Giving As A Lifestyle-Psalm 143:8-10

Key Elements

In Psalm 143:8-10, David cried out to God, setting the example for us of a life spent in intimate fellowship with God.

Main idea of the text: When we are pursuing an active, intimate relationship with God, giving will be a lifestyle that we live.

I want my audience to live in an active, intimate relationship with God where giving is at the center.

Intro

Relationships are one of the most important aspects of our lives. Research has shown that those who are more socially connected to relationships with family, with friends, or a specific community are happier, they are healthier, and in some studies it has been confirmed that they live longer. Healthy relationships are also connected to people having fewer mental health problems. It’s not necessarily the number of friends we have or whether we are in a committed relationship or not, it’s about the quality of our closest relationships that matter and have a tremendous affect on us in major areas of our lives. According to a recent survey, those in healthy relationships have a 49% lower risk of death. Individuals in a healthy relationship of some sort exhibit 35% less health complaints and that percentage goes up as the number of healthy relationships increase. Roughly 65% of happy couples report being in a relationship where their partner is also their best friend. 40% of married couples report feeling happier overall, suggesting that healthy relationships can contribute greatly to overall happiness. A study done at Harvard confirms that good relationships are the key to a more joyful life. Active, intimate relationships with others, being connected to others in community, are necessary to a lifestyle that’s growing and beneficial not only to ourselves but also to others around us.

And as we continue with our Gift Of Giving series today, our relationship with God is where we want to focus. Because developing a lifestyle of giving, giving being at the center of our lives is born out of an active, intimate relationship with God. And as we look at Psalm 143:8-10 today, we will see some important characteristics that must be present in our lives if we are going to develop and maintain an active and intimate relationship with God. And what we’ll notice as we read this heartfelt Psalm of David is that he sets the example for us of a life spent in intimate fellowship with God as he cries out to his Heavenly Father.

So here’s the main idea of the message that we want to focus on today: When we are pursuing an active, intimate relationship with God, giving will be a lifestyle that we live.

When we become followers of Jesus, when we make the decision to surrender our hearts and lives to Him as Savior and Lord, a transformation begins in our hearts and our lives. It’s called sanctification, which is a big word that means we begin a journey to become more and more like Jesus. That should be one of our major goals and pursuits as disciples of Jesus, that we become more and more like Him in every area of our lives. And that’s a journey that we will be on for our entire lives; and we will never fully reach the end goal of that until we get to heaven. It is only when we are face to face with Jesus that we will reach the full realization of who God wants us to be and we will be like Him fully. But while we are here on earth, this is a daily struggle and a daily process that we will walk through. So, something that is or should be constantly on our hearts and minds is this question of “How can I live more like Jesus?” “How can I get on my heart what’s on His heart?” “How can I develop a lifestyle of loving and giving like Jesus did?” And if that is not something that we think about often as Christ followers then we need to pause and do some evaluation. We need to take stock of our lives and our relationship with God to see what’s missing. Because when it’s all said and done, our goal our pursuit in life is for our lives to look more and more like Jesus.

Message

So, this morning as we look at Psalm 143:8-10 and as we talk about developing a lifestyle of giving, I want us to look at our relationship with God. And I want us to explore some characteristics that must be present in our lives for us to have an active, intimate relationship with God. And what we’ll see is that when we are pursuing an active, intimate relationship with God, giving will be a lifestyle that we live. From our text today, we notice four characteristics:

