Walking Backward to Deliverance

So as you probably saw that, the title of the message is walking backwards to Deliverance. And hopefully we'll develop that as it goes along, but In his book, The, The Christ Key, Chad Bird shares some insight into how we can orient ourselves. And so in the days before satellites and GPS sailors would use the, the stars to orient themselves. And this word orient, it comes from the Latin word oriens, which means sunrise.

So, quite literally, if you were gonna orient yourself, you would face east. And the Israelites, they had a similar idea. Their word for east in Hebrew means in front of. So if you're going to orient yourself Hebrew style, you would face frontward or eastward.

But that's not all. The same word can actually mean past or olden days, which really makes perfect sense if you, if you stop to think about it, right? We, we can see what's behind us. Now, I know it sounds strange, but, but stick with me.

The things in the past are the things that are visible to us. You, you might say that that's actually what's in front of us. And you might be saying, well, what about the future? that's really what's in front of us.

But the Israelites, they had this one figured out too. The Hebrew word for future means behind, or at the back of, which really makes perfect sense, doesn't it? think about it. Can you see?

The future No. Just like we can't see what's behind us, it's, it's hidden from us. So in the Hebrew mind, We walk backward into the future. With our eyes fixed on what's been.

See, by keeping our focus on what's been. We have confidence in what will be. You could say that the past is our eye to the future. It it's our, our assurance that the future is taken care of.

Even if we can't see it. And in our passage today, this is exactly what we see. David and Israel find themselves in the midst of devastation. Literally staring death in the face.

And they cry out to God. And when God speaks, he orients them. By turning their faces to the past. As a way of providing hope for the future.

So if you have your Bibles, why don't you turn to Psalm 60, Psalm 660. And before we dig into the passage this morning, I, I'll set the scene of the psalm. So Psalm 60 has the longest heading or, or superscript of any of the Psalms in this heading, it helps point us to a time when the Psalm was written. And I, I'm gonna read the super script, just so that we can orient ourselves.

It says, for the choir director, according to Shushan Edith, a victim of David, to teach. When he struggled with Arra Neheream, and with Ara Zoba, and Joab returned and smote 12,000 of Edom in the valley of Salt. So back in 2 Samuel 2, David was made king over Judah, and shortly after this, Ishbosheth was made king over Israel. But by the time 2 Samuel 3 rolls around, David's kingdom is being strengthened.

And by chapter 4, Ishbosheth is murdered. And by chapter 5, Israel or David is made king of all Israel. David and his army take Jerusalem in chapter 6, and the ark finds its new home. And then one of the most pivotal and important chapters in all of Scripture comes as the Lord makes His covenant with David in chapter 7.

And it's after this covenant that we read of the triumphs of David. In 2 Samuel chapter 8. In chapter 8, it highlights the victory and expanse of David's kingdom, and we see that David defeated the Philistines in verse 1. He defeated Moab in verse 2, he defeated Hadad Ezer in verse 3.

He killed 22,000 Arameans in verse 5, and the subsequent verses described the spoil that David took from the various victories. And then we read this in 2 Samuel chapter 8, verse 15. So David reigned over all Israel, and David administered justice and righteousness for all his people. And it sounds like David just rolled right through the land and took care of what Saul was unable to handle.

David is made king, and the Lord covenants with him to establish his kingdom forever, and it certainly seems like God is making good on his promise. But What we don't read in 2 Samuel 8, we do read in Psalm 60. This psalm was written as a reflection of the events of 2 Samuel 8, and what we don't see is David rejoicing over his military victories. We see David in deep.

Distress He and all Israel have been shattered. And yet David wrote this psalm to teach the people of Israel and to teach us some very important realities. About God's role in the midst of devastation. And that's exactly how we can frame the message this morning.

In Psalm 60, we will see 3 realities about God to remember in the midst of devastation. Three realities about God to remember in the midst of devastation. And the first reality to remember is that God is sovereign over devastation. God is sovereign over devastation.

I, I'd like to read the 1st 5 verses just to get a feel for the psalm. David writes, oh God. You have rejected us. You have broken us.

You've been angry. Oh, restore us. You have made the land quake. You have split it open, heal its breaches, for it totters.

You have made your people experience hardship. You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger. You have given a banner to those who fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth, that your beloved may be delivered. Save with your right hand and answer us.

