There aren’t too many people who are fans of processes. A process infers that we have to go through a series of actions before we can see end results. A process infers that sometimes we have to wait a while before we reach a desired destination.
• A process requires time in order to yield the desired results.
• It seems like a process is the best thing to go through if we want to receive the best results in the end, but what makes a process difficult to go through is that we just don’t like to wait.
• Let’s admit it, we’re impatient people. We live in a society where almost everything is instant.
The next time you’re in the grocery store, pay attention to how things are labeled. Instant grits, instant coffee, instant pancakes, instant this and that.
• There was a time when you would have to prepare babies’ milk on the stove, which took a few minutes. Now you just take some powdered milk, mix it with water and instantly you have milk for the baby.
• And I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with receiving some results instantly, but on the other hand when some things don’t go through processes, then the end results aren’t as enjoyable as they would have been if you had gone through a series of actions with an expectation of an acceptable end result.
Popcorn cooked over a stove is more enjoyable than instant microwaved popcorn. If that baby could talk and had a choice between instant milk and milk prepared on the stove, they would probably choose the real thing; but when things (or people) don’t go through the full process, it just isn’t the same.
• No matter how advanced this world becomes, and how many things become instant, in our lives, and particularly our spiritual lives, there are some things we’ll just have to wait to receive or accomplish.
• There will be some processes we’ll have to go through before we become established.
The process of establishment suggest to us that before we reach the mountaintop, or before we become firm, stable, or settled into a certain position, we must first go through a process. In order words, in this life you may not always experience instant success.
• Rather than quickly achieving goals, there are going to be times in your life where you will have to go through a process filled with heartache and pain, before you can experience sunshine and gain.
• Langston Hughes said it best in his poem titled “Mother to Son”, “Life for me aint been no crystal stair. It’s been hard and bare and rough places on the floor, But all the while I’se been climbing, and going forth.”
Life is a process, we have to go through and experience various things, good, bad, and ugly before we can become established in different areas and levels in life.
• Glass has to be placed in the fire before it’s established as a beautiful vase in a boutique store in Paris.
• A great sports team has to go through long days, weeks, and months of practice before they even have an opportunity to play in a championship game.
• And in our spiritual lives, God has to make, break, shape, hold, and mold us before we can experience some of the blessings He has in store for us.
In the process of establishment, we need to understand that patience is necessary in order to wait on God to settle us into the position He has already ordained for us.
• You see what we fail to realize at times, is that for the Christian the battle is already won. God has already made a way out of our situations and circumstances.
• God has already established the end results of where we need to be and where He wants us to be.
• All we have to do is go through the process in order to reach that desired place of establishment.
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In our selected passage, we find the psalmist David sharing his experience as he went through one of his processes of establishment.
• David we know mostly as the second king of Israel who God called as a replacement to the throne in which Saul had lost because of his turning away from God.
• But if we really study and examine the life of David we most often will see a reflection of ourselves.
We can relate to his pride, sneakiness, sexual immorality, fears, and doubts. There are many things David experienced that we too have experienced. But the good news is that we not only see those dark moments of his life, but we see how he overcame those rough times. This should help when we’re going through our various trials.
But in our text we find David recalling a time or times in his life that he had to go through a process before he was established and steadied on the rock of God.
• There were many processes and lessons David had to learn throughout his life in which he was successful in coming out of, which also compelled God to call David a “man after His own heart.”
• These processes David went through helped to strengthen him spiritually, as well as deepen his relationship with God.
• You see when we depend on God when we’re going through certain things, it helps to deepen and develop our relationship with Him.
The process David went through after his adultery with Bathsheba helped to deepen and develop his relationship with God. When David’s baby boy died as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba, it helped to develop his relationship with God.
• When David’s son Absalom had his brother killed for raping their sister; going through that process helped to develop David’s relationship with God.
• These trials and many more in David’s life helped him in eventually being established as he learned while going through the trials and processes of life.
• And we too have to go through our trials and processes, but keep in mind that if we stay by God’s side, that it will become a lesson of experience that will lead to our establishment on the solid rock.
What process are you going through right now? What lessons of life are you learning? I’m not psychic or anything, but one thing I do know, is that everybody in here is going through a process and it’s up to us whether or not we become established at the end.
• When we’ve become established it means that we’ve learned some of life’s lessons. To become established means that our relationship with God is a little more developed and deepened.
• Being established means our faith has grown and that by going through that process we are strengthened and able to stand to handle more when it comes our way.
