Tag: Psalms

God’s Resort

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“Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually” (Psalm 71.3).

Shame, escape, the plea for deliverance, refuge, rock, and fortress are all very clear indicators in this psalm.  If we linger over these words, they help us to understand the background of this Psalm.  All these definitive descriptors and we are still only three verses into the Psalm.  It is quite obvious that the psalmist is experiencing great upheaval and persecution from “the hand of the wicked, …unrighteous, and cruel man” (71.4).

However, the psalmist has experience in his relationship with God.  He has trusted and hoped in God from his youth (71.5).  Something has happened to him that has caused people to look upon him as a “wonder” or an astonishment (71.7).  This same idea is expressed in Isaiah’s Suffering Servant passage.  “Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man…” (Isaiah 52.14).  So, the psalmist pleads for the Lord to keep hold of him in his old age …to not forsake him when his strength fails (71.9).

The deepest hurt for him was the people saying that God had forsaken him (71.11).  It is very difficult to live a truly altruistic life and have people say that God has left you.  So he cries out to God to come near and help him (7.12) …to confound and consume his adversaries (71.13).

The psalmist clings in hope to God continually.  He cannot do anything else (71.14).  He will go in the strength of the Lord God (71.16).  Old and gray-headed, the only thing he cannot endure is the thought of God forsaking him (71.18).  He knows that even great and severe trouble shall give way to revival (71.20).  He will praise the Lord for deliverance and talk of the Lord’s righteousness all the day long (71.24).  But his adversaries who caused such deep hurt in his life will be confounded and brought to shame (71.25).

But I’d like to back up and linger upon verse 3:  “Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually.”

God has been gracious to us.  We probably haven’t had too many occasions where we have prayed like the psalmist has here.  But we have to realize that God alone is our strong refuge.  We may resort to Him continually.  There isn’t anything or anyone in this world that is able to stand in His place.  Look carefully at Psalm 71.3:

Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually.

God’s Strong Refuge:  The Mark of God’s Mercy

First, this refuge is a mark of God’s mercy.  Think about the word refuge and all that it entails.  The Lord is my strong refuge.  The Lord is my strong refuge.  He is mine, and He is strong.  Beyond this, I may resort to this refuge continually.  There is never a time when I cannot find all that I need in Him.  I shut the door on everyone who seeks to rob me of peace and safety and find my strong refuge in Him.  Nothing can be brought against us as children of God – at least nothing that God does not allow.  Then when He allows it, He graciously provides a refuge to which we may resort continually.

Amazing!  Don’t even think we deserve this privilege.  That God would provide each of us a refuge like this is amazing access.  It is a sure indicator of His mercy.  We are certainly undeserving.  We can identify with David who prayed, “Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?  Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?  Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Psalm 144.3-4).

God’s Strong Refuge:  The Manifestation of God’s Comfort

Second, this refuge is a manifestation of God’s comfort.  A refuge is a place of comfort and security.  You are assured of the fact that not only will you be safe, but you will find comfort and relief.  All can stand against you but if you find a refuge in God, you find comfort, wisdom, and strength to face the storms brewing on the horizon.  God is a faithful anchor amidst a faithless sea of humanity.  “Hide yourself …until the indignation is past” (Isaiah 26.20).

Life robs us of temporal comfort and joy so that we might find eternal comfort and joy.  God’s refuge is not only far more compelling to those seeking it, but far more satisfying than anything else they’ve been offered.  It takes a long time for some of us to learn this.

Think about this prayer as a whole:  Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually.  Now ask yourself if you pray like this.  I’m quite convinced that many believers do not have continual refuge in the LORD because they never ask for it.  Many are too busy building their own places of refuge.  These shanties cannot stand when trouble comes.  Some hide in the pursuit of pleasure or popularity or behind the veneer of a false profession, or underneath the cover of a zeal God will not own.  We should genuinely seek God as our strong refuge …the place where we resort continually.  There are two reasons why we should do this (apart from the fact that the Bible advocates it; I take that for granted).

God’s Strong Refuge:  The Wise Choice

First, it’s the smart thing to do; it’s the wise choice.  When you think of just the little things that consume Christians in our country, it is frightening to think of a future filled with real and persistent persecution!  As a church, we must be taught to fail in our own strength.  It is the most merciful thing God can do in order to teach us to resort to Him continually.

