LIMAVADY BAPTIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 5 MAY 2024 – MR A DALRYMPLE
PSALM 63
Jonathan Edwards at 17 years of
age set down 70 resolutions. He showed
great fervency and determination to really live for God. When speaking on Psalm 63 verse 1 he said “God
is our greatest need, to enjoy him is what we were made for and that is the
only thing that our souls can be truly satisfied in.” We are to desire God himself above any other
person or thing, legitimate and precious as they may be. There is an interesting story behind this
psalm. The introduction states that this
Psalm was written when David was in the wilderness of Judah. Verse 9 tells us “those that seek my soul to
destroy it.” David is a fugitive, on the
run at this point. We may be inclined to
think that Saul was seeking to kill him but verse 11 tells us otherwise. “But the king shall rejoice in God.” David was not king when he was fleeing Saul
but he was when fleeing his son Absalom.
2 Samuel 15 states that Absalom rebelled against his father. David in turn fled to escape Jerusalem and headed
for the wilderness. This is the
experience behind the Psalm. Notice 3
things in this Psalm – David’s desire, David’s satisfaction and David’s
confidence.
David’s desire. We see this described in verses 1 and 2. Verse 1 is an expression of any true
religious person’s heart. “O God thou
are my God.” This man clearly had a
relationship with God himself. Can you
identify with these words? Today can you
say “O God you are my God?” Not the God which
he is but you are my God. Intense words
that came from a man of God. He finds
himself in an extremely difficult place.
It is interesting that so many say today “come to Jesus and all your
problems will go way.” Really? Read your bible – is that really the
case? Study church history, examine your
own life – is that really the case? That
is not the case, not true for people in the bible. In this Psalm we have an account of a
believer experiencing great difficulties at this point in his life. He knows all the days of his life are
ordained for him, even the uninvited days out in the wilderness. When David cries out he uses 3 words to describe
how he is feeling. Having been driven
from God’s city and the sanctuary where the Ark of the Covenant was, first he
uses the word seeking – “early, earnestly I will seek you.” It literally means he will beat a path to
God. Have you ever noticed that it is
the difficult days more than the easy days that put an urgency for us to go to
God. When the sun is shining it is easy
to run in the flesh. To give occasional
thanks to God but when there are difficult days you are crying out to God ten
times more often that some other days.
Early I will seek you. I will
beat a path to you. For some of us we
can identify with that sentiment right now and for others it might not be long
before it is our experience. Secondly,
he talks about thirsting and longing. We
all know thirst, an insatiable longing.
There is no reasoning with it.
There is no forgetting of it when it makes itself known. It is an essential support for our lives. David’s desire occupies, dominates his
mind. He longs, thirsts, faints for God. He feels he will die spiritually if he does
not meet with God. It is important not
to miss what David says – for God himself and him alone. It is not primarily thirst for God’s gifts
and blessings. No he is longing for God
himself. I wonder have you thought to
yourself - if I was to be left with nothing in this world how precious would
God be to me? Would he be enough? David was cast out of Jerusalem and was
hiding in the wilderness. He seeks and
longs, thirsts for God. If you were
listening to an orchestra at the Waterfront Hall you would notice a change from
here. This opening verse sounds like a
mournful dirge which conveys his deep distress but from verse 2 the music
suddenly changes. It becomes more
upbeat. There is a change in the psalm
and in the psalmist. Something happens between
verses 1 and 2. “So as I have seen once
in the sanctuary so too now I see it here in the wilderness.” David was looking back to a time in the
sanctuary when he had a profound experience of God. Out there in the wilderness he has the same
experience. He meets with God in a
special way. He beholds the power and glory
of God. It affected him back then and it
is just the same now in the desert. Despite
the fact he lived in Jerusalem and not there now. Despite the fact that once he was very secure
but maybe now he is nearing the end of his life. Despite all that he was looking to the Lord
seeking, longing, thirsting. Thirdly he
is experiencing God. Is it not the case
that the Christian life is a experiential life.
It is not just about doctrine.
Doctrine comes from the word of God but there is more than that. It is walking with the God who is the maker
of the universe and everything it in. We
have his Spirit living in our hearts.
David is looking back to a time and now he is experiencing it again in
the same way or another. This is David’s
desire, his experience. Is it yours? Is it mine?
Can you say “my goal is God himself, not joy, nor peace, nor even
blessing but himself. My God it is to
lead me there not mine at any cost dear Lord by any road. David’s desire.
David’s satisfaction – verses 3
– 8. The disaster David finds
himself in. As a result of this vision
of God he experiences complete satisfaction and joy. “Because thy loving kindness is better than
life, my lips shall praise thee.” C H Spurgeon said “Life is dear but God’s love
is dearer, to dwell with God is better than life at its best.” David is now filled with the love of God. The very thought of this fills him with
praise. Out in the wilderness, in the middle
of nowhere with very few friends it seems.