Now these 1st 5 verses paint a different picture than what we see in 2 Samuel 8. you, you can hear the desperation in the song, can't you? but despite everything that's, that's led to this moment, David knows exactly whose hand is behind the trouble he faces. 9 times in the 1st 5 verses, David testifies that it is God who is responsible for the calamities that have fallen on the people of Israel.

Look at how David speaks of God's involvement. David says, you have 3 times in verse 1, you have twice in verse 2, you have twice in verse 3, you have once in verse 4, and then in verse 5, he says, save with your right hand. David had taken over a kingdom that had suffered under the reign of Saul. Before Saul died, there was the, the overwhelming disaster at Gilboa.

Then Ishbosheth, Saul's son, became king of Israel and he reigned for two years, resulting in a long and costly civil war, not to mention the external battles that were being fought. David could have laid the blame squarely at the feet of Saul or even Ishbosheth. But David doesn't do that. He goes straight to the Lord, the sovereign, and pleads with the one ultimately responsible.

Look again at verse one. David prays, oh God, you have rejected us. You have broken us, you have been angry, oh, restore us. And these, these 1st 3 verbs, in this verse, they're constructed in this rapid fire manner.

There's no connectors between the verbs. David's just piling on the protests. It's, it's like a machine gun like succession. In Hebrew, the verse is 6 words long.

you could read it like this, God, you spurned, broke out, been angry, turn. The words are spoken in exasperation. David can't believe what's happening. He can barely get the words out.

And nothing cuts quite as deep as the experience of being spurned by God. David cries out, Oh God, you've rejected us. You've, you've treated us like something foul, like something offensive. And the, the, the picture of this word is actually God moving toward the people so that he can actively push them away.

See, God's not abandoning the people. He's, he's actively getting rid of them. And in the midst of this rejection, David pleads with God to turn his face toward them and smile on them again. At the end of verse one, David pleads, Oh, restore us.

David prays for a change in God's attitude toward them. this is their only hope. If, if God rejects them, what hope do they have? And what an example for us.

David and the people of Israel are at the end of their rope. When they look at their situation, they're out of options, but this is exactly where God wants us to be, isn't it? this is why Paul was able to say in 2 Corinthians 12, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so 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, what? Then I am strong But, but David doesn't stop there. Not, not only have the, the people experienced the hand of God on them, but so has the land. Look at verse 2.

David says, you have made the land quake. You have split it open, heal its breeches, for it totters. Things are, are so bad that the land is experiencing the devastation. And this is the only time in the Psalter, except for Psalm 108 where these same verses are repeated.

That quake is used against the people of Israel. This word will show up 4 other times and the context is always God providing help. The, the ground quakes because God is coming to rescue his people, or God is already there to rescue his people when all around gives way. But here David and the people of Israel.

are experiencing something completely different. God has shaken the earth. He's, he's split it open. And David's not speaking of a literal earthquake, but metaphorically, the kingdom is in the same condition as if there had been an earthquake that devastated the land.

from the time that Saul forsook God, the kingdom had been in decline and it was vulnerable. And, and David and his army, they're, they're up north, taking back their land, and Edom forms up in the south. And, and you can imagine what this must have looked and sounded like. Edom forms up with thousands upon thousands of soldiers.

Their, their chariots, and their horses, the, the sight of the swords, and the shields and the spears. The ground literally shaking under their feet as they marched on Jerusalem. This threat wasn't imagined. It was something tangible that they, they experienced.

They felt right down to the ground shaking as the army approached. And yet in the midst of the wreckage, what do we see? At the end of verse 2, David cries out for God to heal its breaches, for it totters. the kingdom has been torn and it sits ready to be devoured.

And only God can heal it. And David asked God to sow back, sow the land back together. And this word heal, it can speak of being healed by a physician or being restored to a, a prior preferable state. And David recognizes that God is the only one who can do this.

And guys, this is no different for Cornerstone. There will be times when this church faces tragedy or adversity, it will feel as if the earth is giving way beneath us, and then what do we do? Where do we go? Our prayer must be to God for him to heal what's been ripped apart, for him to sow the tears of this body back together.

You see, if God is sovereign over the, the shaking of the earth or our church, Then he is also sovereign over the repair. Amen. Well, there is one last protest and plea from David as he acknowledges God's sovereignty and their devastation. Look at verses 3 through 5.

David Frase You have made your people experience hardship. You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger. You have given a banner to those who fear you that it may be displayed because of the truth. That your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand and answer us.

First, David, he describes their devastation in the language of the people's experience in Egypt. He says in verse 3, you have made your people experience hardship. And this word hardship was used to describe Israel's existence under Egyptian slavery. Exodus 1:14 says the people lived lives of hard labor.

In Exodus 6:9 says the people experienced cruel bondage. It's a, a fierce and relentless, strenuous hardship. And what's more is that these are the people of God who are experiencing this. David cries out, God, you, you've done this to your people.

But then David depicts the experience in more vivid and concrete terms. At the end of verse 3, he says, You've given us wine to drink that makes us stagger. And, and we can see the situation involves more than just strenuous hardship. It also involves deadly dangers.

This is the picture of a, of an assassin at a dinner banquet. The Lord has slipped them a cup of deadly poison. David's at a loss. Exile and death are knocking at the door.

The promise of the covenant is a distant memory. But how often do we, do we find ourselves in the same spot where all hope seems to be lost. And what do we do? How do we respond?

David starts to help us in verse 4. It seems as though David starts to transition into hopeful expectation. He's acknowledged God's sovereignty and their devastation, and he knows that God is the only one who can deliver them. And so he leans in on the, the power and the promise of God.

Look at verse 4. David prays, you have given a banner to those who fear you. That it may be displayed because of the truth. First, David tells God that the people experiencing this devastation are those who fear Him, and now we see a second description of the people.

God, these are your people, those who worship and fear you, who are experiencing this. Have you forgotten us? And then we see that those who fear the Lord have a banner. But what, what is a banner?

It's a military flag that's raised above the, the chaos of war, so that the soldiers would be able to see it. It was also a rallying point for where the soldiers could gather. But the question is, what is this banner? When Exodus 17, Moses built the altar and he called it, Yahweh is my banner.

So in one sense, we could say that Yahweh himself is the banner, the standard, the, the rallying point for the, for those who fear him, but I think we can get more specific than that. As the authors of the Bible developed this idea of banner, we come to Isaiah chapter 11. And in verse 10, we read that the root of Jesse will stand as a signal for all the peoples. And that word signal.

It's the same word as banner in Psalm 60. So the root of Jesse, Jesus, the Messiah is the banner that is raised for all the peoples. Christ is our banner, our war flag, our rallying point. In the chaos of our, our battles and our struggles, our banner stands above the chaos.

Not only as motivation for the fight, but as our refuge when the battle overwhelms. But what's the point of the banner? David tells us at the end of verse 4, he says that it may be displayed because of the truth. Now, this is a, a tricky section.

Is, is anybody reading from the ESV? Yeah, so it's a little different. The ESB reads like this, you have set up a banner for those who fear you that they may flee to it from the bow. And the verb displayed in the new American standard can also have the meaning of running in a zigzag motion as if to avoid being hit by arrows.

And I'm more inclined to favor the reading of the ESV as it, it seems to fit the context of the Psalm. It, it really completes the picture that David's painting. They're in hardship, which is like drinking a poisonous cup of wine, which is brought on like a barrage of arrows. And yet David still sees God as a place of refuge, a hiding place.

And then David closes out this section with a plea. Look at verse 5, he says, that your beloved may be delivered. Save with your right hand and answer us. And now David employs yet a third description of the people of God.

Your beloved David reminds God a third time of the personal relationship that he has with these people. And he says, these are your people, God. Those who fear you, the ones you have chosen to set your love upon. And all of this David sees as a result of God giving a banner in the previous verse.

That is to say, the Lord has given a banner, so that his beloved will be delivered. And then David pleads with God for action. Save with your right hand and answer us. You see, David calls on the hand that has been raised in striking the people to be the hand that is raised to deliver them.

And the right hand is, it's the universal description of power and authority, right? We still use it that way today. We, we might say something like, oh, that's so and so's right-hand man. And in Scripture, the, the right hand of God is synonymous with the exodus.

The display of God's power in freeing His people from Egypt. Exodus 15:6 says, your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power. Your right hand, oh Lord, shatters the enemy. Or in Isaiah 41:10, God says, do not fear, for I am with you.

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. David invokes the power of God's right hand. And he calls for God to respond, and David's, he's looking for action.

He calls on God to do something. Guys, David was looking destruction and annihilation in the face, and with humility and reverence, he acknowledged that God was sovereign over all of it. See, the nation was pierced with fear. Uncertain as to what was going to happen next.

would Edom come and destroy the nation had God truly rejected his people? And it's no different for us, whether it's the diagnosis of cancer, or the loss of a job or the death of a loved one, any flicker. Any flicker of hope will begin with acknowledging that God is sovereign over any and every circumstance we face. You see, God doesn't just reign over our greatest triumphs.

He also reigns over our greatest losses. When we face devastation, we must acknowledge that it is by his allowance, but this is never. The final word from God. But how do we know this?

How do we know that the wreckage in our lives? is never the final word from God. Well, that leads to the second reality. About God to remember in the midst of devastation.

And this second reality that we need to remember. Is that God's promises reign supreme. God's promises reign supreme in the midst of devastation. So David had called on God to save with his right hand in verse 5, and answer their pleas, and God does just that.

The Psalm transitions in verse 6, and now we hear a word from the Lord. And verse 6 is really the hinge of the Psalm. In verses 1 to 3, we see the devastation facing the nation of Israel in verses 4 and 5. There, there looks to be some glimmer of hope, even if it's faint and uncertain.

But then verse 6 changes everything. Look at the Look at the first part of verse 6. It says God has spoken. You can stop there.

is there anything as precious and powerful as hearing a word from God in the midst of devastation? Spurgeon said, quote, the voice of a faithful God drowns out every fear, end quote. But this word from God may not be exactly what David and Israel were expecting. Israel was staring down the barrel of a gun.

Edom is poised, they're ready to strike. And the word they hear from the Lord, is a word from The past But this word spoken long ago, is the exact word that David and Israel needed. And, and guys, it's the exact word that we need. Derek Kidner says this quote, It's as though at the height of a children's quarrel, which has come to blows.

There could be heard the firm tread and cheerful voice of the father, end quote. What does this cheerful voice say? Let's look at verses 6 through 8. God has spoken in His holiness.

I will exalt. I will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley ofucketh. Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is the helmet of my head.

Judah is my scepter. Moab is my wash bowl. Over Edom, I shall throw my shoe. Shout loud, oh Felicia, because of me.

The foundation of this word from God is the holiness of God. As God speaks, he, he does so in His holiness. You see, in the Semitic cultures, names were connected to a, a person's identity. God named Solomon, Jedediah, because he was loved by the Lord.

Jacob got his name because he was the heel grabber. And in Leviticus, we read that we are not to profane God's holy name or more literally, the name of His Holiness. holiness is the, the quintessential character of God. It's, it's who he is.

Leviticus 19:2 says, I, Yahweh, your God, am holy. Holiness is the center of his being, and it distinguishes him from everything else on earth. Holiness belongs only to God. All other holiness is a, is a derived holiness from him.

And and God's holiness is the motivation behind everything that he does, and every oath that he keeps. And guys, that's exactly what we see in this section. This, this word from God is a, a retelling of promises made in the past to Abraham and his offspring, and God's holiness is connected to the solemn, personal commitment or promise that he made. God promised that the descendants of Abraham would possess the land.

God promised David and that Israel would be planted in their land undisturbed by their enemies. And this is exactly what these next verses reiterate. But it does so in an astounding way. Look at what it says about God and the way he allocates this land.

I will exalt, God says in verse 6. And this is the only time other than Psalm 108 where these verses are repeated, that God is the subject of exulting. This is a very human term for uninhibited rejoicing. This isn't an indication of God's impassioned nature.

He's, he's ardent, he's passionate, he's zealous, he's fired up about keeping the promises he made. See, when God portions out Shechem, and he measures out the valley of Sueth, he does so with enthusiastic joy. God finds childlike excitement in keeping his promise, and he does so with a shout. these promises are the joyful shout from God.

And beloved, there is no greater resting place for our faith. Than in the joyful shout of the promises of God. No matter what devastation we face, the uninhibited, joyful shout of God drowns out every other sound. So let's look at these promises together.

First, God tells Israel in verse 6 that he will portion out Shechem and measure out the valley ofucketh. So, Shechem is on the west side of the Jordan in the land of Canaan where Jacob settled after his sojourn with Laban. And Suki Sueth is on the east side of the Jordan River, where Jacob first stopped before he met with Esau. And these two areas represent the eastern and western edges of the land that God promised.

It's The areas would be allocated to Manassa on the west and Gad on the east, and then God reiterates this promise. In the first line of verse 7, when he says, Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine. And it's likely that the picture is the entire eastern portion of the land promised to Ruben, Gad, and Manassah. See, Gilead is the land east of the Jordan River, north of the Dead Sea, and Manasseh was split in half with half the tribe on the west, and the other half on the northeast.

