980. Has God Forgotten to be Gracious and Compassionate?

Welcome to The Daily Platform, our program features sermons from travel services at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Every day students are blessed by the preaching and teaching of the Bible from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform with your sermon preached by the Chancellor Dr. Bob Jones the third who is the grandson of the founder, Dr. Bob Jones Senior he will be preaching from Psalms 77. In answering this question has God forgotten how to be gracious and compassionate.

Please open your Bibles to the 77th Psalm. The theme of this is encapsulated really in one verse, a question that Ace if the psalmist asked in the midst of this Psalm as God forgot to be gracious and compassionate. It seemed to a safe at this time in his life. Perhaps it was so we going to go down through this Psalm really quickly. It give my heart a few days ago I was so actually headed to the 78s for a message. I thought I wanted to bring in my eyes kind of stopped right here. This Psalm and God started talking to me this is a very very dark moment in case of supply base. If was the chief choirmaster in David's reign a he would leave the choirs in the orchestra is at the occasions of the festivals in the special worship times at the tabernacle. It was a man who walked with God. He composed it seems that according to the attributions about 12 songs. He was not a stranger to the grace of God. He wasn't a rebel against God. He was perhaps right at the top of all of those who could have been named at that time is God seeking man Christ God loving man. And yet, in this Psalm, his soul is really troubled. In fact, look at the first two verses.

I cried under God with my voice even under God with my voice, and he gave Aaron to me twice as I cried to God, I cried to God and he heard me God does hear our prayers. He doesn't always answer them the way we would like him to think he should.

But here's our prayers. I really like Proverbs 1529.

God hears the prayer of the righteous.

This was such a manner. I just man something it happened in the day of trouble. He says my trouble. I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night, and cease not my soul refused to be comforted. The word sore there. According to the Hebrew experts could be also translated hand. Sometimes it is translated hand sometimes sore most of the other translations translated that my hand evidently what he was saying in my hand. I'm just reaching out to God in earnest prayer night and day. Maybe it happened after some great special celebratory occasion where his choirs performed just magnificently in the orchestra and everything was in Arminian much praise was given the God and do sometimes happen after it happens. After events like that.

He hit rock bottom. Two weeks ago we had a wonderful Bible conference of the water of the word bathed our souls.

I speak for myself, at least I'm sure for many of you as well. The Lord was with us. We drew close to the Lord, and he drew close to us. In some ways it would just been really nice to build three tabernacles and stay there like good Peter James and John wanted to do with Christ, Moses and Elijah in Mount of Transfiguration couldn't do that. Had to go back down into the valley where we live our daily lives.

Well, somebody said those who have known the most of heaven are decreed to know the worst of hell. What does that mean when you come to the mountaintop to have when you're really in communion with God.

Some special revival time in your soul in your churches life or here at the University.

Everything just feels so good. But Satan is not, let us stay that way if he can help it very long communion with God is what he doesn't have. Satan doesn't have the other one is that he's God hates his people. Case anybody that worships God. He wants to be worship God is that I want to be like the most high.

I want people to bow down in front of me said to Christ recorded in Matthew four, you will worship me. I'll give you the kingdoms of the world making famous just worship me. That's what he wants from each of us. He doesn't want us to worship God because he doesn't. That's why got kicked out of heaven. So when we commune with God. When we draw close to God personal devotions at the start or end of the day or whenever you have your time with the Lord you feel like a large really close to me today. Somewhere along that day, the temples going to do his best to drawing you from that communion break that fellowship put you down in the depths. Evidently that's what happened to this man right here just trouble wasn't something superficial like to Sopranos in his great choir that he directed jealous of each other about who got to be the lead soprano on a given occasion that nothing is stupid and superficial. Is that happens to us all the time with were Sopranos are not. This was indeed his soul was in agony. He was not able to get a response from God that he saw people he wanted God to draw near an answer is prayer but it wasn't happening.

Look at verse three. I remembered God and was troubled. I complained in my spirit was overwhelmed. Thou hold this mine eyes waking I'm so troubled that I cannot speak some of you may be already in the two weeks since Bible conference that had something happen to you that has brought you into serious disagreement with God.

Even something is happening in your family life in your personal life and your academic life. Your plans have been rearranged. Your life is in the condition of upheaval and you're saying God why are you failing me. Why did you give me this miserable circumstance. Maybe somehow you don't think God's responding toward you the way he you think you should, you are at variance with him over how he's governing his vast universe or how he's governing your little tiny personal universe you're at odds with him over his judgments, and you would think that his effort to reach out to God in his time of trouble with, and we do have no idea what what occasion this trouble, but it was really heavy and he sought God for help. Verse three.

