Sing Unto The Lord

Psalm 95:1-8....

I posted this week a quote from Charles Spurgeon: “I shake, but my ROCK moves not.”

Spurgeon derived that quote from his exposition of Psalm 7....If you would turn with me to Psalm 7:1-2.........

Only 2 verses from here just to get the context of his exposition and the understanding of what the spiritual battle is for us, today.

David is crying out to the Lord, pleading with Him against the accuser which had charged him with treason and treachery, according to Spurgeon.

It starts off with David’s confidence in God.....

Spurgeon also wrote about this: “Whatever may be the emergency of our condition we shall never find it amiss to retain our reliance upon our God.”

“In You I put my trust”

Even when my earthly life is bad or in distress, I trust You, O Lord!

Hence, the quote: “I shake, but my ROCK moves not.”

Why do we shake? What causes this shaking?

David continues in this pleading to save and deliver him from all that persecute him.

We know that King Saul relentlessly pursued David, to kill him.

He hated David, because of his success, he was jealous!

As noted in verse 2, David describes his enemies as a lion.....

Saul was like a lion in his pursuit of David, he had the strength and ferociousness in his pursuit!

In this pursuit of David, David never lost sight of his trust in the Lord, he was fearful, he was certain about what God had revealed to the prophet Samuel, that David was the chosen King of Israel, he was confident of the promise, but he was shaken in his time of testing and trouble!

That brings me to this quote: “I shake........” Can anybody, that is a believer in Christ, tell me honestly that they have not been in this condition?

We all have......it might be fear for some, anger for others, sadness/sorrow, etc.......we have all experienced these emotions!

The beginning of this Psalm speaks of David’s trust in the Lord.......he then cries out to the one he puts his trust in, the Lord!

Lastly, David describes his enemy’s ferociousness, like a lion.....I heard the somewhere before.....

David is speaking of King Saul, but we have an enemy that is just as cunning and ferocious as Saul.

Turn with me to 1 Peter 5:6-11.......

This is a powerful description of what David is experiencing.......Submitting to God and resist the devil is the idea of these few verses.

The main understanding and belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ, in my view is to humble ourselves to the Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit.......

The main understanding of this is that we have no power, we are nothing to God and He is everything to us!

The only exaltation we get is from Him and Him alone!!! That is paramount!

Next we must know that even in His exalted state, He cares for us.....

We must bring all our anxiety/cares to Him.....That is exactly what David did!

Strong confidence in God’s sovereign care does not mean that the believer should live carelessly.......the believer must stay alert and not get carried away with the anxieties and cares of the world or our life!

Stay alert!

Why? Because your adversary , the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour!

The devil in this verse means “slanderer”.....This carries the idea of a malicious enemy that seeks to malign believers. He and his forces are always active, looking for opportunities to overwhelm the believer with temptation, persecution, and discouragement!

One writer wrote: “Satan sows discord, accuses God to men, men to God, and men to men. He will do what he can to drag the Christian out of fellowship with Christ and out of Christian service.”

Anybody understand that? Faced or facing this? We all have and we all will! This is a spiritual battle, through earthly means!

Such as Saul was to David, that was a spiritual battle!

In our battles, trials and temptations what is there to do? Peter tells us (inspired by the Holy Spirit) to resist him by????? Being firm in your faith!

Resist means to stand up against........

“The way to resist the devil is not with special formulas, or words directed at him and his demons, but by remaining firm in the Christian faith.”

This means to continue to live according to God’s Truth! (Jesus Christ)

As the believer knows sound doctrine and obeys God’s truth, Satan is then withstood!

Peter goes on to tell us that the whole Christian family is always going through similar trials and troubles, brought on by this roaring lion who never stops trying to devour believers!

As Peter ends this teaching he tells us something Great!! While the believer is being attacked by the enemy, the believer is being Personally perfected by the Lord Himself, the God of all grace!

Perfect....meaning to complete

Stablish....to fix firmly in place,

Strengthen....make more able

Settle......establish or lay a foundation

All of these come from our testing, it comes to those who continue to believe and follow Jesus Christ, which is God’s chosen way!

Verse 11 is worship....to God be Glory and Dominion/Power....FOREVER!

One confidence and source of joy that we do have in our life of faith in Jesus Christ is that only God has the Glory and Power and it is forever, He is the only way for us to go!

Through our shaking comes a production of richness that the God of all Grace gives:

Humility.....vs. 6

Trust....vs. 7

Self-control....vs. 8

Faithfulness (which is a vigilant defense)....vs. 9

Hope.....vs. 10

Worship....vs. 11

In our walk of faith in Christ, when we are attacked, take confidence in what we read here, believe it, live it!

John 10:10–11“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

This is what David believed, even though he was desperate and desired deliverance from his earthly struggle, he trusted in the Lord his Rock!

Let’s end with Psalm 95:1-8.............

Do not harden your hearts and follow after man’s ways as those did when there was no water and murmured and complained!

That is not trust, that is not humility, that is not hope, that is not faithful, that is not is self-control, that is definitely not worship!