Back in Psalm 34, our text shall be verse 19, but the
psalm is full of rich nuggets of God's grace. I'd like for
us just to look at a few of them before we come to our text. Verse
8, for example, David says, O taste and see that the Lord is good,
Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. There are some things
in the believer's experience in life which can only be understood
by tasting, by experience. Now I know we can find fault
with this old expression, but it comes to mind just now. One
preacher said it's very, it's more, it's better felt than tellt. Even when we taste of the Lord's
graciousness by the sweet experience of it, we still find that words
are just not enough to try to express it. We just can't tell
what that's like. Oh, taste and see. Our senses
help our understanding. We can never No matter how apt
a description might be of something, really appreciate it until we
taste it. I could stand up here and talk
to you about honey. But if you've never tasted it, no matter how
well I described it, how sweet it is, how good it tastes, you
wouldn't know. Oh, but when you taste it yourself,
oh, now I see. Now I know what he's talking
about. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is gracious. Verse 11. Come, ye children, hearken unto
me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Did not the
wise man himself say, when he concluded his book of Ecclesiastes,
this is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of the Lord is, rather,
the beginning of wisdom? Come, ye children, the children
of God, the sons of God, come, hearken unto me, and I will teach
you the fear of the Lord. David was a famous musician. He played the harp. He played
the flute. But he doesn't say to the children,
I'll teach you how to do the same. I'll teach you how to play
the flute or the harp. He was a politician. He was a
king. He was a statesman. But he doesn't
say, come and let me teach you politics. He was a soldier, a
great one. But he doesn't say, come and
I will teach you how to handle the sword and the sling or the
spear. But he says this. Come, listen. I'll teach you the fear of the
Lord, which is better than all those other things, which is
better than all arts and all science, better than all burnt
offerings and sacrifices, the fear of the Lord. Talk about
higher learning, Louis. There is none higher than this.
There is none better than this. This is exactly what our Lord
told Peter. And Jesus answered and said unto
him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood
have not revealed this unto thee. You'll never know me by any endeavors
of your own. You'll never find out who I am
by your own works, by your own effort. It doesn't come that
way. You're blessed, Peter, because my Father's revealed to you who
I am. This knowledge doesn't come from
below, it comes from above. It originates with God and it's
sustained and kept up by God. You're a blessed man, Peter,
because God has shown you who I am. Look at verse 15 here in
the psalm. The eyes of the Lord are upon
the righteous. He observes them. Isn't this
a comfort to you, child of God? At all times, just as Bobby sang
a moment ago. That song would serve as a great
introduction to this message. I didn't choose it. I didn't
have anything to do with it, but the Lord did. That song fits
so well with the psalm that we're reading. The eyes of the Lord
are upon the righteous all the time. He never takes his eyes
off of them, whether in the valley or on the mountaintop. Teach
me thy way, O Lord. He observes them with approval. Now, you lay down tonight or
tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we may hear the
wind blowing and howling. Don't know what may come. But
I know this, I know this, that the Lord will be on his throne
directing everything. When you lie down tonight or
any night, whether it's calm outside or a vicious storm, know
this, he observes us with approval. Man, that's comforting. That's
comforting. The eyes of the Lord upon the
righteous, he observes us with approval and tender consideration. He's our Heavenly Father. He's
our father. The Lord said, after he ascended
back, or rather before he ascended back to heaven, after his resurrection,
he told Mary Magdalene, you go tell my brethren, go tell my
brethren that I ascend unto my father and their father, my God
and their God. They are so dear to him, listen
to this, that he never takes his eyes off of them. They are
so precious to him that he can't take his eyes off them. He watches
each of them as carefully and as intently as if they were an
only child. That's exactly right. When I
was a boy at home, one of nine children. But when
I was very young, I was sure that I was mama's favorite. I
knew I was. I was her favorite. As I got
older, I found out that all my brothers and sisters felt like
they were Mama's favorite. She had a way of making all nine
of us feel like we were her favorite. So our Lord says His eyes are
upon the righteous. They're all His favorites. And
His ears are open unto their cry. His eyes and ears are both
turned toward His saints. His whole mind His whole mind,
that great, immeasurable mind of God Almighty, is occupied
with Him. If slighted by others, if neglected
by others, if abused by others, they're never neglected by Him.