1. Giving as a lifestyle is born out of a deep trust in God. (vs. 8)

To really understand the context of our text today, we have to look at Psalm 143 in its entire context. Traditionally, this Psalm has been classified as a Psalm of confession. And this is because of the confession that is found immediately in vs. 2 where David says “And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no man living is righteous.” David, from the very beginning of the Psalm, shows us his humility and indicates to us that he knows his place in light of who God is. And when we look at the Psalm as a whole, what we come to realize is that the theme of the whole Psalm is lament. David is in some kind of situation where he is surrounded by his enemies. He feels as if the walls are closing in on him. There’s a sense of desperation in his tone and he is troubled by his enemies and he is troubled in his soul, and in desperation he is crying out to God because He knows God is the only one who can come to his rescue. In David, we see a man of faith, we see a man of might, we see a man who was gifted like no other. But there’s one characteristic that caused David to stand out from other people who possessed these same characteristics. He wasn’t sinless or perfect, if you know David’s story from scripture you know he did some horrible things. What set David apart was his deep trust in God. One theologian sums it up for us, “It is this personal devotion that was David’s greatness and is the continuing greatness of his psalms.” If there is anything that David communicates to us in this Psalm, it is a deep trust in God.

Which is something that is required of us as followers of Jesus if we are to have an active, intimate relationship with God. A relationship with God is born out of and begins by us simply trusting in God. That is the first step that we all must take to begin the journey of a relationship with our Heavenly Father, the One who created us for that very reason, for an intimate relationship with Him. And that’s what we hear David expressing here in vs. 8, he says...

That word “trust” in vs. 8 is the Hebrew word that means “complete confidence, without suspect, reliance based on past successful situations.” David, even in the midst of the most desperate situation of his life, knows that he can trust in his God because God has proven trustworthy, God has never let him down, God has never given David a reason to doubt Him and He’s not about to start now. In David there existed a deep trust in God that was the foundation of his relationship with Him.

And that same depth of trust must be the foundation of our relationship with God. It is where our relationship with God begins and it must be continually developed over time. Think about it, we surrender our hearts and lives to Jesus by trusting Him as Savior and Lord. Daily, we develop a deeper relationship with Him as we trust Him with the daily situations of life. We step out on faith in obedience to Him every day trusting that He is leading us in the direction that is for His glory and for our good. And as we continue to trust Him and as we continue to obey Him, trusting Him should become easier as we realize that no matter what we’ve faced in life up to this point or what we will face in life, we can trust in a God who never fails. And let me pause here for a moment and say this, if this is a step that you have not taken in your life, the step of surrendering and trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord, then this is the first step that you need to take. And you may say today, “Well, I have issues with trusting people. Almost everybody that I have ever trusted in my life has let me down.” What if I was to tell you that there is someone that you can trust? There is someone that will never let you down? His name is Jesus. You see, God isn’t like everybody else. He’s perfect and faithful and He tells us in His word to test Him and allow Him to prove Himself to us. So, today if you haven’t taken that first step and placed your faith and trust in Jesus, then in just a moment we are going to give you that opportunity. To place your trust in the only One who is worthy of our trust.

And when we translate that over to our giving and a lifestyle of giving, what we realize is that we can give as God has commanded us to give in obedience to Him because we can trust Him. Because He is faithful in all situations. He has been faithful in the past, He is faithful now, and He will be faithful in the future. And we trust Him to provide for all of our needs because He always has and He always will. When our relationship with God is active and intimate there is a deep trust in God that is developed and when there is a deep trust in God that exists in our lives then giving to Him will be a natural part of the way we live. One of the greatest ways that we prove that we have a deep trust in God is by living a life where giving to God is at the center.

So, giving as a lifestyle is born out of a deep trust in God.

Which leads us to a second characteristic...

Daniel L. Akin, Johnny M. Hunt, and Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 101–150, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2021), 314.

2. Giving as a lifestyle is maintained by consistent guidance from God. (vs. 8b, 10)

How many of you have issues with your significant other or spouse when it comes to guidance and directions during travel? (now don’t be crazy and raise your hand) I would say that all of us who are in a relationship or married, at different times when we’ve traveled on vacation or somewhere have disagreed on how to get there. Because there are those of us who love the scenic route and even if it’s going to take longer, we want to enjoy the journey and scenery. And some of us don’t care about any of that, we want the shortest distance to the destination. And in trying to figure what route we are going to take, one person in that conversation has to give in. The truth is this no matter what route you take-the shortest or the most scenic-the guidance you receive from Google maps is going to be flawed in some way. Your inevitably going to end up in some crazy neighborhood wondering where you are.

