“Let the Praises Flow: Psalm 89:20-37 CEB” Pastor Hines July 18, 2021

 

“Let the Praises Flow: Psalm 89:20-37 CEB”

Pastor Hines

July 18, 2021

 

This morning’s Psalm tells of God’s servant king David. God anointed him chose him, and made loving promises to him. David is known as the greatest king in all of our Judeo-Christian history. He was a musician and writer of many of the Psalms. He was not perfect, but he was, as we all aim to be, someone who takes after God’s own heart, who is like God in many ways, who takes on the character and the manner and ways of God, whose intention is to love us, to do justice by us, and to be merciful to us, to forgive our transgressions, to lift us up on every leaning side. 

David ruled and reigned, as we all aim to rule and reign, with an ear to hear what God, the ultimate king, had to say about various matters in life. For as we all know, it’s not just what the people say, it’s what God says. During our upcoming revival, we will focus on hearing what God says. David was in a position that God put him in. We all are.

You do understand that you are where you are by the grace and the will of God. You do know that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord? So says Psalm 37.23.

God as ruler, king, and authority is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. God has all power, is present everywhere, and knows all. We often wonder, why God does not use all that power to do away with some of the unspeakable things that are happening in our world. We often wonder if God is present everywhere all the time, why does God not always show us plainly where God is. If God knows all, does God really know how devastating our suffering is to us? Does God understand? Does God care? It is easy to praise God and to credit God when our experiences and situations are pleasant and easy and just what we want them to be. But, when we are suffering that is the best time to prove that God is in control, large and in charge. When we are suffering we want to know, why me? Why now? Why is this happening in a world created by a good God? Why is it happening to anyone?

Psychiatrist Victor Frankl (1905-1997) studied under Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler and he worked at Vienna’s Rothschild Hospital, the only hospital that admitted Jewish persons. Frankl was successful in treating students in an epidemic of suicides that occurred during report card season, and before being deported to a concentration camp, he helped mentally disabled people avoid euthanasia. I recall from his writings his direction not to obsess about why terrible things are happening, but to search for ways to make the situation meaningful. As Christians, we can always find meaning in all situations of our life. God always has a purpose and a plan that takes us to a place of justice, mercy, and righteousness, which all lead us to inner peace. 

The story of Gideon’s suffering found in the book of Judges 6 tells of Gideon hiding from the oppressive Midianites while he sorted grain, knowing they would try to take it. An angel, a messenger, came to Gideon with an encouraging word. He said, “The Lord is with you, you brave man!” (Even when we hide in fear and weakness, God sees something great in us.) Instead of being elated that God had sent a messenger to encourage him personally, instead of doing a happy dance upon hearing that God considered him courageous – even though he was in hiding, Gideon asked the same questions that come to all hearts that are suffering. Gideon asked, “If the Lord is with us, why is all this happening to us, and where are all the miracles which our fathers told us about?” The angel did not answer any of Gideon’s questions directly, and we may feel that God has not answered our questions directly either. What did happen was that the angel told Gideon God chose to use him to save his people from the hand of those who were worrying them?

Still we ask the questions, were God’s people suffering because they were under judgement? I say, if the shoe fits me, I may need to wear it. Were God’s people innocent victims? If so, they had a great God who, like always, can lead and guide them to a safe and peaceful place, a God who was an ever present help to comfort and care for them in their time of trouble, no matter how bad it got.

Rather than get stuck on the questions, for even Ecclesiastes 7.10 reminds us how unwise it is to just get round and round with questions. Rather, it is good to humble ourselves before God and submit to the rule and reign of the one who sits high and looks low. There are answers we have only when we worship, when we trust and obey. There are things we can only understand better when we look for God’s face and not just for what God has in God’s hands. There is a difference, even for us as leaders and Christians being watched and followed by others. Looking at the face of God means we want to see God’s feelings and responses because we want to know and understand God. Looking only at God’s hands suggests that receiving something from God matters more than being in a right and loving relationship with God.

One of my classmates at Eastern College in St. Davids, PA was blind at birth due to harmful birth control pills that were later taken off the market. We lived together on the same dorm floor in Doane Hall. It was helpful for her to feel our faces, one time, enabling her to “see” us. It was a special look. It reminds me of the song, Only A Look. One look at Jesus can turn us from sin, bring us salvation, and eternal life. Having an intimate connection with the face of God as well as the voice and the hands of God deepens our relationship with God. Having even one personal experience with God sparks an eternal fire in our hearts and lives. One of TBN’s movies was entitled, “One Night with the King” The lyrics of an associated song are this: One night with the king, changes everything. One day in his courts did forever change my course. One moment in his presence and I’ve never been the same. One night with the king changes everything.”

One of the most common reasons we reject God and the church is that we are so angry. Anger is not sustainable in the church. Anger hides the face of Jesus. One survey conducted by the Olympic Committee suggested that there were people around the world that were more familiar with the name Ronald McDonald than they were with the name of Jesus. Some are more familiar with advertising symbols than the Christian Cross symbol. So, it is no small thing when the church has a billboard with our name on it or a postcard inviting others to come. Of course, our loving relationships are the best advertising of all.

The world seems angrier than it has ever been. We see this in the increased incidence of road rage as only one example. Rage psychologist Dr. Leon James gives us several reasons people respond with road rage. 1. Restrictions from moving forward on the road raise anxiety and intense desires to escape the restrictions and prompt some to perform risky and aggressive maneuvers. 2. Regulations are inconvenient and we just ignore them. 3. Lack of self-control. 4. Being put in danger results in negative emotions such as fear, helplessness, depressed mood, and resentment. 5. Some are tempted by the energizing rush that comes when you let it all out, share all the foul gestures and words but consequences of impaired judgment is the price that is paid. 6. Unpredictability of highways bring drama and uncertainty. All these feelings often come to a boil and create road rage and rage in other areas of our lives.

Regardless of what keeps us away from the God, from the church, and from each other, there is no good excuse for not accepting God as a king to rule and reign over our lives. Clearly, we cannot handle our lives on our own. Only when we turn to God in good times as well as tough times, when we look for God’s face as well as God’s hands, we see that God is greater than our worst problem. Turning to God increases the chance that we will have a personal experience that moves us forward spiritually and helps us to grow content and safe. We can then see clearly that no matter how bad a situation is, God is working for good, God delights in us, and is a present help in a time of trouble and always has something good for us to taste and see – some fruit of the spirit, some love, or joy, or peace, or patience, or kindness, or goodness, or faithfulness, or gentleness, or self –control to share with us – and enough to share with others.

 We serve a good God who is worthy of our thanks and praise. Whether we shed tears of joy, tears of remorse, or tears of grief, it is good to also let our praises flow toward God for the great things God has done, is doing, and promises to do among us. So, let praises to God flow, for your sake, for God’s sake, and for the sake of the whole world.