The Best Is Yet to Come - Part 1

The ninth of these increase in your words, programs the probably flip over the bridge from Calvin Nibley six Royalton report go to the General Motors using the words into driver who contemplated God's goodness and playfulness despite electronic trials continuing the series were 4 spot is driving this is Mrs. the biggest is yet to come. Friends were going to finish up our study with the 10th Psalm, we have investigated some 16 and willing to talk about the best is yet to come. What God has for us is beyond anything we can imagine the psalmist opens the door to anticipation as we close our study together today and tomorrow. By the way, you may be wondering what is God going to do now little video that you can get. It's not from Turning Point.

You can get it from YouTube. Just go to YouTube and type in David Jeremiah sheltering God in this little for minute 52nd video will come up we produced it to bring hope to people who wonder what's next.

I think you be energized and encouraged by it grab hold of it. If you can sometime today well. Psalm 16 is a great lesson for us at this particular time. So let's jump into it and see what we can learn the title of our lesson is best is yet to come. We have been able to locate us all in some portion of David's life so helpful to see what was going on in his life when he penned the words that are recorded for us in his journal.

It brings to light the nuances of each word in paragraph it helps us to understand and appreciate what he was experiencing.

Once again, this is a Psalm of David. In fact, it's a teaching Psalm of David. It's a special Psalm of David according to the words that are listed above. The Psalm is thought by many to have been written during a temporary time of peace during a parenthesis that David enjoyed in his life when Saul left off hunting him for a period of time.

There were two such periods in the history of David, one of which we've alluded to. Prior to this time both of them have to do with what happened after David had Saul in the palm of his hand and letting go. Remember the first time Saul was in the cable been getting in. David was so close to him that he cut off the part of the skirt and carried it out with him to prove that he'd been close enough to take Saul's life but I believe the Psalm we've open to today was written after the second occasion when David held Saul in his hands. The story goes like this. Saul and his 3000 chosen men were seeking David to kill him, and they had settled down for the night in the wilderness of zip after the king and his army had settled down according to the record, David came to the place where the Army of Saul was in camp and he could see that they were all bearing that they were settled in for the night.

He asked if one of his men would go with him down into the camp and a man by the name of a bishop, I decided to accompany David Bish. I was the brother of Joab the general of the Army and in verse seven of first Samuel 26 the story is continued. So David and I Bish I came to the people by night and bear Saul lay sleeping within the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head and Abner and the people lay all around him. Now Bish I who was with David at that moment thought this is it. This is our chance. We can take Saul out right now will never have to bother with him again. This is the last day he's going to chase David and I Bish I said to David, why don't we just kill them now and get it over with and the war in the running and the fugitive status will be finished. David responded in the words of verse 11. He said the Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed and he wouldn't do it.

I wonder what you would've done in that situation, but he did something very clever.

The Bible says that he took the spear that belong to Saul that was stuck in the ground by Saul's head as Saul was sleeping and he took the bottle of water that was by his head and he carried them out of the camp. The Bible says in verse 12 that the reason nobody woke up was that God put the whole army and Saul in a deep sleep. They fell asleep, and how many of you know what God put you to sleep your asleep, you know that all right so David and I Bish I got out of the camp and now David goes across the valley. He stands on the top of the hill and he begins the holler across the valley at the encampment of Saul. You can't help but notice that David is the real him.

He's a real man. He didn't take Saul's life but he's going to toy with Abner Saul's bodyguard a little bit so he starts, making fun of Abner saying you know what you not a very good bodyguard. I was standing right by your leader. A few moments ago it could've taken them out once you get your act and so he kind of toys with Abner and when he does this, Saul. Here's David's voice. Saul response.

He knows the voice of David and he said David is that your voice and David said, it is my voice, my Lord. Okay. And then David said, Saul, why do you pursue me.

What have I done what evil is in my hand now therefore please let my lord the king hear the words of the servant if the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord saying go and serve other gods, so now do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord for the king of Israel has come out to seek as a flea is when one hunts a partridge in the mountains and Saul said, I have sinned return my son David for I will harm you no more because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed, I have played the fool and cared exceedingly. It is thought that David wrote this song sometime soon.

After this experience, when there was a brief lull in the storm and Saul's hatred in hunting of him was, at least for a moment put aside in the reason this is connected with Psalm 16 is that in verses 19 and 21st Samuel 26, we have almost exactly the same wording that we find in Psalm 16 in verses four through six. The Psalm written in a moment of history reaches out across history to us today to remind us that even though sometimes we feel like the world is coming to an end and there's so much junk in our lives. We don't know what to do. You can still pause for a moment and reflect upon the goodness of God, and it is the most wonderful thing to count your blessings one by one, and to see what God has done. I've been reading a manuscript that someone sent to me for an endorsement. It's a wonderful book and has some wonderful thoughts and it but one of the thoughts has to do with what's gone wrong with our counseling in these days I can't help but tell you about it because it's so appropriate to what were talking about in the 16th Psalm, the writer says that when you go, especially in the secular arena to counsel quite often what happens is you sit in the room and they try to draw jump out of you. All of the bad things that happen to you in your life up to this point so they can then try to explain to you what you feel so bad. Most people that I know of. Tell me that after they review all the bad things in their life they feel worse than when they went into the counseling session, but this author had a marvelous thought, he said, why do we do that, why would we not rather when someone comes was troubled. Sit them down on the couch and say let's take a few moments and review your life and let's see if we can begin by thinking of eight or 10 wonderful things that have happened to you during the course of your living on this earth and let's reflect on them and let's review them and let's see if there is an awful lot in your life for which you could be thankful. He said of course the reason they don't do that is because if they did, the people would get well and they would never come back again. Now I don't know if that's true, but I do know this.

