Faith through heartaches:

What faith can do for you.

Psalm 27: 7-14 KJV

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Pray:

To start I would like to draw your attention to verse 13. Now if you have a King James Bible this morning, you should notice that the words. I had fainted are italicized. That tells you that those words are an interpolation. Meaning. Those italicized words or phrases were added in by the translators to help the verse sound better in English.

But if you just read it the way it was written in its original language what it says is:

If I had not believed. I would not have seen the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Now we are all familiar with saving faith. Those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of their sins. Are saved by grace through faith.

But this is a different kind of faith here. This is kind of faith we need to LIVE for God.

Now it is important for us to understand the context of the verse in order to get what God is telling us. And the context here is a heartbreaking one.

I cannot imagine how David had the strength to get through the things he got through. You see during this time David’s son, Absalom. Had rebelled against his father. And he had gathered a group of people against his father. And decided to fight a war against his own dad. Can you imagine the heartache for David?

But David refused to fight against his own son. And he left the palace to see the battle from afar. David wasn’t concerned about winning this battle. He was instead concerned for the well-being of his son. And when the battle was over David did not ask the question. Did we win the battle. No. He asked the question. Is my son, ok?

And the 27th Psalm is written during the time when David was mourning the death of his own son. Folks I cannot imagine what losing a child would be like. Although I do know there are many who have faced such heartache. And I certainly cannot imagine what it must have been like to have your own child rise up against you and to die while trying to destroy you.

And in this time of heartache. Our KJV says don’t faint. But what it is really saying is. Don’t stop believing in God. Always have faith.

And here David tells us exactly how we can keep from giving up. How we can continue to believe and to carry on. Even through the worst of heartaches.

You may be facing the loss of a job. The loss of a spouse. The loss of a friend or the loss of a kid. Tell us David. How do we keep from losing our faith in those difficult times? If you kept going through all that you went through. Surely, we can take your advice. Surely, we can use your example to bear the burdens we have this morning.

First David said that he looked in the land of the living. And he saw the world as it was. There was grief and heartache and illness and burdens. We have got to face the fact that we WILL have heartaches. We must face the fact that we live in a fallen world. I remember a Russian saying this years ago and it’s still true. America is the only country where people always expect good things to happen and are shocked when bad things happen. The rest of the world is shocked when good things happen. But what kind of mindset should we have?

We SHOULD have the mindset that in the land of the living we are going to have heartaches. In the land of the living, we are going to suffer loss. Why? Because we are living in a fallen world. We need to face reality.

People will do just about anything to avoid reality. Sit around the bars drinking alcohol until their kidneys fail. Simply because they don’t want to face this world and their problems.

Smoke crack and snort cocaine until their brains turn into mush. Because they simply do not want to face their problems and their heartaches.

But listen to me carefully plz. We should expect to heartache. We should expect difficult times. Because we are in the land of the living. That is to say we are living in a fallen world. The bible says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The bible says that the wage of sin is death. Death, ladies, and gentlemen. Sin. Heartache. Tears. Loss. Agony. Hard times. Struggles. The world isn’t an easy place to live in. And if you want to survive and keep your sanity. You need to expect it to rain on the just and the unjust alike. And be prepared to keep your faith through whatever comes your way.

That is the amazing thing about Jesus. Unlike drugs and alcohol. Jesus doesn’t help us avoid our troubles. No. He gives us the strength we need to face them.

Second David said. I could not see the goodness of the Lord. Folks there are going to be times when we cannot see the goodness of God. We know God is good. But we will not always be able to see it. Too many of us fail to see the goodness of God in our burdens.

We all want to see the goodness of God in every situation. How many times have we heard the question. Why do bad things happen to good people. That question suggests to me an inability to see the goodness of God in every situation. You see we are limited in our understanding. And if we are not careful, we can find ourselves questioning the sovereignty of God.

Romans 9:21

“Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

God is saying. How dare you question me?

We want to see God in everything. But at times we can’t.

3. So, David is also saying. I believed that God was in this. Even though I could not see it. If you cannot see the goodness of God. That’s ok. Choose to believe that it is there anyway.

