Psalm 63: The Steadfast Love of God

I don't know what it's like to lose everything dear, I meant to lose everything. I know that there are some in this room who at one time or another may be lost every material possession that you've had others of you have lost things that seemed just as great as losing it all.

You maybe have lost a spouse or child you may have had a business that is failed or maybe you're one of our students and you made a decision that has left you lonely and without hope, and you feel that you've lost everything this morning to go look at Psalm a Psalm of David.

Psalm 63 that's a short Psalm but is full of encouragement as we face the different storms in our lives as we look at perhaps what we would do if we lost everything. You know, there are some of you that are in this room today that are facing a storm in their life. It may not be that you're losing every material possession but but what is on the horizon. The problem that you are facing right now is just as significant in your life as if you were about to lose it all and I want you know that as long as we are living in this fallen world. We are going to experience tragedies is just a fact of life. It's something that we need to accept some of these storms will be minor. Some of these storms will be so challenging that were not sure if were going to just drowned does suck the life out of you. The one thing that I want you to know that whether you're in a storm right now seated in this congregation or not you will be and I think God's word can provide for us the hope and the convictions to give us a place to stand when life's difficulties come our way. David in this Psalm was probably facing one of the most this discouraging and challenging storms in his life and I want you us to look at three personal convictions that David held that helped him during every difficulty in his life and I want you to prayerfully consider what are your personal convictions.

What are the things that you believe in that no matter what storm in life comes your way. You're willing to stand on this essay I believe in this I know that this is going to help me survive no matter what the difficulties are the God since my way. Join me as we read Psalm 63 beginning of verse one will read through the entire Psalm and then come back and look at these convictions of David. Oh God, you are my God, our Nestl� ICQ. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water so I have looked upon you in the sanctuary beholding your power and your glory because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

So long so I will bless you as long as I shall live in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied is with fat and rich foods in my mouth will praise you with joyful lips when I remember you up on my bed and meditate on you in the night watches for you have been my help in the shadow of your wings. I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me.

But those who seek to destroy my life, shall go down into the depths of the earth, they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be apportioned for jackals, but the king shall rejoice in God, all who swear by him shall exalt for the mouth of the liars will be stopped to let me give you little bit of background for this time in David's life.

This storm look at verse 11.

Regular start of the end of this Scripture passage.

It says, but the king shall rejoice in God.

He read that David is the king and he is rejoicing in God. Now let's look up at the title of this Psalm if you look above where it says 63, you'll say that it is that you'll see that it is a Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah that this information helps us get to know the setting of this Psalm, we know that David flat on two major occasions in his life the first time he fled when Saul was coming to kill him was pursuing him. Now, who was the king at that time saw it wasn't David but Saul, the other time that David flat in his life was when he was the king and his son Absalom was coming after him.

Later in his life. So as we look at the setting we know that David is the king and that Absalom is in his son is trying to come and kill him. Absalom was the third son of King David by Micah and he seemed to have everything in the world.

It was going for him but like every other tragic figure in the Bible. He tried to take something that was in his own pride came before him. He tried to take his father's kingdom.

A description of the of Absalom said that no man and Israel had a more handsome big appearance. It said that when he cut his hair.

He did it only wants a year and it weighed 5 pounds.

I think he got some of Dr. Monroe's hair.

It seemed that everyone loved Absalom and he had a beautiful sister named Terry mar who the Bible tells us was a virgin and another one of David's sons and mom was there half brother and a month fell in love with Taymor he raped her and then rejected her in disgrace for two years, Absalom kept silent, sheltering Taymor in his home and he expected his father David to do something to punish Amon for this horrible act, but David did nothing in Ammon and Absalom's rage and anger. They just see an end. Absalom put together this revengeful plot.

One day Absalom invited all of the king's sons to a sheep shearing festival and when Amazon was celebrating Absalom and ordered his soldiers to kill him, and after this assassination, Absalom fled to the Northeast area of the Sea of Galilee, where he went to his grandfather's house and hid. David missed his son Absalom dearly. It says that in second Samuel chapter 13 the David Moran for his son's day after day. Finally I David allowed him to come back to Jerusalem and that's where David's trouble with Absalom began gradually, Absalom began to undermine King David seizing King David's authority and speaking against him to the people under the pretense of honoring a vowel. Absalom went up to Hebron to begin to gather his army. He sent messengers throughout the land, proclaiming that he was now the king of Israel.

When David learned of this rebellion, David and just a small group of his followers. They fled Jerusalem and that they ran for their lives in the barren wilderness of Judah. I want you think about this here is king David and he's running from his life. It would be terrible enough if it was the Philistines or another hostile enemy.