There is value in remembering what God has done in our lives and over and over again in the word of God were told to remember the works of the Lord. Psalm 77, 11 and 12 says it this way.

I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember your wonders of old.

I will also meditate on all your work and talk of all your deeds.

Psalm 103 verse two says bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all of his benefits so easy for us to sail along with things in life as they are so complicated and so busy and sometimes as were in the midst of a terrible storm and the winds are blowing and the waves are high and we get our eyes off of the important things and we forget that there is not one of us in this room today who in measuring our lives against the average life in the world couldn't say we are blessed of God. We are blessed of God. So that's what David does in Psalm 16 he pauses for a moment is a hunted man with a little peace of mind to help him collect his thoughts and he begins to reflect upon all the good things he has in the Lord.

Psalm 16 is a wonderful wonderful story begins. First of all by remembering who God is.

He says in verse one preserve me. Oh God, for in you. I put my trust, O my soul. You have said to the Lord, you are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from you. First of all, he begins to remember the Lord, and he sees the Lord in the personal presence of God in his life in that first verse. There are three different names for God.

If I were to read it in the Hebrew it would read something like this preserve me Elohim for in you. I put my trust, O my soul.

You have said to Jehovah you are my addled guy. My goodness is nothing apart from you. David sees in the personal presence of God in his life. The covenant giving God the powerful Elohim, the personal Jehovah God. He sees the presence of God, as Adam and I and he cannot help but be overwhelmed that he lives his life in the presence of Almighty God. God is with you. He is present with you. Whatever else may be going on in your life because for a moment to think about this you live your life in the presence of Elohim, Jehovah at 09 David reflects upon that at the end of the verse by saying that there is no goodness in him apart from God.

Did you know that as a Christian when you reflect upon your life and some of you will not believe this, you will doubt it.

But if you work at it you will find out that it's true everything in your life that is good, has a string connected to it. That takes it all the way back to Almighty God general that you say. Well Jeremiah you know some good things in my life. God is anything to do with you just haven't followed the string back far enough behind the bread is the flower behind the flower is the grain and behind the grain is the sun above and also the refreshing rain you say I make my own bread always that right where did the flower come from well I got the flower at the mill.

What word did the mill get the flower got it from the grain went the grain come from. It came from the ground and how did it grow through God Almighty, letting his sunshine and letting the rain come down upon it. In fact, James is it this way, every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above.

Did you hear that some of the good gifts and some of the perfect gifts, but every good gift comes down from above and any comes from the father of lights. Romans 832 says that when you get the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart as your Savior.

You get everything that comes with him. It says who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all and I watch this, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things. If for some reason I as a father would be willing to give to someone.

My son as a gift. Can you imagine them coming the next day and asked me if he could borrow a wrench in my saying you know what know I can do that once you give the greatest gift the rest of it is just elementary as God Almighty gave us his son and with his son.

We get all things, and that's what David says in the presence of Almighty God. I am a rich man Elohim, Jehovah Adonai and then he goes on to reflect as he thinks about who God is, he begins to think about how he sees God not only his personal presence, but he sees God in his people. He says in verse three as for the saints who were on the earth. They are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. David pauses as we often ought to pause in the parentheses of our life and reflected upon the fact that he had some good friends among the people of God, he says. As for the saints who were on the earth there.

The excellent wants, in whom is my delight and I wonder if he wasn't thinking perhaps about Jonathan, maybe even a bit shy, who went down into the camp with him at night and risked his own life just to be David's friend, but in every one of the extremities of David's life. There was always somebody that God provided how many of you know that one of the great tests as to whether or not you're truly in the family of God is your love for the other people who were in that family.

In fact, the word of God sold very directly makes that a test that if you have not read first John recently you want to go back and read it over and over again in first John, we are told that one of the tests of our relationship with God is our relationship with his people. Listen to these words from the book of first John first John chapter 3 in verse 14 we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. First John chapter 4 verses seven and eight. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

First John 411 beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

First John 420 and 21. If someone says I love God hates his brother, he's a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can you love God whom he has not seen in this commandment we have from him that he loves God must love his brother also John 1335 puts it this way. By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one another.

