No plan b
Title: No plan B
Text: Ps 62:5-11
Introduction: We all know the pitfalls of not having a plan B. Things don’t work out as planned. We were all taught not to put all your eggs in one basket. You always need something to fall back on. You always have to have an option. If don’t do this, I can do that. But the good news is that you don’t need a plan B when plan A always works. Our story is about a man who did not have a plan B because his experiences taught him some things. He came to this resolve with the utmost confidence. That was to stick to plan A and stay focused on it. You may be saying my plan A may not always work. But I am he to tell you if God is your plan A, you don’t have to anything to worry about. Your plan A will work.
If anybody needed a problem to work out for them it was King David. David wrote this psalm during a time when his life was in danger. His very own son, Absalom was trying to kill him. David knew despite what he was going through, he could count on God. David had no plan B but he was willing to wait patiently on God which is our first point.
I. Wait patiently v. 5
Here in the text, King David makes a profession of is faith. He says “my soul wait thou only on God”. This means that his emotions, his being, appetite, desire and passion were stilled only because of God. David in his life came to the resolve that the only way to make it is to have total dependence on God and God alone. There is no other option. The text goes to say for my expectation is from Him. David had a calm confidence in God during times of despair. David was settled in the fact that despite what he was feeling or what problem was, he can sit back and cross legs knowing that God is going to be God! But how is David able to chill when he got a problem like the one he is dealing with? The reason is that David had experience what God can do on many different levels. God was with David when He was fight lions and tigers and bears… He was with David when he defeated Goliath. He was with David while he was running for his life from Saul. He was with David when he had to deal with the sin of Bathsheba and death of his baby. From all that David went through he knew the God of his salvation when times were up and when times were down. David expected God to move on his behalf. So David could wait on God no matter how long with calm soul and high expectation! My brothers and sisters, we have to have that same calm confidence when the issues of life seem to be hitting us in every direction. (Name them) Like David, despite what is going on as believers we can be confident in the God of our Salvation no matter how long it takes from Him to move. We have to wait on the Lord and be of good courage! We have to wait with high expectations. So you like David, you can cross you legs when the trouble water rise up knowing that if you keep you eyes on Jesus, you walk on water and not sink! Wait only on God because nobody is able to do what He can do! This is second time to somebody close to him is trying kill David. Yet David put trust in God for protection and plan B was not an option which is our next point.
II. Protection vv.6-7
Again, we see how David singles out God as his only help in his time of trouble. In verse 6, he says He only is my rock, my support the one I stand on. He is my salvation the only one who can deliver me. He is my defense. I don’t have to fight. He fights for me. Therefore, I shall not be move. David is not shook by his situation. Look at you neighbor and tell I ain’t shook… Despite what happens I am going to stand firm because God is my protection. I don’t need a plan B! Amen! And the only way God can protect you is that you have to be in him. Look at verse 7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. My beloved, David is telling us here that despite what is going on, we are protected because we are in God. He says in the last clause of the text that my refuge is in God. Refuge is a shelter when you are in trouble you can go there and be safe. So no matter what is going on the outside, it can’t get to me because I am inside. The only way I can get in trouble is if I go back out there. Look at your neighbor and tell stay in! Stay in the presence of God. You got stay in the presence and nothing can come in to attack. Stay in your refuge! Stay in by praise, worship and the word, and prayer! And God will hide you in His secret place and enemy won’t be able to get to you! David knew how to get in the presence of God and get the help he needed through worshipful prayer which is our next point.
III. Worshipful Prayer v.8
In verse 8, David continues to encourage us to trust in God at all times. Again, making God your only option! No plan B! God is your ever present help! You have to have a dependence on God and rely on his Lordship in your life. As Lord, we submit who we are and what we do to His authority and His sovereignty. This is why David is telling us in v. 8b to pour out your heart before him… and repeats that God is our refuge. This is a picture of a drink offering made to God as sacrificial worship, emptying out what is inside of us laying it out before a Holy God! This pouring out of our heart is worshipful prayer. You can be confident that when you pray pour out your concerns of your heart, God will pour in love into you and answer your prayers! David tells us to pour out our heart in Ps 34 that the righteous cry out and the Lord delivers them out of all their trouble. Again, in Ps 107, David again tells us they cried to the Lord and he saved them. I am here today to give liberty to act like a baby. Pour out your heart with cries and moans knowing that your Daddy is coming to see out you!
a. Praise break
Being a song, David uses a musical marker for emphasis at the end of this verse called Selah. There are several speculations of this word but no direct English translation. Musically, it said to mean a pause or interruption for reflection. Liturgically, it can mean crescendo. It is translated to mean lift up or exalt. Even though it has uncertain meaning it all makes sense to me. It is always good to pause and reflect on what God has done by lifting him up in exaltation. In other words, David here is taking a praise break! When you are confident in what God will do for you just the thought will make to stop what you are doing a take a praise break!
IV. Can’t rely on people and possessions vv.9-10
After David’s praise break, he further gives us encouragement to put our trust in God rather that people and possessions. Here is why. The text in the NLT “Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air”. In other words, man don’t amount to nothing when it comes to solving your problems. But when you look how great and wonder your God is, He tips the scales because nothing can compare! Can’t nobody do you like Jesus! Also, David tells us don’t get desperate to obtain possession by illegal means. Just stay in the will of God. Don’t manipulate stuff or people to get what you want. But trust God! And if you don’t get rich put money in the right perspective. Our problem is that we get money centered rather than God centered! (what we worship consumes us) Money can’t save you and buy your way to heaven. This is why I worship the God who created everything and skip the middle man!
V. God’s power v. 11
In verse 11, David again tells us again why he came to the resolve that there is no plan B. He says God is spoken once and twice I heard it. In the NLT says that God has spoken plainly and I heard it many times that the power belongs to God. My brothers and sisters, you heard it all before, the power belongs to God! Power don’t belong to man. The power don’t belong to that judge in Queens. The power doesn’t belong to those with money. The power don’t belong to your boss. It doesn’t belong to the devil. Power belongs to God!! Therefore I don’t need a plan B when I know my God is more than able to help me in my situation!
Close: David was not the only one confident that there is not plan B. Prophet Elijah had no plan B when he stood by himself against the prophet of Baal. But called on the Lord and fire can done! The prodigal son realized that there was no plan B when He came to himself after being out there went back to plan A which was back home and receive a robe, a ring and a new shoes. No plan B! Paul knew there was no plan B when he told the church of Corinth that he was determined to know any thing except Jesus and Him crucified! He had no plan B! God tells us through the prophet Jeremiah there is no plan B when he said For I know the plan I that I have for you plan to prosper and not to harm. Jesus knew there was not plan B when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane when He asked God the father if it was possible to take away the cup; nevertheless no my will but thou will be done! No plan B! With God on your side you don’t need a plan B!
9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. [1]
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. [2]
----
[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Pr 16:9
[2] The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995, S. Pr 19:21