II remember God. I turned to God and I was even more troubled that ever happened to you. It's happened to me I will have time to go into it, but in my early 20s, recently married for three years.

The devil attacked my mind and slandered God to me. I trembled when the thoughts first came I felt physically sick and for three years that's pretty much how I felt my nights were often sleepless the food before me was tasteless. I didn't tell my wife until my father didn't talk to anybody except the God and I turned to the Scriptures, even as a safe turn to God in his trouble for understanding and relief in hell. I turned to God. I searched his word for answers to these slanders against God, and everywhere I turned, Satan turned it against me and I was in deep despair for three years I was under the tatting attack. Ladies and gentlemen, you know, I hope and I'm sure you do. There is spiritual warfare. Satan wants your soul if you can have it in hell he wants it now for all he can have, to rob you of the blessings of walking with God through your sin through your anger toward God. Whatever else is going on in your life. If you're saved he can't rob you of heaven, but he wants to rob you of the best of heaven. Now before you get there remembered God, and I was troubled. Some of you are experiencing something like that. I know you are two weeks ago was glorious. Something happened some trouble since then you're at rock bottom.

Now, in arguing with God doubting God your faith, shaking.

I understand how you feel. During my time all I could do was say God I don't understand why you keeping me in this viselike antagonism to you. It's not how I really feel like I have. I Satan is gripping me and I know it and I please deliver me. All I can say was God. I don't know why your word hasn't help me. I don't know why you're not answering my prayer but I'm not going to turn loose of you have begged. You don't turn loose of me and he didn't. One day, after three years I was reading something I don't know what I was reading, and all of a sudden it was like Scott said to Satan, leave him alone, you heading long enough with him alone.

It was like flying out of midnight into noonday bright blue sky chain was broken.

I could feel it. I knew it and it hasn't come back. You may be in the testing where you're even doubting God and wondering why he so far away. You've tried to walk with him is not that you're running from the you like a piece of maybe trying to run to Liebman.

He doesn't seem to be running. Do you you held my eyelids waking verse four. I'm so troubled I can't speak God you are to blame for my sleeplessness and my speechlessness appeared blame.

I've considered the days of all the years of ancient times I call to remembrance my songs in the night.

I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search. He said there was a time when something like this I can call on you and you would respond in go forward together and further fellowship and wired to doing it now. God, I used to be able to sing songs of thanksgiving and praise you in the night and be comforted and strengthened, but verse seven.

The Lord's will. The Lord cast off forever.

Will he be favorable. No more now.you don't seem to be kind to me anymore. It seems you rejected me. It seems your mercy and your promises are no longer satisfying or applicable to me.

Look at verse eight is his mercy clean gone forever.this promise fail evermore, and verse nine are theme God have you forgotten to be gracious and in your anger shut up your tender mercies.

Have you forgotten to be gracious and come passionate. God you forgotten. These are stiff words. These are honest words, God wants us to be honest with me knows our thoughts anyway, but to speak these thoughts just makes is almost tremble because tips that there stiff punches in God's direction. Some of you can relate in some way to his dilemma. He said in verse 10.

This is my infirmity. This is my sickness. I have like I have a disease I can't get a grip on God like I used to.

I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high. I know how it used to be between God and me, but then he found the solace he needed and perhaps many here need verse 11 to the end of the chapter. I will remember the works of the Lord. Here's what I'm to do about it.

I'm not gonna let go of God, I'm gonna remember the works of the Lord. Surely I will remember the wonders of old. What was he talking about verse 12 I will meditate also.

Of all thy work and talk of thy doings got I'm going to think about your greatness. All you've done for your people and David's time.

They had the tour of the first five books of the Bible might've had judges in Joshua to be Joe Patel of the works of God, but they also communicated it generationally and he said I'm gonna remember I'm very remiss judges said. Chapter 2 says that for as long as Joshua lived and the elders who outlived Joshua and told of the works of the Lord. The people of God, followed, and after that they went off and to bail is another works of idolatry as long as there was somebody to tell them the works of God who is our God. God sometimes seems to go for great chasms of time between speaking to the world and then silence until he speaks again and then when he does speak like he did in 9/11 when America was spoken to. When we were under attack by those a Muslim terrorist, and other such times, God speaks does anybody listen for a week.

