How You Doin? Series

Psalm 3: 1 – 8

How You Doin?

1 LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. 2 Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah 3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. 4 I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Life stinks and then you die. Have you ever heard this statement before? You know what, it is actually true. In the book of 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 12 says, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Hello?

It is my belief that our Holy God allows to happen to us on purpose. Why? I believe our Lord does not want us to be comfortable here. We know this in our minds but have not solidified it in our hearts. You have heard the statement, ‘He is so heavenly minded that he is no earthy good.’ This remark is not correct. If you are heavenly minded you will be earthly good because you follow the directions of Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High.

We have kind of a weird type of greeting in Philadelphia. We say, ‘How You Doin? [ we leave out the ‘g’. What is strange about this greeting is that we do not really care how you are doing? If someone from out of town starts to tell us how they are really doing we look at them strangely. It is not that we are not reflecting the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is just the way we are whether a believer or not.

Do you know when and why people were first called ‘Christians’? In the book of Acts chapter 11 verse 26 we find this out, “25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” You see the people who live in Antioch looked at the believers and said that they are acting like the Christ we have heard of. His love and ways were evident to all.

Now here is a time to reflect. Do your own inventory. Would people who know you also say that you reflect in your personal lives the Christ that we say we belong to? Now this is a heavy and serious thought to consider.

David was going through some extreme difficult times. Many scholars reveal that this was the time when his son Absalom was leading a revolt against him. The Psalm opens with a cry of distress and almost despair.

1 LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. 2 Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah

David was deeply aware that his life was in grave danger. He had only just escaped with his life by a hairsbreadth, and he had seen how many there were who were against him. The rebellion had taken him completely by surprise, even though he must have been aware of Absalom’s activities and attempts to win the people’s hearts to himself.

Abraham Lincoln once said that ‘you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time.’ People main thought towards those who are in leadership is, ‘what can you do for me now.’

We see now, however, that David was appalled. He was totally taken by surprise, and very upset, to discover how many there were who were clearly disenchanted with his reign. He had not expected this. He had not realized, in his sense of his own supremacy, that the days of his early popularity had gone, and that his reign was now probably considered too harsh. His constant calling on men for war to sustain the status quo, and his plans for expansion which involved them even more, had disillusioned the people. They had been unable to work their land as they had wanted to, and had had to spend too much time away from home.