So David reflects upon his relationships and the people of God stop for a moment, you're in the midst of difficult times and counted up the true godly Christian friends that God has given you one of the best things about going through difficulty going through a little storm in your life is that all of a sudden the true nature of God's people is evidence to you and you find out that you have some wonderful godly friends who God is given to you so he rejoices in the presence of God and then very quickly in the next verse he talks about seeing God in his principles. In verse 46 concerning the sorrow shall be multiplied to hasten after another, God, their drink offerings of blood, I will not offer nor take up their names on my lips. David begins to think about the people that he loves and then he begins to think about the people he doesn't think so much about how I know were supposed to love everyone but David.

Here's talking about those who offer themselves to idols and those whose lips read the names of idolatry. David had seen the idols of Moab, and the idols in felicity it, and he had heard about the idolatry been going on in the history of his own people, and he said, as I sit here thinking about all of this and meditating on the goodness of God I am so thankful for the principles of God's holiness that it kept me from being an idolater and from honoring the name of idols with my lips just revels in the presence of Almighty God, you know, if God never did anything for us if we couldn't enumerate on our hands and blessings that we feel if we truly understand our Bibles men and women just to know God and just know that he knows us is blessing enough to keep us occupied for the rest of our lives, but David doesn't stop there. He moves in the main part of the Psalm to seeing God and what he is doing at the present time he remembers who God is and then in verses five through eight he remembers what God is doing and will go through these very quickly, but you will notice how wonderfully they are listed for us. He rehearses what God is doing. First of all, in verse five he sees that the Lord is his completeness. All Lord you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup Old Testament language that puts these Hebrew words together. Simply saying that the Lord is the one who makes us complete that provides for us what we need is the answer to the prayer in the Lord's prayer. Give us this day our daily bread. God is provided for severe stop. Thank God just for the daily provisions that provides and then he goes on to say that not only is God, his completeness, but God is his certainty to maintain my lot.

He says now that doesn't mean God takes care of the empty lot you all out in the country. The word lot here means your circumstances. He takes care of your circumstances is it an interesting thing that this one who writes these words in this parentheses in his life is the one who is been hunted down by Saul. He's the one who is been thrown out of his home.

The one who is lost his presence among the people who can't worship with the people of God in his city needs a fugitive to his own family and yet he's able to praise God in the midst of it all and sale Lord God, you maintain my lot. Take care my circumstances. Everyone had to learn this lesson the hard way. It was David and it was God who protected them through the long days of Saul's hatred toward him and then he says in verse six the Lord is our contentment.

This is a wonderful verse and actually seeing this on a couple of Christian cards over the years never have quite understood what it meant, but I now understand what it means and what a blessing it is the Lord is our contentment. He says in verse six. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant faces. Yes, I have a good inheritance, Lord, when I look back over my life.

I had a good life and have a great deal to be thankful for. Can you say that when I look back over my shoulder.

I was born in a Christian family. I was reared on the gospel, nurtured on the milk of the word of God, given the privilege of going to a Christian schools and Christian college blessed with godly friends who gave me good counsel when I needed it and on and on, protected from the things that could have been maybe should have happened to me when I was running wild. As a young man I look back in scope. God, man, I've had a good life.

I'm more blessed than I should be.

I should've lived at least 150 years to be this blessed with God's blessing. That's what Dave is saying he saying the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places and I have a good inheritance when you get yourself down in a self pity party and everything gets out of perspective you need to come back to realize what you have and how God has blessed you and be content with what you have word of God says we can learn in whatever state we are to be content. Philippians 411. Did you know that.

And did you know it's something you have to learn you have to learn contentment.

David, like Paul, learn to be content with one of toughest lessons for a lot of folks I know there's always that little bit more over the next hill.

You can just get that in the be content, but they never are.

Because of your contentment is in things even in circumstances, they all change contaminates to be and someone and that someone is Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday today and forever. You know he's the same Jesus Christ, and the coronavirus. This is always been he's there for you. He never changes and over these months that I've watched what's been happening in the lives of people I've seen them little by little, almost like they were peeling an onion.

Get rid of all the layers of stuff that they been just trusting in things that they been allowing their lives to be just eaten up by little by little, getting back to the center and who is at the center who was at the very center of the one who alone can give you happiness and joy contentment is the Lord Jesus Christ himself friend. If you've never accepted him this would be a great time to do that a great time to put your trust in your faith in Jesus Christ asked him to forgive your sin.

Tell them you believe is the son of God, the living son of God who came out of the grave. The third day victorious over death and ask him to forgive your sin, and he will do it and give you new life. How do I know that hundreds and hundreds of people been doing that in recent days and life-changing things that are happening to them are the legendary things can happen to you, but you have to make the decision to trust in Christ. Put your faith in him. Let him know you want to be his follower and the best is yet to come see you next time right here for more information on the Jeremiah series window room. Visit our website really offered to freeways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Point and have daily email devotional sign up today. Debbie Jeremiah.org/radio that Jeremiah.org/radio when you do ask for a copy of David's helpful shelter in the short to be an encouragement to you during this unprecedented time and through the gift of any amount you can also search as the Jeremiah studies on in the English standard and new international versions as well as in standard a large print in the new King James in a variety of cover options, visit David Jeremiah thought/radio child.

I'm very hopefully join us tomorrow as we conclude this is when your room falls upon the table and Turning Point with the taking time to listen to frenzies increased in size and