Never. He hears their cry at once. Even as a mother hears the cry
of her sick child and rushes to their side. So the Lord hears
the cry no matter how broken it may be, no matter how unhappy,
how feeble, how unbelieving, yet the father's ear catches
each note and he's not slow to answer his children's plea. His eyes and ears are over the
righteous. I think the very heading of the
psalm is not without instruction and encouragement. Look at it
if you will. A psalm of David, a psalm of
David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him
away and he departed. Now you can read the account
of that, it's a brief account, but it's in 1 Samuel chapter
21. Verse 10, and David arose and fled that day for the fear
of Saul and went to Achish. That's the same as Abimelech
in the psalm. It's the same fellow. The king
of Gath. Gath? Isn't that where Goliath
was from? David's going to try to hide
there. Goliath, their champion, this was one of the kingdoms
of the Philistines. This king, Abimelech, or Achish,
was their king. And David's going to go there?
He had beheaded their champion. That's where he goes. Out of
fear, Saul was seeking his life. So he flees to that camp. I suppose
I can only conjecture, believing surely, surely Saul won't come
here. He'll never think that I would
go there. Verse 11, And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not
this David the king of the land? They knew who he was. Did they
not sing one to another of him in dances, and saying, Saul had
slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands? And David
laid up these words in his heart. He began to think maybe this
wasn't such a good idea. And was sore afraid of Achish
the king of Gath. And he changed his behavior before
them. He began to act like an insane
man. That's what it means. He changed
his behavior before them and feigned himself, pretended that
he was mad. or find himself mad in their
hands and scrabbled on the doors of the gate and let his spittle
fall down upon his beard. If I would have seen him, I would
have been convinced this guy's lost it. He's a madman. Then said Achish, verse 14, unto
his servants, lo, ye see, the man is mad. It worked. Wherefore then have ye brought
him to me? Have I need of madmen that ye have brought this fellow
to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my
house? Of course not. Send him away. They didn't harm him. David changed
his behavior, but what really saved David was that his God
never changed his behavior toward him. For I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, therefore,
Write it in bold print. Capitalize every letter. Underline
it. Therefore, because I am the Lord
and I change not, that's the reason, that's the only reason
that you're not consumed. Thank God He doesn't deal with
us after our folly, but after His mighty saving grace. Now we come to our text in verse
19. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but the Lord," notice the word Lord, all capital letters,
"...delivereth him out of them all." The title of the message
is Afflicted, but Delivered. Afflicted, but Delivered. Let's
join hands with David. Let's take a walk with David.
And I pray that we'll learn what he learned. And if so, we'll
be refreshed, revived in our hearts, and we will learn once
again that we have a high priest which can be touched with the
filling of our infirmities. because he was tempted in all
points just as we are, yet without sin. What use should we make
of such a high priest? Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. First, the afflictions. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous. I don't I don't plan, deliberately,
to spend much time on this. Every child of God knows that
it's so. No child of God doubts that this
is true. Is there any believer here, and
if the place was packed, It would still be so. Is there any believer
here that at this very moment is not enduring some type, some
form of affliction? Anybody? Raise your hand if there
is. There's not. Many are the afflictions
of the righteous. Not just one or two. Not just
occasionally. Always. And numerous. Many. Watch the news, as I mentioned
earlier, as many of you have, of this Hurricane Irma. And now
they're saying that there's others right behind her. Other hurricanes
right on the trail of Irma taking the same path as she is, like
the messengers of Job. One on the heels of another.
One bad report after another. Turn, if you will, to 1 Peter
chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4. Now remember,
Those Peter wrote both of his epistles to. They weren't sitting in a pew
like you are this morning. These people were being persecuted
unmercifully. These people were being hounded
by Nero, the Roman emperor. He used them as human torches,
the light as gardens. They were being put to death
by every means that tyrant could think of. That was their circumstances
when Peter wrote his first letter and his second one. And in chapter
4, look what he says at verse 12. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you. I've been guilty of that. Have
you? Doing the very thing Peter said not to do. Don't be shocked. Don't be surprised if the world
hates you. Expect it. That's the way it
is. Look at verse 13. Oh, but, just
like our text, In verse 19 of Psalm 34, there's a blessed but. But rejoice, insomuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. And every
one of those to whom Peter wrote, every suffering child of God,
they are now in glory rejoicing just as Peter said they would. In John chapter 16, Our Lord
said the very same thing, turn there if you will, John 16. Now
it's just a matter of hours, shortly after our Lord spoke
these words that he went to the garden where he was betrayed
and taken away. But as the faithful shepherd,
he comforts his sheep. He's about to trod the winepress
alone. They're going to forsake Him
and leave Him alone, but He comforts them. That's our Redeemer. That's our Redeemer. Verse 1
of John 16. These things have I spoken unto
you, that ye should not be offended. That they won't take you by surprise.
They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service.