• Since all of us are going through a process or processes, then we need to understand the spiritual steps in the process of our establishment.
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In the pericope, we find that David gives us a great example of how we are to go through our trials and processes, which will lead to our establishment.
• These steps aren’t difficult to grasp, but they can be difficult to follow through, and that’s because we’re human.
• The fact that we are human only strengthens the fact that while going through our processes, the only way to become established at the end, is to lean and depend on God all the way.
As we zoom in to the passage verse 1a says, “I waited patiently for the LORD to help me.” The first step in the process of becoming established is to wait patiently for the Lord. Did ya’ll think the first step was going to be a deep theological principle?
• One thing I love about God is that He doesn’t make His Word so complicated that we can’t understand it, but the Word of God is laid plain before us so that we won’t have an excuse not to obey it.
But David shares with us that while he was going through his trial and process, the first and most important lesson he had to learn was to wait on the Lord.
• This lesson is no less important today, no matter what we are going through; we have to learn how to wait on the Lord.
• David didn’t just wait, but he waited patiently. A lot of us don’t have a problem with waiting, that’s cool, but the problem comes in when we have to wait patiently.
You know at the drive thru of McDonald’s when you place an order, then you drive to one window to pay for the food, and then at the next window you wait for your food and about 45 seconds later you’re driving off. That’s waiting; we have no problem with that.
• But, after you pay for your food, pull up to the next window to pick it up, and they tell you, “Can you pull up there and we’ll bring it out?”, that moves into the territory of waiting patiently and that’s where we have a problem.
If we’re going to go through these processes of life, we’re going to have to learn how to wait patiently.
To wait patiently is to express an attitude of hope, expectation, and confidence, because you know that the one you’re waiting on is guaranteed to come eventually.
• True patience means waiting without worrying. The process you’re going through is not always going to be easy and there will be times that you feel like giving up, but you’re going to have to realize who your help is coming from.
• And when you know that your help comes from the Lord, then understand also that you have to wait patiently on Him, because He’s going move when He’s ready.
Think about it like this, if God moved when we are ready for Him to move, then that would mean that God doesn’t love us. But because we can’t see the dangers ahead, and because we don’t know what’s best for us all the time, God’s love for us compels Him to move when He sees that the danger is gone or when He sees that we’ve learned the lesson that will benefit us in the future.
• So, if we want to become established after our process we need to wait patiently for the Lord’s help.
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The next step in the process of becoming established is to talk to the Lord. It seems like these steps can’t get any easier than this. Look at verse 1b, “And He turned to me and heard my cry.” If the Lord heard David’s cry, if He heard his plea for help, then this means that David had to be talking to God in order for something to be heard.
• While David was waiting patiently on the Lord, he was also constantly talking to Him. I like how the King James Version put this, it says, “And He (the Lord) inclined unto me.” This word “inclined” used here means to bend or bend down, so we are given an anthropomorphic view of the Lord bending down to hear David’s cry. This shows God’s concern and care for those who cry out or talk to Him.
The process of establishment can sometimes be a long and rough road, and many us won’t make it to the end if we don’t talk to the Lord. Our problem is that when we’re going through certain things, we want to talk to everybody but the Lord.
• You see everybody can’t handle your problems, just like everybody can’t handle your blessings. Some people will purposely give you the wrong advice or discourage you in order to hold you back just a little while longer.
• I know you think they’re your friend, but just because they smile in your face, it doesn’t mean a thing. Don’t you know some people can give you a hug and put in knife in your back at the same time? Did not Judas betray Jesus with a kiss?
So talk to your heavenly Father because He has your best interest at heart. God turned and heard the cry of David. He didn’t just listen to David’s cry, but God’s turning let us know that he was moving to respond and answer David’s prayers.
• We don’t know how long David waited for the Lord’s help, but we know he waited patiently and we know that God did come and see about him. One thing we need to keep in mind is that God is always there even when it seem like He isn’t.
• God heard the cry of David from the first time his petition left his lips, but God responded when who knew David was ready to receive His help.
God hears your cry about your job situation, but He is going to move when the time is right for you. God hears your cry about your relationship, but He is going to move when the time is right for you.
• God hears your cry about your health, but He is going to move when the time is right for you. God hears your cry about all your concerns, but he is going to move when the time is right for you.
• Thank God that He hears my cry and moves in His time.
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As we move through our processes we have to talk to the Lord, but another step in the process of becoming established is to allow the Lord to establish you. I told you these steps were easy. Verse 2 says, “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”
• Using figurative language, David describes the situation and danger he was in. To be in despair is one thing, but to feel like you are in a pit of despair is another.
