PSALM 62:1-12 “INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO HANDLE HARD TIMES”
A) I read about a man that was sitting at home one evening when the doorbell rang!
* When he answered the door, a six-foot tall cockroach was standing there.
* The cockroach immediately punched him between the eyes and scampered off.
* The next evening, the man was sitting at home and once again the doorbell rang.
* When he answered the door there was that six-foot tall cockroach again.
* This time it punched him, kicked him, and karate chopped him before running away.
B) The third evening the man was sitting at home and once again his doorbell rang!
* He opened the door and once again there was that six-foot tall cockroach.
* This time it leapt at him and stabbed him several times.
* The gravely injured man managed to crawl to the telephone and call 911.
* An ambulance arrived and rushed him to the hospital.
C) As he was being treated at the hospital, the doctor asked what happened!
* The man explained about the six-foot cockroach.
* The doctor thought for a moment and said, “Yea, there is a nasty bug going around.”
D) There may be some of you that feel like a nasty bug is going around!
* There are times in life when it seems we are being kicked, punched, and stabbed by the events
and happenings of life.
* There are those hard times when life is pressing and distressing.
* Things are hard to deal with, hard to face, and hard to handle.
E) Psalm 62 was a Psalm written by David during a hard time in his life!
* The background of Psalm 62 is that anguishing time of Absalom’s rebellion.
* Absalom had been attempting to take the throne away from David and the conspiracy was
growing stronger each day. * It was a very disturbing and distressing time for David!
F) In Psalm 62 David tells us what he did during this hard time in his life!
* As I read the Psalm it’s like David is giving us instructions about what to do when hard times
do come! * Let me give you 3 things that David instructs us to do when hard times come .......
(1) HOW WE SHOULD TURN TO THE LORD!
* David begins the Psalm by saying, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God:”
* In the hard times of life, David turned to the Lord.
* When the hard times come we should turn to the Lord, or to put it another way, take our
problems to the Lord! * Why did David turn to the Lord? * Notice why in the Psalm .......
A) He Found Salvation In The Lord! * David says in v.1, “From Him cometh my salvation.”
* In v.2, he says, “He only is my rock and my salvation.”
* In v.6-7 he repeats himself and says, “He only is my rock and my salvation:” and “In God is my
salvation.” * The word “salvation” speaks of that which has been saved or delivered!
* When David spoke of the Lord as being his salvation he was declaring that God was his
deliverer ... He knew that in the hard times the Lord could deliver him!
* When David spoke of the Lord as being his deliverer, he gives an interesting description of how
God delivers! * As you look at the Psalm you see that David says certain things about God .......
1) In v.1 and then in v.5, he practically repeats himself!
* In v.1, he says, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.”
* And he says basically the same thing in v.5, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my
expectation is from him.”
* The difference is that he uses the word “salvation” in v.1 and the word “expectation” in v.5.
2) The word “expectation” is an interesting word to use to describe how God delivers!
* The word literally describes a cord or line! * It is the word used in Joshua 2:18 where it speaks
of the “line” or rope used to let the two spies down out of the window of Rahab’s house.
* In the case of the two spies it was to let them down .......
* But in David’s case, you might say it was to pull him up or out!
* It is almost like David is saying that when we find ourselves in difficult situations, God lets down
a lifeline to lift us out or deliver us from our problems!
* We may go through hard times, but God is our salvation ... He can deliver us and bring us out!
B) He Found Security In The Lord! * David says in v.2, “He is my defense;”
* And again in v.6, “He is my defense.” * The word “defense” speaks of a cliff, a lofty and
inaccessible place. * In the hard times, David found that not only did the Lord lift him out .......
* But he also lifted him up to a place of security ... He found the Lord to be his protection!
* That’s what David meant when he described the Lord in v.7 as being his, “refuge.”
* When we go through the hard times we find in the Lord our security ... We find in Him a hiding
place, a refuge!
C) He Found Strength In The Lord! * David says in v.2, “I shall not be greatly moved.”
* And in v.6, “I shall not be moved.” * David found in the Lord the strength he needed to face
whatever he was facing or would face!
* The Lord was His strength and in Him David found strength!
* Do you need strength to go through what you are going through?
* Do you need strength to face what you are facing?
* Like David, you can find strength in the Lord! * In the hard times of life we can find salvation in
the Lord, security in the Lord and strength in the Lord!
1) I read a story about a young lady who was going to the mission field!
* Just before she boarded the ship that would carry her to a foreign land, someone walked up to her
and handed her a sealed envelope and said .......
* “If you ever get to the place you have nowhere else to go, open this envelope.”
* She would spend the next thirty years on the mission field serving God.
2) Thirty years after when she was back in the states, she was giving her testimony!
* She held up the envelope that had been given to her thirty years before.
* It had never been opened, and she said, “Thirty years ago, as a young lady going to the mission
field, there was much uncertainty and fears about going alone.”
* “I was about to embark, someone handed me this envelope with the words, (If you ever get to the
place you have nowhere to go, open this envelope.)”
