God’s Love for us
Psalm 139:1-3;13-16
Psalm 27:1-27:8
Prayer-
Introduction-
This morning, we will look in a moment at the broken hearted words of David as he sought the Lord in his hard times.
Most people relate to Peter because he was the outspoken one and one who usually talked first and thought second.
I like David because David was one who defeated the giant Goliath when no one else would even try.
David was the one who did great things for the nation of Israel, but David was also was the one that was willing to be honest with God and said from his broken heart “create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit in me” when he messed up and realized that he himself was far from God.
We have been looking at the church and church people-
This world is crazy with all kinds of voices trying to get your attention, trying to get you on their side of a debate or discussion, trying to influence you and in many cases trying to get you to change from one way to another way. The church, speaking for God, sometimes not very well is a voice that is trying to get your attention, trying to get you to change or trying to get you to move to their side of a debate or issue.
There are “The have to” in life
I have to go to the bathroom- (kidding) you may put it off for awhile but you will have to take care of that or you will have problems.
I have to go work-
I have to take care and provide for my family.
I have to take care of myself.
I have to find my purpose!
I have to find out about God! The last two (purpose and God) have to are usually way down the list of other have to but one day will rise up and have to get some attention. They will become unanswered questions that only you can answer.
Scripture tells us (2 cor. 5:14) that Christ love “compels us” The word is a strong pulling toward the things of God. It is like a magnet that pulls things weaker than it to the magnet itself. In our journeys, some have fought God tooth and nail as He has tried to draw them. They have rebelled and refused to be drawn to Him. They do that because they feel they don’t have to!
There are other things that are drawn to us- sometimes the negative things that people put on us- we pull those things to us also, and if we are not careful, they change our attitude and our perspectives. They can change our faith and can discourage us and beat us down. These things are hurtful things said to us, hurtful things done to us, our past, guilt, even our own minds not turning off and running and taking us to places that we should not be going.
Do me a favor this morning, close your eyes and hold out your hands-(humor me)
In your right hand, think of all the good and positive have twos in your life. The have two’s that bring you joy. The things that make you want to get up in the morning. Now close your right hand. Those are the things that you hold on too.
In your left hand, think of all the things that trouble you, the things that you cannot do anything about, those things that people have put on you and you want to get rid of. Those things that keep you up at night. Close your left fist! Hold them there for a moment! If you could get rid of them- would you? Now picture Almighty God who loves you and compels you to be close to Him- now open your left hand and let go of all those things! Hold on to the things in your right hand and let go of the things in your left hand.
Open your eyes- That is the God who loves you this morning- The God that reaches out to us.
Let me share another Scripture- Psalms 139. I will not read the whole Psalm
(1-3)“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. You perceive my thought from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways.”
(13-16) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
God knows us
God loves us
YOU ARE UNIQUELLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE BY GOD
You have purpose
You can know that kind of a God today.
Illustration
I think of Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul after an encounter with Jesus. Saul thought that what he was doing was righteous and pleasing to God. He believed that his personal beliefs and ways to do things would be all right with a holy God. When in the presence of Jesus, quickly realized how empty and void of life and purpose he was until Christ changed his life. In fact, the resume that Paul had was impressive to everyone except Jesus. In himself he was empty but with Jesus, he was a changed man. A man that pleased God and a man who had purpose so much that he was willing and ready to die for Christ.
When we have that kind of changed life- we are sensitive to those around us.
We want to help others.
We become kingdom minded.
Our purpose lines up with God instead of God being forced to line up with us.
We not only hear that we are unique to God but begin to believe and act like we belong to God.
Ok, now turn to Psalm 27, to the broken words of David that I began this message with. You cannot say these words like David without coming to the place of trust and assurance of Christ and His love.
Psalm 27- 1-8
The commentaries differ on the time of writing for this Psalm.
Some believe it was when David was in the midst of turmoil before his taking of the throne.
Others believe that David penned these words as an old man and was reflecting on the times that God had intervened in his life and his grateful victory against the giant Goliath.
Either way, there is something we can learn from his life.
He begins by saying the Lord is… “My light and my Salvation”
David’s people called him the light of Israel (2 Samuel), but David had learned that he was not the light -God Almighty was the light.
He did not light the pathway but God lite his path.
That was a learned truth.
He had to go through hard times to realize that God was with him.
He had to learn to trust God and not look at the circumstances.
Maybe this morning as we close this service, you want to know that kind of God?
The God that never leaves you or forsakes you
the kind of God that when the enemies of your soul come after you, you can answer “Who shall I fear”
When the enemy encamps you from all sides that you cry out in confidence that they will stumble and fall and you shall stand victorious.
The resemblance between Paul and David is that they learned after being in the presence of Jesus that they no longer had to ask God to take them out of danger, but only asked that God would be there with them through the trials and troubles of life.
They learned that the enemy comes to “kill, steal and destroy, but God comes to give us life”! (John 10:10)
They had Learned “we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual darkness, against wickedness in high places.”
The one thing that believers need to learn is that Jesus does not eliminate challenges , He desires to see us through challenges.
Where He can get honor and glory.
Where we will become stronger for the kingdom of God.
Where we desire more than deliverance. (Get out of jail free cards)
We want with all our hearts to be in His presence.
To dwell in the beauty of God’s holy place.
The safest place to be.
David and Paul discovered;
You don’t run from the enemy
You don’t chase after the enemy
You pursue the presence of God!
You go to the safe place.
Intimacy with Christ has you look at the situation from a new prospective-
Story goes like this-
The contrast is as different as a turtle and a giraffe. To the turtle, everything looks big and intimidating. A turtle cannot see beyond the immediate circumstances that it’s in, but a giraffe has a different prospective. A giraffe is able to see above and beyond the immediate circumstance. From the giraffe point of view, the turtles concerns would not be the giraffe concerns because of his perspective .David intimacy with God allowed him to take a different perspective. Though the enemies appeared to be all around him, his perspective was to his God, they are not a big deal. He was able to look above the darkness, beyond what was in front of him.
When we get to” that place”- the safe place of God.
We Sense God’s presence more than the enemies darkness.
We see the beauty of God’s love.
We are able to sing praise unto God in the midst of trials.
Praise in the midst of trials demonstrates the ability to trust God.
The God of the universe love you… died for you… and desires to have a relationship with you.
You don’t think you are uniquely made by God- the odds of two people sharing the same fingerprint is one in 64 million.
Maybe if you look at your situation through the eyes of the giraffe instead of the turtle, you will be able to say like David
“Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
Amen.
