After The Shaking Series

After the Shaking: Finding Hope in God's Promises

Introduction: When the Ground Gives Way

Good morning. Have you ever been in a situation where everything seemed to be going right, only to be hit by an unexpected crisis from a direction you never saw coming? A time when the ground beneath your feet, which you thought was solid, suddenly began to tremble and shake? It might be a health diagnosis that comes out of nowhere, a financial setback that cripples you, or a betrayal that shatters your trust. In those moments, it is easy to feel disoriented, confused, and perhaps even abandoned by God.

This is precisely the national crisis that gives birth to Psalm 60. King David’s armies are off in the north, winning a great victory. But while the nation’s attention is focused there, an enemy from the south, the Edomites, attacks Israel’s vulnerable heartland and inflicts a devastating defeat. It is a moment of national disaster and humiliation.

In response, David pens this psalm. It is a national lament, a raw and honest prayer that journeys from the painful feeling of being cast off by God, through the bedrock of His promises, to a final, defiant cry of faith. It is a roadmap for all of us on how to find our footing after the shaking.

Text: Psalm 60

I. An Honest Complaint About the Crisis (v. 1-4)

1. David begins with words that are shocking in their honesty.

He does not soften the blow or start with a polite preamble. He speaks directly from the heart of the national pain: "O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again." He looks at the defeat on the battlefield and sees the hand of a displeased God.

2.He uses the imagery of a catastrophic earthquake to describe the nation's state:

"Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh."

The nation’s foundations have been cracked. Everything feels unstable and broken. He says God has shown His people "hard things" and made them drink the "wine of astonishment"—a metaphor for being so utterly stunned and disoriented that they are staggering as if drunk.

3. This is our first lesson: God can handle our honest complaints.

When our world is shaking, we do not need to pretend we have it all together. We can bring our confusion, our pain, and our difficult questions to God. David models a faith that is not afraid to say, "God, where are you? It feels like you have abandoned us." Honesty is the first step toward healing.

II. A Confident Rehearsal of God’s Promises (v. 5-8)

1. After pouring out his complaint, David makes a dramatic turn.

He pivots from the shaking ground of his circumstances to the solid rock of God’s character. How does he do it? Verse 6 gives us the key: "God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice." He stops looking at the defeat and starts listening to the Word of God.

2. He begins to rehearse the promises God has made concerning the land of Israel.

He lists places like Shechem, Succoth, Gilead, and Manasseh. This is more than a geography lesson; it is David reminding himself and God that this land belongs to God and that He has promised it to His people. He is holding up God’s unchanging Word against his changing world.

3. Then he looks at the surrounding nations—Moab, and even Edom, the very nation that has just wounded them.

And he recalls God’s sovereign declaration over them: "Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe." These are images of utter mastery. A washpot is for dirty feet; throwing a shoe over a piece of land was an act of claiming ownership. David is saying that even the nations that are currently afflicting them are, in reality, nothing more than God’s property.

4.Here is our second lesson: When your present is shaking, anchor yourself in the past promises of God.

Open His Word and rehearse His faithfulness. Remind yourself of what He has declared to be true. His Word is the only solid ground when everything else gives way.

III. A Hopeful Conclusion for the Future (v. 9-12)

1. With his faith now anchored in God's Word, David looks to the future.

He still acknowledges the challenge ahead: "Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?" But now, his question to God is filled with a repentant hope: "Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off?" It is a plea for God to return and lead them once more.

2. This leads to the psalm’s powerful conclusion, a timeless declaration for the people of God: