scripture this morning is in
the Psalms Psalm 31 Psalm 31 and if you don't have your Bible
or even if you do have your Bible and won't have time to turn to
all the scriptures I'm going to mention today if you have
a pen and paper maybe just jot down the scriptures as we get
to throughout the message But in Psalm 31, from the time Adam fell, sin,
like leaven penetrating a lump of dough, has penetrated and
polluted every beautiful thing God created. Got a little rain. Is that better? better yes thank
you dj christ our lord came down into
this fallen world without falling he experienced and endured the
curse of sin without sinning and as his people we are assigned
we are appointed to experience and endure in part what he did. And it's for the purpose that
we might be conformed in our very soul and spirit to his image. In all our lifetime, we've never
lived to see more uncertainty than we're seeing right now.
Everyone has their opinion, I realize that. Some are saying we'll soon
put all this behind us and get on, get back to what we call
normal. Others are saying things will
never be the same again. So many are saying including
some of you, I'm sure, I was happy with the way my life was
before. Well, it's high time that our
satisfaction as the Lord's children not be sought after in things. that those things that happen
and come our way in life be made use of to form in us
a greater conviction and confidence that God is deliberately working
to make his children like his son. David was brought to this
conviction Here in the 31st Psalm, in the 15th verse, he makes this
statement, My times are in thy hand. And I can say this morning, when
things are out of my hand, out of control with me, they're not
out of control with God. My times are in thy hand. So I want to pick up with reading
verse 9 here in Psalm 31. He says, Have mercy upon me,
O LORD, for I am in trouble. Now, apart from any specific
thing at the moment, he is troubled in his soul. He is saying, I
have not lived so perfect as to tell God at this point
in my life how indebted He is to me. No, He knows the inward corruption
of His own flesh. Seemingly many people never learn
that, never confess that. But David understands fully that
God's mercy is his hope. And I trust you understand that
this morning. David would be voted by all of us as the greatest
of the Old Testament kings. But his greatness is not in the
fact that he lived so well he didn't need God. But his greatness is in the fact
that he did need God so much and he knew it. So his plea is
not for justice. It's for mercy. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for
I am in trouble. Mine eye is consumed with grief,
yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief
and my years with sighing. He's looking back over the years.
and says there's been so much grief. My strength faileth because of
mine iniquity. He's confessing his own sins,
mistakes, and my bones are consumed. I was a reproach among all mine
enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine
acquaintance. They that did see me without
fled from me. They'd see me coming and cross
the street on the other side so they wouldn't have to speak
to me. I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind. I am like a
broken vessel. I'm no good for anything anymore
to anybody or anything. I'm like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander
of many. Fear was on every side while they took counsel together
against me. They devised to take away my
life. Many have wanted to kill me since
I was a lad. And even to this present moment,
he says, such has been the experience of my life. Any ordinary person
would have lost their mind, but here is David's secret. Verse 14 and 15, But I trusted
in thee, O LORD. I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand. And we'll stop reading with that
statement that ought to belong to every
one of us. My times are in thy hand. David says to the Lord,
I know this, nobody is running my life but you. My times are in thy hand. Note
that word times is plural. It really means seasons. We understand that a season is
more than one day. It's a number of days or weeks. We have the seasons of the year,
spring, summer, fall, and winter. We have holiday seasons, and
we hear spoken of planting season, and harvest season, and rainy
seasons, and dry seasons. Our lives are made up of seasons. And our God has the hand, He
has the word, final word, in changing the seasons. Just like
the weather, it's in His hands. David knew this. So he said,
My times are in Thy hand. Some of us here this morning
are at the age that we are facing increasing health problems almost
on a daily basis. Some here are working through
financial problems and others family problems. Some are uncertain
concerning employment. or troubled about the future
in general. Well, as David looks back over
his life, he says several things about himself and about his experience. Verse 11, he says, I was a reproach. Verse 12, he says, I am forgotten. I am like a broken vessel. Verse 13, he says, I've heard
the slander of many, but I trusted in Thee, O Lord. Thou art my
God. My times are in Thy hand. David could have thought of many
seasons or times in his life, times of troubles and trials, but the thing he sees now is
that always God was there. And always God made the difference. Oh, to be able to see that today.