* “That was thirty years ago and there has been many a hard time, but there was never a time
when I had no place to go.”
* We have a place to go when the hard times come!
* We can turn to the Lord and find Him to be our salvation, security and strength.
2) HOW WE SHOULD TRUST IN THE LORD!
* Notice v.8, “Trust in Him at all times; ye people.”
* David not only instructs us to turn to the Lord during hard times, but also to trust in the Lord!
* Oftentimes we find instructions to trust in the Lord.
* We read in Psalm 4:5, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.”
* And in Prov. 3:5 we read, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own ...”
* As we look at Psalm 62 we not only see that we are to trust in the Lord, but we are given specific
instructions on how to trust in the Lord! * Notice:
A) A Trust That Is Continual! * Notice carefully in v.8 that we are told to “Trust in Him at all ...” * When are we to trust the Lord? * We are to trust Him at all times.
* We are to trust Him in the bad times as well as the good!
* May I ask a question or two? * Did God rule the world before we were born? * Sure He did!
* And will He rule it after we are dead? * Certainly He will!
* Then why not let Him rule the present, too?
1) Your present may be difficult and distressing!
* You may be going through a hard time, but you can trust the Lord in the present and you should
trust the Lord with the present.
* There is to be a continual trust in the Lord ... We are to trust Him at all times!
* There may be times when we cannot trace Him, but never a moment when we cannot trust Him! * No matter what we are going through or where we are it, we can trust Him!
B) A Trust That Is Correct! * David not only tells us to trust in the Lord at all times .......
* But also gives instructions about trusting correctly! * We read in v.10, “Trust not in oppression,” * He tells us not to trust in that which cannot help us.
* The word “oppression” speaks of that which has been gained unjustly.
* In this case David is thinking about material things.
* He says in the latter part of v.10, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”
1) David is telling us that our trust is not to be in material things!
* We are not to trust in our possessions, bank accounts or anything this world has to offer!
* Instead we are to trust in the Lord ... He tells us in v.11, “God hath spoken once; twice have I
heard this; that power belongeth unto God.”
* The word “power” speaks of strength or security.
* The Lord is our strength and our security, not money or wealth!
2) The Bible says in Psa. 44:6: “For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.”
* We read in Psa. 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the
name of the Lord our God.”
* The middle verse of the Bible is Psa. 118:8 “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in man.” * What should we do when hard times come?
* We should turn to the Lord and trust in the Lord!
* Now look at one final word of instruction given to us .......
3) HOW WE SHOULD TALK TO THE LORD! * Notice once again v.8:
* “Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him:”
* I love this statement ... My heart is blessed each time I read it.
* David is telling us that when hard times come we ought to talk to the Lord and also how we are
to talk to the Lord! * How should we talk to the Lord?
* We are to pour out our hearts to Him!
A) We Are To Pour Out Our Hearts Freely!
* The words “pour out” literally mean, “to spill forth.”
* It describes something gushing out or gushing forth.
* The idea is of someone talking to another and as they do, they open their heart and just freely
pour out their heart and soul to them!
1) There have been times when someone came to me and said, “Pastor, I need to talk to you.”
* As we sat down they broke down and poured their heart out to me.
* That is what David is talking about! * Are you going through hard times?
* You have the privilege of sitting down with the Lord and pouring out your heart to Him!
* If you are going through hard times then sit down and tell the Lord about it.
B) We Are To Pour Out Our Hearts Fully! * By that I mean that we can tell Him everything!
* Are you having a hard time coping? * Tell the Lord about it.
* Are you struggling with what is going on in your life? * Tell the Lord about it.
* Do you feel that you have gone about as far as you can go? * Tell the Lord about it.
* Pour your heart out fully to the Lord!
CLOSE
A) Elisha Hoffman was a pastor in Lebanon, Pennsylvania!
* There was a lady in his church that seemed to have troubles and trials all the time.
* He went by to see her one day to have prayer with her and found that a new calamity had befallen
her. * As she unburdened her heart to the pastor, telling him what happened .......
* She would wring her hands and say, “Oh, Brother Hoffman, what shall I do? What shall I do?”
B) When she finished telling him what had happened, Pastor Hoffman opened the Bible and
began to read to her verses of assurance, trust, and of the faithfulness of God!
* After he read Scripture to her he said, “You see, my dear sister, God wants to bear all these
sorrows whether great or small.”
* “The best thing we can do is to take them to Jesus ... We must tell Jesus!”
C) For a moment there was silence and then with a face aglow she exclaimed .......
* “Yes, Pastor, you are so right ... I must tell Jesus ... I must tell Jesus!”
* For the rest of the day those words kept burning in the heart of Elisha Hoffman: “I must tell
Jesus ... I must tell Jesus.”
* He went back to his church study and wrote the words to this song .......
I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me,
He ever loves and cares for His own.
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
D) When you are going through hard times pour out your heart to the Lord!
* Turn to Him, trust in Him and talk to Him.
* That’s David’s instructions for the hard times!
