FOLLOW THE FAITHFUL GOD

Introduction

-[Psalm 18]

-So, when we were having our kids, I got to choose Kyle’s name (after winning a backgammon game—long story), so then Trish got to choose his life verse with Zephaniah 3:17—a great verse of God’s delight over His children. We wanted him to know that God takes delight in his life.

~So, when child #2 came along, Trish got to pick Kenzie’s name, but then I got to choose her life verse. And I chose Psalm 18:2 because it talks about trusting God for protection in life. I chose that verse because that’s what I wanted her to do, and I also chose it because I didn’t want her to be like me—a natural worrier full of anxiety. I wanted her to trust God, and Psalm 18 is a great call to that.

~Since graduations have become very personal to me this year, I got to pondering on Psalm 18 and I got to pondering on graduations, and I began thinking that if I were to give some sort of charge or direction to graduates (be they high school or college), Psalm 18 would be it.

-But, years ago there were these commercials that said ORANGE JUICE: IT’S NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANYMORE. Well, we could say that Psalm 18 isn’t just for graduates anymore. Honestly, it sets a tone and pace for life for everybody. And so whether you’re 18 or 180, I believe that this is a word to take to heart for your journey in life.

-The introduction to the psalm gives us the context that led to David writing this wonderful piece. It says that he wrote it after the Lord rescued him from the power of his enemies, which includes King Saul. David was chased by a lot of people after he was anointed as king. The Philistines and King Saul were probably his biggest adversaries. And the picture given here is that after David has been delivered from all of that and he has some peace in his life, he is sitting back and reflecting on all the ways that God had been with him and protected him in all these situations. His life was literally on the line in so many ways, and God was faithful and blessed him. So, now he’s just thinking about all the ways that God was faithful in the past, and it assured him that God would be faithful in the present and future as well, when trials of all sorts would again come his way.

-So, we’re going to look at the just the first three verses today and take it verse by verse to learn from someone who knew the faithfulness of God. And if I were to summarize what it I’m trying to convey here today, it would be that God’s inerrant Word and past faithfulness make it clear that He is worthy of trust for our present and future. And the way we are going to show that is by answering the question: How can I align my life so that I trustingly follow our faithful God? How can I demonstrate that trust and how can I encourage that trust and faith in my life?

1) Satisfy yourself in God (v. 1)

Psalm 18:1 NET 2nd ed.

1 He said: “I love you, Lord, my source of strength!

-David begins by declaring His love for the Lord, and the characteristic of God that brings forth this particular declaration. The word that David is normally used for the love of God shown through His mercies.

-But David, by declaring this for himself toward God, is responding to the mercy and compassion that God showed him. Again, He’s reflecting on the past, and he remembers all the ways that God had shown Him goodness. David’s life would always be filled with some sort of turmoil, but no matter the particular circumstance, he looked back at what compassion God had shown him before, and knew that God would show him mercies of some sort in the present and future.

-In no way does David believe that no trouble would ever come his way again. That was never the case for David and it’s never the case for us, but through this reflection David knew that he could trust God in whatever comes. And it’s a call for us to do the same, even if it’s our time to depart from the earth.

-This past week, author and pastor and scholar Tim Keller passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. When his time drew near and he would be sent home on hospice, Tim said, “I’m thankful for the time God has given me, but I’m ready to see Jesus. I can’t wait to see Jesus. Send me home.” And then when it was time to go, Tim’s last words were, “There is no downside in me leaving, not in the slightest.”

-How in the world would Tim be able to say something like that? Here’s a man who spent most of his life serving God, and then God allows him to have cancer and die. Yet, Tim says these things. How? Because Tim knew that God had shown great mercies in the past, and the greatest mercy was sending His Son to die on the cross to pay for Tim’s sins and my sins and your sins. And if God did not spare His own Son, would He hold back on His promises that whoever believes in Him has eternal life? There’s no way of that happening. Hence, just like David, this was Tim’s source of strength, and He is our source as well.

-Believing all of this about God, this word for love reflects David’s tender affection toward this God of strength and mercy. As David said elsewhere, he tasted and had seen that the Lord is good. Because God is his mercy and strength, and because he knows God is good, David finds all of his satisfaction from God. David finds his comfort and peace in this God. David, like his son Solomon would do, had sought many earthly pleasures to fill the void, to deaden the pain, and they were found to be vain, empty, meaningless. But, satisfying your soul in God through Christ gives strength and peace and comfort.