America listened churches were full of people unapologetically who never had any time for God before or after were speaking of God and talking of prayer and after we things went back to normal. No more attacks.

They forgot God and went on with their lives and so it is often times when God speaks, sometimes even believers don't recognize the speaking of God. He said I'm going to meditate of your work and talk of your doings die whale. God is in the sanctuary or the highway is a holy way, who is so great a God is our God, thou art the God, the newest wonders. Thou hast declared thy strength among the people in the house with thine arm redeem thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. The water saw the old God, the water solidly. They were afraid the debts were troubled. Verse 19 Thy Way is in the sea.

Thy path, and the gray waters by footsteps are not known.

Now let us like people like the flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. What is it got.

I'm going to remember the Red Sea experience. That's what he's describing I'm gonna remember what you did there. Your voice was being heard there your way was being seen there. You made a path through the great waters you were walking there your footsteps were with them.

They couldn't say your footsteps but you were there with them and you are leading them like a flock of sheep and the shepherds. For those people were Moses and Aaron difference if we don't pay attention to this book that describes the wonderful majestic supernatural all-powerful God of heaven Yahweh our God, our heavenly father were to spend our life in the morass that a self was in between your read of his wonders when you read of his supernatural dealings with his people and his supernatural plan for redemption in a new heaven and a new earth from beginning to end his wonders grip our eyes and our hearts and sees our affections and the troubles seem so small and whatever doubts and fears. We have our overtaken drenched upon by the mercies of God, we get our thinking straight again. When we don't think straight about God and we allow our human doubts and fears to take over is not too far until we are just the atheists and agnostics. God doesn't seem to be acting like I think God should act God's let me down. I reached out to him and he didn't seem to respond. Yeah I know he gives here. I know he gives dear to me but I can't see it. I don't realize what he's doing.

I know the fact but I don't know the evidence that he's listening but he said when I meditated on your work. I got my thinking straightened out again in verse 13 God who is so great, God is our God, he concluded that the solution for his disease.

His sickness was in the consolation that comes when we get a grip on God based upon his works from the past, have you seen evidences of God in your life at some point in the past.

His works he really showed himself to you in some wonderful answer the prayer go back and remember that he still the same God. He hasn't forgotten you.

The same God who answered that prayer who saw that circumstance that was so problematic to you so breathing to you that same God is able to rescue us again deal with his again. I like the way the psalmist ended this he said God when I remembered your works, your miraculous dealings with your people and the fact that you led led them back to good shepherds through their wilderness journey and I was glad if you have a good Bible preaching church with a good godly Shepherd. Thank God for him as he follows God, follow him.

If he stopped following God when he leaves the word of God leave him find you another place. Thank God for the shepherds that he sends to his people who can lead us in paths of righteousness. When we get in the swamps and the logs of life and can't seem to get going in the right direction. He remembered the supernatural wonders of God and he said I'm in a brag about God publicly I'm gonna ponder his works and meditated his mighty needs and I'm going to talk about it on the tell others of our holy great magnificent miraculous God not going to let go of him because he's promised never to leave me or forsake me. There may be some here like a sister so troubled that even God doesn't seem big enough to deliver you there.

Some like that here you can understand very well what I'm trying to say today what the psalmist was trying to tell us if your God is the God of Abraham and Isaac, Jacob, your God is the God of Calvary, the God of the church. God delivers centers from the wrath of sin, the God of Calvary, the God of the empty tomb. The God who sent his son to reconcile sinners like us and make his enemies. His adopted children with all the privileges of the household of faith. If your God is that God he could raise his son to newness of life and raise us the newness of life and fulfillment of his promise to do so. He's the God who can create a new heaven and a new earth.

He can surely take care of whatever systemic troubles are in the you say, and he can give you a view of who he is again and bring you out into the bright noonday of the sunshine of his presence and his love. Get a grip on God and he will reach down into that swamp of trouble and doubt and fear and you just pull you right up where you used to be put you back on solid ground again in his time way. Don't let go of God. He's bigger than any trouble you have father, help us, help us to understand because it's awful to be in the condition my case. Thank you that you are able to do exceeding abundantly above what we can ask or think. Help us to learn the lessons of the morass. The lessons of the swamp when it seems weird drowning in our cries for your help are not being answered. How wonderful Lord to see your rescuing power that invigorates us again to go out and love you and talk you in Jesus name, amen. You been listening to a message preached by Dr. Bob Jones of third Chancellor of Bob Jones University. I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

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