Introduction:
Bad times…we all have experienced them. Sometimes they are self-inflicted. I done something I should not have done, and I caused my own bad times. And then there are times, others have done something to me that caused me to have bad times.
Whether they are self-inflicted, or caused by someone else “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; and it seems like you never will get to the light at the end of tunnel.
David, in Psalm 13, is a bad time in his life. And I want us to see what he teaches us.
Scripture:
Psalm 13:1-6 (NKJV)
1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Body:
FIRST, LET’S SEE WHAT I CAN LEARN ABOUT MYSELF.
1. 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?
A. 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.
B. One of the keys to a good marriage is the ability to recall the good times during a bad time. Those marriages where the partners are unable to recall the good times amid bad times have a difficult time surviving. The same thing applies in friendships; and the same thing applies in church membership.
C. 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 can recall the good times.
D. I must learn to keep my bad time in its proper perspective.
2. 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?
A. David sees God at this moment as someone who is against him.
B. 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.
C. Many people when the bad times come turn away from God and get angry with God because they are experiencing a bad time. They turn away from church when church is the place that they need to be. They don’t call their best friends; they tend to push them away.
3. 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?
A. Have you ever noticed how we have the tendency to beat our own self up when we are going through a bad time? We will beat ourselves up by asking: “Why did I do that?” Why didn’t I do this instead!
B. 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 the wrong type of person.
C. In the bad times, I need to learn not to beat my own self up.
4. In the bad times, I see people kicking me when I am down.
Vs 2-How long will my enemy triumph over me?
A. 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?
B. David says I am down, and it is when I am down that my enemies try to advance against me.
C. We have an expression kick them when they are down. Have you ever felt that way? Sometimes, churches will mortally wound their injured.
NOW LET’S SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT GOD IN THE BAD TIMES.
5. In the bad times, I learn that God can take whatever I disk out because He loves me unconditionally.
VS 3-5Look on me and answer, O Lord my God…in your unfailing love.
A. 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.
B. Whatever you are doing or said to God now or in the past God can take it because He loves you unconditionally.
C. God is big enough to handle whatever I have said or done to Him I the past.
6. 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.
A. Whatever bad time we are experiencing in our life, God’s salvation is the treasure to make it through.
B. 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.
C. God reassures you and I today our bad times will come to an end.
