Sermon- Making the Best of a Bad Situation
Psalms 3:1-8
Introduction: This Psalm of David was written when he fled from Absalom his Son." You will remember the sad story of David's flight from his own palace, when in the dead of the night, he crossed the brook Kedron, and went with a few faithful followers to hide himself for a while from the fury of his rebellious son. Remember that David in this was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, too, fled; he, too, passed over the brook Kedron when his own people were in rebellion against him, and with a feeble band of followers he went to the garden of Gethsemane. He, too, drank of the brook by the way, and therefore doth he lift up the head. Many expositors entitled this Psalm, “THE MORNING HYMN.” May we ever wake with holy confidence in our hearts, and a song upon our lips!
David found himself in a bad situation. David felt like he was in the minority. There were as many as 10,000 soldiers surrounding him at this time. When Absalom, my darling son was in rebellion against Him, it is enough to break his heart; Then Ahithophel his faithful counsellors hath forsaken him and turned his back on David. Not to mention some of him generals and many of his soldiers have deserted my standard. "How are they increased that trouble me!"
This dilemma causes David to search for answer. David calls out to God in his crisis. Bad situations will come. Yet we can overcome fear and anxiety by crying out to God in the darkest hour. This Psalm begin with David’s lament, many foes are surrounding me. In fact, forces of opposition had driven him from the palace and had completely taken over. They gloried in their success, believing that even God had forsaken David. You can make the best out of Bad Situation by first access your situation and acknowledge your sins to God.
(1) Access Your Situation
Psalm 3:1-2 “LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God. Selah.”
Our bad situations may be the result of our own sinful actions. Other times, it may be the result our miscalculations. They may be the result of satanic attacks. When we acknowledge our sin, we are also acknowledging our willingness to repent. David feels that this opposition was abnormal because of its speed, its size and its success.
Absalom was so sure of complete over King David that he stopped his pursuit of David to take over the palace. He carried David wives onto the roof, in the sight of all Israel and had an orgy with his father’s wives. God was using this delay, to allow David to find a place of security. After you access your situation, then encourage ourselves that the Lord is still our defender.
(2) Encourage yourselves, with David, that the Lord is your defender, who hath compassed you round about, and is, as it were, a shield that doth cover you on every side. Just because you are surrounded does not mean that you have been abandoned. When circumstances go against us, it is easy to think that God is also against us. It is easy to blame God for the crisis, don’t blame God, seek God! In the midst of bad situation we must remember, (1) we are His people (2) He is our God (3) We have History with God and What He has been, He will be and What He has done , He will do it again. After you access our situation, persuade ourselves that God is our defender, then pray without ceasing.
(3) Pray without ceasing. (3-5) Ps 3:3 “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”
In prayer, David found peace in the Lord. He was able to lay down in safety. He feels honored that God heard his prayer and granted him his petition. You can almost sense the joy and relief he was feeling. The Psalm gives us the assurance that even in the worst of times, we can lift up our heads with joy, knowing that all things work together for the good of them that love God and keep his commandments.
This whole psalm is a commentary on the grace of God. God’s loving way of sustaining us in times of trouble and providing for us in the time of need. In life, family will desert us; friends will walk away; and will suffer countless disappointments, yet we can rely on God to hear our cry and come to our rescue. After you access our situation, persuade ourselves that God is our defender, pray without ceasing, we must claim the promise of salvation.
(4) Claim the promise of Salvation. We will be delivered; for deliverance belongs unto the Lord. God specializes in saving from the enemy, and in blessing His people and keeping them safe.
Ps 3:5-8 “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. 7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’
David founded himself safe in the arms of God. Salvation and Deliverance come from the Lord. God’s people should pray under similar circumstances, so that may share in this blessing. Despite innumerable adversaries who were convinced that David had no help in God, David found safety and protection and his ultimate deliverance in God. This revelation of God as our keeper, sustainer, and savior is a springboard to hope. Just knowing that God himself is present and attentive to His hurting children is enough to cause hope to come alive! When facing problems, trials, suffering, and even death, we may feel like giving up in despair. David ran from his son who was threatening to take his life, realized that his only hope was in God.
When we feel seriously let down by life, we should remember that we still have hope in God. God is all the hope we need because he promised to be a shield to protect us. When we focus our thoughts on God, He restores our confidence in Him and in the future. He has a plan for us. Faith in God restores our confidence; confidence in God dispels our fear; communion with God brings security; and earnest prayer bring favorable results.
Psalms 27:13, 14, David expresses jubilant confidence in the Lord despite the host of enemies that threatened his life. His prayer began full of anxiety that the Lord would not forsake him and leave him. but he quickly moves to faith that God would be his present help in the time of need.
Ps 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
If we are to make the best out of bad situations; we too must understand that being surrounded does not mean, we are forsaken. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture, that means, we are in His care. Our God is our shield and defender. He is the source of salvation and deliverance. We can believe to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
In the end, Absalom was a great favorite of his father and of the people as well. His charming manners, his personal beauty, his insinuating ways, together with his love of pomp and royal pretensions, captivated the hearts of the people from the beginning. He lived in great style, drove in a magnificent chariot and had fifty men run before him. Such magnificence produced the desired effect upon the hearts of the young aristocrats of the royal city. His rebellion against father led him to final defeat. A great battle was fought in the forests of Ephraim. Here the rebel army was utterly routed. No fewer than 20,000 were killed outright, and a still greater number becoming entangled in the thick forest, perished that day (2Sa 18:7 f). Among these we find Absalom himself; for while riding upon his mule, his head was caught in the boughs of a great oak, probably in a forked branch. "He was taken up between heaven and earth; and the mule that was under him went on" (2Sa 18:9). In this position he was found by one of Kind David’s soldier who ran to inform Joab. Another soldier, without a moment's hesitation, notwithstanding David's positive orders, thrust three darts into the heart of Absalom. To make his death certain and encouraged by the action of their general, ten of Joab's young men "compassed about and smote Absalom and slew him" (2Sa 18:15). He was buried in a great pit, close to the spot where he was killed. A great pile of stones was heaped over his body. A fitting burial for a rebellious son.