David could not see God. Who could? Your son is revolting against you in battle. And the result is he dies. David could not see God in it. But he chose to believe that God was in it anyway.

IF you want to know how I kept going? I did it because I realized that God is in it. Even when I can’t see it. I believed in the wisdom of God.

Too many people put God on trial. If things do not turn out the way, we want them too. Then we pass judgement on God. We often hear it said. If this world is the best your god can do, then your god is a failure.

No. It is we who have failed. It is a world filled with sin. It is a world that lives in disobedience to the laws of God. And the result is a world of heartache and death.

Don’t ever put Gods goodness on trial.

God is GOOD. You say well preacher I can’t see it. Makes no difference whether or not you see it. God is good. You say well preacher I can’t comprehend it. Doesn’t matter. God is good.

What I’m trying to say is. You don’t have to see that God is good in the middle of your circumstances. You just need to trust it. God is good.

David said. When I struggled with the death of my son. I investigated the land of the living and realized that I lived in a fallen world. We pay for our sins. So, I cannot blame God.

Then David says. He struggled to see the goodness of God. But he chooses to believe it anyway.

Then David said. Although I cannot see the goodness of God in these horrible circumstances. I chose to believe that everything is done for HIS Glory.

You know. Even when times here are bad. God is still good. You know that no matter how bad things get. God is good.

Listen. We are all sinners. And none of us deserve heaven. Yet Christ paid for our sins. And not only that he has gone to prepare a place for us. HEAVEN. That’s how good God is.

You might say well preacher after all I have been through, I just can’t see the goodness of God. When you start to believe it, soon you will see it.

If you had to see it, there would be no point in faith. And the faith we need to live for God is strengthened by God. How? When we chose to believe what we cannot see.

How many Christians faint at the first sign of trails and tribulations? Many of us have been in church long enough to see a number of people give up and quit.

Then David tells us to wait. To be patient. In Hebrew it just says there. BE COURAGEOUS.

Proverbs 28:1

28 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Folks it takes courage to survive in this wicked old world.

Then finally David said. That he saw.

Listen to this. David said. I learned to see how my son’s death was caused by the goodness of God.

I didn’t see it at first, but I do now. How? I waited.

I believed and I waited.

Matthew Henry writes of this passage:

Wherever the believer is, he can find a way to the throne of grace by prayer. God calls us by his Spirit, by his word, by his worship, and by special providences, merciful and afflicting. When we are foolishly making court to lying vanities, God is, in love to us, calling us to seek our own mercies in him. The call is general, “Seek ye my face;” but we must apply it to ourselves, “I will seek it.” The word does us no good, when we do not ourselves accept the exhortation: a gracious heart readily answers to the call of a gracious God, being made willing in the day of his power. The psalmist requests the favour of the Lord; the continuance of his presence with him; the benefit of Divine guidance, and the benefit of Divine protection. God’s time to help those that trust in him, is, when all other helpers fail. He is a surer and better Friend than earthly parents are, or can be. What was the belief which supported the psalmist? That he should see the goodness of the Lord. There is nothing like the believing hope of eternal life, the foresights of that glory, and foretastes of those pleasures, to keep us from fainting under all calamities. In the mean time he should be strengthened to bear up under his burdens. Let us look unto the suffering Saviour, and pray in faith, not to be delivered into the hands of our enemies. Let us encourage each other to wait on the Lord, with patient expectation, and fervent prayer.

Today we know that Christ suffered for us.

Hebrews 4:15

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

What that means is Jesus understands how you are feeling. He’s been there. He endured EVERYTHING and understands us.

Some of us ask. How could God do this to me. How could God allow this to happen to me? I get it.

Trust in God, be courageous. Maintain your faith. And one day God will show you the reason.

Proverbs 3:6

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

You mean when I”m hurt I should still look to God? Yes. Especially when you are hurt.

Folks, God is good. Even when we can’t see it.

How many times have we read. Yea though I walk through the shadow of death, thou art with me.

Thats right. Even when surrounded by darkness. God is with us.

Hebrews 13:5

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.