When God is our refuge, there is always hope even in the most miserable situations here on earth.  Believers who resort to God during these times find that out.  They are truly wise.  We must conclude that it is the height of foolishness to ignore the refuge we’ve been given in God.  Let us go to Him continually.  Let us rely upon His omnipotent arm instead of our feeble attempts to deliver ourselves.  Jeremiah wrote, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD …Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD” (Jeremiah 17.5, 7).

It really is a no-brainer as they say.  Fire and brimstone is already coming upon the face of Sodom.  It’s time to flee to our strong refuge; to resort in Him continually.

God’s Strong Refuge:  The Loyal Choice

Second, it’s the loyal thing to do.  Loyalty matters to God.  When you look for a refuge in anyone or anything else, God will not put up with it for long.  He is a jealous God …He has perfect jealousy.  The psalmist was loyal to God because he experienced the all-sufficiency of God in his weakness.

Only God has the power to protect you.  Only God loves you enough to provide you with what you need instead of what you want.  If we don’t read and study verses like Psalm 71.3, it would never occur to us to pray as the psalmist did.  You discover who God is and what He wants to do for you by studying the Psalms.  Until you know God’s character, you’ll never really understand why people are willing to forsake everything and everyone else in order to serve Him.

The wonderful thing about God’s character is that as we discover Him together, we will conclude that He indeed is our refuge through all generations (Psalm 90.1).  When we flee to Him, we find comfort and security even in the midst of great chaos.

Conclusion:  We ought to have great pity upon those who still struggle to find a strong Refuge to whom they may resort.  If they think that their their troubles are burdensome now, just think of the terror that awaits them in Hell after they die!  People who fight against God will one day find that they fight against the Creator of all.  But if they pursue a relationship with God, they will have a peace that protects and keep their hearts for this life and the life to come.

Yet I hasten to add that those of us who have made the LORD a refuge and dwelling place may be assured that “no evil shall befall” us (Psalm 91.9-10).  “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18.10).  When we pray, let us ask that God be a strong refuge, to which we may resort continually (Psalm 71.3).

Lost in Wonder and in Praise

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Why is relational evangelism so effective and cold evangelism very difficult? Why do some wives exuberantly express gratitude for their husbands while others are clearly disrespectful and soured over their relationships with their husbands? Why is it easier to love some of our children while others pose quite a challenge for us? Why do some people seem so zealous and effusive when it comes to their relationships with God while others are listless and apathetic?

Psalm 57.7 records the praise of David which reached the heart of God: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise …I will awaken the dawn …For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens” (Psalm 57.7-10). Why is David effusively praising God when he is being hunted by Saul and must find refuge in a cave? The positive nature of this psalm is reinforced by the refrain found in both vv. 5 and 11: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth” (Psalm 57.5, 11).

The Mercy and Truth of God

We learn to pray for God to be merciful to us on the basis of our dependence upon Him (Psalm 57.1). David does not depend upon his worthy hiding place in a cave. His refuge is in the shadow of God’s wings until calamities pass him by. David counts on the mercy of God wed with the truth of God (Psalm 57.3). Mercy without truth is leniency. Leniency is wed to deceit. Genuine praise is the only appropriate response to mercy which reaches into the heavens along with truth unto the clouds (Psalm 57.10).

David found a literal refuge at a temporal moment of crisis in his life. He praised God for it when he could have complained about the fact that he had to hide in the first place. David looked beyond his temporal need to see the glory of God in the mercy of God. The truth was that David deserved judgment as all sinful men do. Instead, God demonstrated mercy toward David and all mankind by sending His Son to die for us. Mercy is only possible when one understands the truth of God’s commitment to His justice. “Grace (positive blessing that we do not deserve or earn) and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1.17).

David trusted in the fact that God is both truthful and merciful. That led to the effusive praise we see here. It’s something that doesn’t just belong in our private prayer time. It’s a statement about our God that everyone needs to hear and see in our lives – both in word and deed! It binds us together as believers. It awakens our desire for God so that we may delight in God.

The Exaltation and Glory of God

There is only so much that one life can do to exalt and glorify God. David recognized this. So, he turned to God to exalt Himself above the heavens …to glorify Himself above all the earth. This is the spirit of Psalm 45 when the Psalmist calls upon God to ride prosperously. “Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty. And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; and Your right hand shall teach You awesome things” (Psalm 45.3-4).

