Scripture
O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right.
~Psalm 31:1, NLT
Quote
Every human impotence is an opportunity to trust in God’s omnipotence.
~Steven Lawson
Psalm 31 is riveting Psalm as David gives vivid details of the anguish and fear he felt when Absalom drove him from Jerusalem. The very thing that David had always feared happened: he was disgraced publically and by his own flesh and blood. David was weak from sorrow: his grief and anguish had drained his vitality. Absalom had engineers a smear campaign and it worked. The vast majority were against David. Even trusted counselors had gone over to Absalom’s side. It did not look good for David. Folks he had known all his life were now seeking distance from the king because they were convinced, “David reign is over, he is finished.” David was grief stricken and heart broken. When a storm of this magnitude hits, we need a place to go.
We visited my oldest sister last Thursday; it was her 82nd birthday. Chloe went with us and she wanted to see her entire house, especially the basement. There in the corner of the basement was a cozy little bedroom. I said, “this would be a great place to hide away and take a nap.” My sister quickly said, “It is a great place to go when their is a storm.” We all need a safe place to hide from the storms. David had such a place but it was not a room in the house or a place on the map. The LORD Himself was David’s refuge. David encountered many storms but this one came in the twilight of his life. You see a resignation here that was not seen previously. David has given up. He is completely resigned to God’s will. David committed himself to the LORD. Verse 5, reading from the AV, goes like this… Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth. You recognize that Jesus quoted this on the cross. Commit was a banking term; it means to make a deposit. David was simply saying, “I am depositing all my trust in the LORD.” David knew that God was the righteous Judge and He would do the right thing. Those of us who have read this story line multiple times have seen the change that came over David. He is never the same after this experience. Can you imagine double crossing a younger David. He would have hunted you down like a dog and removed your head but here David has no desire to seek revenge. As a matter of fact, he feels that his sin as precipitated the entire event.
Most of us, I suppose, battle the flesh and the temptation to demand that things be done our way but then we encounter a storm that creates anguish and grief and it does something to us. We come to realize that God is in control and that His way is much better than our way. We resign ourselves to doing His will and we stop worrying about the outcome. It is a liberating thing. When we try to manipulate people and circumstances in order to get our way; we get very upset if the outcome does not align itself with our will. It is a recipe for unhappiness.
We need to pray for Sarah’s son-in-law Brian. This is Tracey Holladay’s sister’s husband and he is very sick. He has bacterial meningitis.
IMPORTANT: Pray…pray…pray. The US Senate is voting on a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks. There are only 7 countries left that still permit elective abortion after 20 weeks—including the US, China, and North Korea. That’s why the Senate vote to take up commonsense legislation to protect unborn children who can feel pain. {Mitch McConnell} “The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is scientifically based, unlike Roe V. Wade which has no scientific or humanitarian base. The unborn child shows physical pain and brain trauma during the abortion. No Christians should have any doubt about what is right in this situation. It’s it sad that we are morally in the same league at North Korea and Red China.
Don’t forget Seniors: we have a FELLOWSHIP coming up February 16 at 4:00. We’ve never attempted a get together at 4:00 but there are reasons. One of those reasons is that it gives me more time to prepare the pies. We will be through in time for you to get home before dark. Our menu is soup, salad, sandwiches and fried apple pies with ice cream. Your option is a salad. If you want to help with the BINGO prizes, see Darlene or Tina. Remember, we do not pay to play and this is not gambling. We are playing for fun and everyone will be a winner.
Dr. Chuck Kelly will be with us February 11. You do not want to miss this service. I am inviting everyone I can think of and you need to do the same. Let’s make it a friend day–so invite your friends. This man is the best story teller since Jesus and if we have our normal attendance, it will be a once in a life time opt. He’s not coming for money but respect for his gifts will go a long way. Let’s fill the building February 11. If there is anyone obligated to you: it is time to call in a marker–have them attend this service. I got one commitment last night. DBC members, cancel any engagements that will hinder you from coming, make this a priority.
We never know what a day will bring. I felt bad Saturday but finally gave in yesterday morning and went home. I have the stomach bug. It did give me a change to watch the service on FACEBOOK live. It is a good tool and I am thankful to have good young leaders who knew how to get us to this point. There were some shocking statistics in the message. I was not shocked by the alcohol stats: Alcohol has been the number one drug problem in American for my entire life. The porn stats shocked me. I can’t believe 37% of women look at porn. I do agree with the premise of the message: pleasure will not bring fulfillment but it is one of Satan’s most effective lies. We have to have an eternal perspective or we will succumb to this temptation.
I have my own view of Solomon. I think he would have been more content being College Professor than a king. Matter of fact, I think he did teach and Ecclesiastes is his teaching notes. If you understand the context of Ecclesiastes, it is a great book. I have loved all three of our Pastor’s sermons and look forward to the rest.