Introduction: A few years ago, when I lived in West Virginia with my parents, my father wanted some chickens. My mother did not really want any chickens running around the yard, but she finally gave in. So my father went on a search to find some chickens. He finally found some "Game" chickens. I did not know a lot about chickens and I still do not know a lot about chickens, but one thing I know about "Game" chickens, they multiply and fight. About one month after my father brought a few chickens home, we had chickens everywhere. It was hard to play outside because of the chickens. I remember coming home from school and the chickens would be fighting. I would leave for school and the chickens would be fighting. I would wake up in the morning and the chickens would be fighting. There was one other aspect about the chickens I noticed. When a storm would come and the rain would start, the little chicks would run to the momma hen and get under her wings. It was an amazing sight. The chicks would have protection from the storm by going to the mother. It reminded me of the Christian life. As Christians, we are going to have "storms" in our life. How are we going to react during these times of troubles? We must run to God. In the twentieth Psalm, David pens a prayer for Israel to pray while he is in battle. David placed his trust in God for protection in the day of trouble because he knew God would give him the victory. Christians should trust God for protection in the day of trouble, because God will give us the victory.
Read Psalm 20:1-9
It is evident throughout history David fought and won many battles. The reason for his victories was David sought after God. Throughout the book of Psalms there are prayers written by David for support and deliverance. David knew how to react, David knew where to run, he knew who to cry to during his day of trouble. Everyone in this building has seen their share of pain and heartache, or day of trouble. Once again, how are you going to react when you face these hard times? There are many who want to give up. There are many who want to blame God. Many want to try something other than God. This is not how the Bible tells us to react during this time. In these verses, the Bible identifies how we are to react in the day of trouble.
I. In the day of trouble, Christians need to rely on God’s protection (verses 1-4). (reliance)
In 1999, I lived in North Carolina for the summer and I was renting a single wide trailor. The trailor was not really in good condition. For example, when I would begin to take a shower, the spiders would join me from above. The front door was made of very thin plastic and any person could easily get in simply by pulling the door or cutting the door with a butter knife. Obviously, I was not in the most secure place. Which was the reason I asked my parents if they thought it would be a good idea to purchase a gun. They said, "When you go to sleep at night, you say your prayers, ask God to protect you and keep you safe, then when you say Amen, you put the bullet in the gun and lay it beside your bed. Who are you trusting more?" Needless to say, I did not buy a gun and God kept me safe while I was there. So many people are relying on protection from various means rather than relying on God’s protection. This was not the case with David in this Psalm. He developed a simple prayer that you can also pray.
A. Ask God to Defend You (verse 1).
That word King David uses for defend is the Hebrew word that actually means to make lofty, or I like the word, inaccessible. The enemy is active and he wants to destroy the plan of God. Jesus declared in John 10:10 that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. When your day of trouble comes, the devil will attack your mind and many times, thoughts will arise that are against God and his plan. It is in this time you need to draw your attention toward God and ask God to make you inaccessible, to set you in a place the devil cannot attack you.
B. Ask God to Help You (verse 2).
I love working with teenagers. The young people of our world need stability and Godly guidance. Teenagers also are looking forward to the time they are self-reliant. I remember having those thoughts. I remember telling my parents, "I can’t wait to be on my own!" "I can’t wait to have FREEDOM!" I talk to many freshman college students who start struggling and I recommend them to ask their parents for help and they immediately tell me, "No, I need to learn to be on my own, I don’t need their help." This mindset of self-reliance can be dangerous at times, especially in the Christian life. You cannot live the Christian life without God’s help. It does not matter how strong you may be, how popular you are, how rich you are, you need God’s help EVERYDAY!
C. Ask God to Remember You (verse 3).
Late August, I was without a job. During my job search, I had a job interview at a bank in Nashville called Suntrust Bank. The morning of the interview, I wake up, dress for the interview and drive downtown Nashville for the interview. When I arrive on 2nd Avenue, I start looking for the bank I am supposed to be at in thirty minutes and I start noticing all other banks. There was US Bank, Suntrust, Southtrust, Bank One, Bank of America, and Amsouth. So I perceive all of these banks and I soon realized, I forgot which bank I was supposed to be at. I start calling people asking them if I told them which bank I was supposed to be at and no one knew. So I have five minutes until the interview. I park at the Suntrust parking building and walk to Amsouth bank. I arrive on time and inform the secretary I was there for the interview. She had never heard of me. I was at the wrong bank and I missed my interview, all because I could not remember. Even though you are busy at times and forget a few things, God will never forget you. Jesus encouraged us in Matthew 28:20, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. God loves each person in this building and he will NEVER forget you.
D. Ask God to Answer You (verse 4).
America has so much technology that it is almost impossible to not communicate with someone. Pagers, cordless telephones, cellular phones, high speed internet and web-cameras. Yet, these things can fail at any moment. But in the middle of the night, when no one is around, you can call upon God, and He will answer you. You can be underground in the coal mines, and God can hear you. You can be at the grocery store, and God will answer you.