Psalm 148 carries the same theme. The Psalmist calls all creation to praise the LORD. Angels, sun, moon, stars, the heaven of heavens, and waters above the heavens must praise Him. Sea creatures, fire, hail, snow, clouds, stormy winds, mountains, hills, fruitful trees, cedars, beasts, cattle, insects, birds, kings, people, princes, judges, young men and women, and older men and children – “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven” (Psalm 148.13).

Our prayer time must be a praise time as well. We must not only see the glory of God in life; it ought to be our driving desire to pray for recognition and realization when it comes to the glory of God in our specific lives.

If we are to glorify God, we must reflect His character to the world at large. Many times people speak of God’s goodness in a general sense; let us be specific. How was God good in your life today? Think of what you have in Christ even though you have sinned against Him numerous times. Think of how merciful He is. Think of the fact that He has drained the cup of God’s indignation toward sin and the sinner.

He has blessed you with His presence when you deserve alienation from Him. He answers your prayers daily. He provides mercy, grace, peace, access, hope, and love. He does so even when you choose to turn your back on Him. “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.”

We must understand the mercy of God firsthand. It’s not enough to see it in the lives of others. When we see God’s mercy and truth and how they are met together in Christ, we become truly lost in wonder and in praise. We are grateful; we adore Him! We express that gratitude and adoration differently, but it is expressed. We cannot help but express it! If we love someone, we want the whole world to know it. How much more so when it comes to our relationship with God! This is what Paul means when he writes, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5.10). “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103.1-2)!

The exaltation of God is not our duty but our privilege! But it is something so overwhelming that we look to God to be effective in expressing it. “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth” (Psalm 57.11).

Relational evangelism is much more effective because people see God’s truth along with God’s mercy as we compassionately unfold the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Wives respond favorably to husbands because they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that their husbands love them. A child becomes the apple of a parent’s eye because of the reflection of Christlikeness found in the child. Christians serve God with zeal that boils over because they are overwhelmed by the mercy of God.

You might argue, “Well, we should evangelize even when we don’t feel like it. We should endure our relationship with our wives even when they are disrespectful. We should love our children even when they are unlovely. We ought to serve God even in the midst of confusion about His providence.” But I would say that that’s the wrong approach. It doesn’t need to be that way. There does not have to be a day that goes by where we are not filled with the Spirit and lost in wonder and in praise!

The Beauty of the Lord our God

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“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17)

“Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us!”  Truly a wonderful and blessed thought for the present moment – a psalm of eternity containing blessings for the temporal life which I live, move in, and have my very existence.  I yearn to be satisfied early with God’s mercy so that I may rejoice and be glad all my days (90.14).  Visible demonstrations of God’s mercy and lovingkindness toward me convey His gracious presence even though He seems so far away at times.  When the beauty of the Lord our God is upon me, I look toward that eternal Day when I shall truly see Him unfettered by my sin which demands His mercy each and every day within the temporal realm.

Whole volumes are given over to the study of God’s character in the pages of Scripture.  It is a pursuit that accomplishes what seem to be two opposing goals:  drawing me closer to the Lord while at the same time letting me know that I’ve only scratched the surface of my understanding of Him.  The fool denies eternity placed in his heart.  He will worship none other than himself.  Therefore, God gives him over to his obstinate folly, and he remains without excuse.

Design within the creation, variety, pleasure, and beauty all point to the glory of God (Psalm 19).  The creation demonstrates that God is all-wise and all-powerful.  Those looking for answers to ultimate questions will not find them by ruminating over dead poets and philosophers.  These answers come from the illuminating work of God through His Spirit.  Those of us viewed as fools by the world have a wondrous revelation of God in His Word.  Those deemed as wise by the world have these things hidden from them.  It’s quite sad.  They grope aimlessly for some new twist or turn in the meanderings of men.

But God is not manifested within the creative order alone.  I see Him in the pages of mankind’s history.  He is sovereign.  Everything is rushing toward the Day when He shall be all in all (1 Corinthians 15.28).  I see Him beautifully weaving and stitching together not only history in general but also my very life.  My times are in His hands.  This is the beauty of the Lord our God!  He has redeemed me for His glory and so I worship Him in the beauty of His holiness and for His glory.  The greatest goal of all creation is to bring glory to the Creator.  And the Lord Jesus Christ has made this possible.  Jesus is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light (that of the Father), whom no man has seen or can see (again, a reference to the Father), to whom be honor and everlasting power” (1 Timothy 6.14-15).