The David was running from but this is David's very own son, whom he loved deeply, who is trying to take his throne, who wants to kill him for father.

I don't know what could be more tragic than to have a son that would betray you to let me make a general statement this a biblical statement from the time that man was thrown from the garden of Eden.

We have faced tragedies. That's where the storms began and will continue.

I think about Eve looking for her son able and coming up to find that he had been killed and knowing that the only one that could have done this was her other son. I mean, that's where it began and it's a part of history that from the beginning of time. Tragedies started after we left the garden of Eden tragedies have a way of finding us personal tragedies are a part of our everyday life and again around this room. There are people experiencing those tragedies.

What you do when these tragedies hit you. You can be like David and hold fast to convictions that he had, or you can leave them behind and try to survive on your own. Let's look at these three tragic these three convictions the. The David shared conviction number one David knew that God is better than anything else that you could ever lose. Look at verse three. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you David and you and have experienced God's steadfast love.

He was a man after God's own heart, meaning that he knew what it was like to have a deep, meaningful personal relationship with God. David had an intimate relationship with God. There was intimacy as they walk through life together. God is David's anchor God's great love. God's steadfast love gave David a place to stand. Do you know that kind of love are you walking in an intimate relationship with God or is he just a casual friend. Did you know that God's love for us is a pursuing love Romans 58 says that God shows his love toward us in that. Yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 289 says, for by grace you have been saved through faith, not as a result of works, so that anyone should boast.

It is a gift of God. We are saved because a loving God put a plan into place before time began to give you and I the opportunity to be in a relationship with him.

That relationship was expensive.

It cost God, his son Jesus Christ to shed his blood on the cross so that my sins and your sins could be forgiven and that we can go and have a relationship with the righteous Almighty God. David knew the depth of the relationship that God wanted to have with him and you know I want to be honest and transparent with you here.

Sometimes I forget how intimate relationship God wants with me. I just have a surface relationship at times this past week as I was studying through this Psalm. I got overwhelmed again about what God had done for me see him. I'm a sinner just like you, I've got a heart that seeks my own prideful way and because I'm a sinner and unrighteous before God we worship a holy God, a righteous God. They cannot allow sin into his presence of here.

I'm overwhelmed again this week that I am a sinner and that God is righteous and holy and that there is no way for me to come into his presence.

I am separated from God for eternity. I am doomed for punishment, but what did God do for me. He sent his son Jesus, who lived a perfect life and died on the cross for me and for you and gives us that opportunity to be in the presence of the Almighty God, you get overwhelmed with what God did for you, what would it be like to be separated from God for eternity. That is what I deserve. But in God's goodness and grace he gave himself for me because he desires for me to walk in an intimate relationship with him. He is so great is love is so great for us that he sacrificed his only son for me when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

I began a covenant relationship with God and that relationship with God says God you are my father and I am your child. Think about your relationship with God is it intimate enough that you call him as David father my father my God you see that's what God wants for us is that such an intimate relationship that we say you are my God, the only God in my life. You know when when Anna and I married a couple years ago we began a covenant relationship and in that relationship. It meant that I was going to seek to get to know her better and better for the rest of my life.

I was going to love her, cherish her, honor her for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health. My commitment to her before God and others that were gathered that I will begin a lifelong pursuit of getting to know her. Some days I do better than others. She'll tell you that this relationship is not what I can get from Anna, but this relationship is what can I become as I relate to her and as we relate to one another you back back to my mom for just a minute. A couple Christmases ago we had the whole family. All the grandkids. Everybody was at her house for Christmas and I can remember that she got us all together and she usually it's like she calls on me when you are near the family pastor. You get to say all the blessings that your events but this time she said she kinda called everybody's attention. She said I want to bless the food today and are going on okay and she said to Sam Anis on my stepson. She said Sam I want you know that you're in you and the family, but I love you as much as I do all my other grandchildren.

She said you are my grandchild. That's what a covenant relationship is. She agreed at that time I agreed whenever I married Anna whatever whenever Sam came along as my stepson. It is relationship where their mind. I'm committed to them to growing together to caring for serving. What is your relationship with God like is it just a surface relationship or is there an intimacy that will allow you to say my God, a deepness in that relationship that you want to walk each and every day and and allow God to uncover who you are and allow you as you study his word to unwrap who God is just a journey that David had God wants an intimate relationship 24 seven with us for David and for us. We need to get to the place where God is better than anything in life that we can lose.

Here is David.

His kingdom is gone and his family is gone, but he has God and he says because your steadfast love is better than life. We need to get to the place where God's love for us is better than any thing that we can lose. Look at verse one again. David seeks God all the time is of the God you are my God, our Nestl� ICQ.

Some translations say that early in the morning ICQ all day long.