• This suggests to us that David was way past hopelessness, as a matter of fact David felt like it was over, that his circumstances won the battle.
If being in a pit of despair wasn’t enough, he also found himself in the mud and mire. The mud and mire tells us that David felt stuck in his situation and was sinking fast.
• Has anyone been here before? All of your hope was gone and you felt like God had abandoned you. You didn’t have any idea how your situation was going to work out and your towel had already been thrown in.
• The song writer said I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. What are you sinking in this morning?
• Is it sin, financial troubles, marital problems, your child’s behavior, joblessness, hopelessness, illness, insecurity, depression, anxiety, faithlessness?
• I don’t know what you’re sinking in, but I do know this, the Bible says, “He set my feet on solid ground!”
The solid ground represents safety, stability, and security. David allowed the Lord to establish him, and this is an important step in our processes because often times we look for people to establish us.
• We think that momma and daddy can get us out of anything, and I’m not just talk to the youth when I say that.
• On our jobs we trust in our talents and degrees to establish us, but when we count on people and abilities to establish us we’re find ourselves disappointed many times.
We have to allow the Lord to establish us and set our feet on solid ground, and He doesn’t just set us on solid ground, but He keeps us steady as we continue to walk along.
• In other words, God doesn’t just place us on the solid ground, but He’s also the one responsible for keeping us there.
• There is no need to worry about sinking, once we’ve been established on the solid rock of our Lord.
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I thank God for setting my feet on solid ground, but I’m getting ready to sit down, and be happy all by myself. But the last step we find in the passage in the process of becoming established is to praise the Lord for your establishment. Verse 3a says, “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.”
• David waited patiently on the Lord for help, the Lord heard him and answered his prayer, He lifted him out of the pit of despair, and He set him on solid ground and steadied his walk.
• When David looked back on his process; when David examined his trial; praise overwhelmed his soul.
When David understood the process he had went through, and saw how God had established him, he couldn’t help but praise the Lord for all He had done. David realized that if it had not been for the Lord on his side, then his establishment wouldn’t have been possible.
• David said the Lord gave him a new song to sing. He was no longer singing the blues; instead praises fell from his lips. David had something to shout about; he had reason enough to make laps around the sanctuary.
• And I’m wondering this morning, is there anybody here who has a reason to praise the Lord? Didn’t the Lord lift you out of a pit, and set your feet on solid ground? But hold up, hold up.
Check this out, David said the Lord gave him a new song to sing. This means that this wasn’t the first process of establishment that David had experienced. David had been through similar experiences before; this explains why David had the ability to wait patiently on the Lord.
• He knew from past experiences, that God may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time! God gave him a new song to sing, God had brought him out of a new situation, which compelled David to give God a new praise.
• The praise you gave God for bringing you out of that situation isn’t good for this situation. In other words, your praises to God from 2008, aren’t good in 2009.
When you praised Him in 2008, it was for 2008 blessings, but in 2009, you need a new song of praise. God is worthy of our praises everyday, because everyday He keeps on blessing us. Everyday He keeps opening doors, everyday He keeps us from dangers, everyday He strengthens us and everyday I should be able to praise His Holy Name!
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I said I was going to sit down and be happy, but I want to make sure you got all of the steps in the process of establishment.
• Number one, wait patiently on the Lord.
• Number two, talk to the Lord.
• Number three, allow the Lord to establish you.
• And number four, praise the Lord for your establishment.
• These steps really aren’t hard to follow, but remember we have to go through our processes and trials leaning and depending on God.
The Christian life is a process, and at the end we will become established if we hold on and hold out. We have to run this race until the end, because whether you know it or not, somebody is watching how you go through your processes.
• The latter part of verse 3 says, “Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.”
• The process of establishment isn’t just for you, but others will be blessed and trust in the Lord because of how He’s brought you through.
And I’m so glad, that God keeps me in the midst of my trials. I’m so glad, that the Lord brings me through the process.
• I know in the end, I’ll be stronger. I know in the end, I’ll be wiser. I know in the end, I’ll be better, so much better. And I know without the Lord, I would never make it.
The process of establishment. The process of establishment. Jesus went through the process of establishment, from the agony in the Garden, to the trials and mocking, to the crucifixion on the Cross.
• Christ Jesus waited patiently upon God the Father to perform the work of atonement.
• He waited patiently, all night Friday, all day and night Saturday, but early Sunday morning, He got up and became established on the solid rock, with all power in His hand…