Saul of Tarsus, for example. And these things will they do
unto you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I told
you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told
you of them. And these things I said unto
you at the beginning because I was with you. Remember the
parable he spoke in Matthew 7? about the two builders and the
two houses? The winds and the rain and the
floods came to both houses. That built it up on the rock
and that wasn't. They both endured that storm. Look in verse 20 here in John
16. Our Lord again speaking, Verily,
verily, I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament But the
world shall rejoice. That was fulfilled especially
at the cross, but it's fulfilled day by day in a believer's life.
But the world shall rejoice, and ye shall be sorrowful, but
your sorrow shall be turned into joy. That's true. That was true
then for the disciples. That's true now for every follower
of the Lord Jesus Christ. This world has never been the
friend of a believer. And they never will be the friend
of a believer. This world is not the friend
of a child of God. But look what he says on down,
if you will, in the chapter. Look at verse 32 of John 16. Behold, the hour cometh, yea,
is now cometh, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his
own, and shall leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because
the Father is with me. These things have I spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."
Thank God that that's so. In his high priestly prayer,
here in just a page over, John chapter 17, verse 14, I have
given them, that is, The disciples, I have given them
thy word, and this is true of every believer, and the world
hath hated them because they are not of the world. They hate
them because they're not of the world, just like I wasn't of
the world and they hated me. They have hated them because
they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Thank God that's so. Thank God
that's so. Rejoice that that's so. That the world hates you just
like Peter told them to rejoice. That he wrote to. And he did
that very thing in Acts chapter 5. Peter and James and John,
it seems the whole band of the apostles were arrested at that
time and they were threatened by the Sanhedrin, the religious
folks. Did we not charge you? Were we
not plain enough when we told you before, don't you preach
anymore in that man's name? You're trying to bring his blood
upon our heads. Now we told you not to do it.
Remember what Peter said? Now who should we owe blame?
You or God. We can't help But speak those
things He's commanded us, that is, to exalt and preach everywhere
the glorious gospel of the blessed God that concerns His Son." And
when they had further threatened them, we read in the chapter,
they beat them. They beat them. And we read that
they left that place rejoicing. Oh, to grace how great a debtor.
They left that place rejoicing that they were counted worthy
to suffer for his namesake. What a badge of honor. Yes, many are the afflictions
of the righteous. Don't expect any different. Oh, but now look again at the
text. This is what I'm anxious to get to. The second part of
the text, but. Now we come to the deliverance. But the Lord delivereth him out
of them all. Out of them all. Every affliction
there is a deliverance for, but the Lord. Many are the afflictions,
but now listen. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but not too many. Not too many. They're measured
out by the loving hand of our Heavenly Father. Again, 1 Peter
chapter 5, or rather chapter 1, listen to this. Speaking of
believers, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye
greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be. If need be. Ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though
it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Trials do not
produce faith, but they reveal faith, that it's genuine. Oh,
what a blessed, blessed butt. But the Lord delivereth him out
of them all. It takes the sting out of the
previous phrase, doesn't it, about the afflictions. Through
troops of various afflictions, the Lord shall lead his redeemed
triumphant. He leads, he always leads, he
wisely leads, he graciously leads his dear children along all the
time. There is an end to the believer's
affliction. And it's going to be a joyful
end, too. By those things, those afflictions, those valleys, I
think, I'm sure, do more. They have for me. I learn more
in the valleys than I ever have on the mountaintop. Oh, I like
to be on the mountaintop. It's joyful to be there, but
it's when I'm in the valley that I'm forced. Gently forced by
grace to look to the Lamb of God, to realize if I'm ever lifted
up out of this, he's going to have to do it. Don't lean up
on the arm of flesh or your own understanding. You learned that
very important lesson in the valet. None of his trials can
hurt him, not a child of God, so much as a hair of his head.
Neither can the furnace hold him one moment longer than the
Lord has willed. When he says it's time to come
out, we'll come out. The same Lord who sends the afflictions
will also recall them when his design is accomplished. Remember
what Peter said, if need be. He will never allow the fiercest
of their trials to devour them. It won't happen. Did we not read
that earlier in John? Not a hair of your head shall
perish, he said in Luke's gospel. Not a hair of your head shall
perish. They'll torture you, they'll
murder you, and yet he says not a hair of your head shall perish.
Now, what can that mean? That means not one of his sheep
that he's given eternal life to shall ever perish. Those that
were put to death as martyrs, as all the disciples except John
was, according to Bible history as we say, not one of them perished. No, they were never lost. They
will never open their eyes in hell. They shall never perish
is our Lord's meaning. The lawyer can deliver his client
from some domestic strife. The physician can deliver his
patient from some sickness and the master can deliver his slave
from bondage if he wills to do it, but the Lord, we're told,
he delivers his people from all their afflictions. When Moses
came to deliver the Israelites, he told Pharaoh, we won't allow
a hoof of an animal to be left behind. So when the Lord comes
to deliver the righteous, he does the same. He says, I will
put away all your iniquities. That he's already done. And he
also says, I will put away all your infirmities. Notice again,
L-O-R-D. The Lord. All capital letters. The Lord God Almighty. The Lord
God Almighty, not that fella that I hear people describe as
if the Lord had his way. I think they must be doing like
David did on that occasion before the king, pretending to be mad.
It must be a case of temporary insanity. If the Lord had his
way, there's no if about it. When I hear that, I want to ask
them, are you insane? If the Lord had his way, I noticed
the other evening they were interviewing a couple standing on the beach
in Miami. And the woman said, well, I think
we'll be all right. The man asked her, the reporter
said, why haven't you got out of here? And she said, well,
I think we'll be all right. We live on the second floor.
Hello. Hello. I pray. I pray that they'll
see her again. But I couldn't help but think,
is she deranged? Oh, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Turn if you will to Revelation
chapter 5. Now I know men grit their teeth at this and I can
understand why rebels would. When they hear that all flesh
is in the hand of the great God and Savior, that God has given
him power over all flesh to do what he will, to give eternal
life to as many as the Father had given Him. The religion grits
its teeth and cries, unfair, unfair, I don't like that. But
a true believer, they rejoice in it. Oh, it's one of the sources
of their greatest comfort to know that our God is in the heavens
doing whatsoever He hath pleased. If that's not true, tell me what
the alternative is. I mean, what's controlling things?
Fate? Chance? Oh no. They rejoice in
heaven over the sovereignty of God. Here in Revelation 19 verse
5. And a voice came out of the throne
saying, praise our God, all ye his servants. As David said,
come join with me. And ye that fear him, both small
and great, And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude,
and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering,
saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth."
They rejoice in that. That's the very center of their
rejoicing. Let us be glad and rejoice, verse
7, and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come.
And it will only come if the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
If he doesn't, it'll never happen. Let us rejoice. The marriage
of the Lamb is coming. His wife had made herself ready. Ready. That's why there's a church
in the world. That's the reason there always
has been and always will be until the Lord comes to take his bride
home. Because the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. And that's why the
gates of hell shall never prevail against his church because the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And that's why all his redeems
shall be brought to glory. That's why we may be cast down,
no maybe about it, but never cast out, never in despair. Why? Because the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth. Our sovereign God maintains,
this was a hymn one of Mr. Fortner's many hymns. I think
it was in the bulletin we sang last Sunday at the church in
Danville. Verse 1 says, Our sovereign God
maintains his universal throne. In heaven and earth and hell
he reigns and makes his wonders known. I hear people talk about hell as though that's the
kingdom of Satan. Satan's nowhere near hell right
now. He's going to be, but not yet.
And that somehow he rules down there and God takes care of everything
else. Oh, no, no, no. He's God's devil. And God rules everywhere. Our
sovereign God maintains his universal throne. In heaven and earth and
hell he reigns and makes his wonders known. His counsels and
decrees firmer than mountains stand. He will perform whatever
he pleases and none can stay his hand. An old preacher said
this, where there is an unerring wisdom to direct and almighty
power to execute, no difficulty can exist which shall not be
overruled for good. Is that not exactly what we read
in Romans 8 and 28? God, the Lord God Almighty, worketh
all things as only he can together for our good. Many are the afflictions,
but the Lord delivers out of them all. Not just almost all. That's not what it said. Not
almost all, but all of them. Not all but the one you're going
through right now. No, no, no. Out of them all. Weeping may endure through the
night. But joy cometh in the morning for every child of God,
for every believer. That means you. That means you. Again in John 17 in our Lord's
high priestly prayer. He said, Father, I will also
that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that
they may behold my glory. Are you one that the Father gave
him? How do I know that, Larry? Have you believed on the Lord
Jesus Christ? Then you're one of those the
Father gave him, and what he said there means you. Revelation chapter 7. Turn there,
if you will, for a moment. Revelation chapter 7. As I told you before, this is
one of my favorite, favorite portions of God's Word. I have
many. This is one of them. Verse 14,
the elder answers John, When he asked John, who are these?
Verse 14, and John said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth
him out of them all, and hath washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. These are they, the elder said.