This simple prayer by David can be adapted in your prayer life in order to have protection in the day of trouble.
II. In the day of trouble, Christians must continue to trust God (verses 5-7).
This concept of trusting God is what gave Israel problems throughout their history. After Israel had crossed the Red Sea, they could not trust God to give them food. They could not trust God for water. It was very difficult for them to trust in God when times were not going their way. Many people are doing the same today. Many are placing their trust in something(s) other than God. For example, in the past few years, many are trusting in psychics to fulfill their desires. I listen to radio stations that have psychics as their guests and caller after caller phone in to tell the psychic their problem, or have the psychic guess their problem. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses..."
Also, drug use is on the rise. In his book entitled Understanding Today’s Youth Culture, Walt Mueller reveals, "more than 42% of high school seniors reported using illicit drugs during the last year." "More than 29% of eighth graders have tried an illicit drug." He continues to write about teenage drinking, "64.2% of high school seniors have gotten drunk at least once." "40% of tenth graders have had a drink within the last month."1 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses..."
I hear many people say "If I could win the lottery, my problems would be over!" Many others work extra hours and neglect family time and church time in order to have a new boat or the newest truck. As David stated, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses..."
It has been tried in the last year to take "In God We Trust" out of America. I am glad they continue to have that statement on our money and continue to say, "...one nation, under God...", but my question is, DO WE REALLY TRUST GOD? We can say it all we want, we can place it on money, in the court house, but are we REALLY trusting God? "Some trust in chariots, some in horses...but we will remember the name of the Lord our God!"
Why did not David trust in chariots and horses? Should we trust in material possessions or things other than God? David answers these questions in stanzas five and six.
Christians should trust God because salvation comes from Him (verse 5). Salvation in this context means deliverance. David knew God would deliver him from the hand of the enemy. Scripture informs us that there were many times David was surrounded by the enemy. The story of David and Goliath, David and King Saul, and others demonstrate how David was surrounded by the enemy, and God delivered him. I am sure many of you have troubles and problems that seem overwhelming. I want to encourage you today by telling you to trust God. Talk to some Christians who have been believers for many years and listen to their stories of God’s salvation in their life and they will certainly tell you to trust God.
Christians should trust God because He hears our prayers (verse 6). Earlier this year, I had an opportunity to visit a Buddhist Temple in Nashville, Tennessee. It was an eye opening experience for me. I was expecting this temple to be a large structure, but when I arrived at the address, they were meeting in the attic of a coffee shop. As I walked in, people greeted me and made me feel very welcome. I thought, "Wow, these people are more friendly than some of the churches I have been to." So I sat down in the back and started to observe. I noticed the candles that were lit, the people sitting on the floor with their legs crossed, the chants playing on a compact disc player, a BIG STEEL DOOR the greeter shut and bolted together. I immediately started looking for a window to escape from if they started sacrificing people. Before the service began, those regular attendees, stood before a statue of Buddha, and knelt down three time before him, and bowed before a statue. I thought, "If I was ever in trouble, I would not want to pray to something I could put in my back pocket." There are many verses in the Bible that validate God’s attentiveness, yet my favorite is in Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear." God hears you the first time you pray.
In order for you and I to have protection in the day of trouble, not only must we rely on God’s protection and continue to trust God, but finally...
III. In the day of trouble, Christians must remember God’s promise of victory (verses 8-9).
I do not like to lose. I am not sure if I know anyone who does enjoy losing. I am sure if a professional athlete would talk to the media and tell them he/she will be playing to lose in tonight’s game, the athlete would not be on the team very long. Yet when I read the Word of God, I find out that I am on the winning team.
God promises we will stand (verse 8). It is SO comforting to know that even though trouble is all around you, YOU WILL STAND! Even though your enemies will fall, YOU WILL STAND!
Conclusion: Horatio Spafford was a great Christian man who knew about sorrow. He had lost his only son, 4 years old, to pneumonia. He lost part of his life savings in the Chicago fire. When he started to get his life turned around, someone told him to go to England to hear a preacher in Revival there. So he got tickets to take a ship there with his family, but at the last second, someone told him he needed to stay an extra day and clean up what the fires had destroyed. So he stayed while he sent his family to England. On the way, the ship his family was on collided with another ship and he lost all three of his daughters. But he found true comfort with the Lord. On his way to England to be with his wife, he told the captain to let him know where his daughters had died. After he saw the place, he went to his room and wrote these words,
When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrow like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, It is well, with my soul.
Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trails should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed his own blood for my soul.2
Maybe you are here today and you have never given your life to Jesus, I want to invite you to do so today. Maybe you are here today and you are in the middle of trouble, I want to assure you that you can come here to the altar and someone will be here to pray with you. You are not alone! You can trust God for protection in the day of trouble, because God will give you the victory.
Works Consulted:
E-Sword
Matthew Henry Commentary
The New Manners and Customs of the Bible
Then Sings my Soul
On This Day