We see the Father in the Son who is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1.3).  The beauty of the Lord our God is found in the Person but also the work of Jesus Christ.  His painstaking work of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, His redemptive work upon the Cross of Calvary, and even His work of judgment from His glorious throne in the yet future Millennial Kingdom represent the beauty of the Lord our God in perfection.  Men journey with me and hear whispers of God, but I see what they cannot see.  You as a child of God see what they cannot see.  That is why it seems that the myriads of people who hear the same words from the Scripture we do remain deaf and dumb toward them while we are humbled and our faith deepened by the very same words.

The Lord’s beauty is conveyed through light shining out of darkness into our very hearts in order to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).  Jesus mediates the beauty of the Lord God.  He has shown us light that the world cannot see.  Not only this, but He has given to us the opportunity to reflect that light and thereby glorify God.

The primary reason for gathering for worship on Sunday is so that we may behold the beauty of the Lord.  “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)  Our yearning, broken, contrite, and dependent hearts expect satisfaction in the beauty of the Lord.  So, the venue of our idea of a sanctuary has changed.  But we still desire to see God’s power and glory (Psalm 63.2).

Second, mankind is created in the image of God (Genesis 1.26-27).  But that image is much maligned.  We must experience a new birth so that we might “put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4.24).  It is the beauty of the Lord that we behold with unveiled face.  It is the beauty and glory of the Lord that shines forth and reflects or radiates from our lives as a mirror reflects the image of a man.  What happens inside of us is the transformation from glory to even greater glory and so forth.  It is the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3.18).  This verse communicates a continual process until we are made perfect as our Father is perfect in Heaven above.

We look toward the Day as we press toward the mark until “we come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4.13).  May the Lord grant that His beauty be upon us today and to a greater degree tomorrow.  Let us grow in grace and flourish in holiness!  Pray that we “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18–19)

The goal is that nothing in our temporal life affects our pursuit of this fullness.  Even tribulation works patience, experience, and eventually a deep and abiding hope – a confident expectation that God will make good on His promises.  Trials reveal deeper problems within us.  They refine us.  So, we bear up underneath them in the school of affliction knowing that God will use them to show us His glory in greater detail and to conform us to the image of His Son.

Our pursuit of holiness is our pursuit of God.  Our pursuit of mercy is our pursuit of God.  Our pursuit of any perfection of God is our pursuit of Him.  Therefore, time spent in Scripture and in prayer within the sanctuary (wherever that may be) keeps me balanced and growing.  May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us!

Opportunites for the Overwhelmed

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“Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:1–2)

The Psalms are filled with comforting promises and convicting precepts.  The more adversity and affliction we face, the greater the need for the Psalms.  We have opportunity to see that truly no temptations have overtaken us except those which are common to man (1 Corinthians 10.13).  If God was faithful when David was overwhelmed, then He will be faithful when we are overwhelmed.  We need refuge and relief.

Life presents plenty of opportunities for you to feel overwhelmed.

We are overwhelmed by the difficulties of this life. 

David faced plenty of these difficulties.  Think of the overwhelming feelings when his son, Absalom, rebelled against him and was killed.  David was moved deeply.  Overwhelmed, he cried bitterly, “O my son Absalom – my son, my son Absalom – if only I had died in your place!  O Absalom my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18.33).  Physical pain is also overwhelming.  If it is constant, it will wear you down and leave you feeling overwhelmed with depression.  I’ve had other times in my life when I’ve been caught in a lie or some other embarrassing situation.  Even though God forgives, I’ll think back on those times and cringe.  Sometimes we are so caught up in our past regrets, we are overwhelmed.  My relationship with Jesus Christ gives me victory over these over difficulties in life, but I often find myself just settling for getting by day to day.  I just sort of become resigned to feeling overwhelmed.  The goal is to grow closer to God when I am overwhelmed.  The difficulties of life tend to leave us overwhelmed; it becomes a way of life.

We are overwhelmed by the battles in our inner lives. 

My sin is always before me.  God convinces me to confess it and move on toward the mark set before me.  However, often the pangs of conviction leave me in deep anguish.  If I did not understand the mercy and hope God offers, I truly would have destroyed myself long ago.  I look at the inward condition of my soul at times and say, “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7.24)  Add to this that I feel God is so far away.  Sometimes “my soul refuses to be comforted” (Psalm 77.2) and my spirit is overwhelmed (77.3).  Perhaps the Lord has cast me off forever (77.7).  Has his mercy ceased forever when it comes to me (77.8)?  Has He forgotten to be gracious to me (77.9)?  His anger toward me has stopped the flow of His tender compassion and mercy.  Of course, nothing is further from the truth, but it doesn’t change the way we feel.  Life presents external and internal opportunities for us to feel overwhelmed.