-Part of trusting God is finding your satisfaction in Him. For the graduates, out there in the world on your own, there are many temptations to ease the pain in so many different ways. But David is calling you to remember all the good God did for you in the past, and find your comfort in that He can do you good in the present and future. I want you, and everyone here, including myself, to taste and see that the Lord is good.

-I’ve always had this running gag of loving bacon and loving cheesecake. Although it’s a gag, it’s also very true. At my previous church I said something about bacon and then I said something about cheesecake, and then I mused that wouldn’t it be great if bacon and cheesecake were fused together, just joking around. Well, the next week someone brought to me a bacon cheesecake. Some people might think that sounds disgusting. Let me tell you—I took one bite of that thing and the heaven’s opened and the angels sang. I tasted and have seen that bacon cheesecake is good.

-Let me also tell you, I have tasted and I have seen that the Lord is good. He is a God worthy of our affection because of His faithfulness toward us and the strength He gives. And He alone will satisfy our souls even in the midst of our darkest hours. And I call graduates and everyone to find their satisfaction and strength in Him alone. There is nothing that this world can offer you.

2) Secure yourself under God (v. 2)

Psalm 18:2 NET 2nd ed.

2 The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer. My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.

-In this verse David piles picture upon picture about God being His place of safety and security. David is confessing that when he runs into trouble, His first place to go is into the loving, protective arms of his heavenly Father.

-This verse made me think of this video that I saw of a baby elephant that was just running around and trying to play with some other animals—all sorts of cuteness going on. But then, as we all can, the baby elephant got a little bit clumsy and fell down on the ground. And after the little guy picked himself up, he immediately ran to his momma and got underneath her between her legs for a place of safety and security.

-This is what David is conveying with this verse. When life happens and you trip and fall, secure yourself under your heavenly Father. And this is important because we have a tendency to try to find our security in anything and everything else but God. I’ll rely on my own wisdom. I’ll rely on my friends or whatever. It’s as if God is the last resort rather than the first resort.

-You see this played out in the history of the nation of Israel after the days of David. When the nation was threatened by some foreign entity they ran for earthly help rather than heavenly help. They looked to Syria or they looked to Egypt for help. But they didn’t look to God. And God, through the prophets, rebuked them for their hardness of heart and lack of faith. Because, by what they did they were in essence saying that God was not trustworthy and not faithful. And we do the same. If we don’t run to God for our security, we are relying on something that will not stand, no matter what it might be.

-So, David says God is my strength. I will run to Him. This is why…it’s because I’ve found God to have these characteristics. And David invites the reader to experience God in these ways as well. Again, David in no way says that bad things won’t happen in life. They most certainly will. But David is saying that ultimately you will not be destroyed. In Christ, you will have victory, if not now then most certainly at the end of your life. So, David uses various pictures to describe this God of security.

-First, David says that God is his high ridge—other translations might say rock. It speaks of a craggy cliff. If you picture a valley between a couple of mountains, and the enemy is down in that valley, but you are up above on a cliff of the mountain. It’s a place of stability and safety. David knew all about that because he had hidden many a time from Saul on those cliffs of the mountains. But ultimately David knew that the mountain was not his security, but it was God.

-Next, David calls God his stronghold—some translations will say fortress, others will say high tower. It’s speaking of a mountain fortress built high up as a place of security from enemies. King Herod had built such a fortress in southern Israel called Masada (which is the Hebrew word used here), and it withstood many an enemy until the Romans finally defeated Jewish rebels there. It’s a picture of a place that you can run to in times of adversity and trial. Whether it’s the world wearing you down or the devil seeking to devour you like a roaring lion, unlike Masada, God is our place of perfect peace and safety. Whatever happens on earth, in light of eternity nothing can change your status with God if you are in Christ.

-Next, David calls God his deliverer. The word means a way of escape. If you ever watch movies and the heroes seem to come to a dead end and there seems to be no way for them to get away from whatever is chasing them, but then they find some secret passage or something to make their getaway—David is saying that this is our God. God might let you escape from the trial while on this earth, or you might make your escape when He calls you home, but God will ultimately deliver you from your enemies if you are in Christ.

-Then David calls God his rocky summit where he takes shelter. This is a different word than from before (although many translations again translate it as rock). It’s talking about a large boulder. It conveys a place to hide behind during distress. It makes me think of the movies where there is going to be a big explosion and the heroes run and hide behind a large rock or some other obstacle to protect them from the blast. That is our God.

-David says that God is his shield, which is an obvious metaphor. When in close combat battle, the shield was used to deflect the blows from the enemy’s weapons. We are called to take up the shield of faith. Our enemy shoots flaming arrows at us, but our God is our shield and the enemy’s weapons will not do us lasting harm.

