A Song of Triumph, Part 2

Today on Insight for living reason Christians that we have trouble believing he is our only security light string because we try everything else we have too many built in crutches which we turn automatic every other crutches used except the Lord, and he waits patiently show himself strong valleys of our journey today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll cites one of the grandest songs ever written. It comes from the heart of a celebrated leader who was it during a season of loneliness and grief. David's passionate songs recorded in second set. Chuck calls it a song chapter of the book of second Samuel, we come upon a very important experience in the life of David things have occurred rather recently to put them on his knees.

The loss of a son.

The loss of the land and finally the weary experience of that. It all begins to wear on and begins to crack while David was weary. Verse one of chapter 22. He declared his feelings in a song. It is great song of praise. I want you to see. As I unveiled the four themes of his life. Here is the first when times are tough. The Lord is our only security that's verses two through 20. The second theme begins in verse 21 and carries us down into 3031 when days are dark, the Lord is our only light look for example at verse 29 will remind you another song for thou art my lamp Lord, the Lord illumines my darkness. Charles Allen writes this in one of his works.

You are never alone when a person is suddenly alone often panic and fear, I distinctly remember my mother saying to me after my father's death I cannot go on without I depend upon them for everything. My mother really believe that but she did go on without him. In fact, my mother lived 25 wonderful years after my father died.

I remember that one of the things that bothered my mother was that she could not drive a car. She learned that she could live without driving the car. I feel that the most creative years of my mother's life were the years when she was forced to depend upon the Lord, not my father.

She had her anxious moments, but somewhere along the way she learned the old expression live by the yard is hard, but life, but the image is a cinch is what David is saying in this Psalm, thou art my lamp and you give me just enough interest to let me see the next step and that's all that's all you give me, but you are the one that illumines my darkness and look at what he says in verse 30 by the I can run upon the truth by my God I can leap over a wall. I can see my way I can get over the hurdles because you are the lamp gives me that direction turn for a moment the Psalm 27 Psalm 27 you'll remember that soon as you read the first words the Lord is my light and my salvation read that his deliverer or deliverance. It's the very same word the Lord is my light and my deliverance whom shall I fear the Lord is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread goes all the way to describe different experiences even when he says it might when my father and my mother have forsaken me. Verse 10 the Lord will take me up song that describes the light of the Lord, giving direction and giving delivered check out a book from the public library some time ago on fear and to my amazement, all the fears that this particular person had studied were categorized in the back had listed over 180 different fears in the life of man and he says in Psalm 27. Whom shall I fear why because the Lord is my light would probably be embarrassing for other people to know the truth of your own heart, but all of us have particular features fear failure, fear of the unknown fear of heights, fear of financial disaster.

You name it we entertain in this 22nd chapter of second Samuel what he says, verse 31. As for God's way is blameless, that tells us that as he opens the light and gives us the lamp for those few inches along the way, he will lead us into blameless pads because his word is tested he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. When the days are dark, the Lord is our only light here's the third when I walk is weak, the Lord is our only strength picking up at verse 32 who is God besides the Lord who is a rock besides our God. God is my strong fortress. Now observe is not describing himself as strong.

He saying, the Lord is my strength.

Verse 34. Look at the ability he gives this person he makes my feet like time speed. He sets me on high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bendable Lebron's that strength I can face whatever life throws at me because my strength is in him.

Verse 36 Thomas given me the shield of thy deliverance and by help makes me great. He goes on to describe expressions very vivid.

This expressions of weakness in which the Lord gives strength through which the Lord gives strength, hold your place and look at one very familiar section of second Corinthians chapter 12 when times are tough. The Lord sees us through the days are dark Lord is the light on our walk is weak, the Lord is our strength.

Verse seven of second Corinthians chapter 12 Paul the apostle Paul is speaking because of the surpassing greatness of the Revelation. For this reason, to keep me from exalting myself. There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, he repeats to keep me from exalting myself concerning this. I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me three times only time I can recall that Paul ever prayed three times for the same thing, but he does for this thorn and he said to me here. Those familiar words" or the word. The words that God gave Paul, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. That's the secret power is perfected in weakness.