We are overwhelmed by the finality of death. 

I live under the constant prospect of death.  Of course, all of us do.  But I’m reminded of it daily.  My body has changed.  Cancer has crept in and made me aware of just how brief life truly is.  I struggle with the ability to maintain my schedule.  I feel overwhelmed.  There are times and seasons when I say with Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain …I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1.21-24).  Death holds no sting for the believer.  I welcome it in some respects.  It cannot come soon enough when my heart is overwhelmed!  However, deep depression and loneliness makes death dreadful.  Ungodly and ungrateful people die like animals; they have no understanding of eternity.  But we know the terrors of death’s finality.  Our hearts are severely pained within us.  The terrors of death fall upon us.  Fearfulness and trembling come and horror overwhelms.

The Lord presents plenty of opportunities for you escape being overwhelmed.

Prayer stabilizes life like nothing else can. 

When God sees that we are finally looking to Him alone for our strength and comfort, He is pleased.  We look to the Creator not His creation for these things.  No one else can help me.  No one else knows me.  The person I think will help me will eventually abandon me.  I fall …he falls.  We all perish together (see Isaiah 31.3; reminds me of “Ring Around the Rosie”).  But before the throne of God’s grace, I find Him answering before I call …hearing and acting before I speak (Isaiah 65.24).

Prayer will prolong my physical life in order to accomplish the will of God.  Prayer will deliver me from my rebellious spirit.  Prayer will stabilize my chaotic inner life.  “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jam 5.16).

God delivers us through prayer so that we might glorify Him.  He turns grief to joy in a season of prayer.  He gives peace through prayer.  “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)

Prayer leads me to the Rock higher than I. 

Jesus Christ is the Rock.  He is sufficient to meet our every need.  If we really were convinced of that, we would pray.  We pray, “Lord God lead me to the Rock!”  The Rock upon which we have a secure foundation …the rock that crushes guilt, composes our thoughts, dissipates temptation …pours forth grace to go through affliction and wind up closer to God than we ever have been!  “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I!”

I am sure that some readers cannot really relate to what I am writing, but the storms of life are coming.  You misunderstand Christianity if you think that you will always be in safe harbors and of sound mind and body just because you trust in Jesus Christ.  All of us are dying.  Life is very brief.  The best way to prepare for the inevitable is cling to the Rock higher than you.  The terror of judgment awaits us all.  The believer is judged for his life-work.  What is enduring and eternal?  What is vaporous and temporal?  Jesus Christ will declare it from His Bema Seat.

Other readers are overwhelmed by acute personal turmoil.  Realize that your natural tendency is to go to the creation rather than the Creator.  No pastor …no mother and father …no friend will stand in the place of God.  God is always faithful, and God will never fail you!  Overwhelming times present themselves to drive you to the Savior.  If you lived a constantly prosperous life, you would not see your need.  You would neglect the Lord Jesus.  As you mature in your relationship with Christ, you will recognize the purpose of affliction and be grateful for it.  There is great opportunity for the overwhelmed and great glory for the God of the overwhelmed.

Unsinning Sin

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Robert Browning wrote, “The proper process of unsinning sin is to begin well doing.”  Perhaps this is lyrically beautiful, but it is theologically rotten.  It is, however, the natural man’s response to guilt within.  We cannot handle guilt or internalize it very long.  Therefore we seek to erase the past by building over the decay of our sins without ever really doing anything about them.

Psalm 32 has been categorized as a penitential psalm of Israel’s King David.  It is penitential because of its content not format.  The telltale sign is found in a deep sense of guilt on the part of David.  So the enemy is not external but internal.  But the internal struggle finds evidence in outward results as well, namely sickness.  So as we relate with God through prayer and Bible intake, we must keep in mind that access to the throne of God hinges upon acknowledging our need to be forgiven.

Using the pauses built into the psalm by the word Selah, we see the testimony and progress of the power of forgiveness:

  1. “My [David’s] vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (4).
  2. “You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (5).
  3. “You shall surround me with songs of deliverance” (7).

Then finally, let all God’s people rejoice and shout for joy (11).

