Home Page   Contact Us    Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN TROUBLED TIMES?

Introduction

The superscription on this Psalm keys us in to the time frame of the writing of this Psalm. It was written some time after David had killed Goliath of Gath in the battle of the Valley of Elah when he was fleeing for his life from the hand of Saul and in doing so he was captured by the Philistines.

We remember the story of how Goliath had terrified Israel for forty days. Then came David, a shepherd boy, bearing gifts to his brothers. He couldn’t understand why Israel wasn’t moving forward to fight this man who was blaspheming their God.

He picked up five stones out of a brook and proceeded to put the first stone between the eyes of Goliath. He then took Goliath’s own sword and loped off his head.

Obviously, David had no knowledge of “How To Win Friends And Influence People.” Because his heroic act not only spelled triumph for him, but it spelled trouble as well! King Saul became instantly jealous and began a campaign of persecution against David seeking to end David’s life. We know this campaign continued all the way unto Saul’s death.

While David was on the run for his life, he went to Ahimelech the priest and conned him into giving him and his men shewbread to eat by saying he was on a special secret mission from King Saul. He even conned the priest into giving him the sword of Goliath.

Then David had this wild idea to go where Saul would never think to reach him. He decided to go to Gath (the hometown of Goliath) to seek asylum with Achish (also known as Abimelech - which means, “Father of the King”). That was not one of David’s smartest moves!

After David had killed Goliath, you can imagine how the men in Goliath’s hometown of Gath wanted to get their hands on David.

(Look at 1 Samuel 21:10 - 22:1)

So these were some very troubling times in David’s life. Can’t you imagine that he was wondering when it all was going to end and when he was going to get to assume the throne that he had already been anointed for and promised?

This life can and often does get troubling at times. In fact, there are a lot of folks having some tough times right now.

Let’s look at how David responded to the troubled times he faced and we can learn how we should respond when we find ourselves in troubled times!

I.        IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD WORSHIP THE LORD! (VS 1-3)

               "Bless" – means “to worship.”

1 Chronicles 29:20–“And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.”

               We see here that there are four words connected with this worship:

               (Praise, Boast, Magnify, and Exalt)

               A.         Our Worship Should Include Praising The Lord! (Vs 1)

                             "Praise"– means“to celebrate; to offer a hymn”

Psalms 71:8–“Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.”

Psalms 71:14–“But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.”

Psalms 145:1-2–“I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.”

Acts 16:25–“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”

               B.         Our Worship Should Include Boasting In The Lord! (Vs 2)

"Boast"– means “to shine, to make a show; to rave; to celebrate.” It is the same as “glorying in the Lord!”

Psalms 44:8–“In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.”

                            Psalm 105:3–“Glory ye in His holy name. . .”

Jeremiah 9:24–“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

2 Corinthians 10:17–“But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

                            Praising The Lord, Boasting (or Glorying) In The Lord. . .

               C.         Our Worship Should Include Magnifying The Lord! (Vs 3)

                            "Magnify"– means “to cause to be large.”

Psalms 40:16–“Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.”

Psalms 69:30–“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Philippians 1:20–“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

               D.         Our Worship Should Include Exalting The Lord! (Vs 3)

                            "Exalt"– means “to raise in height.”

John 12:32–“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

               IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD WORSHIP THE LORD!

II.           IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD SEEK THE LORD!

               (VS 4, 10)

               There are three words associated with seeking the Lord:

               A.         Pray To The Lord For Deliverance From Fear! (Vs 4)

Fear brings bondage! It keeps us from being able to do things!

Hebrews 2:14-15–“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. “

               B.         Look To The Lord To Lighten Our Lives! (Vs 5)

                            "Lighten" means “to be cheerful.”

                            Matthew 11:28-30

               C.         Cry To The Lord To Save Out Of Trouble! (Vs 6)

                            1.          The Lord Hears The Cry Of The Righteous!

                                         ( Vs 15, 17, 19)

                                         2 Chronicles 7:13-14

                            2.          The Lord Hears The Cry Of The Repentant!

                                         (Vs 16, 18, 21)

               IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD WORSHIP THE LORD!

               IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD SEEK THE LORD!

III.         IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD FEAR THE LORD!

               (VS 7, 9, 11-14)

               "Fear"– has a two-fold meaning – “to reverence and to be afraid of.”

Many times we minimize “be afraid of” and focus on the “reverence”! But maybe what we need is a fresh awareness of who God really is and His view of sin! Then and only then will we truly reverence Him the way we should!

IV.         IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD TASTE THE LORD! (VS 8)

               "Taste"– means “to perceive.”

Tasting is what a child does when he puts something in its mouth, he is trying to perceive with his mouth what an object is.

Tasting is what a cook does when he or she is checking the quality of the food they are preparing!

Psalms 119:103–“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

1 Peter 2:2-3–“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

               Perceive for yourself how good the Lord is!

V.           IN TROUBLED TIMES WE SHOULD TRUST THE LORD!

               (VS 8, 22)

               "Trust"–means “to flee to for protection.”

               “Blessed” means “Oh how very happy” or “happy, happy!”

Psalms 2:12–“. . .Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Psalms 84:12–“O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.”

When I think of the word “trust” I think of the song “Under His Wings” which is a picture of the protection we find in the Lord!

Psalms 17:8–“Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,”

Psalms 36:7–“7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”

Psalms 61:4–“I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.”

Psalms 57:1–“1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”

Psalms 63:7–“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”

Psalms 91:4–“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

Conclusion

These are some troubled times we live in. Some here today are going through more trouble than others. How will you survive? What can you do?

First you must become a Child of God if you haven’t already! You become God’s child by being born into His family! We’re not talking about a physical birth, but a spiritual birth! Have you been born again? If not, why don’t you come and let us show you how to be born into the family!

If you are already a part of God’s family, what should you do as a Child of Almighty God when troubled times come?

               Worship the Lord!

                            Praise Him!

                            Boast (or Glory) In Him!

                            Magnify Him! (Let Him be large in your life!)

                            Exalt Him! (Lift Him up!) 

               Seek the Lord!

                            Pray to Him to deliver you from fear!

                            Look to Him to lighten your life!

                            Cry to Him to save you out of trouble!

               Fear the Lord!

               Taste the Lord!

               Trust the Lord!

1 Peter 5:6-7–“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Home Page   Contact Us    Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!