Are you one of those? Are you one of those, verse 9
of Revelation 7? Are you one of that multitude
standing before the throne? Clothed with white robes, resting
in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, waving the palm
leaf of victory. Are you one of those? Oh, let's
come closer. David said, come, come. Let's
magnify the Lord together. Let's walk hand in hand. Taste
and see that the Lord is gracious. Come closer. Look at that multitude. They all came out. And so will
you. So will you. So will you. So will I. I don't know what
tomorrow holds. God forbid that I should get
a news that my daughter and grandchildren
and son-in-law perished in Florida today or tonight. God forbid. I pray that that doesn't happen.
But I know this, as much as that would break my heart, and it's
easy to say now, but if I'm leaning on the Lord Jesus Christ, he
will bring me through. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, that would be hard to bear, but his grace is sufficient
to bring me through. This is a picture of all the
redeemed here in Revelation 7. And if you're redeemed, If you've
been redeemed, if you've been bought and paid for with the
precious blood of Jesus Christ, look at that multitude. You're
in there. It includes you. I think I see James, who we read
was beheaded by Herod, John's brother. Oh, but there he stands
waving the palm leaf of victory. There's Peter. They say that
he was crucified upside down. Bible history, I realize this
is not scripture, this is not inspired, but Bible history,
they say, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, for example, that Peter was to
be crucified and he said, I'm not worthy to be crucified that
way, my Lord was crucified that way. And they turned the cross
upside down. But there he stands. waving the
palm leaf of victory, robed in the perfect righteousness of
Christ, and singing salvation to our God that sits upon the
throne. Our Lord said again, my sheep
shall never perish. If God be for us, who can be
against us? Oh, Larry, there is the world
against us. The devil is against us, our
simple nature is against us, but the meaning is this. None
can be against us successfully. None can be against us successfully. None can succeed in their rebellion
or their hatred against the children of God. Paul said in that same
chapter, Romans 8, we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us. There's not a weapon formed against
you, our Lord said. that shall prosper. It won't
happen. Everything God does or allows
to be done is by design. And he says, my counsel shall
stand and I will do all my pleasure. His purposes, he performs, he
perfects, hell itself and all its influences do no more harm
than that serves his purpose. How about that? That's a great
God, isn't it? The hymn writer expressed it
this way, great is the mystery, truly great, that hell's designs
should hell defeat. But here eternal wisdom shines,
for Satan works what God designs. He does just what God allows him and makes him do. An old preacher once said, if
you wish to be disappointed, look at others. If you wish to
be disheartened, look at yourself. Right. But if you wish to be
encouraged, look to Jesus Christ. Did you look at the quote in
last Sunday's bulletin by old Samuel Rutherford? In our fluctuations
of feelings, it is well to remember that Jesus Christ admits no change
in his affection. Your heart is not the compass
that Jesus sails by. Thank God for that. Done in that
hymn, the last verse says this. My soul bow and adore the Lord
in all his ways. His sovereignty none can explore,
but I will trust his grace. For of him and through him and
to him are all things. To whom be glory evermore. Amen, amen, amen. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. David tells
us his personal experience. We all have them. Let me just
for a moment, and I'll be done, tell you my personal experience,
one of them. And when I passed through this,
passing through the storm, I learned that sometimes The storm or the
fire is all we see. That's all we see. I don't take any pleasure in
telling you this. Perhaps it'll help you, and that's
why I take it. I think I've made reference to
it before. But I look back. It's been some years ago that
I was going through such an ordeal, trial, and got in such a state
of mind that I couldn't keep my mind focused long enough to
read a verse of scripture. That's right. I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't keep my mind from
running in 50 directions long enough to read one verse of scripture. I felt like David, but I wasn't
faking it. I wasn't pretending. And when
we pass through such an ordeal, All we focus on is the storm
and the waves. That's Satan's design. Oh, but
the Lord overrules it. And we tend to forget. We don't see him who promised,
who promised this. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you. The devil's not going to remind
you of that. And when I will be with you and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk
through the fire, you're not going to be burned. Neither shall
the flame kindle up on you. And the reason I didn't see Christ
for a while, the reason I felt like I was drowning on that troubled
sea, the reason I didn't see my precious Redeemer was because
I just wasn't looking for Him. Wasn't looking for him. All I
was focused on were the ways, and I felt like I was sinking,
sinking, just like Peter, just exactly like Peter. Oh, but he,
our Lord, abideth faithful. I'm perishing. I'm drowning. I'm going down. That wasn't true. None of that was true. But I
thought at that time, Lord, help me, help me. Just like Peter,
he reached out and picked me up, brought me back to my senses. Just like that multitude in Revelation
7, I came out. He brought me out. Many are the
afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out
of them all. Glory to His name.