Part 1 - The Anticipation of Divine Help
Divine Help • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
In just a few days, we will be at the beginning of another year. 2021 is rushing in with definite uncertainty; people are worried, people are scared, seems even the Church is scared and full of anxiety.
We were doing family devotions yesterday and we were looking at Isaiah 52:12; as I read it, the Lord really spoke to me about a lot of things...
For ye shall not go out with haste,
Nor go by flight:
For the Lord will go before you;
And the God of Israel will be your rereward.
Christians should not be scared of the unknown, Christians shouldn’t be scared of the future! We have a hope, we have a promise, we don’t have to look ahead in fear…You know why?
Fear of the future and the unknown do still have to be faced because of this old flesh, but the Christian has a remedy for this fear!
Our minds are powerful, but our God is all-powerful!
We have a Great God Who knows the future and He’s leading the way! He will go before us! He’s already been there, He knows what we will face, and He has a plan for each one of us! He told the prophet Jeremiah that, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee...”
God knows what’s going on and He is in control!
The Psalmist, in our text today, declares God to be:
His helper - Verse 1-2
His keeper - Verse 3-4
His shade - Verse 5
His preserver - Verse 7-8
Twice, he states that the Lord will help him - Verse 1-2
Three times, he states that the Lord will keep him - Verse 3-4
He states that the Lord will shade him - Verse 5
Three times, he states that the Lord will preserve him - Verse 7-8
The old saying goes, “Good help is hard to find.” As far as this world goes, that might be true, but it’s not impossible. You just have to look for it! The Psalmist knew where his help was!
Today, I want to preach on the thought of “Divine Help”…With the topic of divine help in mind, we can see this Psalm divided into two sections: The Anticipation of Divine Help in verses 1-2 and The Assurance of Divine Help in verses 3-8; I want to preach the first part this morning, and you want to be sure to come back this evening because we will looking at the second part...
The Anticipation of Divine Help (verse 1)
The Anticipation of Divine Help (verse 1)
It was the right decision
It was the right decision
Verse 1: “I will lift...”
Lifting one’s eyes is a choice! It requires a bit of determination!
“I will...” signifies that the psalmist here makes a choice of his will (a volitional choice) to look up to God.
How often when faced with a test, trial or affliction, we choose to look down in self-pity or around at adverse circumstances, rather than gazing upward to our Omnipotent Father!
“I will...” also indicates the psalmist recognizes that the godly man stands in continual need of and dependence upon the LORD’s help.
Where we choose to "lift our eyes" can have significant consequences, either good or bad! Be careful where you "lift your eyes!"
The best place to lift our eyes is to fix our eyes on the best Person, Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). If our eyes are fixed on Him, our wills are more likely to be surrendered to His Spirit (Who enables our holy walk) and our feet are more likely to follow Him. In short, our behavior is more likely to be like Jesus...
It was the right direction
It was the right direction
Verse 1: “I will lift up...”
A.W. Pink wrote:
Faith is to the soul—what the eye is to the body—namely, that which enables its possessor to look outside of himself and steadfastly fix his gaze on an external object. And hence it is that the exercise and act of faith is so often referred to in the Word under the figure of "lifting up the eyes" and "looking unto the LORD."
Where was it we looked when the Spirit revealed to us the lost condition and made us realize we were guilty, polluted, and undone sinner?
As we began our journey of faith by looking up to Jesus for salvation, we must continue ...
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Look up to Christ daily and view Him by faith! View Him as the eternal Lover of your soul, as the Lord of your righteousness, as the Bread of life to feed upon.
When the out -look is bleak, remember the up -look.
I’m talking about the Anticipation of Divine Help!
Psalm 121 doesn’t promise that we’ll never be sent to a dangerous battlefield or suffer physical harm. These words are a promise of God’s constant faithfulness to us in a changing and uncertain world. His protection means that even though we might get hurt in this world, we will never be beaten by it. No matter what we might face, where we might go, what we might lose or what we might be asked to do, God remains the same. He is a fortress of safety; the One we can always talk to. Hebrews 13:5 says, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
We will face toils, trials, temptations, and troubles…But whatever you do, don’t look back - like Lot’s wife did; don’t look within - as many do; don’t look around - as David did; but look up!
Look up to God! He’s your Father, you Friend, your Savior! He can help you! He will help you! He says,
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
For I am God, and there is none else.
Look up for light to guide you — and He will direct your path.
Look up for grace to sanctify you — and the grace of Jesus will be found sufficient for you.
Look up for strength to enable you to do and suffer God's will — and His strength will be made perfect in your weakness.
Look up for comfort to cheer you — and as one whom his mother comforts, so will the Lord comfort you.
Look up for courage to make you bold — and the Lord will give courage to the faint; and to those who have no might — He will increase strength.
Look up for endurance to keep you — and the God who preserves you will enable you quietly to bear the heaviest burden, and silently to endure the most painful affliction.
Look up for providence to supply you — and the jar of flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry; but God shall supply all your needs, according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Look up in faith — exercising confidence in the Word of a faithful God.
Look up in prayer — asking for what God has graciously promised.
Look up in hope — expecting what you ask in the name of Jesus.
Look up with adoration — and adore the sovereignty, righteousness, and wisdom of God.
Look up constantly — don’t let anything discourage you!
Run looking, work looking, fight looking, suffer looking, live looking, and die looking — to Jesus, who is at God's right hand in glory.
Look at verse 2...He knows where his help comes from...
My help cometh from the Lord,
Which made heaven and earth.
This is a proper perspective! Help from God. Not from other people (although God can and does use other people often) but from Him. It is interesting that even in Christian bookstores, "self help" books have found a popular niche. This Psalm presents the opposite of that -- Not "self" help but Savior help!
Do you not think the One, which made heaven and earth, can certainly help us today! The Psalmist makes sure to let us know he’s not talking about just anyone! He’s talking about the One which made heaven and earth!
Here’s a thought - Where or to whom do you go first when faced with an obstacle, a difficult trial, a sudden adversity, etc. Do you run to the Rock of your Salvation? Do you see Him as your Help? To whom have you taken your burden? Have you cast it on the LORD?
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee:
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The boy dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.)When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved—but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby little fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.
All this time the boy's father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?" Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!" "No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me." With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.Beloved, God is our Helper. He is the helper of the hopeless, the homeless, the hurting, the harassed, and the heckled. He knows what you need emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. We are wise if we will tap into His strength to face our mountains and hills. He will provide for every need that you have.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This morning’s message is all about anticipation…I’m glad that we have assurance of Divine Help and that’s found in the remainder of the chapter...Come back tonight at 6, and we will look at the thought “The Assurance of Divine Help” -
Where are you looking for help?
Do you need help today? It’s here, you can get it! Just look up to Jesus!