David seeks God. He starts in the morning he goes throughout his day. He knows that he needs God. Verse one continues to say. My soul thirsts for you by sulfates for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. David says that his entire being yearns to be in a relationship with God. He says God I need you, just as a thirsty man seeks water.

The relationship that David had with God gave David an appetite for God. Do you have an appetite for God and for the things of God.

That's what a relationship is all about their many of you who are facing tragedies this morning and our response for those tragedies is not to be focused on you is not to try to solve those things for herself, but as were facing those problems in life we need to be focused on God, you, my biggest problem is that I try to settle my problems in life by human means, you know, for a man that is thirsty out in the desert in the wilderness, like David, he may have seen mirages you know what a mirage is is for you see something that's not really there. He may have seen an oasis where there's water you may have seen trees were there was shade, but when he got there they were not there and those are the things that we turn to a life were facing tragedies in life and we try to solve it ourselves.

The enemy Satan puts things in our our mind and are in our way that says I can do things humanly to solve these tragedies in life. But when we go to those places those places where Satan deceives and leads us.

We find that there empty David's word today is to say that you can't handle the crisis on your own. But God is there for you.

God wants to give you the power to conquer those tragedies. The coming year in your life. Did you notice that in this Psalm the David may know petitions he did not ask God to save him from his enemies. He did not ask God to provide him water or food or shade all he did was focused on the steadfast love of God.

David remembered who God was.

He he knew who got it been, as in his life before and he knew that God was going to deliver him at this time. Look at verse two so I looked upon you in the sanctuary to holding your power and glory. He said your love is better than it then life your lovingkindness is better than my throne. Your lovingkindness is better than even my family or lovingkindness is better than anything I've ever had.

And David says God you are a novice, even though everybody else has forsake me.

You are not, and David worships is always in the sanctuary of God. Verse three says, because your steadfast love is better than life malaise will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live in your name I will lift up my hands David. Praise God, even during the most difficult days in his life because seeing you that David had everything he needed you feel that way.

Were you afraid of losing have these things become. What's most important in your life that you worship them, I don't want to lose the material things in life some spending all my time there.

I don't want to lose these relationships so I spend my time there at some time or another were going to lose it all.

You know you can't take it with you when all else is gone there will still be God. He is our hope is our strength and he is our everything conviction number one that we need to stand on in times of trouble is that God is better than anything that we have lost or that we can gain conviction.

Number two God is better than anything that we can ever gain for ourselves. Look at the first five David recognize the blessings of lot God. He said my soul shall be satisfied.

As with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips here. David gives us a picture of a kingly banquet with all the finest foods and it seems like anytime I have a message. It ends up talking about food. It is amazing though, how many times banquets are mentioned in the Bible there just times of celebration. David is running from his life and he doesn't have the finest food he doesn't have anything he doesn't have he has nothing but David's relationship with God satisfies him as the he add a feast. David has God so he is satisfied in several years ago I was visiting the home of the church leader and this church leader kick me out of his house. I know you're thinking church people aren't that way right but it happens. I went to share with him some things that we were conflicted on. I was asked to go and to represent the word of God and that happens to us sometime in this this brother asked me to promptly leave his house and not to come back again and I got my car and I thought you know they don't prepare you for this in seminary when somebody just gives you the boot and so I started driving down the road and found my way to Dairy Queen and I got up Reese's peanut butter cup blizzard is an amazing health food can make you feel better sometime there there there is a Baptist in the room. I believe but here's the point. Sometimes in trouble. Life comes.

We turned all the wrong things. If you turn to too many blizzards. It's going be the wrong thing for you eventually.

Some people turn to alcohol or drugs or work or unhealthy relationships.

Nothing can complete you can satisfy you can fulfill you like the great banquet that God our relationship with God can provide for you. Anything you can lose or anything you can gain God is better you know stick with me for a moment here because there's a point I believe our cell phones in some way, has taken the place of God so male skyhook laughing if someone treat you badly or something bad happens. He was the first thing you do your personal social media don't you. Some of you do you look at some of you guys on social media and you try to find someone that will understand and offer sympathy. David calls he called God he said I remember you. Verse six. Upon my bed and meditate you in the night watches for you have been my help in the shadow of your wings. I will sing for joy.

David is tossing and turning from his trials and he calls out to God, he doesn't phone a friend he doesn't posted on social media, but instead he calls out to God day and night before God for you been my help. He says in the shadow of your wings.

I will sing for joy.

I been through some difficult days in my life, as many of you have in this room. It could be that you suffer the loss of a spouse, or the loss of a child or the loss of a job or just isolated because of gossip. God is our help.

