The Wonder Of Summer

Today we're talking about the "Summer" season of life. A time of creation. A time for things that are new. A season that many of us, myself included look forward to all year. Things like going to the beach, going on vacation somewhere, spending time outside in nature, trips to see family (or if you’ve moved from Lubbock in west Texas like me where dust-bowl level dust storms just means it’s Tuesday) family coming to visit you. But all around, a season of life that we look forward to. Where things are better.

This is the challenging thing for many of us – the thing that can be so extremely easy to often overlook. I’d be curious to know many Christians look to God and abide in God in the good times. It’s can often be obvious in the winter seasons of life, in the trials, that we need God, that we need His love, His help, His guidance.

A preacher I heard once said,

“I’m convinced the most prayers in our country are said by lazy college students, who forgot to study, and are on their way to finals.”

When we start to come out of the winters, into the spring, we have this feeling of relief, we thank God for bringing us out of the trials, for His help and His love and care for us.

So today let’s talk about rejoicing, finding, abiding in God in the good times. In the summers of our life.

There’s a story that I’d like to share to start out with. It’s a story about a man who lived out in the country many years back, named John. One day he was on his way to church, one of those small, white churches with the steeple. Many in the small town he lived in would walk to church each Sunday, and on this day where our story takes place, he comes across a man in the town – this man was new to the area (had just moved in) and he was very sophisticated. More so than most of the people that lived there. But beyond that, he was also this free-thinking kind of man who happened to be agnostic.

This sophisticated man asked him, “Where are all of you going?”

John said to him, “Well, we’re going to church, to worship God. It’s Sunday.”

The agnostic said back to him, “Oh, I see. Is the God you’re all going to worship a great God? Or is He a little God?”

Just exemplary of the kind of attitude that results in meaningful relationships. Not, it was really just a derogatory, mocking kind of remark.

Well, John said, quite humbly, back to him, “He’s both.”

“Both?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Let me get this straight, both great and little?”

“Yes. He’s so great that the heavens of heaven cannot contain Him. And He’s so little, that He can dwell within my heart.”

I read that story when preparing for this morning, and I just love it.

I love it because really it’s a wonderful summary of our text this morning, Psalm 139.

“He’s so great that the heavens of heaven cannot contain Him. And He’s so personal, so intimately personal with me that He can dwell in my heart. I can have a relationship with our great God.”

If you brought your Bibles this morning, let’s take a look at Psalm 139, which is also referred to as the “Crown of the Psalms.”

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,