-Then David says that God is the horn that saves, or the horn of salvation. It’s picturing the horns of an animal. Think of a bull. If you’ve ever watched bull fighting, the horns are his weapons—he charges with the horns. It is a picture of strength. Not only is God on the defensive to protect us, He is on the offensive and actively works for our good and protection.

-Finally, David calls God his refuge or stronghold. This word speaks of a place set on high. It’s a place where you are less vulnerable to the attacks of an enemy. Cities like Jerusalem were up on high mountains or ridges for protection. But, whereas man’s ways of protection are flawed, God’s are perfect and eternal.

-All of these pictures for David demonstrate that God is our place of security, and we are to run to Him rather than to try to protect ourselves or seek the ways of the world to keep us safe. This is important for everyone to remember. As life gets overwhelming, as problems stack up, as stress levels rise and rise, we don’t go around complaining about it, we don’t seek the ways of our own flimsy wisdom to do something about it, we run to the Father like that baby elephant ran to its momma. And there we find our ultimate security.

3) Surrender yourself to God (v. 3)

Psalm 18:3 NET 2nd ed.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies.

-After having recalled God’s goodness and faithfulness, David surrenders himself to a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. It’s as if, after careful consideration of what God has done and what God will do, he just gives himself over to God completely and says My God of Safety is worthy of praise, He delivers me from my enemies, I give all of me to all of Him. That’s worship. Worship is just giving ourselves over to God. He gave all of Himself in Christ to me so that I am saved and have true life, so I just surrender all of myself to Him.

-Let’s face it, though. We are a self-centered people. We want what we want, when we want it, and lots of it, and when we don’t get it we’re going to whine and complain because it’s all about me. But David figured it out—it’s not all about me, it’s all about Him. Or, as John the Baptizer figured out, I must decrease so that He would increase.

-For the graduates, the path that you have in life, it actually isn’t your path. God has gifted you and led you so that you can use your journey for Him. And when you recognize what He has done for you on this journey, it causes you to praise Him and trust Him and surrender to Him your everything. The earlier in life that you realize that everything is about God and not you, the more you will recognize His hand in your life, and the more of yourself you will give to His service and glory. You will never go wrong in surrendering yourself to Him. Take it from an old man that has learned things the hard way—and still does.

-But, what’s good to know for the rest of us is that it is never too late. My faith and trust in the past might have been shaky, but our God never changes, His faithfulness never changes, so I can right now make it all about Christ. Just because I have been stubborn in the past and selfish and self-centered and self-focused in the past doesn’t mean I have to stay that way. You actually can teach old dogs new tricks.

-Andrew Murray put it beautifully when he wrote:

When a soldier bows to his general, or a scholar to his teacher, he is yielding his will—his life—he gives himself to the rule and mastery and the power of another. Christ did that. He said He came not to do His own will but to do His Father’s will. In Gethsemane He said, ‘Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’ (Mark 14:36). On the cross He suffered what had been settled in Gethsemane. He yielded His life to God and thereby taught us that the only thing worth living for is a life yielded to God, even unto death. If you are controlling your life and spending it on yourself, even partly, you are abusing it and taking it away from God’s original purpose. Learn from Christ that the beauty and purpose of having life is so that you can surrender it to God and then allow Him to fill it with His glory.

Conclusion

-I’ll close with this thought. I find it fascinating that the pictures and metaphors that David uses has a lot to do with safety being found in the heights of the mountains. The problem for me is that I don’t like heights. Yet, it’s in the heights where you are least in control and where you have no choice but to trust God.

-Theologian Henri Nouwen found this in pondering on trapeze artists where you have no choice but to trust another to catch and secure you. Toward the end of his life he actually took a sabbatical to give some serious effort to learn about the trapeze to learn more of this trust. But he knew that, like all of us, we struggle for control, so he wanted to learn about losing all control to trust another. I mean, when you are hanging in midair to learn to be caught by another, that’s definitely trusting the faithfulness of another. His key insight was that in order to be caught safely, the people being caught must be completely still. They must surrender control, placing total trust in the catcher’s ability. As Nouwen was hanging in the air, dependent on another, his faith was nourished through the tangible release of control.

-Graduates and everybody, learn the lesson that you are not in control of your life, but God is. He has shown Himself faithful in the past, so you can trust Him in the present and future. So, follow the One who is faithful. Christian, follow your faithful God.

-And if you have yet trusted in His Son for salvation, today is the day. Your eternity cannot be entrusted to anyone else. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Follow the faithful God who died for you and rose for you so that you may have life. Learn to follow the faithful God.