But imagine with me guidance that you could completely trust. Guidance that would never lead you astray. What if I told you that was possible? How would that make you feel? Well, it would be life changing. It would inspire a confidence like we’ve never felt before. And that’s what we find when we place our faith and trust in Jesus.

You see, once we place our faith and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, once we take that initial step in our lives, then we must consistently seek God for guidance. Look at what David says next in the second part of vs. 8… He continues in vs. 10...

David realized that for him to be the leader he was called to be, for him to maintain an active, intimate relationship with God, that consistent guidance from God was necessary. This is where David found his strength, this was his go-to on a daily basis, consistently seeking guidance from God. We see it all throughout David’s life, as a young shepherd boy he recognized that God was the One who gave him victory as he protected his sheep, as he faced Goliath on the battlefield God was the one who gave him the power to slay the giant, as he ran from Saul God was the one who protected him, and as he ruled as King of Israel God was the one who guided him in the major decisions of his life. Many times before major battles were fought or major decisions were made, David would be found on his knees alone worshipping God and seeking guidance from Him. The posture of David’s heart was constantly “Teach me the way I should walk” and “Teach me to do your will.”

And we notice in this Psalm that David prays for guidance in three areas: First, he prays for guidance to discern spiritually. He says “teach me the way I should live, behave” guide every step I take and help me to know exactly what I should do in every situation; Second, he prays for guidance to perceive God’s will and obey God’s will. He says “teach me to do what is pleasing in Your sight God; what is to Your liking” that I may live and walk according to Your word. Third, he prays for the humility to follow God’s guidance. He expresses humility as he pleads to God to guide him by His good Spirit. He needs to know which way to go and he needs the Good Shepherd to help him get there.

And for us to maintain an active, intimate relationship with God our prayer for guidance has to be the same. We need God to guide us to discern spiritually-to show us the best way to live our lives and to guide us every step of the way consistently speaking to us; we need God to guide us to perceive and obey His will-to show us clearly what His will is for us in scripture and obeying it as He makes it clear-serving as God has called us to serve, giving as God has called us to give, and living as God has called us to live; and we need the humility to follow God’s guidance-to cultivate a life of humility and holiness so that we are prepared to hear and prepared to do what God calls us to do.

And when we translate that over to our giving and a lifestyle of giving, what we realize is that God’s guidance on giving and living generously is better than any advice we could get from the wisest financial adviser. God has laid out in His Word for us principles to guide us as we give to Him as an act of worship. As we lay before Him a portion of what He has blessed us with and as we follow His will for us in this area of our lives, we see that He can do much more with what He asks us to give Him than with the great amount we would keep from Him. And as we humble ourselves and yield to God’s guidance when it comes to giving, He leads us by His Holy Spirit and He accomplishes much for His glory and the sake of the Gospel. But here’s the key to God’s consistent guidance in our lives, we will never know what God is leading us to do if we never spend time with Him. If we want to know God’s will, if we want the power to obey God’s will, then we have to spend time daily seeking God’s will. You see, the reason some of us don’t feel God guiding us is because we are not consistently spending time with Him daily. That was the key to Jesus’ power while He was here on earth, daily and early He spent time with His Heavenly Father. And if the Son of God needed to do that, then how much more do we need to? So, the question for us is this are you spending time daily with God seeking His guidance and His will? Because giving as a lifestyle is maintained by consistent guidance from God.

Which leads us to our third characteristic...

3. Giving as a lifestyle is deepened through a dependence on God. (vs. 9)

Now, the word “dependence” for most of us carries a negative context. We associate dependence with weakness. We think we should be able to do things on our own, accomplish tasks for ourselves, and make our way in this world dependent on no one but us. If we have to depend on anyone else, then it’s almost a sign of failure. Recently, at our house we built a small covered area on our patio where we grill out. What we’ve found over the last 3 years of living there is that the patio gets hot during the summer when you’re trying to cook with the sun beaming down on you. And so, we thought this covered area would provide some shade for us during the summer. Of course, as with any project it turned out to cost more and take more time than we planned. But one thing that I’ve discovered through this little project is that it is much easier to build something like that when you have help. It’s much easier for two people to be up on a ladder assembling things at the highest point than trying to do it by yourself. And after many attempts and dropping materials and screws and almost falling off the ladder several times, I realized that asking my son for help was the best option than trying to do it on my own.