Always God determined the outcome. He didn't always sense God's
presence at the time in everything. But he knows now that it was
the case. God was there. Because there
were too many times that there's no way it could have turned out
the way it did. but God turned it out the way
He did. Many times he could have been
killed, died. Sometimes he deserved it, but
God preserved him. So I'll just quickly give us
a list of things that David might have been looking back at over
his life that day. He might have thought back to
his early years as a shepherd boy, keeping his father's sheep
And he said on two separate occasions, one time a lion came out of the
woods to attack the flock. And instead of running the other
way, David got between the lion and the flock and fought the
lion. I don't want to fight a lion
today, but in many ways I have and lived through it. Another
time, a bear, hungry and ferocious, determined to take one of the
flock. But David stepped in and fought the bear. We read about
that in 1 Samuel 17. David smote both the lion and
the bear. Then David might have thought
about when, as just a teenage boy, he faced Goliath. He went to visit his brethren.
on the battlefield. And he heard this Philistine giant,
Goliath, cursing and belittling and mocking the living God of
Israel. And so David took him on. This fellow was over nine
feet tall. And with his sling and smooth
stone, he smoked Goliath. And he took Goliath's own sword
and cut his head off. These are times, seasons in David's
life that were all in God's hands. He could think back now to a
period of 20 years on the run from Saul, hiding out in the
mountains, living in caves. Saul would take his army and
hunt for David to kill him, but God never let it happen. Then
during those years, the Lord sent 400 men to join themselves
to David, and he'd be king over them. David led them out by night
to fight Philistines and to protect Israelites. What a noble work
it was, secret work, protecting the very people who could not
afford to identify with him for fear of King Saul. God protected
him all those years. Another thought, at an earlier
time Saul had given his daughter Michael to David for a wife.
It would have been insult to the king for David to refuse.
But she hated David's God. She mocked and made fun and was
full of envy and jealousy. It was a season In David's life,
he could have done without, he thinks. But looking back, he
says, even that season was in God's hand. How many things could
you look back over your life and say, I could have done without
that? I wish that hadn't happened.
Well, certainly the pain of it, the memory of it, is very bitter. But don't rule out our God who
rules over all and in all. And he had a purpose in it. You
may or may not ever in this life know what it was and is, but
don't sell him short. Then there was the time in David's
life, of course, he could never forget. And of course, a lot
of proud preachers nowadays never forget the time when David in
his weakness and in his flesh, sinned against God in taking
Bathsheba, the wife of a friend, Uriah. And he had him killed
to cover up his sin and take her for his own wife. There was
no sacrifice for that sin. Death was the penalty. But David
never died. The Lord said, I have put away
thy sin. I have reason for you to live. I have a plan for your life that
the time has not yet come. You and I should look at things
that way. And it was from that relationship of David and Bathsheba
that Solomon came. And the Bible said when Solomon
was born, the Lord loved him. David says, that season of my
life was surely in God's hand. It was beyond my control. And
then I think of David looking back. There's the trouble in
his home with his children as they grew up. He was a tremendous
king, but he was not such a great parent. His children were a bunch
of rebels. One of David's sons raped his
own sister. and another of his sons rose
up and killed that brother so David as a parent, as a father
what troubled times these were but now he can look back and
say it was in God's hand Absalom, David's oldest son secretly plotted
against his father and convinced the young men of Israel that
he should be king and his father should be replaced. And he revolted
against David. How this must have torn David's
heart out. He can look back now and say
God was in it. Then there was a man named Ahithophel,
David's friend and advisor. The one David had told all his
secrets to and trusted and leaned on. Ahithophel sided with Absalom
and told him everything David had ever told him. The grief
must have been so great. David said in Psalm 41, 9, Yea,
mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat
of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But now an old
man, he looks back and says God was there, God was in One more thing, 2 Samuel 15, Absalom's support was so great,
David had to leave the throne and flee for his own life. Men
did not feel toward David as David felt toward Saul. Psalm
105, 15, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. David
understood that. David had honored God's Word,
but men never honored Him by God's Word. So in all these things,
David looks back over his life, and he says, I trusted in Thee,
O Lord. I said, Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand. We need to understand today that
God rules over all. and in all. Proverbs 19.21, there are many
devices in a man's heart. Nevertheless, the counsel of
the Lord that shall stand. Proverbs 16.13, the lot is cast
into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Men can do what they will, but
mark this down. It's going God's way. This thing
of the coronavirus, whatever you think about it, whatever
you do about it, you better not have your confidence anchored
in the politicians or the government or the banks or the employer
or anybody else. It's going God's way. In this
hour in which we live, there is no doctrine so precious and
comforting to God's little children as that that I have been attacked
over for many years now, the absolute sovereignty of our God. He knows all. He sees all. He
rules over all. If He saves your soul and you
go to heaven, that's His doing. If He don't and you go to hell,
it's exactly what you deserve. That too is His doing. Nothing
surprises Him. Nothing disappoints Him. Nothing
defeats Him. He answers to no one. has his
way in all things and with all people. I heard a man make this statement.
He said, I wouldn't care if I never heard the word sovereign again
the rest of my life. Man's a preacher. Well, the word
sovereign means highest reign. The prefix sov means highest. And of course reign means to
rule. Sovereign means highest rule. Here's a preacher not wanting
to hear the word sovereign. He's not the only one. It is
so distasteful to proud sinful flesh. God's sovereignty, God's
supremacy, God's election, God's predestination. So many despise
the mention of a God who is not at our mercy. He's supposed to
need us, they say. And not us need Him. Well, David
said, Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Verse 9, For I am in trouble. I'm in trouble. You don't need
me. I need you. And today our nation is in trouble. I've never wanted to be a doomsday
scare tactic preacher. But this is fitting into the
program of God winding things up either with history entirely
or at least with this nation that we think cannot fall. She's just a little over 200
years old, that's nothing. He said in Isaiah, the nations
are but a drop in the bucket. It's not just the coronavirus. It's the matter that there are
people who hate this country and will use this to shut us
down and destroy us. But I repeat, God is running
the thing. You better get a hold of that.
You better have that fixed real good in your mind and especially
in your heart. For troubled days and troubled
nights. Sorrowful times. No matter what anybody says or
what anybody does. Our times are in God's hand. Psalmist said, I will not fear
what man can do unto me. Why? because my times are in
thy hand." When the Lord does open our understanding and gives
us just a glimpse, it's amazing how very little we believe God who really is who He says
He is. But it's time, it's needful, Our dependence must be totally
upon Him. Anything in your life, it's not
you that can preserve your reputation among men. It's God. Look at Job, the so-called awful
sinner. He couldn't help what people
thought, couldn't do anything about it. Look at Elijah, he's
called the Troubler of Israel. The Apostle Paul is a so-called
blasphemer against God. But it's the Lord who brought
all these men through and who's bringing me through and bringing
you through. You and I have no defense against the notions and
accusations and conclusions of people. How many of you have ever been
lied on and falsely accused and wrongly condemned and despised
over some little something that ought not have been? Well, it could not happen except God
let it happen. We can't fix things. We can't
control things. We can't convince people of anything. We lose the battle. But David
said, Thou art my God. No need of me trying to handle
people. Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand. I'm not giving the devil the
credit. You, Lord, are sovereign in the
seasons of life. God is greater than all. He is
able to cause even the wild beast to forget their natural instinct.