So these two lines of the Psalm represent the big picture that the entire area of the Jordan belongs to God. And he joyfully allocates this land to his people. But God doesn't stop there. He, he continues his joyous claim on the land in the second line of verse 7.

God says, Ephraim also is the helmet of my head. Judah is my scepter. Again, this is two areas of land being spoken of, but these two areas are both on the, the western side of the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. And, and Judah, as, was in the southern portion of the kingdom, and Ephraim, while not in the northernmost part, represents the northern kingdom.

So this promise is picturing The promised land west of the Jordan River as a whole. But this reference to Judah and Ephraim is, is not a reference to land only. God is, is not only the sovereign ruler of the land, but he is also sovereign over the people of the land. Judah and Ephraim picture the means by which God intends to take control of the land.

See, Ephraim is seen as the headgear that God the warrior will wear. And Judah is seen as the warrior's staff that God will wield as he goes to battle. So what we see in these verses is an uninhibitedly joyous God who stands back. who surveys the land, and then with a shout and a smile, says, this is mine, and I will use Israel to take it.

what hope and comfort is there in these verses for Israel? in the midst of their devastation and exile, death, literally knocking on their door, they hear an exultant word of promise from God. And this is true for us, isn't it? what God has promised to give us, no enemy can take and no circumstance can erase.

The promises that are contained in the gospel go far beyond anything that we could ever even think to ask. And we have the promise that if God delivered his own son over to death for us, what would stop him from giving us all things in Christ? What can take away the promise that one day we will stand before Him, and we will be like Him, because we will see him as he is. But often standing in front of these promises is a, a very real threat.

Those shattering circumstances of life, those battles that we often face, they overshadow and they block the rays of God's glorious promises to us. Just as they did to David and Israel. Often the, the fog of the wreckage in our lives makes it difficult to see the promises, let alone believe them. But God's not done.

Look at verse 8 God says, Moab is my wash bowl. Over Edom, I shall throw my shoe. Shout loud, oh Felicia, because of me. And I couldn't help but notice what a, what a contrast between this verse and the 1st 3 verses of the Psalm.

David pleads with God to save them because they're staggering about in this panic. And then God comes in to deliver his people. But when he comes, he doesn't fret over the situation. There's no nervous preparation.

God's not ruffled by the situation facing his people. In the middle of Israel's panic, God simply pulls up a chair and sits down to wash his feet. this is the picture of the verse. God comes home, he pulls up a chair, he takes off his shoe, he flings them in the corner.

And he dips his feet in the wash bowl. It's amazing. God never sweats over the enemies of his people. He never panics.

Psalm 2 tells us that the nations are in an uproar, and the people are devising vain things. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Christ, but he who sits in the heavens laughs. Isaiah 40 says that all the nations are counted as nothing. Before him and Cornerstone, this is our God.

Amen. The God who, despite the panic and fear that may be around us, is never caught off guard. There is no Plan B with God. And, and when the battle is over, God will be sitting there with his feet in the water.

But guys, while God's action is decisive, that doesn't mean that our actions don't matter. Or that there's nothing that we're supposed to do. See, God will deliver us from our enemies, but at times, he does so through our actions. Look at verse 9.

It says, who will bring me into the besieged city? Who will lead me to Edom? And, and some commentators see this as a transition back to David speaking, but I'm inclined to agree with Golden Gay, commentator, when he says, quote, The I continues in these two parallel colas or lines. So presumably, God continues to speak, end quote.

See, the picture is of God, the commander in chief, asking where the scouts are. To show the way into the city. See, God is seeking to call his the people who are his weaponry into action. This, this call is not a despairing one.

It's, it's a call meant to challenge the people in light of the promises that God just rehearsed. And so David will send Joab and Abaihai. And as we're told in the super script and as we read in 2 Samuel 8, the army comes and they slay 12,000 Edomites in the valley of Salt. You see, we have the promises of God, but we, we can't sit back on our heels.

We must advance in hope. And strength that these promises provide. See, we act in faith. And it is God's action that is decisive.

And this is exactly what we see in the final 3 verses of the Psalm. Which leads to the 3rd and final reality about God to remember in the midst of devastation. And this final reality about God that we need to remember in the midst of devastation is that God alone can deliver. The 3rd and final reality.

is that God alone can deliver from devastation. Now there is an obvious shift in speaker in verse 10. You can, you can see the change in the pronouns from me in verse 9 to you in verse 10. But the response by David may not be.