My power is perfected when you are weak and then Paul's response. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses with insults with distresses with persecutions with difficulties for Christ's sake.

For when I am weak, then I am strong. Isn't that hard to put into action. We want to be strong, yet he declares a very key principle of the Christian life. God is never stronger in his work than when we are weak when we have come to an end.

He has come to his beginning to show himself strong. I've been very moved in the reading of where is God when it hurts, and in this book. Philip Yancey describes a number of different experiences of people who have hurt and through the herd have come to realize the strength of God and of rather extended chapter called after the fall he tells the story the true story of a very capable athlete and I read excerpts from the state. Check on July 2, 1963 Brian Sternberg well 10 feet and that one second fall completely flip-flopped his life before the fall. The Sternberg family was full of warmth, excitement and fun in high school.

Brian had devoted himself to the lofty vision of pole vaulting. He thrilled the mad dash down the runway with a pulled the jarring fun when he planted it.

Delete with all the recoil strength of a cougar.

The feeling of being slung like a pebble from a slingshot you ever felt a sickening knot in your stomach as you stood on the edge of a high dive.

You have some idea what Brian Sternberg felt those first few tries at the vault for Brian. It was not enough to excel in vaulting technique. He knew the slight edge some extra grace and skill.

Given so he took up gymnastics as well. After high school classes. You can almost always find a practice involves vault approaches or perfecting leaks and falls on the trampoline he learned a wide range of loops and twists and flips exalting in the sheer pleasure of his body mastery gymnastics a belly of strength is perhaps sports highest claim art. Brian blended athletic art with the rigorous science of the vault is a freshman at the University of Washington.

Brian set a national collegiate freshman market five 15'8" by his sophomore year he was ranked number one in the nation as a pole vault. He found himself among the world's great athletes. The year was 1963, Pres. John F. Kennedy, John Kennedy was present and beating the Russians was a national pastime. It looked as if the US had a winner in Brian Sternberg world attention focused on the 19-year-old the season of 1963 ushered in unbelievable success. He made sports headlines every week undefeated in outdoor competition. He set an American record in indoor competition than that spring he said his first Worldmark with the bulk of 16 feet, 5 inches in quick succession. He racked up new records, 16'7" 16'8" For both the NCAA and AAU titles over the great days with the Sternberg's then you the glory that track stars experience. It was fond of pollen to the family car and see your son single-handedly pack out of Fieldhouse and bring the crowd to its feet, screaming and waving everything changed in 2 July.

The ordeal began when he grabbed a sweater and yelp. I'm going to limber up the provision mom drove across the river to the University of Washington begins gymnastics warm the US track team was readying for a tour to Russia and Brian's practice time is not precisely indispensable.

This is the way Brian describe what happened there was ever a frightening moment and trampolining is just as you leave the trampoline bid on your way up. At that moment even the most experienced gymnast sometimes gets a sensation of panic for no good reason, that does not disappear until he is down safe again on the bed.

It hit me as I took off. I got lost in midair and but I was going to land on my hands and then my feet as I had done several times before when the panic came instead I landed on my head hurt a crack in my neck and everything was God my arms and legs were bounding around in front of my eyes but I couldn't feel the moving even before the bouncing stopped. I was yelling. I am paralyzed his louder voices I could just pretty weak because I practically no lung power.

The paralysis was now affecting my breathing. There was nothing I could do.

I could not move it scared me at first but then for some reason the panic disappeared. I told the people looking down at me. Don't move me. Don't move my neck at one point when I started losing my power to breathe and could feel myself passing out. I remember yelling nobody about mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Do everything, but don't tilt my head back real anguish at me a couple of times while we waited for the doctor is not physical pain. I just broke from the thought of what happened to me. But the time I was thinking only about the near future. I'd not even begun to think about the possibility of never walking again for the next eight weeks. Brian lay strapped into a foster frame stealing campus device nicknamed the canvas sandwich. It was hinged at both ends, and every few hours of nurse would flick Brian upside down, preventing bedsores and and other complications. Three months after the accident is the time Brian date is the time that Brian dates his Christian experience is brooding, had taught him several things, he realized that if he ever walked again. It would have to be with God's help, it would require a miracle. No amount of straining could budget his lands. There was dead if there was dead nerve fiber in his spinal cord. It would have to be remade in medicine could not do that. He also knew that his faith in God couldn't be a bargain quote you healed me God and all believe in you, he had to believe because God was worthy of his faith.