Isn’t life like that? We would, most of the time, try and accomplish things on our own and do things our way than ask for help because we’ve got it in our minds that asking for help is a sign of weakness. But what we find is that when we admit our dependence and yield to the help of another, that’s the much better way. And that applies so well to our relationship with God and that’s something David is showing us in Psalm 143:9 when he says....

David recognizes his great need for deliverance, he looks to God, and he asks for help. That’s, in essence, what dependence is. It’s us recognizing our need, it’s us looking to God, and then asking for help. David has every resource and weapon at his disposal, he has all that he needs to defeat his enemies; but he realizes that without God’s help, none of that will work. He doesn’t look to weapons, horses, or his armies-He looks to God. He says, “I take refuge in You.” Literally “I seek cover or protection in You.” I am completely dependent on You, God, to protect and save my life.

And when we come to that point in our lives, God has us right where He wants us, living a life where we recognize that we are totally dependent on Him for everything. The key is to continue to live that way. Because there are times where we lose sight of that dependence and we drift back to self dependence. And it’s at that point that God allows something to happen that reminds us that the best way to live is in total dependence on Him. And that’s what dependence on God does, it shows us that that is the best way to live our lives. That there is nothing at our disposal, no resource we have access too that is better than the resources God has at His disposal. But, probably the greatest part of total dependence on God is that it deepens our relationship with Him. You know, when I asked my son for help, not only was that the best decision but it deepened our relationship because we got to spend time together. And now, when he comes to the house, we can say that we built that together. That’s what dependence in our relationship with God does. When we yield our lives to Him, when we ask for help, that dependence deepens our relationship with Him. And that deep relationship with God causes us to want to love Him more, to obey Him more, and to lean on Him for all that we need.

Giving as a lifestyle is deepened through a dependence on God.

Which brings us to our final characteristic...

4. Giving as a lifestyle is pursued as we focus on God. (vs. 10)

David concludes vs. 10 here with an interesting phrase. He says…

David’s life up to this point had been filled with plenty of “uneven ground” literally and figuratively. He was a shepherd at heart and had led many sheep through the uneven territory of Israel. In his personal life, He had experienced much of God’s favor but he had also stumbled at times. In fact, the situation he is pleading to God for rescue from in Psalm 143 commentaries say was a direct result of some of those stumblings. We see this same request in other Psalms of David where he is asking God to lead him on a “level path” or “a level road.” And here, David is pleading again for God to guide him for God to lead him on a path that directs him to God’s purpose for his life. He recognized the failings of his past, the times he had tripped up, and now he is asking God to lead him to avoid the things in life that will cause him to stumble and fall. And just like the sheep that he guided as a shepherd boy, the only way David will be able to walk the level ground to avoid the stumblings of life is to look to the Shepherd. For it is in focusing on the Shepherd, that the sheep find their way.

Life is full of plenty “unlevel ground.” There are many times that we will stumble and fall, that we will be tripped up by the trappings of this life. May this prayer of David be our prayer and may we focus on God our Shepherd as He leads us on the level ground towards the purpose He has for our lives. And as we pursue an active, intimate relationship with Him, may we live focused on Him, not distracted by the things of this world but living as He’s called us to live with giving and generosity at the center of our lives. Knowing that we can trust Him every step on the path of life.

Conclusion

So, this morning, the first question to consider is this “Do you have a relationship with God?” Have you taken that first step of faith and trust in Him? If your answer is no, then this morning we want to give you the opportunity to take that step.

Maybe today, you can answer yes to that question. Then something else to consider is this “As a follower of Jesus, how’s your relationship with Jesus? Is it active and intimate? And is giving and generosity at the center?”