What we would expect. Look at verse 10, David, David says, have not you yourself, oh God, rejected us? And will you not go forth with our armies, O God? David speaks, and immediately he reverts back to an echo of verse one.

the promises have yet to be fulfilled, and, and David is asking if God is going to do anything. It seems as though this verse, verse 10, is an answer. To the question God asks in verse 9. God asked for action from his people.

And David responds, we, we're doing our part, Lord, but you refuse to go with us. We, we are acting, but you are actively pushing us away. the enemy at their door is an indication that The people of Israel are not just feeling rejected, but they experience the rejection of God. But what about the promises that were just rehearsed?

What about the word from God? this, I found this response so helpful for me, right? It's, it's helpful for us. It's David and the people of Israel are still facing the very real threat of an enemy.

The devastation that existed before God spoke is still there. After God speaks. And they're having trouble believing the promise of God. And isn't this what we do every day?

we have the promise of the gospel given to us by God. And every single one of these promises is guaranteed. 2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us that for as many Are the promises of God in him are yes. Christ is the guarantee of every gospel promise of, of blessing, of peace, of joy, of goodness, fellowship, every promise of forgiveness and strength, and the hope of eternal life.

See, because of Christ, we can take every single one of these promises to the bank. And yet, how often do we forget or fail. To believe these promises. I can't count how many times I, I read a promise and, and moments later, I'm already doubting what I read.

And so what do we do? Well, we, we rehearse, and we re-rehearse these truths. We read the promises of the gospel over and over until we believe them like we should. We preach the gospel to ourselves moment by moment, and then we plead with God for his help.

Which is exactly what David does in the next verse. Look at verse 11 David cries out, oh, give us help against the adversary for deliverance by man is in vain. Now, do you, you see the transition in, in David's thinking? In the 1st 3 verses, he ended each protest with a plea, just as he does here, but, but this time the plea is different.

This time he not only acknowledges their need of God's help, but he acknowledges their inability to help themselves. See, the 1st 3 verses give no hint of this attitude. David cried out to be restored, to be healed, to be delivered. But now he's beginning to realize that there is nothing that he or anyone else can do.

See, any attempt at our own salvation, any attempt to deliver ourselves is insubstantial and inconsequential as a breath. And it's at this point that David begins to grab hold of the promises of God. And beloved, the promises of God are all we need. But we won't know they're all we need until they're all we have.

And when they're all they have, they drive us to God to cry out for His help. And it's God's help. It's God's help that gives us the confidence we see in verse 12. In verse 12, we read this, through God, we shall do valiantly, and it is he who will tread down our adversaries.

So David expresses confidence in Israel's action, but he highlights the fact that whatever they do, it will be done through God. Any action that David or Israel take to save themselves is empty. But when their action is done through God, It is always done valiantly. And again we see our motivation for action.

And I like Spurgeon's comment here when he says this quote, Divine working is not an argument for human inaction. But rather, it is the best excitement for courageous effort, end quote. See, God's divine work in our lives is the greatest motivation for faithful action. But how does this work?

Well, David, he shows us in the final line of the Psalm, he says that it is God who will tread down our adversaries. God is the subject of that verb, even though Israel will be the ones who trample down their adversaries. It is God who is behind the action. Look at the, the we, he sequence.

We will do, and he will tread. You see, as we rehearse the promises of God, our fear, our anxiety, our panic will be replaced by valiancy, courage, and bravery to face the battles. Before us With the promises of God in view, we move forward with word informed, prayer requested, faith inspired action. Just as David and Israel did with Edom.

And this is the essence of the Christian life. This is, this is what we do when we come together corporately for worship. This is what we do when we participate in family worship. And this is what we do when we rehearse the promises of God to ourselves daily.

Guys, let every fear and threat cause you to turn to God, to hear his promises, to rehearse these promises, to cry out to Him for his help, and then move forward in reliance on Him. There's no doubt in my mind that everyone in this room has faced shattering circumstances. In their lives If you haven't You're probably lying. But if not, just, just wait.

There's good news, it's coming. Every one of us will find ourselves in a situation where life seems to be going great. Everything is, is running like a, a well-oiled machine, and then out of the blue, We find ourselves on our face. this is what happened to David and the Israelites.

And it's through this psalm that we saw the three realities about God that we need to remember in the midst of devastation. The first one was that God is sovereign over devastation. Secondly, that God's promises reign supreme in the midst of devastation. And lastly, that God alone can deliver from devastation.

And there are a few takeaways from this psalm that I'd like to To discuss as we close. The first is that we must never try to separate the hand of God from our devastation. Psalm 60 has shown us that it is God who stands above our devastation. He is not only sovereign over the good things that come into our lives, but he is also sovereign over the devastation.

See, we don't need to protect God by separating him from the wreckage in our lives. It does us no good to view God. As a sympathetic bystander. Guys, if we try to separate the sovereignty of God from the wreckage in our lives, we remove any hope of his help.

If God is not in control of what's going on in our lives, He is powerless to resolve it. He is powerless to use it for our sanctification. He is powerless to affect change for our good and his glory. And beloved, God is not powerless.

Amen. And the second takeaway from this psalm is that since God is sovereign, we must cry out to Him in prayer. You see, Psalm 60 was a, a corporate lament, a prayer of sorrow meant to be prayed together. And when David and Israel faced the certainty of defeat, of exile and death, they didn't turn inward and shut down.

They cried out to the only one able to save them. And we also learned that it's OK to cry out to God with our protests. David doesn't hold back. He protests the experience of God's rejection of them.

See, when we're in the throes of grief and anguish, we can cry out to God with our protests. But this psalm also teaches. That we can't leave it there. We don't protest God in anguish and then walk away.

We plead with Him as the only one. Able to return and restore us. You see, if, if God is in control of every event in our lives, if he knows the number of hairs on our head, Then we can cry out to Him to restore us. And trust that he will do it.

See, for those of us who are in Christ, any trial or sorrow, any devastation or felt sense of rejection by God is never the final word. Our plea is the confident request for God to make good on his promises of future grace. But how can we trust that he will do that? That's the 3rd takeaway from the Psalm, namely that our confidence in the future reliability of God is grounded in the Faithfulness.

God spoke in this psalm. He didn't make David a single present or future promise. No. What did he do?

He, he recalled the promises that he had made hundreds of years. These Are the down payments on the future promises. And God intends for us. To remember the past promises and evidences of grace.

As proof and motivation to believe in his future promises and grace. And for us, the greatest act of God's grace is a past act. Jesus Christ came into the world, and Titus 2:11 says that the grace of God has appeared. And this grace, which is a past work of grace, is the ultimate guarantee of everything that God promises to do in the future.

But guys, this, this hope, this guarantee is only for those who are in Christ. Those who have embraced the past work of God as their guarantee for their future. See if there are any here who have not embraced Christ through faith. Then what is your hope for the future?

What promise do you have to cling to? You have none. There is no hope for your future. There is no promise you can claim to provide comfort.

You have no power in yourself. Salvation by man is vain and empty. But Christ stands ready to save. And through him, you will do valiantly.

You see, in Christ, you have the guarantee of every promise of God that was purchased by his blood. Every promise of God is yes, in Christ. When you come to God in need, when you come to God with your sin, He comes to you in Christ, and the word on his lips. Is yes God, do you love me?

Yes God, will you forgive me? Yes, God, will you accept me? Yes, God, will you help change me? Yes, God, will you keep me?

Yes God, will you glorify me? Yes, Come to him, cry out to him. To save you He is a mighty savior who stands ready to save. Amen.

Let's pray together. Father, we Thank you. that we have the gift of prayer, that we can come to you in the midst of devastation when all around gives way. We thank you that we can entrust our souls to a faithful Creator.

That we can humble ourselves by casting all of our anxieties and worries. And fears and protests before you, because you care for us. And Lord, we thank you that we have the confidence that you are sovereign over all of life's shattering circumstances. That there is nothing outside of your plan or will.

Lord, but all of it works together for good. For those that are called according to your purpose. And Lord, we thank you that we have the confident expectation that you will fulfill all your good promises and that not one of them will fail. And Lord, I pray for those in this room that are experiencing life shattering circumstances and devastation, Lord, that you, by your Spirit, would clear the fog and allow them to see the glorious promises that are guaranteed in Christ.

And Father, I pray for those that may not know you, for those that may have not embraced Christ, that they would do that today. Or that they would come to you with their sin and you would come to them. With the word yes. We thank You, Father, for your word in Christ's name.

Amen.