God Promises His Blessing
Psalm 29
The title of today’s sermon is God Promises His Blessing
We are going to be looking at Psalm 29
What is a promise?
The dictionary says a promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing
Or that a particular thing will happen
It is a pledge
We all have made promises
Chances are, most of us adults here today are in the midst of a promise right now
A promissory note
We promise to pay off that vehicle parked outside
Or we promise to pay off the house we are living in
Technically, until we pay those things off they belong to the bank
Because if we fail to fulfill that promise the bank will foreclose on them
So that leads me to my next question
Have you ever broken a promise?
We probably all have
Sometimes circumstances might cause us to break a promise
Like, I promise I will be there at 5:30 to pick you up
But there was an accident and traffic backed up and made you late
Or, I promise to have the kids in bead by 10:00
But little Timmy fell and cut his head
So he had to get cleaned up and bandaged so it wasn’t until 10:45
So, sometimes circumstance cause us to break a promise
How about this?
Can circumstances ever cause God to break a promises
Hebrews 6:18 tells us that it is “impossible for God to lie”
So God cannot break a promise
There is no such thing as circumstances for our Almighty, Sovereign, Omnipotent, All-knowing God
In fact, if one, just one, promise of God were not true
God’s name would be dishonored
If the Bible were not reliable
Then God’s holy, just, righteous and true character would be defiled
His promises are so sure and certain that they are “an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” Hebrews 6:19
God promises His Blessing
But before we can look at His blessing
First lets set some groundwork for the value of God’s promises
First God’s promises are precious
2 Peter 1:4 says he has given us exceedingly great and precious promises
God promises abundant life
He promises eternal life
His promises are exceedingly great and precious
We should value the promises of God for what they truly are
Precious, and not take them for granted
God’s promises are also proven
Throughout Scripture we see account after account where God makes and keeps His promises
So God’s promises are precious
They are proven
And they have purpose
God’s ultimate purpose is to bring glory and honor to Himself
And His ultimate promise to us is eternal life
So let’s remember God’s promises are precious, proven , and have a purpose
God promises His Blessing
Let’s read Psalm 29
As we read, think about what God used to inspire David to write this Psalm
David was aided by a mighty thunderstorm
So listen for words describing a thunderstorm
Psalm 29
God blesses His people
God wants to bless His people
First in order to receive a blessing from God there must be a relationship
Last week I was watching a Phillies game (Phillies Phan)
The Dodgers were in town for a day game
Recently the Phillies trade their long time short stop Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers
Rollins is a leadoff hitter, so he comes to the plate for the Dodgers first plate appearance
So as Rollins steps to the plate, the fans, often said to be the worst fans in baseball, the fans start cheering
And they give Rollins a standing ovation
Rollins stepped into the batter’s box with a huge smile on his face
Took a step back and removed his helmet tipping it to the fans in thanks
Why? Why did those fans treat him that way?
They had a relationship with him
They loved and respected him for his contributions over the years to the team and the city
In order to receive a blessing from God there must be a relationship
God wants to bless his people
Too many people think that He is some arbitrary and hateful being who loves to hold a grudge
This of course is not true
God wants no one to be everlastingly condemned
He would rather bless them
The problem is that He can only bless those who are His
Psalm 29:11 says “The Lord will bless His people with peace”
So a person must realize his natural condition of rebellion and sin
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Some people believe they have some natural goodness
All people are natural sinners
No one has even a kernel of goodness by nature
5 times a phrase occurs in the Bible
“There is none that doeth good”
3 times the phrase “no, not one” is added
No one has the capability to do good
Because of that fact Jesus came to earth as the perfect sacrifice for sin
In going to the cross and dying for the sin of the world
Jesus provided way by which sinful and rebellious man could have a proper relationship with God
Those who receive Jesus as Savior gain that relationship with God
They become the children of God
Once we have that right relationship with God, we need to claim Him as God
Some saved people want the eternal son ship but do not want to walk too closely with God
The blessing of God is promised to those who claim Him as Lord
This is true for individuals and for groups
If God is not the Lord of an individual
If God is not Lord of a church
If God is not Lord of a nation, then God is not obligated to bless them
God has only promises to bless those whose God is the Lord
First to receive God’s promised blessing is to have a relationship with Him
Another requirement for blessing from God is responding to Him
In the book of Philemon we read about a man named Demas
Demas was a man who worked with Paul as a fellow-laborer
This man decided the work was not worth the pain
He departed from Paul’s side because he loved the comforts of the world
Was God obligated to bless him in his rebellion?
No, a person must respond to God in order to receive a blessing from Him
A proper response is he must be willing to hear the Word of God
God promised a blessing on the person who delights in and meditates on the Bible
He searches for instructions from the Word of God
He is like a tree planted by a river
Jesus echoed this sentiment when He said in Luke 11:28
Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it.
Since the Bible is God’s message to mankind
It would be wise for believers to hear and heed what He says
A person must also trust in God
Psalm 2:12 says blessed are all they that put their trust in Him
The idea of trust as used in this verse is that of relying on Him
Or fleeing to Him for protection
One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 18:10
It is a verse that can help comfort a child of God during hard times for sure
The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
The picture here is of a tower in a castle wall
That tower was a place of protection from the enemy
But I also picture a man running into it, funny images help me remember things
People face many situations in life where they cannot see the solution
As a result, they tend to become anxious and to worry
This is something I personally struggle with
What should we do under such circumstances??
