Sayre Woods Bible Church

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah.
Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. (Psalm 68:19-20)

Psalm 68 calls us to sing praises to God who rules over the nations and one day will be enthroned over the whole earth. He will ascend to His throne and set the world aright. What kind of King will He be? Verses 19-20 tell us.

God is a Savior who daily bears our burdens. Selah. “Stop and think about it.” God daily bears our burdens. Each day the sovereign Lord stoops down to understand our needs and to bear the load of our trials and weaknesses. He is a sympathetic High Priest. He is a gracious King. How has He proven this OT verse? He took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. He Himself became a man so that He could truly identify with our weaknesses and daily bear our burdens. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

God is a God who saves us from death. God is not only compassionate and gracious but also sovereign and powerful. From Him alone comes deliverance from death…not just physical death but also spiritual death. He alone gives life. He alone has the power to conquer death and the grave. How has He proven this OT verse? He rose from the dead in the person of Jesus Christ. And He proclaims with a human voice to human ears, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).

Meditate on the words of Psalm 68:19-20 today and let God’s truth minister to your spirit.

Psalm 67 is a good reminder and prayer right before a national election.

 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah

 2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

 3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

 5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.

 6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

 7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Verse 4 particularly catches my attention…May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. “Selah” at the end of this verse basically means “pause and think about it.”

Think about it. God guides the nations of the earth. Yes, we are to be informed and involved in the issues affecting our nation. Yes, we are to examine the presidential candidates. Yes, we are to pray for God’s wisdom. Yes, we are to discern the candidates’ competence, character, and convictions. Yes, we are to vote and exercise the privilege/blessing we have been granted in this country. But, no, we are not to fret, worry, or despair over the results. God is still on His throne and He guides the nations of the earth. I needed that reminder this morning.

Obviously Psalm 67 is one piece of the whole counsel of God. The classic verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14 also teaches us the principle of humility and repentance as we pray for our nation. If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Taken together, there seems to be a good balance. We are to be on our knees, praying for our leaders, confessing our sins, and seeking God’s face. We are also to stand with lifted hands thanking God that He is king over the nations and rejoicing in His sovereignty. It is sort of the Philippians 4:4-7 principle. We present our requests and anxieties to the Lord and then learn to experience His peace and joy as we trust in Him.

Lord, I pray for our nation. You have blessed us in so many ways. Yet we have forgotten You and taken credit for Your blessings. Forgive us. Guide us. Correct us. Whatever happens in this election, may I trust You and find my peace and joy in You.

Psalm 73 begins a collection of 11 psalms by Asaph, one of David’s worship leaders (1 Chronicles 25). Asaph, like David, was one who did not sugarcoat reality. Worship was not an escape from the harsh truths of life. Indeed worship flowed out of life’s difficulties. As a musician and songwriter, Asaph captured the emotions of life. Can you imagine singing Psalm 73 during a worship service? Read it and consider its words.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2073;&version=51;

I was encouraged by Aspah’s song this morning. I read both Psalm 73 and 74, but 73 is what really ministered to me. Ever felt like Asaph?

Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. (73:13-14)

Is the Christian life worth it? At times the struggle seems too great. The battle with sin is unending. Thoughts are constantly invading. Distractions are everywhere. The tide of culture is moving against us. It is hard not to wonder…”Wouldn’t life be easier if I just gave up and gave in? Wouldn’t things be smoother if I quit fighting sin and resisting the world and simply went along for the ride?”

Just this past week I read about an advertising campaign by a group of atheists in Britain. They have the following saying emblazoned on several public transportation buses…“There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

I guess that’s the way many people see it. God is the great interferer, the guilt producer, the party killer. Asaph, during this period in his life, had a hard time disagreeing.

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. (73:21-22)

Finally Asaph gets a hold of his thoughts. He realizes that his struggle with envying the ungodly and questioning his faith is rooted in grief and anger. His sorrow and discouragement has led to anger and cynicism. His issue was not with God but with his own heart. His emotions had gotten out of whack and he had let them dictate his life. 

What does Asaph do to get back on track? He goes to the sanctuary (73:17). He gets his focus back on God. He does not isolate himself but puts himself back in the company of God’s people. And he reminds himself of his blessings in God’s family.

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (73:23-26)

Sometimes we simply need a good dose of truth. We have to preach to ourselves. We have to choose to repent (change our minds), choose to trust, choose to rejoice. Good attitudes do not happen by chance. They are chosen by those who know God, enjoy His grace, endure through struggles, and keep their eyes on the prize ahead.

Lord, give me grace to rejoice in You today.

All my longings lie open before You, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. (Psalm 38:9-10)

The context of this psalm is unknown. David wrote it but we do not know when or under what circumstance. From reading the psalm it is apparent that it was written after David had sinned in some way. David talks about God’s discipline and wrath (1), his sin (3), his guilt (4), his sinful folly (5), and his iniquity (18). Obviously other people are aware of David’s sinful folly since they are using it against him or as an excuse to avoid him. Such a description makes me think this psalm was written sometime after David’s sin with Bathsheba or possibly around his troubles with his son, Absalom.

Whatever the case, one thing is clear in this psalm…sin brings pain. And not necessarily physical pain. Physical pain is probably the pain that we are most aware of and most able to talk about. But this was not the primary pain on David’s mind. David describes a deeper emotional and spiritual pain that actually began to manifest itself in physical pain.

The words David uses in this psalm are incredibly descriptive. Your arrows have pierced me…my bones have no soundness…my wounds fester and are loathsome…I am bowed down…my back is filled with searing pain…I am utterly crushed…I groan in anguish of heart…I am about to fall and my pain is every with me. Verses 9-10 also stand out. My sighing is not hidden from You. My heart pounds. My strength fails. The light has gone from my eyes.

David felt this tremendous weight of guilt. He blew it. He messed up royally. And worst yet, his sinful folly was exposed for others to see, to comment on, to critique, to mock. David wallowed in sorrow and grief. He felt his world crashing in. And as his emotional pain increased, his body began to break down.

I imagine we have three choices at this point in our lives…when we come face to face with our sin, when we see the wounds of our heart, when we simply recognize that we fall short of God’s standards, even our own standards…

1) We can shut down emotionally. We can start hardening our heart, making it less penetrable. Start lashing out at others. Start finding their faults and exposing them. Become a rock. Become cynical. Become angry. Even start lashing out at God for having such righteous demands, such unreasonable standards. …Or on the flip side, become self-righteous and “religious,” pretending we have our act together while focusing on the sins of others.

2) We can live in increasing depression and guilt. We can let the weight of sin crush us. Let shame consume us. Become immobilized, paralyzed. Shuffle through life waiting for it to end or even contemplate ending it ourselves.

3) We can acknowledge our sin and cry out to God for healing and salvation.

David did not downplay his sin. He did not blame it on his parents or his environment or his genetics. He did not stuff his emotions. He did turn to addiction to numb his pain. Instead he looked squarely at the condition of his heart. He looked at his loathsome wounds and cried out to God for healing. O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior (38:21-22).

Those three choices still confront us today. Shut down. Give up. Or cry out.

Of course, we have one advantage that David did not have. We clearly see the cross. God’s love is no longer an abstract concept; it is visibly demonstrated in the life and death of Jesus Christ. David’s prayer has been answered. The Lord, our Savior, has come to help us.

Lord, may I be honest before You. May I not hide my sin. May I not blame it on others. May I humbly come to You in repentance and joyfully live with Your forgiveness.