You remember Daniel, the prophet, in Daniel chapter 6? There's a den full of starved,
hungry lions. And history says they would take
a man and cut him so the lions down there could smell his blood
before they threw him in. You remember Jonah in the middle
of the ocean? Nobody can help that fella. God
did. In 2 Kings, the prophet Elisha, he had seen Elijah taken into
heaven in a whirlwind, and he was preaching to Israel. And he was preaching to him about
having seen Elijah go up. And there's a bunch of mocking
children, mocking the preacher, probably learned it from their
parents. Elisha was bald-headed. And they'd mock and say, Go up,
thou bald head! Go up, thou bald head! And the
Bible says the Lord sent two she-bears. out of the woods and
slew 42 children. Even the animal kingdom that
we can't control, God controls. In Matthew chapter 17, at Capernaum
somebody said to Peter, don't your master pay his taxes? Peter
said yes. Jesus wasn't even present. But
when Peter went back to the house, where the Lord was Peter never
said anything but the Lord knew and he said to Peter I want you
to go fishing cast a hook into the sea and the first fish you
catch open its mouth and you'll find a piece of money take that
and go pay the taxes now I ask you with a God like that why
should you and I fear or trust any man that's got nothing but
a tongue and a messed up mind and probably a messed up heart
David wasn't always innocent neither am I neither are you
but God is always God and the devil is always the devil
Don't forget that. Our former pastor used to say
there's no use in being nice to the devil. He don't have any
nice in return. Say, well, I'm just trying to
get along with people. You better quit that. You better
get along with God. Hebrews 1, 3, Our Lord upholds
all things by the word of His power. Men are just men. so much alike, so foolish and
so failing. Acts 17, 26, God hath made of
one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face
of the earth, white men, black men, religious men, ungodly men,
one blood. You're not better than anybody
and nobody's better than you. One blood and hath determined
the times before appointed and the bonds of their habitation. God's got this thing fixed. Amos 3, 6, Shall a trumpet be
blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be
evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? Job 7, 1, Is there not an appointed
time to man upon earth? Who appointed it? God did. Psalm
66, 8, and 9, O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice
of his praise to be heard, which holdeth our soul in life, and
suffereth not our feet to be moved. Acts 17, 28, For in him
we live, and move, and have our being. I don't know what the
free will crowd does with all these verses of Scripture. that
says God's running things. And if you're ever shown any
mercy, it'll be Him that shows it. David outlived most of his enemies.
I may not, you may not, but it'll be God, I tell you, not men,
that puts us in the graveyard. Daniel 4.35, And all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing, He doeth his will in the army
of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Matthew 10, 29, Are not two sparrows
sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your father, but the very hairs of your head
are numbered. I'm just saying he's God. Fear
ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Daniel 2.20, Blessed be the name
of God for ever and ever. For wisdom and might are his,
and he changeth the times and the seasons. He removeth kings
and setteth up kings. I'm glad today it's not the Democrats,
it's not the Republicans. He removeth kings, and setteth
up kings. Isaiah 54, 17, To the Lord's
people no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. It
is not in men's power to destroy you. God rules this world. You say, well, what about the
church? Zechariah 2 5 for I saith the
Lord will be under her a wall of fire round about and Will
be the glory in the midst of her Can't read my own writing I don't
know if that was Zechariah 2 5 or Zephaniah 2 5 you look it up
for I sayeth the Lord will be under her a wall of fire round
about and will be the glory in the midst of her a Matthew 16,
18, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. Psalm 34, 17, the righteous cry,
and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 91, 5, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night,
nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness. nor for the destruction that
wasteth at noonday. Don't be afraid of any of it.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy
right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Thank God I've seen some giants
fall. Not literally, but they were
giants in my mind and heart. And I've seen some lions lose
their appetite and walk away. I couldn't do it. God did it. And I've been in the belly of
the great fish myself for God to get my attention. And I've seen the fierceness
of the storm when seemingly all hope was gone. I'd say most of
you have experienced it as well. But looking back, we can say,
as did David, surely God is running things. Surely, even now, I can
and must trust Him. But I trusted in Thee, O Lord.
I said, Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand. Bless His holy name.