Psalm 17: An Honest Cry for Help “Wonderously show your steadfast Love”

Intro:

Review from last week:

Psalm 16 “As we live with God, God satisfies us- we go to him for help, now and he is the one that makes us unshakable

Mars Bar!!!

Total Eclipse (PIC)- me and CBA staff, partial, total eclipse

Today we are looking at a prayer of David, but please, don’t fall into the same hole that I had to maneuver around. It is the hole of thinking that herein lies the only way to pray that God will accept

This Psalm has a lot of parallels to the book of Job, which leads me to believe that David learned how to lament from Job. We all learn from someone.

Outline:

Confession of Reality: “Hear a Just Cause…” (vs. 1-5)

Close Relationship: “You Will Answer Me” (vs. 6-12)

Cry for Rescue: “Deliver my Soul” (vs. 13-15)

Summary: An honest cry for help comes from a heart that has wondrously seen the steadfast love of our Saviour.

Illustration: pouring water into a cup, my first conversation with Jessi, the total eclipse

Prayer:

Confession of Reality: “Hear a Just Cause...” (vs. 1-5)

Pre-Script

A prayer- this is not a song written for the congregation to sing as some of the other Psalms (86, 142). I don’t know if you write out your prayers at all, but this is David’s.

Of David- I do not believe that David is sitting there thinking, “hmm, what is an acronym that I can put together here to teach people at Central in Brantford the right formula for prayer.

An Invitation to participate: ALL AT ONCE, WITH ONE BREATH (vs. 1-2)

Hear a just cause- imperative

O LORD

Attend to my cry- imperative

Give ear to my prayer- imperative

from lips free fo deceit- David is not trying to deceive God in what he is sharing, “I am not lying”.

3 imperatives right from the beginning, this is urgent!

From your presence (face)

let my vindication come!- decision, judgment, dispute,

Let your eyes behold

the right- What a great invitation into the situation. “LORD, I need you now”!

An Intense process: NOW BREATHE (v. 3)

You have tried- perfect, to test in order to ascertain the nautre of something in regards to imperfections, faults, or other qualities

my heart- the source of my actions, attitudes, and motives

You have visited- perfect, inspect, look at

me by night- when I am worn down and tired

These first two are cross-referenced in Job.

You have tested- perfect, refined metal, through a process of heat

me

and will find nothing- how can he say this, how does he know…keep reading…

I have purposed- perfect, I have intended

that my mouth will not transgress

Sounds very “Job-like”- Job 31:1 ““I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?”

An Intended Path: OBSERVE AROUND YOU (vs. 4-5)

With regard to the works of man

by the word of your lips- not David’s, his father Jesse’s, his mother’s or even Nathan the prophets.

David chooses to deal with the works of man by the words of God.

I have avoided the ways of the violent- David has not responded the way that he might like to. Don’t forget, David is a warrior! Violence is something he has been trained in since a boy. It would come naturally to him, it would be easy for him, you could say that he is preconditioned, yet he avoids that path. What or who is strong enough to work this in David?

My steps have held fast

to your paths

my feet have not slipped- that is not to say that it was an easy choice or that he was not tempted to look for other paths (Ps. 73, Job 23:11)..

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

When was the last time you were this honest with God? What has been preventing you?

What is urgent on your heart right now? Don’t get caught up in how to do it, just start talking.

When I first met Jessi, I remember thinking about how to start a conversation with her…I knew a guy that had her same last name (“Johnson”, one of the most common last names in America), so I asked her if she knew or was related to Dan Johnson (not the dan Johnson we know here). How many times have we seen this play out in a movie where someone is too shy to talk to the person they are attracted to.

“pouring out your heart” this analogy is helpful because the hardest part is the first couple of drops because we are trying to hit the cup.

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

When was the last time you invited God into your situation because you wanted His direction and input? Not just requesting that he accept the plan you are putting forward?

David purposed that his mouth would not transgress, even though he had not sinned or was in the wrong. What is your purposed path as you walk through your circumstances this week?

Transitional phrase: What would be your honest confession to God the father today? Confession is an honest cry about what you see around you and how your heart is responding to it. David’s resolve here is to deal with man’s works byt the Word of God. So where do we go from here…

Close Relationship: “You Will Answer Me” (vs. 6-12)

His request (vs. 6-7)

I call upon you

for you will answer me

O God- there is trust here, David is convinced by faith and experience that God will answer him when he calls.

1 Samuel 17:37 “And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!””

incline your ear to me

hear my words- not the words of someone else, not falsities, not platitudes, not cliches, “MY words”- David knew that God wanted to hear about David, from David.

Wondrously show your steadfast love- stop and think about that statement…say those 5 words with me…

O Saviour of those who seek refuge

from their adversaries

at your right hand- what an amazing statement in prayer

This is David’s request, wondrously show your steadfast love…

His relationship (vs. 8-9)

Keep me as the apple of your eye- relationship

Hide me in the shadow of your wings- relationship

From the wicked who do me violence- yet he purposed not to return violently

My deadly enemies who surround me

His rivals (vs. 10-12)

They close their hearts to pity- instead of a tried heart, they have a closed heart

with their mouths they speak arrogantly-

They have now surrounded our steps

they set their eyes to cast us to the ground

He is like a lion eager to tear

as a yound lion lurking in ambush

Can I ask you an honest question, which description sound more like how you view God the Father?

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

In what ways has God wonderously shown His steadfast love to you when you were seeking refuge in Him

Shadow or surrounded: Which one describes where you are today? Hide me in the shadow of your wings, or surrounded by deadly enemies

This week we all experienced being hidden in the shadow of totality with the eclipse

Your prayer life is a good diagnostic to the relationship you have with God. But it is not everything. Pg 64

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

Do you feel hidden in the shadows of God’s steadfast love or surrounded by deadly enemies?

Transitional phrase: David calls on the LORD because He knows He will answer him. They have a relationship in which God has wonderously shown His steadfast love. It is from this place that David cries for rescue…

Cry for Rescue: “Deliver my Soul” (vs. 13-15)

Action (vs. 13-14)

Arise, O LORD

confront him-

subdue him-

deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword

from men , by your hand, O LORD

from men of the world

whose portion is in this life

You fill their womb with treasure

they are satisfied with children

and they leave their abundance to their infants

Affection (v. 15)

As for me

I shall behold your face in righteousness- David turns the gaze of his life towards the face of God.

When I awake- David must be about to go to sleep.

I shall be satisfied with your likeness.- How is David changed in the midst of his circumstances, in the midst of the desires of his heart, from his reaction of violence, by beholding something more glorious, the face of God’s righteousness.

PIC OF ECLIPSE- this is true of the whole world and we all just experienced it, what was it that pulled us all away from what we were doing to gaze at something more glories…if we thought that was life-changing, image what an honest look at the the Son of life will do to a person’s life.

PIC OF MARS BAR- You may not have even thought of wanting one of these, until now. You will never be satisfied with any other likeness.

Summary: An honest cry for help comes from a heart that has wondrously seen the steadfast love of our Saviour

Discussion Starters:

What is urgent on my heart today?

Which one best describes me today: “hidden in the shadows of God’s steadfast love” or “surrounded by deadly enemies”?

What am I looking at to satisfy me today?

Song: Battle Belongs

Benediction/Looking ahead: INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CAFE