He is always there and if we if we turn to him in the night watches in the day watches. He is always there and will satisfy you as nothing else. You turn to can our second conviction is God is better than anything that you could ever gain anything that you could ever make for yourself to stand on conviction. Number three. David cleaned to the hand of God. He said my soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me.

God hold you in his right hand. You know what that means. Jesus said in Matthew 28.

All authority is given to me on heaven and on earth. Verse 20 says behold I'm with you always, even to the ends of the age. God promises that he clings to you that he will always be with you. You know, Jared is my number two son and when he was about because he was almost a year old. I was away at leading a conference in Kentucky and I got a message brought it in on a little pink message pad. This was 25 years ago we didn't have cell phones.

Some of you remember that and a little pink message came and the guy gave it to me and I didn't think anything of it, looked down at it. The and it said Jared is sick. He's at the hospital he may lose his life call home and you not again. I didn't have a cell phone and people you can imagine what that's like. I had to go to a pay phone and try to make a telephone call to my wife, who was not at home.

She was at the hospital trying to call the hospital.

I didn't know how to connect with anybody you remember.

And so you remember those days and I went and got on a plane heading back at that time we lived in Columbia, South Carolina and I can remember thinking that we may lose Jared my number two son to this illness that he had and here I was flying the plane. It was the middle of the night from Louisville Kentucky to Columbia. I remember looking out the window and thinking about God you are so great you can do anything and Jared is so small and so weak and I and I'm strong. I know I could handle this illness that he has if there's any way that you could put that illness on me. Let me take it for him. You know that's what a parent does is in it we take on any burden that our kids have an when I got to the hospital I went to his room and I said don't wake him. He's just gonna sleep's been screaming all day long, but I had to put my hand on, and when I did I woke him up. I had to hold him okay but I knew that God was the person that I needed to cling to you that God is the person that I needed to reach out to at that difficult time.

We had triplets. Several years later after that. So if you don't know that we have triplets and I were going to the doctor's office in one adopters we had said you know the girls are in one sack. The guy Jake's and another, and the girls. There's no separation between the two. They're gonna probably wrap each other and their umbilical cords and not to survive we need to consider selective reduction and we didn't say anything.

Ron and I didn't say anything to each other. We got downstairs in the parking lot. We said we gotta find another doctor. Why because were clinging to the promises of God, and that's what David did.

He clung to the promises of God. And when this when these triplets were born to the doctor who delivered them goes to the same church as this doctor who said we need to consider selective reduction.

I said I want you to go to this doctor and tell him that you deliver these babies on time because we believe in the promises of God. What do you cling to their our life's. There are tragedies that are going to come to you time and time again, and God is the one we need to cling to. Because the other things. If we look to the wisdom of man is going to fail.

We got to find a place that we stand in that place is on God and on the word of God.

Everything else changes, but God never changes. He's been faithful through all of life's floods. It will just turn to him.

You know whenever I've of learned something that when these trials and testings come my way. They help me understand that his steadfast love is there for me you seek. Sometimes God has to strip away all the securities of this world to teach me that he has a better life for me if I'll just cling to him. Let's look at the end of the story, verses nine through 11, but those who do seek to destroy my life, shall go down into the depths of the earth, they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be a portion for jackals but the king shall rejoice in God, all who swear by him shall exalt for the mouth mounds of liars will be stopped. I love this.

Our enemies, our tragedies, our storms of life will be destroyed if we turn to the Lord.

There will be nothing that has victory over us. If we clean to God, you, the Bible is a special book it story after story of God's faithfulness of God's deliverance of God's victory in if we look at our lives. A timeline of our walk with God. We can see those problems that came in our lives and see how God gave us the victory and he knew what I've read the back the end of this book to and I know that the final victory is God's.

And that God is going to win, and that all those things that are part of the fallen world will one day be destroyed and they'll be a new heaven and a new earth, for all those that have cleaned to God. Locate the disciples got into a boat and Jesus said, let us go to the other side of the lake so they set out as a sale. Jesus fell asleep in a wind storm came up on the lake and they were being filled with water and were in danger storm of life just like us.

We sometimes feel like were drowning when those storms come and they went and woke him setting master master. We are perishing, and he awoke and he rebuked the wind and the raging waves and they ceased, and there was a calm intent what you want during life's storms and Jesus said to them, where is your faith. David believed in the Almighty God. He cleaned him, where is your faith today join as we pray together following.

Thank you for your word for the power of your word. We thank you father for the way that it communicates with us your great love for us your steadfast love with us.

That is better than anything that this life has, to offer father so many times we are distracted by the deception of the enemy who makes us think that the things of this world are greater. Help us this morning. Father said those things aside and walk in faith with you forts in Jesus name we pray. Amen