Illus: For example, they will have John Wayne on his horse, ride into a town that is filled with all kinds of major problems, and in a couple of hours he will clean that town up and make it a safe and decent place to live.
The reason it is upsetting to watch such movies is because we find ourselves with major problems, and some of them can not be solved in a lifetime.
In Psalm 13, David gives us a picture of his life in a John Wayne type of approach. That is, in these six small verses, in a very short time, we see David go from DISTRESS to DELIVERANCE.
Let me show you several things about Psalm 13, first-
I. HIS DISTRESS
One of the reasons most Christians enjoy studying the psalms is because they can relate to them. The Psalms relate to many things in their life that they face themselves.
For example, David had lived a godly life, however, his enemies went to King Saul and lied about him, and convinced Saul that David was conspiring to kill him.
Illus: It is astounding the lies that people will tell about a man of God. That is, if they were going to tell lies about someone, they should lie about a dope peddler, liquor proprietor, child molester or someone committing adultery.
No, those who do these things very seldom have anything bad to say about these people. They will find a person like David, that was a man after God’s own heart, and they will lie against him and do everything they can to destroy him.
A lot of folks do not know this, but there are two kinds of liars.
(1) THERE IS THE ORIGINAL LIAR
That is, some folks are so ungodly they will make up something about someone and spread it all over the place as if it is the truth. And it is a LIE that they concocted in their evil heart.
(2) THERE IS THE SECOND HAND LIAR
The lie they tell did not originate with them. But without knowing if something is true or not, they will take the lie they have heard and spread it all over the country as if it was true.
Illus: Second hand liars are like second hand smoke that cigarette smokers produce. We are told by the experts that second hand smoke is as bad, if not more deadly than the first hand smoke.
Those who go around destroying people with their lies make us wonder IF THEY ARE SAVED.
LET’S SEE WHAT GOD’S WORD SAYS ABOUT THEM.
Based on the Word of God, I do not think so.
• Look at James 1:26, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.”
Notice, God’s Word says their religion is in vain. The word “Vain” here is the Greek word “Mataios” (Pronounced as mat'-ah-yos) it means empty.
Illus: They tell everyone they are saved, that Christ lives within them. But if they had a lid on their heart, and you could open them up and look inside of them, James says you would discover they are EMPTY!
But notice two more things that James says:
(1) They make everyone else think they are saved. But James says they are not, they just “…Seem to be Religious”
(2) But notice, not only have they fooled others, but they have fooled themselves. Look at James 1:26 again, we read, “…BUT DECEIVETH HIS OWN HEART…”
ARE THESE PEOPLE SAVED? God’s Word says they are NOT. Let me show you more proof that such people are not saved.
Look at Proverbs 6:16-19, we read, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Notice, how many of these things on God’s hate list deal with those who tell lies.
• Verse 16, “Lying tongue.”
• Verse 18, “Feet that be swift in running to mischief.”
• Verse 18, “A false witness that speaketh lies.”
• Verse 19, “He that soweth discord among brethren.”
Four out of the seven things that God hates, have to do with telling lies.
You see, if God allowed these people in heaven they would be sowing discord in heaven. These people are EMPTY OF GOD’S SALVATION, but they are full of the things that God hates.
But if these verses have not convinced you that they are not saved, let me show you another one that will.
Look at Rev. 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
The Bible clearly teaches that these people are going to burn in hell.
We need to pray for people like this. Our churches are filled with people who have made it a way of life to go around telling FIRST HAND LIES, or SECOND HAND LIES! They are constantly sowing discord among the brethren.
These vicious lies were told on David, and Saul believed these lies, and Saul set out to have David killed. David had to flee for his life, and had to live in caves and the outdoors with his men.
David was being attacked from every side. He felt like everyone had turned against him and God had forgotten him. Notice, he cries out to God, "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?"
Notice something he is implying in this question. He knew God was going to do something about those who had lied against him, BUT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD BE BEFORE GOD ACTED!
Perhaps there is someone here today and you feel all alone, and you feel like God has forgotten you. If you feel this way, you are in good company, David felt the same way, and he prayed, “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?”
When David cried out to God he used two figures of speech....
1. He used the figure of speech called an EROTESIS.
This is when one ASKS A QUESTION, BUT DOES NOT EXPECT AN ANSWER. David used this figure of speech FOUR times as he cried out in his distress in verses 1-2...
• "HOW LONG wilt thou forget me, O Lord?"
• "HOW LONG wilt thou hide thy face from me?"
• "HOW LONG shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?"
• "HOW LONG shall mine enemy be exalted over me?"
David asked these questions about HOW LONG he would be in distress, without ever giving God a chance to answer any of them. Also...
2. He used the figure of speech called ANAPHORA.
This is a figure of speech THAT USES THE SAME WORD AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SUCCESSIVE SENTENCE. That is, he cried out in his distress, "HOW LONG...HOW LONG...HOW LONG...HOW LONG...?"