A man who has an authentic personal relationship with God. He is experiencing God in every day
life. He resolves to live a life of
thankfulness, praise and worship. He is
determined to recall all the things he has done for him. He will lift up his hands as he acknowledges
his dependence on God, to open his mouth and praise God with joyful lips. God’s loving kindness, steadfastness, his
love is better than life. He is
experiencing that. He is deeply
satisfying David says. Do you remember
the Lord Jesus himself in John 17 in his high priestly prayer verses 24 – 26 as
he prays for us that we might know the love the Father has for him. Breath taking. He ensures that he prays there for us. Do you know you are loved with the same love
as the Father has for the Son? John 17
verse 26. David is experiencing
something of this – the loving kindness of God.
It is so wonderful, better than life itself. It is deeply satisfying. In verse 5 he thinks of the royal
banquet. It is a metaphor that only God
can deal with the deepest desires of his soul.
Only God can supply the riches.
No-one can deny that there is a God.
Deep down in their soul they know it.
That is why so many chase after things – riches, drink and drugs. Yet if they are honest they will say like the
rock song “I can’t get no satisfaction, I try, try, try.” David is telling us he has the Lord. He is so good. I will glory in my redeemer. He bought my love. I have no longing for another. I am satisfied in him alone. Many cannot get any satisfaction today. The bible would encouage you to come to the
Lord, confess your sins, believe in christ, follow him as your master,
forsaking all others, follow him as your master. Verses 6 – 8 – how striking these verses are. What do you think about at night? Do you review the day? If someone kicked you out of your home and
you were left on the streets what would you think about? David shares his thoughts about this. As he lays down his head at night he is
thinking – remembering God has been his help in ages past and reminds himself
that God rescued him from the mouth of the lion and the paw of the bear and the
hand of Goliath. God helped him the past
– he removed the guilt of his sins. God
in his steadfast love has been there. He
has always been there for him. David is long
in the tooth, he can recall a list off, counts the privileges he has. There is a song in his heart. Is that what it is doing for you? Knowing that if you look back on your life
God has led you through thick and thin. Because of this David says “my soul
followeth after you, my soul clings to you more than others. Thy right hand upholdeth me. What enables the believer to follow after the
Lord? Because he upholds us. When people are going through the most
difficult trials and we talk to them through those times they have an amazing
strength and faith. We wonder how they
cope with all the things? They really
feel they are upheld by the Lord. They
are experiencing something of what David experienced in the desert. God granting supernatural strength in the midst
of a storm. Supernatural joy in knowing God
is with you. When God is with you it
doesn’t really matter if you are in a storm.
I am not making light of that storm but it doesn’t really matter. The place of pressure and pain can be the
place of pleasure and joy. You know that
if people are in a difficult place they strangely feel that love and joy from
God. You feel that the Lord was
upholding you because of his loving kindness in the midst of trial. You continue to follow him, to cling to him
and praise him and find satisfaction in him in your own personal
wilderness. Perhaps this is where you
are today or where you might be soon.
God is with you. He will not
forsake you. Even when the sun is
shining or the rain is falling.
David’s confidence – verses 9 –
11. In the final verses David finds God. He is given assurance about the future. Absalom will be defeated. 2 Samuel 18 David’s men fought against Absalom’s
army. They won the great victory. Absalom’s head became trapped in a tree
branch. Joab thrust 3 spears into his
heart as he hung on that tree. His
rebellion came to an end. David’s heart
was broken “but the king shall rejoice in God.”
He received God’s confidence and assurance in the wilderness and when he
continued to be king – verse 11 “the mouth of liars were silenced.” God’s servant was vindicated and he lived to
tell the tale.
The great lesson we can all take
from this Psalm applies to believers and non-believers alike. There are joys to be found in God. Many people know nothing, many know something
and a few know a lot. I want to take you
to a beach where there are many people sitting, standing and watching those around
them in the sea. They have no interest in going in. Others will roll up their trouser legs and
paddle in. They experience the sea,
experience it but they don’t want to go in too far. Others are more enthusiastic. They run down and dive straight in to the
waves. They swim around and enjoy the sea. Further out to sea there is a boat. On it are some deep sea divers. They are not satisfied patiently swimming
around. They want to dive in and go
deep. There are various people on the
beach watching, others are paddling, then others are swimming and diving in
while others are out deep sea diving.
God is like the ocean. Some
people unbelievers sit on the beach. They never experience God. Others paddle while others swim about. There is so much more to enjoy. Some believers are always talking about God. They
are focused on God. They are filled with
joy. They live to dive in and go deep.
In doing so they are giving themselves to their pursuit. They experience incredible things in God and
with God. The question is – do you long
to go deep with God? Do you really
desire God? How can we experience this
abundant soul satisfying life with God our maker and creator? Seeking God early. Thirsting, longing for God. Beholding the power and glory of God
personally. I believe that if we had
only a month to live the important thing to study would be the doctrine of
God. The apostle Paul said “I want to
know Christ for myself and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of
his suffering and resurrection. Come
what may I want to know Christ. I want
to go deep. Steve Lawson said “this is
the focus of Psalm 63. A person can know
more intimately this great and glorious God.”
Our great and glorious God – where is your focus today? What is our greatest passion, desire? How deep do we really want to go with God in
May 2024?
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