We should rely on the Lord
Trusting in God puts a person in a position to receive a great blessing from Him
That is our response
If we realize that God cares for us, we should be ready to respond to Him when He calls
The Bible is full of His instructions for our lives
Do we hear them?
Do we obey them?
Do we trust that God knows what He is doing?
Responding to God puts a person in a position to have spiritual happiness
God wants to bless His people
In order to receive them
There must first be a relationship
There must be a response from us
And finally there must be a respect
Remember Psalm 29 imagery focuses on a powerful thunderstorm
Have you read the novel or seen the movie All the Pretty Horses ?
In this western the two main characters come across a 13 year Jimmy Blevine
Blevins is superstitious about storms
His family has a history of getting struck by lighting
And he panics: he abandons his horse, strips himself of all metal objects, including his pants and shirt, which have metal buckles, and hides in a ravine
The other two cowboys hide beneath a rock outcropping to wait out the storm
When they find Blevins the next day, he has lost his clothing and his horse
He puts on a shirt of the other cowboys, and they continue their journey southward
Jimmy Blevine respected and feared them storm
David in Psalm 29 respected the storm
But looked at it and saw the beauty of God
Look closer of some of these verses
Verse 3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
Verse 5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon
Verse 7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. That would be lightning
Verse 10 The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever
Why the difference between David and this fictional character from the novel?
David knew God and knew God was in control of every situation
David feared, respected, the Lord
What does it mean to fear the Lord?
The word commonly used has the meaning of reverence
Or standing in awe of someone superior
A beautiful illustration of this concept came from Isaiah’s vision of God on His throne
God was high and lifted up
His appearance was awe-inspiring
Isaiah really did not know how to respond to such a sight
He simply cried out “Woe is me! For I am undone”
How do people respond to God today
Far too many have a low opinion of God
What do they commonly call Him?
The man upstairs
How demeaning that must be to God
He is God almighty, holy and true, eternal through the ages without equal
There is no description lofty enough to reach the true character of God
He is worthy of all honor, glory, blessing and power
Jeremiah 5:22a says
Do you not fear me? declares the LORD.
Do you not tremble before me?
When was the last time any of us have trembled before God?
Have we ever?
Why is it important to stand in awe of God?
We will not respond to God’s commandments if we do not hold Him in respect
A Christian will not obey God unless he respects God
This should not be difficult
Examine the true nature of God
This should spark such awe that any command will be obeyed
Psalm 112:1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments
Do you want the promised blessings of God?
Remember God’s promises are precious
God’s promises are proven
And God’s promises have a purpose
But what are the conditions set for people to receive His blessings?
First there must be a relationship
This isn’t popular in our political correct society
And even in some of our political correct churches
But there are some exclusive benefits to having a relationship with Jesus Christ
God only blesses those that are His children
Secondly there must be a response
We must respond to Him
How? Hear the Word of God and keep it
And then trust in God
Just reading and hearing aren’t enough
We must respond to it
Thirdly there must be a respect
If we have a relationship with God
And if we respect and fear God
Then we will respond properly to God
And He will bless us
There are conditions to receiving His promised blessings
Lots of people love Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
A great life verse
But most of us forget about the verse that comes before
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success
Conditions
The promises of God are precious
And will not be broken
His ultimate promises is the promise of eternal life
In 1989 a 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes
It's hard to imagine the anguish, the pain, and the suffering that began in those four brief minutes of time people's worlds were shaken and lives crushed
In the midst of chaos and destruction, he rushed to his son's school
But instead of a school, he found a shapeless heap of rubble
Imagine what went through his mind. What would have gone through your mind?
Perhaps, shock would have crippled you as it did the other parents who were walking around dazed, clutching at their hearts and calling out their child's name
But in the case of this father, the sight of rubble and ruin only made him spring into action
He ran to the back corner of the building where his son's class room used to be and began to dig
Why? What real hope did he have?
What were the chances that his son could have survived such destruction?
All he knew was that he had made a promise to always be there for his son
It was this promise that gave strength to his body and motivated him mentally
As he began to dig, well-meaning parents tried to pull him out of the rubble saying: "It's too late!" "They're dead!" "You can't help!" "Go home!" "There's nothing you can do!"
The fire chief tried to pull him off the rubble by saying, "Fires and explosions are happening everywhere
You are in danger. Go home!"
Finally, the police came and said, "You're angry, distraught, but it's over. Go home."
But this father had made a promise, and he was going to keep it!
The love this father had in his heart for his son kept him digging for 8 . . . 12 . . . 24 . . . 36 hours
Then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice crying for help
Immediately, he screamed, "ARMAND!"
Back came the words, "Dad!? I told them!
I told the other kids that if you were still alive, you'd save me!
You promised me, you said you'd always be there for me! You did it, dad!
A determined father, a promise kept, and a stone rolled away to reveal life and give freedom
The story of Armand's dad reminds us of the events of that Sunday morning 2000 years ago
When our Heavenly Father kept a greater promise by rolling away a much more significant stone
With the rolling away of that stone, came eternal life, and true lasting freedom in Christ!
And you know what? Our Heavenly Father is still in the business of rolling away stones
And He is still in the business of keeping His promises