Illus: If we are driving down the road and we see a house is on fire, and it appears that everyone is asleep, we immediately go to the door of that house and go “Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!. We knock until we are sure they have heard us banging on the door.
That was what David was doing. He was, banging on God's door, spiritually speaking, crying out, "HOW LONG? HOW LONG? HOW LONG? HOW LONG?" He felt that the Lord had forgotten him.
David was overlooking two things.
A. GOD'S ATTRIBUTES WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO FORGET!
The God of the Bible is omniscient. That means that HE KNOWS ALL THINGS. God is Omniscient. If he forgot something, that would mean there are some things that God does not know. There is nothing that God does not know. God is not like us. HE DOES NOT FORGET!
Listen, God did not forget, David forgot.
Illus: There is a little poem that I think of when I think of how often we mortals forget things. It is called, "I Can't Remember," and it goes like this...
"For sometimes I can't remember When I stand at the foot of the stairs,
If I must go up for something, or have just come down.
And before the fridge so often I stand,
Have I just put food away, or have I come to take some out?
And there's the time when it is dark with my nightcap on my head,
I don't know if I'm retiring, or just getting out of bed.
And today here I stand beside the mail box, with a face so very red.
Instead of mailing you my letter I forgot, and opened it instead
author unknown
How often we mortals forget, especially as we grow older.
God never forgets anything! GOD’S ATTRIBUTES WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO FORGET!
There is another reason God does not forget...
B. GOD'S LOVE WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO FORGET
Isaiah asked an interesting question. Look at Isaiah 49:15, we read, "Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." God's Word tells us that humans can forget each other.
Illus: The most intimate relationship that we have on this earth is between a mother and her child, but some mothers have walked off and deserted their children as if they never existed.
Look at that question closely, “Can a woman forget her sucking child?” The design of this verse is apparent. It is to show that the love which God has for his people is stronger than the love of a mother for her infant child.
God asks the question and then God answers the question. He said, “Yea, they may forget.” The phrase “…They may forget…” implies that such a thing may and does occur.
But notice, God says that as great as a mother’s love may be, God wants us to know that he loves us with a greater love, because he says, "...yea, they may forget, YET WILL I NOT FORGET THEE."
When David cried out, "How long wilt thou forget me," he was accusing God of FORGETTING, but the fact is HE HAD FORGOTTEN THAT GOD DOES NOT FORGET!
In Isaiah 54:17, God says, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper...", and everything enemies do to us will boomerang one day and smash them to pieces.
David, in the first two verses, cries to God IN HIS DISTRESS, but look at...
II. HIS DELIVERANCE
In verses 3-4, we read, "Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved."
Oh, how miserable we would be if we had no God to turn to in times of distress. David said to God, "Consider and hear me, O Lord my God..."
It seems that David was regaining his composure, and that HIS FAITH WAS RETURNING, replacing the doubts and fears that God had forsaken him. Look at...
A. HIS SUPPLICATION
David prayed, "...O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death."
David gives us a picture of himself as a man that was physically worn out.
Illus: His eyelids were so heavy that he could hardly keep his eyes open. He felt that any moment he may go into a sleep and sleep the sleep of death.
Look at the last part of verse 3 again, where we read, "...lest I sleep the sleep of death." And it is a fact that life's DIFFICULTIES HAVE SENT MANY TO AN EARLY GRAVE.
Illus: It should not surprise us when we get to heaven if we find that many may have had ten to fifty more years left to live on earth, but they died prematurely because they never learned how to take life's difficulties and place them in God's hands.
• Often the difficulties that we face are to much for us. That is why the Word of God says, “Casting all your cares upon Him.”
• Then He lovingly tells us why we should do this, “Because He careth for you.”
David also prayed for something else. In verse 4, he prayed for God to deliver him, "Lest mine enemy say, I have PREVAILED against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved."
Illus: When Samson was defeated by his enemies, they mocked him and compelled him to grind at a mill like an animal. Listen, that humiliation did not bring honor to God. It was a disgrace!
David was asking God not to let his enemies PREVAIL over him and REJOICE in his defeat. David knew that he was no match for them, but God was.
That was HIS SUPPLICATION. Now look at...
B. HIS SONG
Look at verses 5-6, we read, "But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
Here is a man who, in the beginning of his psalm, accused God of FORGETTING HIM in his time of distress. But, David regained his faith in God, and he refuted his statements of doubt by making a definite statement of faith.
He stated, "My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation!" And added, "...the Lord...hath dealt bountifully with me!"
Conclusion:
So shall it be with those of us who wait upon the Lord. I am sure some of you feel that God has forgotten you, but be assured that God's Word states unequivocally that He has not!
What a contrast is in this Psalm. In just six verses we see David go from DESPAIR to REJOICING.
He closed the psalm by stating, "...I will sing unto the Lord..."
The lost world has nothing to offer us that comes close to comparing to what God has to offer! The song writer made a great proclamation when he said, "FAITH IS THE VICTORY!”
I. HIS DISTRESS
II. HIS DELIVERANCE
