God Helps The Afflicted Series

TITLE: GOD HELPS THE AFFLICTED

TEXT: PSALM 9:13-20

- We’re continuing our study through the book of Psalms.

- We’ve already looked at the first part of chapter 9 and looked at some of the reasons why we can praise God.

- We can praise Him because He is great, we can praise Him because He is our refuge, and we can praise Him because is a Righteous Judge.

- This week, we’re looking at the second part of chapter 9, where David looks at some of the ways that God helps the afflicted.

- I’ve been reading about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

- She and the rest of the slaves were horribly afflicted while working on plantations down in the South.

- They hardly had any rights, they were treated like property instead of human beings, they were fed little, they were whipped, and chained, and sold to the highest bidders…

- Slavery was a horrible thing that afflicted innocent men, women, and children.

- Yet there were men and women who were willing to risk it all to help slaves escape to the North, where they would have their freedom.

- One such group of people were the Quakers.

- They were Christians who strongly opposed slavery, and they were willing to feed, shelter, clothe, and help any runaway slave who wanted their God-given rights of freedom and liberty.

- Unfortunately, the government passed a law called “The Fugitive Slave Act”, so any slave caught running away was supposed to be returned to their master, and if anyone was caught helping them, they’d be arrested and tried in court, and if found guilty, they had to pay huge fines and do jail time.

- One Quaker, named Thomas Garrett, sacrificed his own fortune to help.

- He was arrested and found guilty of helping runaway slaves.

- The fine was so heavy that it left him financially ruined, yet Thomas Garrett stood up in Court and said, “Judge thou has left me not a dollar, but I wish to say to thee and to all in this courtroom that if anyone knows a fugitive who wants a shelter and a friend, send him to Thomas Garrett and he will befriend him."

- What would cause him and so many others to risk their homes and fortunes for runaway slaves?

- It was because they believed that slavery was unjustly afflicting an entire group of people, just because of the color of their skin.

- They also recognized that God cares for and helps the afflicted…

- As followers of God, they knew that it was their Christian duty to help the afflicted, even if it meant breaking man’s law, the Fugitive Slave Act.

- King David certainly felt afflicted many times during his time on earth, so he could cry out in prayer, and he knew God would listen…that’s what we find him doing here…

- Let’s look now at some of the ways God helps the afflicted.

FIRST: GOD IS MERCIFUL- VS 13-14

- My brother and I used to rough house with one another.

- We’d punch and kick each other, then we’d tackle one another…

- I used to give him noogies on his head, and he’d try to give me an Indian burn on my arms…those really hurt!

- Anyways, we’d fight with each other until the other person cried out, “Mercy! Have mercy!”

- Then, that’d be the end of it.

- It was always fun, but it also taught us there was no shame in asking for mercy when we’d had enough.

- Of course, neither of us wanted to be the one to ask for mercy, but you get my point.

- It’s the same thing with God…when things get overwhelming, there’s no shame in coming before Him and asking for mercy.

- Now that David has praised God in the first part of the Psalm, he is now coming before God to plead for the needs of the present.

- He starts by saying, “Have mercy on me, oh Lord!”

- I like what Charles Spurgeon says about this sentence.

- He says, “Just as Martin Luther used to call some texts little Bibles, so we may call this sentence a little prayer book; for it has in it the soul and marrow of prayer.”

- God is the source of mercy, and whenever a time of trouble comes, the first place we should go is to Him in prayer!

- David explains that the trouble he is facing is coming from those who hate him.

- He had a lot of enemies.

- As Christians, there will always be people who hate us as well.

- Many times, it’s because they hate the God we serve, so we will be persecuted for taking a stand for Christ.