Help Me out of this Valley!
Psalm 13:1-6
Introduction:
Have you ever noticed how it seems that bad times seem to hang around a lot longer than the good times do?
We have a saying I am sure you all have heard, “Time flies when you are having fun”. And I know from personal experience time crawls when you are in the bad times.
David, in our psalm today, is a bad time in his life. And I want us to see what he teaches us about ourselves and what he teaches us about God when we are in the valley of our lives, the valley is the hard times, the troubled times, the bad times of life, those times that every single one of us has faced, today lets learn what the bible teaches us about bad times, and how we can face them.
Read Scriptures: Psalm 13:1-6
I. In the bad times, I am often unable to recall the previous good times.
Vs 1-How long, O Lord, Will you forget me forever?
In the bad times the truth is that sometimes I lose my perspective of things. God and David have had some wonderful times together and now David is saying God are you going to forget me forever. David at this moment can’t recall the good times. It just seems like God deserted him.
One of the keys to a good marriage is the ability to recall the good times in the midst of a bad time. Those marriages where the partners are unable to recall the good times in the midst of bad times have a difficult time surviving.
Many moms have this great ability to love their son or daughter unconditionally even when the child is in a rebellious time in their life because they are able to recall the good times.
I must learn to keep my bad time in its proper perspective.
II. In the bad times, I often see those people who are on my side as against me.
VS 1-How long will you hide your face from me?
David sees God at this moment as someone who is against him.
It is always interesting to me that when the bad times come we tend to shut out of our lives those that are the most important people to us. And instead of trying to get help to go through the tough time, we tend to face it alone.
Many people when the bad times come turn away from God and actually get angry with God because they are experiencing a bad time.
When I am going through a bad time I need to bring friends to me and not push them away.
III. In the bad times, I sometimes beat my own self up. In other words, sometimes I am my own worst enemy in the bad times.
VS 2-How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
Have you ever noticed how we have the tendency to beat our own self up when we are going through a bad time?
You ever listen to your self -talk when you are going through a bad time. “If I only was not so stupid as to abuse my body when I was younger.” “I can kill myself for making such a bad investment.” “I am so mad at myself for falling in love with such a cruddy person”.
In the bad times, I need to learn not to beat my own self up.
IV. In the bad times, I see people kicking me when I am down.
Vs 2-How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Have you noticed that it seems when you are going to through a tough time that is when people seem to take even a greater advantage over you?
David says I am down and it is when I am down that my enemies try to advance against me.
We have an expression kick them when they are down. Have you ever felt that way?
Now let’s see what we can learn about God in the bad times.
V. In the bad times, I learn that God can take whatever I dish out because He loves me unconditionally.
VS 3-5Look on me and answer, O Lord my God…in your unfailing love.
It almost seems that like David is being disrespectful to God.
He tells God you have forgot me and You hid from face from me and now he tells God in verse 3 to turn and look at me.
David is more frustrated than disrespectful. But God is big enough to take David’s frustration in stride because God loves David unconditionally.
Whatever you are doing or said to God now is in the past God is able to take it because He loves you unconditionally.
God is big enough to handle whatever I have said or done to Him I the past.
VI. In the bad times, God has giving me the greatest gift of all to make it through whatever bad time I experience- my salvation.
Vs. 5 my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Whatever bad time we are experiencing in our life, God’s salvation is the treasure to make it through.
No matter if it’s just a large family quarrel or if I am on my death- bed, God’s salvation will ultimately bring all my bad times to an end.
God reassures you and I today our bad times will come to an end.
Conclusion
We will have bad times in our life but don’t turn away from God during those times. He is the one who will ultimately rescue you from whatever trouble you have.
