4/22/07

The Essence of Christ in the Psalms: His Sustaining Power

Psalm 3:1-8

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!  Many are rising up against me.  [2] Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God." [3] But You, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.  [4] I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. [5] I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.  [6] I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.  [7] Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You hast smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. [8] Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people!

How we need the sustaining power and influence of our Lord!  With all that we encounter in our daily lives how wonderful it is to have a Lord, who not only knows where we are in need, but One who is always moving toward us with His sustaining power. 

Can you remember a time when the future seemed like a desolate dreamscape?  Perhaps it involved a broken relationship with a family member where it just did not seem like you could endure their tormenting you because of your relationship with Jesus.  Perhaps it was the deterioration of your marriage and you simply could not understand how you got to the point of devastation.  Perhaps it was the sickness, and impending death of a parent, child, spouse, relative or dear friend whose life was such a radiant part of you and whose life truly reflected the glory of God and you were able to see others who cared nothing of God or others who were fit and in good health.  Perhaps you were or are dealing with a life of pain and physical suffering that seems to have no end and you may have even longed for death to finally be free of the unending misery.  The passages below indicate that the rigors of life are real and have been felt from the earliest of mankind.  We are not to be discouraged by this truth.  Rather, we are to be encouraged because of the hope we find in Christ Jesus’ sustaining power.  We are not to seek a way of life that is free from the burdens of life experience.  Psalms 55:22 and the 1 Peter passage speak to what our response to these things should be.

 Ruth 4:14-15

Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. [15] "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

 Psalm 37:17

For the arms of the wicked will be broken; but the Lord sustains the righteous.

 Psalm 54:4

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

 Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

 Psalm 145:14

The Lord sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.

 1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, [7] casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. [8] Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. [10] And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. [11] To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 The Word of God promises refuge and safety for all who call upon the Lord. 

 Exodus 15:2

"The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him.

2 Samuel 22:3

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my savior, You dost save me from violence.

 2 Samuel 22:31

"As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

 Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

 Job 36:5

"Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding.

 Psalm 5:11

But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.

 Psalm 18:1-2

"I love You, O Lord, my strength."  [2] The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

 Psalm 18:6

In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple,

And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

 Psalm 18:30

As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

 Psalm 25:20

Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.

 Psalm 28:7-8

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults,

And with my song I shall thank Him. [8] The Lord is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed.

 Psalm 34:8

O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

 Psalm 34:22

The Lord redeems the soul of His servants; And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

 Psalm 37:39-40

But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

He is their strength in time of trouble. [40] And the Lord helps them, and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

 Psalm 43:5

Why are you in despair, O my soul?  And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance, and my God.

 Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  

 Psalm 59:16-17

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You hast been my stronghold, And a refuge in the day of my distress.  [17] O my strength, I will sing praises to You; For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

 Psalm 61:3-4

For You hast been a refuge for me, A tower of strength against the enemy.  [4] Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.

 Psalm 62:7-8

On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. [8] Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

 Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the trength of my heart and my portion forever.

 Psalm 73:28

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.

 Psalm 91:2

I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust!"

 Psalm 91:4

He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

 Psalm 93:1

The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength;Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

 Psalm 118:14

The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.

 Psalm 121:1-2

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come? [2] My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

 Psalm 124:8

Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

 Psalm 142:5

I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, "You art my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

 Psalm 146:5

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God;

 Proverbs 30:5

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Isaiah 40:31

Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

 Isaiah 58:11

"And the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not                           fail.

 Micah 5:4

And He will arise and shepherd His flock  In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

 Nahum 1:7

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble,

And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

 2 Cor. 1:8-10

    For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; [9] indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; [10] who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

 Ephes. 1:18-21

    I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, [19] and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might [20] which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, [21] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.

 Ephes. 6:10

    Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

 Hebrews 6:17-20

    In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, [18] in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. [19] This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, [20] where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 He is our Sustainer, our Refuge, or Strength in trials:

·        When was the last time you wanted to respond in anger or rage when someone spoke that way to you?

·        When was the last time you were falsely accused of something and felt like the easiest thing to do was to run?

·        When was the last time that you felt like all the meaning and purpose of life was slipping through your fingers and you wondered what would happen to you and your family?

 He is our Sustainer, our Refuge, or Strength during times of temptations:

·        When was the last time you knew that you could get away with not fulfilling a responsibility and no body would be the wiser?

·        When was the last time you were tempted to get on the internet to chat with someone you knew you should not have been talking to or looking at things you shouldn’t or just wasting time surfing?

·        When was the last time you daydreamed about what life might have been like with someone else?

 I could write out two or three pages of scenarios like the six above…you probably could, too.  You see, it is in times like these that we need a Sustainer, a Refuge, a Redeemer, a Deliverer.  The writer of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore,” as we are highly encouraged to do, “let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we my obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Heb. 4:15, 16

 It is the work of the Holy Spirit to sustain us…to keep us “going” (empowered, equipped, emboldened).  “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. [8] Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, [9] who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,”( 2 Tim. 1:7-9)

 God is not going to give up on us.  Paul says that God has had a purpose for us “from all eternity.”  Isaiah’s giving testimony of the heart of God in 46:10, “My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure”, reminds us that God’s purpose is not just in our salvation, but in our sanctification and our glorification.  Remember, there is no time in God’s Kingdom.  What was meant for us in eternity past is inextinguishable from eternity present and future.  Said another way, what we long for and will experience in the future has always been a part of God’s plan (eternity past).  So, from a very practical and philosophical point of view, God must sustain us.  If He did not, His purpose would fail.  Eternity (in a circular sort of way…looping the beginning of the past to the end of the future) is completely tied together by the faithfulness of God.  I cannot be a part of Him without His sustaining power working in me.

 This must give us such enormous hope.  Scripture gives not indication that God ever gives up on us.  In fact, at every point of our lives where there is any sort of victory, it is because of His indwelling, sustaining power.  Conversely, at any point of our lives where it seems that we have been abandoned because every thing seems to have blown up in our faces and we seem powerless…just wait.  God is at work in that situation, not for our ill, but for His will to be worked out in our lives.  God’s seeming inactivity during those desolate times simply reinforces that He works according to His own time table.  He is not absent, nor inactive, nor impotent.  He is perfectly, delicately (not allowing us to be tempted beyond that which we are able) crafting in us the beautiful picture of His glorious Son.  Remember, that God joyfully uses all kinds of hardships (even as He did with Jesus) to render that precious reflection.