The Psalm divides neatly into two parts.  The first division is where we learn the process of forgiveness (verses 1-5).  Once we learn, we cannot contain ourselves.  We teach the process of forgiveness to others (verses 6-11).

The Process of Learning Forgiveness

It all begins with confession mentioned in verse 5:  “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”  Blessed is such a man.  His transgression is forgiven; his sin is covered (1).  The LORD does not impute iniquity upon this man.  He’s come clean as witnessed by the phrase, “In whose spirit there is no deceit” (2).  Our happiness rests in the fact that our sins are forgiven.  Only misery awaits those who cover or hide their sin.  We can speak in terms of salvation and the misery of Hell or in terms of sanctification and the misery of chastisement.

The Apostle Paul quotes these verses in Romans 4:  “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.’” (Romans 4:5–8)

Thus combining these passages, you have the fact that God will not impute sin to our account and the fact that He will impute righteousness apart from works.  You might want to reread that sentence!  Imagine if you could have complete control over this world and all its resources.  That’s pretty attractive …until you die.  What good will temporal possessions and power do at that point?  A man’s life certainly does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses!  There is a great reversal once we die and come face to face with our Creator.  Many lacking health, wealth, and prosperity will be carried by the angels into the presence of God because they trusted in Christ.  Those who had much of what the world offers are driven to distraction right up to their death bed.  Some will awake in torment (cf. Luke 16).

God will impute His righteousness.  Can anything be more of a blessing than that?  To be forgiven is wonderful; I’m not going to be punished!  But to have the Lord’s righteousness credited to my account – that tells me that I will have a great reward waiting for me in eternity and for all eternity.

The word transgression means willful and deliberate sin.  It is crossing the boundary God set.  The word sin means missing the mark.  Finally, the word iniquity means distortion or crookedness of character.  All three words for sin are used in verses 1-2 in order to indicate that a thorough cleansing of all sin takes place.  Hence, this man is blessed or happy.  But if we won’t come clean, we won’t be forgiven.  Is there deceit in your spirit?  We must see the tendency in each of us to harden ourselves to sin.  Only then will we learn how to have peace even after committing the greatest of transgressions.

Perhaps we can see from verses 3-5 that our struggles come from remaining silent about our sin.  We keep attempting to cover it, when only God can do this.  If we attempt to bury sin, then God’s hand will be heavy upon us (4a).  The physical ramifications are found in bones growing old and vitality turning to drought (4b).  Not all physical illness results from personal sin, but such illness should get us thinking!

All of us must come to verse 5 before we are able to release inner guilt:  “I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (5).  This is the key.  God covers our sin, iniquity, and transgression or we attempt to cover it.  Proverbs 28.13 states, “He who covers his sin will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”  Once we personally learn this process, we are able to teach it to others.

The Process of Teaching Forgiveness

The operative words here are, “For this cause” in verse 6.  David is saying, “Look, I’ve gone down the road of trying to cover my sin.  Don’t go there.”  Instead, everyone who is godly prays to the LORD.  They too find the blessedness of forgiveness.  In a flood of great waters, there is only turbulence.  But God is our hiding place!  He keeps us from turbulent trouble and causes us to sing songs of deliverance (7).

The LORD teaches us to not be like a horse that needs a whip to move him or a mule that needs a bridle to pull him.  Both of these animals can be stubborn and have a need to be harnessed.  If you don’t harness them and make them go, they will not move (9).

The wicked are stubborn and hard-headed; the upright are teachable and tender.  Those who trust in the LORD are surrounded by His loyal, faithful love.  You can continue to resist the LORD or yield to Him.  Your life is shaped by whether or not you choose to cover your sin or fly to God so that He might cover it (10).  Once you make the right choice, gladness and rejoicing are yours (11)!

It is important to note that three elements work together in order to have a liberating sense of freedom from guilt:  1) acknowledgement of sin; 2) forsaking sin; and 3) choosing to obey the will of God.  This is important for individuals, families, and especially for our nation.  God cannot and will not bring healing without this taking place on all three levels.

Second, the confession stage has worked best for me verbally.  There is just something about putting a voice to guilt.  I usually try to make sure I’m in a very private place.  However, when I try to confess my sin with my inner voice, there is a sense in which I feel like I’m still hiding something.  Verbally expressing it to God helps me get the shock of it all out there.  Also, I think that accountability to a person that is close helps as well.  The sum is that when we confess our sins, “God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1.9).

