You and I live in a fallen creation that is no longer perfect and not even good. Sin and death have entered the world.  Everyone is born with a sinful, rebellious nature. David lived in the same fallen creation. Although this psalm was written by David, we do not know at what point in his life it was written. He talks about his enemies. Is the enemy the Philistines or Goliath the giant or King Saul or Absalom or Ahitophel (Bathsheba’s grandfather)? On what do you base your reliance?

Reliance = trustful dependence

Praise¹(A Prayer of David.) Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.²Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.³Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

Notice that David addresses God as ‘Jehovah – the I AM’. What is the significance?

We may come boldly to His throne of grace; come boldly to Jehovah, the Almighty God; the Righteous Judge; the One Who knows all about you and me – what are our problems? What are our limitations? What are our strengths?; the One Who fully understands our circumstances and predicaments; the One Who concerns Himself with our well-being.

Prayer = devout petition to God

Sentence =opinion given on a particular question

Proved =establish the truth or genuineness of

Tried =tested and proved dependable or trustworthy

Purposed =determination, resoluteness

Transgress = to violate a law or moral code; to sin

Provision

⁴Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.⁵Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. ⁶I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. ⁷Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

Jehovah loves you and me with an everlasting, unconditional love. He provides His Word to keep us from the temptations and schemes of the destroyer.

He desires for you and me to call upon Him and He will hear.

Jehovah is worthy of your trust!

How can God’s Word keep you from the paths of the destroyer?

What does it matter to you that God will hear you?

What does it matter to you that God has marvelous loving kindness toward you?

What does it matter to you that God would save you from those who are against you?

Protection

⁸Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, ⁹From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. ¹⁰They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly. ¹¹They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; ¹²Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. ¹³Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: ¹⁴From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

Do you remember how Jehovah saved David from his enemies?

From Goliath? (1 Samuel 17:45-51)

From Saul? (1 Samuel 24)

From Absalom? (2 Samuel 18:9-14)

Why would we expect anything less from our Savior?

Joy from God, with God

¹⁵As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Regardless of today’s circumstances, if Jesus is your Savior and Lord, there is coming a time when you will be free from the presence of sin; free from your sin nature; robed in His righteousness; and fully awake in His physical presence!

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti