August 17, 2003
Title: Psalm 17 My Life Is An Open Book
Text: Psalm 17:1-15
Introduction
Things you should never say once without thinking twice:
- It’s no trouble at all.
- I love dogs.
- We have plenty of room.
- Call me any time.
- Is there anything I can do?
- My husband is a doctor/lawyer/accountant.
- I’ll try anything once.
- Of course, bring the kids.
- Why don’t you stay for dinner?
- If worst comes to worst, you can use mine.
- Don’t worry -- there’s more where that came from.
- Over my dead body, you will!
(Source: Hester Mundis, Powermom, Congdon & Weed.)
Psalm 17 is a prayer. Not only is it listed as a prayer in the title, but you can see throughout the text how David appeals directly to God.
And, as we study this prayer, you will see that David’s life is an open book to God.
I hope that through this study, we to can be an open book before God.
Body
1. David’s Desire Psalm 17:1-5
David desires to be a man of integrity before God.
In these 1st five verses, David takes great pains to express his integrity before God.
Right off the bat, he says, "Hear, O Lord, my RIGHTEOUS plea"
He indicates that his prayer "does not rise from deceitful lips"
He acknowledges that God has thoroughly examined (probed and tested) him.
He acknowledges that his integrity is true; both in word AND deed.
And I dare say, that the mouth is one of the big culprits when it comes to committing sin.
With our mouths, we are quick to judge...to cut...to hurt...to lie...to gossip...to tear down.
Did you know that the average person spends one-fifth of his or her life talking?
If all of our words were put into print, in ONE day, those words would fill a 50-page book,
In ONE year’s time, the average person’s words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each!
(source unknown)
Think about that for a moment...
What if YOUR words were put into a book?
Would it have to be put on the FICTION shelf?
In an article in U.S. News & World Report, February 21, 1994, Page 67, it did a long term study of married couples.
They comparing what their relationships were like in the first 10 years of marriage.
They found that marriages of people who were happily married for many years...
versus those who were unhappy and got divorces...
that in those early years of marriage, the relationship were very similar..
they had a similar number of fights...
they both expressed the depth of their love for each other when they were married...
many factors were nearly the same...
but the ONE thing that stood out...
Couples who were happily married...only 5 out of every 100 comments were considered put downs.
Couples who later separated...had 10 comments out of every 100 that were put downs.
And as the years went by, the put down ratio got even worse from those couples who would separate.
Obviously this has ramifications within our relationships with our spouses...
but we also need to look at our relationship with other family members...
and with people within the church...
are our words building up?
or tearing down?
Are we ENCOURAGING?
or are we "DISCOURAGING"?
David said, "I have resolved that my mouth will not sin"
In DEED...
David says, "I have kept myself from the ways of the violent"
My steps have held to your paths"
It is important to have integrity in our words....
but it is equally important to have integrity with our actions.
I find David’s attitude amazing, here in these first 5 verses.
He basically opens up his life to God’s close scrutiny...
and he does it without fear.
I wonder if WE would be able to have the same openness before God that David does.
I’m inclined to believe that perhaps we would be a little nervous about God looking very closely at our lives...
at our words...
and our actions...
Is your life an open book before God?
Or are there parts of your life that you try to keep hidden?
Are we as willing as David to allow God to "probe my heart and examine me at night"
Can we say with David, "though you test me, you will find nothing"?
David’s deep desire was to be a man of integrity before God...
I hope that we have that same determination and desire in OUR hearts...
And I hope that we can get to the point where we feel completely comfortable opening up ALL of our lives to God inspection.
2. David’s Danger Psalm 17:6-12
David expresses to God that he is in danger.
He has enemies...
And when we have enemies...we can be particularly vulnerable to losing our integrity.
The temptation is to respond to our enemies in the same way that they have attacked us.
But, remember, from the words of Jesus...
we are expected to "turn the other cheek"
It is certainly appropriate that David continues this section with prayer...
David doesn’t put his faith in his own abilities to fight his enemies...
David’s faith is in God.
David uses some especially picturesque language here:
"keep me as the apple of your eye"
This is figure of speech is used elsewhere in the Bible.
In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
Deut 32:10 (NIV)
This refers to how God found the Children of Israel and regarded them as "the apple of his eye"
The pupil, that little black part in the middle of your eye...that was considered the "apple"
I guess because of its round shape...
and because it is centrally located in the eye...
it was considered of utmost importance...
crucial.
David sensed that God greatly loved and cared for him.
And I hope that you can sense the same thing.
God regards you as the "apple of His eye"
"hide me in the shadow of your wings"
This figure of speech pictures a mother bird caring for her young.
There is no safer place for the defensely and helpless baby bird...
than under its mother’s wing.
William Cushing wrote the song in our hymnal "under His wings" referring to just this aspect of God’s protective care.
This phrase is found at least 10 times in Scripture...
one of the most poignant is in the words of Christ Himself: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
Matt 23:37 (NIV)
3. David’s Deliverance Psalm 17:13-14
David turned to God when he was in danger...
and it was God Who brought David DELIVERANCE.
It is important the mention that there are different types of "deliverance".
And, sometimes, it is actually God’s will that we go through difficult things along the way.
James says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance"
James 1:2-3 (NIV)
I came across something on the internet that I want to share with you along these lines:
A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off that he was crazy. He was a city type. You could tell by his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked.
He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny idea of beauty. Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there’s been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. The summer sun’s beat down on that ole’ barn till all the paint’s gone, and the wood has turned silver gray. Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.
That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he’s building down the road. He said you couldn’t get paint that beautiful. Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and scorching sun...only that can produce beautiful barn wood.
It came to me then. We’re a lot like that, you and I. Only it’s on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure, we turn silver gray, too... and lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He’s doing. And as the years pass He’s busy using the hard wealth of our lives, the dry spells and the stormy seasons, to do a job of beautifying our souls that nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy!
They took the old barn down today and hauled it away to beautify a rich man’s house. And I reckon someday you and I will be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord has for us on the Great Sky Ranch. And I suspect we’ll be more beautiful then, for the seasons we’ve been through... Like the seasoned barn wood is used to beautify a home, the hard seasons in our lives, will surely bring a little bit of beauty into heaven. (Source: http://www.countrywhispers.com/oldbarn)
When the danger comes...God is there.
He knows what is best for us.
And He will do what He will do.
And we can have faith that when deliverance is needed; deliverance will be provided.
And when perseverance is needed; perseverance will be provided. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it
1 Cor 10:13 (NIV)
4. David’s Destiny Psalm 17:15
And finally, in verse 15, we see that David has his eyes focused on the fuller life to come.
In the words of John Newton "thro many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home"
Are you focusing on the storms around you?
Are are your "eyes on the prize"?
The writer of the book of Hebrews said it well: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus" Heb 12:2 (NIV)
Conclusion
David’s desire is to be an open book before God.
He knows that when he lives in the center of God’s will, he is the apple of God’s eye.
And, in spite of any dangers that he faces...
God will provide just what is needed for David to persevere.
And to finally make heaven his home.
What about you?
Is your life an open book?
Are you keeping your integrity in spite of the dangers and trials that you are facing?
Are your eyes fixed on Jesus?
Let’s pray
