in Thy mercy. You've showed mercy
to me. And today, let's just sit down
sometime today and just look back. Just look back on our lives. Not what's going on right now.
Not what's going on today, but look at what's happened up to
now. Look at how merciful He's been
to us. Look at how He's carried us and
provided and protected us and defended us and shielded us and
delivered us every step of the way. Now that the fit's over here
for David, and he's just settled down, and he said, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I've trusted in
your mercy. You've been merciful to me, however
old David was here. Is he 60? Is he 50? Is he 70?
Is this just before he died? I don't know how old he is. But
he said, oh, I've trusted in your mercy. And look at this. My heart shall rejoice in thy
salvation. It's your salvation, Lord. You
purposed it in eternity past. Salvation's of the Lord. Salvation's
of the Lord. It's in the Lord in His planning.
It's of the Lord in His execution. It's of the Lord in His ultimate
perfection. It's of the Lord. Salvation is
of the Lord. He said it's your salvation. You purposed it in
eternity past. You set your affection on me.
Gave me to the Lord Jesus Christ. And my Lord came and died for
me and gave me His perfect righteousness. And I'm kept by thy power. And
he's just settled down. Everything is in perspective
now. It's just all settled down. I've trusted in your mercy. My
heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. Look at this. Verse six. Here
he was. Lord, have you forgotten me?
This is David here. I'm in trouble. And it seems
like you've forgotten me. It seems like you've hidden your
face from me. And I'm trying the best I can
to work this thing out. And everything I do is wrong.
It just turns out wrong. And people are laughing at me,
making fun of me. They're rejoicing over my trouble
and the grief that I'm in. Lord, have You forgotten me?
Just wait a minute here, David. Just wait a minute, David. It's
just like the Lord just reached and just tenderly, David, David,
David, it is well, it is well. You remember that song? Way back
there. A hundred years ago, there was
a man in Chicago, a wealthy man, his name was Horatio Spafford.
And Horatio Spafford owned a bunch of businesses. And that fire
burned all of his possessions. He was penniless, lost everything. But he had a little bit of savings,
and he sent his, he had three daughters I believe it was, and
he put them on an ocean liner to go to England, and him and
his wife was going to catch up with him. put them three girls
on an ocean liner to go to England. And on the way to England, that
ocean liner encountered a violent storm at sea and the ocean liner
sank and them three girls died. And Horatio Spafford, he cleaned
up these affairs there in Chicago and caught a train to New York
and they caught a ship to go to London. And when they got
to that place, the captain made the announcement, this is where
that ship sank. And Horatio Spafford went out
on the deck of that ship. And he sat down and he wrote,
when peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea
billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, is
well, is well with my soul. That's what's going on here.
That's what's going on here. David's in trouble. David's in
trouble. from going to the Lord in prayer.
He said, settle down. I've trusted in your mercy. My
heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. And now, instead of weeping and
wringing his hands and sorrowful, David said, I'll sing unto the
Lord. That's what we're going to do
here in a minute. Sing unto the Lord. Because He hath helped
bountifully with me. Can we say that? Can we say that
in the midst of trouble? in the midst of heartache and
sorrow, He's dealt bountifully with me. He has just poured out
His blessing upon me. Now, I believe at this time,
turn to Psalm 27. I believe at this time, after
this, this is just Dale talking here, I believe this is when
David wrote Psalm 27. After this, he wrote Psalm 27,
and he says, look at that, verse 1, the Lord is my life. The Lord
is my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Whom shall
I fear? The Lord is the strength of my
life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies
and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled
and fell. Though no host should encamp
against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise
against me, in this will I be confident. One thing. One thing
have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that
I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
And now verse 14, wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord, be of
good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on
the Lord. And you know the interesting
thing about this Psalm 13? There's nowhere in there that God recorded
that he took away the trouble that David was going through.
Did you notice that? When David said, I trusted in
thy mercy, David was still in the same trouble he was in verse
1. Still going on. And it may be the Lord will visit
us with that that goes on and on and on. Aren't you so glad
that this is in the Word of God? This is not somebody down there
at work testifying to you, this is God testifying to you about
a man after his own heart. One that the Lord Jesus Christ
died for and gave that perfect righteousness and he's in a time
of trouble and the Lord settles him down and he looks to Christ
and rests in the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that's been a blessing.

How Long, O Lord?

What does the Bible say about waiting on the Lord?

How do we know God's promises are true?

Why is it important for Christians to lament?

Sermon Transcript

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How Long, O Lord?

What does the Bible say about waiting on the Lord?

How do we know God's promises are true?

Why is it important for Christians to lament?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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