Finally, allow me to offer a word of caution.  It is a mistake to associate all sickness with personal sin.  There are other causes when it comes to illness.  Also specific sin does not result in specific illness, and healing will not necessarily come once you identify sin in your life.

Psalm 32 is wonderful because it offers liberation from guilt and sin.  And since that is true we rejoice in the LORD always.  Borrowing Browning’s phraseology:  “The proper process of unsinning sin is to begin confessing.”

Do You Really Fear the LORD?

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Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. -Psalm 25:12–13

Psalm 25 generally teaches us that if we commit ourselves to God in prayer and cast our care upon Him, He will provide all the comfort and support we need.  The two verses above remind us of the blessing that belongs to those who fear the LORD.  But first…

What does a person who fears the LORD look like?  

Let’s suppose I ask, “Who in our church really fears the LORD?”  What particular person would come to mind?  We’re all Christians.  Christians are supposed to fear the LORD.  So it shouldn’t be too difficult.  But it is.  If we were to name someone, we ought to spend a lot of time with him or her.  They are promised the blessings of this passage.  What Christian does not want to be taught in the way God chooses?  Who doesn’t want to dwell in prosperity or goodness?

Look at your heart.  Check your conscience.  Do you fear the LORD?  If you do, come close to me.  I want to find what you’ve found.  “Who is the man that fears the LORD?”

  1. Do you respect God’s authority?  Do you know that all things are working toward a certain goal?  “When all things are made subject to [the Lord Jesus], then the Son Himself will also be subject to [God the Father] who put all things under [Jesus], that God may be all in all” (1 Cor 15.28).  God is to be all in all; therefore, He must be respected and feared.  If you submit yourself to God’s authority, you fear Him.  Nobody who disregards the authority of God fears Him.
  2. Do you dread God’s displeasure?  Our sin is repugnant to God.  All of us have sinned and have, therefore, deserved the wrath of God.  What brought us to salvation was a realization that we deserved punishment …that we are not good.  Past sin provokes in us the need of God’s mercy.  It’s not that we think about our past activity with regret sometimes.  It’s more than that.  We are broken over our sin.  We know poignantly the displeasure of God.  We know what it is like to be without hope or peace in this world.  We feared the displeasure of God and found refuge in Jesus!
  3. Do you tirelessly pursue God’s will?  Every day, do you wake up and say, “God, I want your will to reign supreme in my life?”  Do you fear God enough to know that your own will destroys you?  You say, “Well, surely I’m going to blow it, Pastor O!”  But I’m not asking you if you’re perfect.  I’m asking if you are pressing toward the will of God!  I’m asking if you are pursuing the glory and joy of ministry in the will of God!

Now you might think that you’re a prime candidate for a person who fears the LORD.  But do you really seek out the will of God daily?  Are you so determined to do the will of God that nothing distracts you from it – no hobby, pleasure, or person?  When someone shows you that you are not in the will of God, how does that work itself out for you?  Are you ready to humble yourself and obey?  Are you ready to face trial and struggle to have the will of God?  Well if you are a person who truly fears the LORD, here’s what God has in store for you…

What blessings are in store for those who fear the LORD?

  1. The LORD shall teach you in the way He chooses.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Once you receive Him, He empowers you by His Spirit to walk in Him.  “You shall be rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abound in it with thanksgiving” (Col 2.6-7).  Jesus said, “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’  Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6.45).  God “will guide [you] with [His] counsel, and afterward receive [you] to glory” (Psalm 73.24).
  2. You shall dwell in goodness.  Consider that you deserve the wrath of God but instead you shall dwell in prosperity.  Your sins are forgiven you.  You have been justified by your faith.  You shall have peace with God.  2013 holds challenges, trial, and temptations.  A retrospect over 2012 should indicate that had God not enabled you, you would have fallen to many temptations and discouragements.  They would have overwhelmed you.   “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1.12).  The LORD “will keep [you] in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on [Him], because he trusts in Him” (Isaiah 26.3).  “When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?” (Job 34.29)  The NKJV has a marginal notation for prosperity.  It is literally goodness.  You shall dwell in goodness if you fear the LORD!

Who fears the LORD?  If you do, God will teach you in the way He chooses.  He will make you to dwell in goodness!  If you don’t, you will remain in the dark and dwell in that darkness until you do.  Let us labor this year for that which endures unto everlasting life …not for that which will perish.