My Confidence - My relationship with GOD

Introduction: In this beautiful Psalm of David, we see here the author portrays the joy of trusting God. In these 11 verses the psalmist David brings to our attention the eternal hope for all believers in Christ by reminding us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ , and we see this being even elaborated in . So we understand from reading this psalm that there are some messianic attributes in this Psalm. But for tonight we will be looking at how to carry on this confidence in our personal lives, as this Psalm has closely influenced my confidence in God.

Our Christian lives definitely will have uncertainties and problems, and these times we become inconsistent in our faith and we may even doubt the God we worship – IS GOD ALIVE? IS GOD BLIND? WHERE IS HE? This is where Our God teaches us and especially me that My Christian life is not a one time experience, but it is the journey of my faith. In this journey the road is not smooth but there will be hope and happiness at the end of the journey. I would like to focus on verses 1 – 11, what David the author, talks to us tonight about the consistency we need to have as believers in our journey of faith. This will enable us to have solid relationship with God.

(Encourage everyone to sit with prayer and examine their journey of faith)

We are going to see and remember how to reflect today along with the author of , on the ways that God was faithful to our lives, so we can improve the confidence in our relationship. At a glance we examine this Psalm we see there are 3 major important thoughts or messages for our Christian lives –

a) Attribute of our God – A Faithful God – so what? ()

The author of this , portrays us to have certain perspective, we need to have as believers in Christ. When the Bible teaches us that God is Faithful – David start by points out to us God You are faithful to me, Observe the faithfulness of God

a. Security – ()

For God takes care of us, so I put my refuge in you. David says not God you are faithful to me, I know you will take care of me. But here the author puts out a petition a plea to God. Even when we exam 7:1 – we see that the Psalmist uses the same language of petition. So why the author does repeats this even after knowing this that God takes care? The answer I could remind here is David identifies his weakness that he is only a man and he can also fall in sin and there can be tough times in his life, this is one of the areas were we need to examine deeply. As a believer we need to first acknowledge that there are weakness, failures and inconsistencies in our life. We need to tell God, David looks to God and says God you are faithful to me and again to you I ask for my security.

b. Well-being – ()

David brings to our attention from his position, a deeper thought for our examination and understanding, that God is good. Nothing in my life comes outside of God. Everything that is good in my life derives its goodness from God our Heavenly Father.

We need to understand David uses 3 names of our God in verses 1 and 2 – El; Jehovah- YHWH; Adonai. David is not putting all the names of God for poetry style. David teaches to us EL – God is the creator. God is in all His power and strength. David acknowledges that God who created He is powerful, strong, mighty – He is Omnipotent. THE LORD – YHWH, Jehovah - David reminds through praises, and he teaches that this YHWH is a covenant keeping God. He is a God who attests just like a NOTARY to us that HE WILL KEEP HIS PROMISES despite when are not faithful. My Lord – Adonai – David brings to our attention a relationship, in other words my Master.

So drawing all these three together, we see that David teaches us that, seek the God who created, remember the YHWH who keeps his promises, maintain your relationship.

c. Fellowship/ Friends – ()

As we progress further in this verse the author puts out our attention on the significance of our relationship and also on the importance of how to build your confidence in God. Through the believers, God has placed for believers around you, the Bible teaches us the importance of maintaining such a relationship. David takes delight in having such a fellowship, our fellowship with our dear believers enable us to grow in our relationship with God. How?

· In our prayer – we intercede for each other.

· In our testimonies

· In our studies

This fellowship is significant as the Bible teaches us from and –

§ To express love to one another

§ To encourage

§ Impact on unbelievers ()

This is our responsibility as believers also we need to proclaim/ evangelise to others – who is JESUS .

d. Loyalty/ Allegiance – ()

God you are faithful to me now I am telling this is my loyalty and allegiance to you, dear brethren please understand the words of David. David teaches us by doing a contrast. The people that God has provided you, express your loyalty to them and vary in your relationship and communication with unbelievers. The unbelievers build a relationship with a false god, the unbelievers spend time with false worshipers.

Let me elaborate a little here, people can make mistakes here in their loyalty and allegiance to God. They don’t need the church, I can worship God alone without the church, but that is WRONG, as I pointed out earlier fellowship matters because a Christian life is about a relationship. You cannot function as an independent Christian once you are a born again believer.

So dear brethren, we understood the significance of understanding about faithful God now how can we improve our relationship with HIM – building my CONFIDENCE.

b) How can I Improve my Relationship ()

a. Trusting God as my provider – ()

Shall we read 2 verses, and – trusting God as your provider, God provides for our nourishment. Here we see from these 2 verses, God allots for our provisions. Here I would like to point out – along with David – God provides for our Day to Day needs without fail we will be able to progress. Our prayer should be like from – Give us today our daily bread.

We need to be always trust God in His provisions always when we receive things, especially food clothing shelter jobs. Each day if we can stay in UAE it is not because of our educational qualification or because the company is pleased with our ancestral heritage or any other personal merit. It is because God provides for us. Let us avoid being blind to His provision and let us continue to praise for what He has given us. – may this be our prayer even when we start working.

b. Believe God is my blessing and seeing that God controls my future - ()

God is my blessing, He pours out for us blessing on a day to day basis in our life. He provides not only for our present but also for our future.

Rich man and property – Illustration. Identifying your blessings in God that is what David teaches us here, and we need to treasure this opportunity that God has given us. we are called to be heirs with Christ so we need to value the of the blessings God has given us to be called his own children. As David puts out his word, the lines of inheritance for us are in heaven.

c. Listening to God who counsels me at night – ()

Paying attention to the voice of God who guides His children matters. Most of the times we make our own plans and ask God to bless them. Instead the Bible teaches us to pay attention to the will of God, by identifying it. In the progress of identifying God’s will – pay attention to the plan of God and find out how He is glorified. This will only happen when we constantly meditate and engage ourselves in godly counsel.

c) (cont. to improve relationship) Acceptance and Receiving – God keeps us secure

By Understanding and rejoicing - The provision/ rewards of God for our eternal security()

a. God is always, near us in life ()

From the morning till evening this is an assurance that God is providing us, for those receive Christ as their Saviour. God is with you, He is with us. We don’t need to carry a cross/ or a picture of Jesus/ a bracelet. Brethren the Bible teaches us that those who are in Christ are saved by the blood of Christ and he or she their security is in God.

David was glad that he found deeper joy and the secret of happiness. David understood that secret of being joyful was not looking on the external things because they only provide happiness for a temporary period but joy is lasting it is based on God’s presence with us and this is called contentment. Being happy we can show but learning to be content is one thing David teaches us here being content in God.

b. God will not abandon us in death, He provides us eternal life ()

Many people fear death because they can neither control nor understand it. As believers we can be assured of our confidence in God as we read from – we have eternal life. Our greatest assurance is that we have eternal life in through Jesus Christ which God has given us. When we die today we need not be worried, because death is only a path to eternal life, there will be momentary pain when someone of our loved ones pass away but for believers who pass away we rejoice even in that moment by saying, you revealed the path of life and in your presence today we have joy because we believe with hope and expectation, 2000 years ago my Jesus came down from heaven and for my sake He suffered and died and rose again, and today if I die I am alive through Him and my inheritance is there in heaven,

Alter call and then close with the message.

Today if anyone seated here has not received this Jesus in your hear based on what you have heard and received we invite you to believe in this Jesus who has died for the sins of man, and rose again on the third day, today He is interceding for us along infront of the Father every moment for the Human Race.

May His name be Glorified.