He did, he took that risk and turn his life over to Jesus Christ. Philip Yancey then describes the final scene as I visited with him.

I couldn't get the two images out of my mind the image of strength. The image of faith. I stepped out of the warmth of a chilly Seattle wind. I saw the bride of that photo picturing you when you going over the pole vault and then I saw the Brian of today twisted, helpless non-lying on a bed, where he will be tomorrow the next day. Who knows how long could I believe if that would be what I rationalize or or rebel or except and and if I could believe would believe survive 1314 1516 years. I don't know what struts stood out strongest was the fierce fighting quality of the faith of the Sternberg family.

As I drove away. What struck me was not pity for Brian. It was a thick lumpy realization that I had met strength, strength and weakness strength that would endure even if the specific miracle never fell into line. The help makes me great is verse 36 and that is the truth.

When times are tough. The Lord is our only security when days are dark, the Lord is our only light when I walk is weak, the Lord is our only strength. And here's the fourth and final versus 50 and 51 when our future is foggy when our future is fuzzy. Lord is our only hope I wraps up the Psalm. I will give thanks to the old Lord please not better. He's not resentfully saying I give thanks to the old Lord among the nations, I will sing praises to thy name.

David died with a song on his lips, not bitterness.

Why, because God is a tower of victories a tower of of deliverance to his king, and he shows lovingkindness to his anointed David and his descendents forever.

I suppose as you grow and get older and older. The future becomes far more significant to you rather than the present and it is easy for those of us into our 40s and into our 50s to begin to wonder about those days in our 60s and in her 70s to the Lord.

Terry and I noticed that he promises us in this Psalm that the Lord will show lovingkindness to his anointed, and even take care of the descendent forever that's filled with hope. The Lord is our only hope.

A number of years ago my sister gave me a book and I will never forget in the front of the book. She wrote these words the words out of out of an old poet whom have we Lord, but these sold first to satisfy exhaust list spring water is free. All other streams are dry reason Christians that we have trouble believing he is our only hope. Security light strength because we try everything else we have too many built in crutches to which we turn automatically and I declare that openly is being my problem just as well as its I'm sure you're probably every other crutches used except the Lord, and he waits patiently to show himself strong patiently waits to be remembered that he is our only light strength and security in whole loan, not our job to another family, not our church. Certainly not this world. He alone will be here when everything else fades from the scene want to evaluate the place that the Lord has in your life really and truly the place he has your attitude response to where you are. Circumstances in which you find yourself right now just asking. Are you really my all.

If not, why not.

Let's bow together. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He lifted me up out of horrible. Place my feet upon a rock and established my going. He proved himself strong in my weakness. Light did my darkness hope in my uncertainty security in my confusion, we thank you, our father, for the joy of knowing Christ, we thank you that he is patient with us that he waits to show himself strong to meet our every need to change our attitudes and our lives to mark our steps with righteousness and fulfillment purpose. Forgive us for the crutches to which we had actually turned talk to the teens about their daily life. Father speak to the career person about the way his business or her business is being conducted deal with moms and dads about home talk to us on the staff about our ministries leave no one out Lord, teach all of us during times like this. The value of solitude, quietness, worship, turn our attention as we close our father to the cross cross where your son was lifted up to die, that we might use the you're listening to the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll. He titled today's message a song of triumph and this is inside for living. To learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org were coming to the final stretch of our biographical study called David a man of passion and destiny. Only two more sermons remain in this 24 part series. So there's still time. We encourage you to get in touch and purchase your copy of the book that parallels the study.

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That's tomorrow on insight for living. The preceding message, a song of trying was copyrighted in 1978, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved. Why duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited