September 21, 2003
Lesson 3
The Book of Praises
Trusting God in Time of Trouble
Focus Thought
When in trouble, despair, and desperation, God is our refuge. We can trust
Him and praise Him.
Scripture Reference
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
Psalm 56
Hebrews 4:15
Focus Verse
Psalm 56:4
In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear
what flesh can do unto me.
Expositional Passage
Psalm 56
1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily
oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight
against me, O thou most High.
3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear
what flesh can do unto me.
5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps,
when they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they
not in thy book?
9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for
God is for me.
10 In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.
11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet
from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
LESSON OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
I. SWALLOWED UP BY OUR ENEMIES
A. The Oppression Is Daily
B. The Sources Are Many
II. TRUST IN GOD
A. Resist Fear
B. Trust in God
C. Praise His Word
III. REVIEWING OUR TROUBLES
A. They Wrest My Words Daily
B. They Are Constantly Against Me
C. They Conspire and Plot Ambush
IV. GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT
A. He Knows Them
B. He Knows Us
C. God Will Intervene
V. PRAISE GOD ANYWAY
A. Praise Him for Past Victories
B. Trust Him for Future Deliverance
C. Trust Him to Keep Us
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
?Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble?
(Job 14:1).
?Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward? (Job 5:7).
As negative as the phrases ?full of trouble? and ?born unto trouble ?
may sound, they are true of the earthly experiences of mankind. Most people
enjoy many wonderful experiences in life and some are richly blessed, but
all people experience life?s troubles. It is unrealistically negative for a
person to say that he will only experience trouble in life, but it is
realistic and true that he will suffer his share of life?s difficulties.
Some of the trouble that we go through is of our own making as a
result of unwise choices. There also are troubles that come from Satan,
designed to attack and try to discourage us. But much of our troubles come
from enemies, people, and spirits poised against us because of
righteousness.
When a person experiences difficulties, he is tempted to think that
he is the only one having trouble. But let no one think that he is alone in
his trouble. Everyone, regardless of his or her station or status in life,
suffers trouble. No one is exempt.
We will study how David faced his enemies, kept the right attitude,
and trusted in the Lord. He enumerated their atrocities against him, but he
did not spend all his time talking about how bad things were. He reminded
himself that God knew all about him, his enemies, and his problems.
Moreover, when all of these trying things were happening to him, he trusted
in God.
David knew the secret to victory?trusting and praising the Lord.
Victory does not come only through proper preparation for battle,
outnumbering the enemy in soldiers or weapons, or by outsmarting the enemy.
David knew the secret to victory was relying entirely on the Lord to bring
victory. It was not difficult for him to praise the Lord!
Let us learn from this lesson to trust the Lord and put all our
troubles into His hand. Trusting God in the time of trouble is our answer to
complete victory.
I. SWALLOWED UP BY OUR ENEMIES
Whether we like it or not, and whether we know it or not, we have
enemies. Jesus said, ?Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!?
(Luke 6:26). He also said that we would be hated by the world. (See John
15:18-20.) Because we are on the side of righteousness, we have enemies, for
Satan and all the forces of unrighteousness oppose us.
There is no neutrality in this conflict of life. A person is either
on the side of righteousness, or he is not. There are some people who do not
choose to walk with the Lord, yet they often defend the way of
righteousness. Unfortunately, if a person does not devote his life to Jesus
Christ and live for Him, he unintentionally aligns himself with
unrighteousness. That places him squarely on the wrong side.
A. The Oppression Is Daily
?He fighting daily oppresseth me? (Psalm 56:1).
?Mine enemies would daily swallow me up? (Psalm 56:2).
Intermittent opposition is bad enough, but Satan opposes the believer
daily. Not content to attack annually, to maraud monthly, or to worry
weekly, Satan tries to destroy daily. His oppression of believers is daily.
Because we are attacked daily, we need to fight daily. Anyone who is
attacked daily, but does not fight daily is summarily defeated. We must
fight as much as the enemy attacks. Technically, if we resist with the same
quotient with which Satan attacks, we will only hold our ground. In other
words, we must resist Satan with more force than that with which he fights;
not only to avoid backsliding, but also to gain victory.
We also must understand that Satan launches offensives much like an
army. Since he is not omnipresent, it is not possible for him to attack
everyone all the time except through his special agents, demons. For this
reason, at times we may feel much more oppression than at other times.
B. The Sources Are Many
?For they be many that fight against me? (Psalm 56:2).
A believer?s enemies are myriad. If it is not a great number that we
can see, it is a great number that we cannot see. Whether visible or
invisible, ?they be many that fight against me.? Consequently, our conflict
is complicated.
If our enemy were only one in number, it would not be nearly as
difficult to go to battle and enjoy victory. But to battle an enemy on many
fronts spreads our human resources thin and increases our need for more
surveillance and spiritual weapons. The enemy attacks low and high, with
frontal, flank, and rear assaults. He attacks in the dark and in the light.
He comes with the noise of an open attack, and he comes silently in secret
to surprise us. Moreover, Paul revealed in II Corinthians 11:14 that Satan
is transformed into an angel of light. We must always be watchful lest we be
deceived.
?Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of
his devices? (II Corinthians 2:11).
?Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil? (Ephesians 6:11).
The apostle Peter cautioned, ?The devil goeth about as a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour? (I Peter 5:8). The verse begins, ?Be sober; be
vigilant.? To be vigilant means, ?to keep awake; watch.? Whether Satan comes
as an angel of light or as a roaring lion, we need to be alert and watching
so that we are able to recognize our enemy and what he is doing.
II. TRUST IN GOD
A. Resist Fear
It is natural for humans to be afraid. Fear is the normal human
response to danger. We should not feel defeated when we experience fear. God
designed us to have some fear, for fear is ?a feeling of anxiety and
agitation felt at the presence of danger.? But according to II Timothy 1:7,
He has not given us the spirit of fear. Moreover, we are not to allow fear
to paralyze and torment us.
Although it is natural to be afraid, it is beneficial to resist fear.
To resist fear is beneficial to a nonbeliever, but it is even more
beneficial and vital to believers. Through faith the believer has the power
to resist fear. Consequently, we should not allow fear to govern us. Let us
rather exercise our spiritual weapons and resist fear through faith.
Fear is the archenemy of faith. No person believes without conquering
fear. To conquer fear requires resistance. Some resist slightly, which
represents little more than stating which side they are on, while others
resist so strongly that everything that they have is dedicated to the
resistance.
Life presents to us two choices. Whether we believe in God or not,
and whether we are Christians or not, the two choices can be summarized in
two words: for or against. If we trust in God and walk with Him, we are
members of the resistance. We are for Him?the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Conversely, if we are not living for Jesus Christ, we are automatically a
part of the opposition, or against God.
he term resist means, ?to oppose actively; fight; work against;
refuse to cooperate with; to keep from yielding to.? Therefore, to resist
fear is to be actively engaged in constant conflict with fear, never
allowing it to get the upper hand. Though in the human realm it is normal to
experience fear, in the spiritual realm it is necessary always to resist it
and place our trust in God.
B. Trust in God
The word trust in the Old Testament conveys ideas of the words
?faith? and ?believe? in the New Testament. It includes the ideas of ?taking
refuge, leaning on, or staying upon.? The dictionary adds the ideas of ?firm
belief; confidence in.? The word ?trust? occurs 134 times in the Bible?117
times in the Old Testament and twenty-seven times in the New Testament. The
term ?faith? occurs 247 times in the Bible, with only two of those in the
Old Testament and 245 in the New Testament. Clearly, it would appear that
?trust? is primarily an Old Testament term and ?faith? is primarily a New
Testament term.
Every person, whether a believer or a nonbeliever, places trust in
something. Some people place their trust in money, possessions, power,
popularity, personality, and people. The important consideration is not
whether we have trust. Rather, the question is, ?In what or whom do we place
our trust??
David unequivocally declared, ?In God I have put my trust; I will not
fear what flesh can do unto me? (Psalm 56:4). As a wealthy king, David had
access to all he could ever need or want materially, but he chose to put his
trust in the Lord. Trusting in God accomplishes at least seven things:
1. Releases God to work;
2. Forms a partnership (I Corinthians 3:9);
3. Fixes affiliation;
4. Eliminates fear (I John 4:18);
5. Establishes security;
6. Causes peace;
7. Precipitates joy (Psalm 5:11).
Eight verbs follow the command to trust in Psalm 37:3-8:
1. Do (good);
2. Delight (thyself);
3. Commit (thy way);
4. Rest (in the Lord);
5. Wait (patiently);
6. Cease (from anger);
7. Forsake (wrath);
8. Fret (not).
C. Praise His Word
?In God I will praise his word? (Psalm 56:4).
?In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word?
(Psalm 56:10).
If we trust God, we also will trust His Word, for He is inseparable
from His Word. Moreover, as we praise God it is natural for us to praise His
Word. Praising His Word involves praising God?s greatness, faithfulness, and
sureness that are established by His Word.
?In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God? (John 1:1).
?And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth? (John 1:14).
C. I. Scofield observed of John 1:1: ?In Him are embodied all the
treasures of the divine wisdom, the collective ?thought? of God.? Jesus was
no less than and no greater than His Word, for ?the Word was God Himself?
(John 1:1, Amplified Version).
A person?s word entails his promises. Consequently, to praise God for
His Word is to praise Him for His promises. In Psalm 56:4 the psalmist David
wrote, ?In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust.? Where
the King James Version has translated, ?In God I will praise his word,? the
Contemporary English Version has rendered, ?praising his promises.?
Praising the promises of God contained in His Word is an expression
of faith in God. Faith that praises God for His promises before their
fulfillment in a person?s life possesses the quality of trust that delights
God and moves Him to act on one?s behalf. God faithfully rewards those who
praise Him and put their full confidence in His Word.
III. REVIEWING OUR TROUBLES
A. They Wrest My Words Daily
Whether it is good or bad to do so, there is a human tendency for an
individual to cite a litany of his troubles whenever he can find someone to
listen. Rare is the individual who, when making conversation with others,
can resist the temptation to share his troubles and burden others with his
problems. As someone once said, ?Misery loves company.? Moreover, it is true
that everyone needs someone with whom they can share their hurts, troubles,
and disappointments. There are times when a person needs to vent his anger
and frustration.
David vented one of his frustrations when he penned Psalm 56:5:
?Every day they wrest my words.? A person might tend to think that having
others twist his words would not be nearly as painful as having others
physically twist his arm or leg. But those who have experienced the twisting
of their words by an enemy have experienced a pain that their hearts
remember long after the pain has subsided from sprained limbs. David?s hurt
caused him to list many erroneous things others were saying about him.
B. They Are Constantly Against Me
A person does not usually enjoy opposition. It is unpleasant to know
that someone is against us. Therefore it was not uncommon or strange for
David to mention that he had enemies. Moreover, Jesus said, ?Woe unto you
when all men shall speak well of you? (Luke 6:26). If we walk righteously,
we will face opposition from some people.
David observed not only the fact that he had enemies but also that
they were working against him continually. Whatever pressures they were
exerting against him, their opposition was regular and ongoing. To live
victoriously, believers must be aware of the constant threat of the enemy.
Satan and his agents take no holidays and do not rest. We must constantly be
on guard against the enemy.
C. They Conspire and Plot Ambush
?They gather themselves together, they hide themselves? (Psalm 56:6).
It was not enough that David?s enemies were against him; they were
together and against him. An enemy acting alone can do much harm, but
enemies acting together produce formidable opposition. David witnessed such
conspiracies against himself.
King Saul hated David and was very jealous of him. Saul attempted
personally to kill David, but he also brought his armies against him. (See I
Samuel 23:8; 24:2.)
David also had to deal with the fact that sometimes his enemies did
not confront him openly. David had to exercise caution and be alert because
his enemies often lurked in the shadows. Creating an ambush is an ancient
method of warfare. Catching one?s enemy unaware is one of the main
objectives of any military campaign. Saul was a skilled military strategist
and he knew he needed to surprise David.
Believers should learn a lesson from David?s struggles with Saul.
They also must beware their enemy?Satan, who always is lurking in the
shadows waiting to pounce on them suddenly. But God has equipped believers
with many weapons to defeat the sly tactics of the devil. We do not need to
fear; we need only be alert to his subtle and deceptive attacks against our
soul.
IV. GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT
Any person in the depths of despair from overwhelming trouble longs
for someone to understand his plight. Pastors and counselors know that it is
therapeutic to those who are suffering for them to be able to talk about
their problems. Even in the absence of a clear solution, the hurting person
feels better if he knows the counselor is listening with empathy and
understanding.
No one understands our needs and troubles like God. He who is
omniscient knows all about us, including all our hurts. Moreover, He also is
most qualified and able to alleviate the problems, for He is
omnipotent?possessing all power in heaven and in earth. We should take all
our troubles to Him in prayer.
?For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are,
yet without sin? (Hebrews 4:15).
A. He Knows Them
?Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people,
O God? (Psalm 56:7).
Although David?s enemies gathered themselves together and hid
themselves, God knew exactly who they were and where they were. His
omniscience and omnipresence are brought to bear, for His presence
everywhere gives Him all knowledge about everything.
?Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest
among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord? (Obadiah 4).
?He that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of
them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine
hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them
down? (Amos 9:1-2).
It is important to us that God knows who our enemies are. That
knowledge encourages us that He will understand our trouble and act on our
behalf. God will help us in our times of trouble. God?s knowledge of His
people, as they yield their lives to Him, means salvation to them. But God?s
knowledge of the enemies of His people shall one day mean judgment and
damnation to them.
B. He Knows Us
?Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are
they not in thy book?? (Psalm 56:8).
David obviously felt it was important that God knows our enemies, but
he also knew the value of God?s knowledge of him. How could God take care of
us if He did not know us? But His intimate knowledge of us empowers Him to
care for us. What a joy to realize that He knows us!
When David wrote, ?Thou tellest my wanderings,? he was expressing his
confidence that God had intimate knowledge of his wanderings. Wherever he
went and whatever he suffered, God was fully aware of his state. He saw
David in his struggles and was helping him through them. And so it is that
God knows our path and will help us through our difficult times.
C. God Will Intervene
?When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I
know; for God is for me? (Psalm 56:9).
In spite of the troubles that David went through, he knew when he
cried out to God that God would intervene for him. As lonely as he felt,
especially when King Saul was pursuing him, he knew that God was with him
and for him. This knowledge and faith gave David the courage he needed to
sustain him and give him victory.
There is no challenge so difficult and no trouble so terrible that
God will not help us overcome if we will only call on Him. There are no
greater words of encouragement than those of the apostle Paul to the
Christians at Rome: ?If God be for us, who can be against us?? (Romans
8:31).
?When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest
horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them:
for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the
priest shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them,
Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let
not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified
because of them; For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight
for you against your enemies, to save you? (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).
V. PRAISE GOD ANYWAY
It is noteworthy that David concluded Psalm 56 with words of praise.
In three of the last four verses of this psalm David used the word ?praise?
three times. He had discovered that victory begins and ends with praise.
These three times that David used the word ?praise? he said, ?I will
praise.? David was determined to praise the Lord regardless of his
situation. He praised the Lord before the battle, during the battle, and
after the battle.
A. Praise Him for Past Victories
?For thou hast delivered my soul from death? (Psalm 56:13).
David knew the key to future victory was in remembering and rejoicing
over what God had done in the past. Rejoicing in what God has done
encourages faith in what He will do. David could enumerate many past
victories. God had delivered him on numerous occasions, and David never
forgot it. When he went against the giant, Goliath, he said to King Saul,
?Thy servant kept his father?s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and
took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and
delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by
his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and
the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing
he hath defied the armies of the living God? (I Samuel 17:34-36).
B. Trust Him for Future Deliverance
?Wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before
God in the light of the living?? (Psalm 56:13).
It was not difficult for David to trust God to deliver him. He knew
that what He had done before, He was able to do again. David knew that God
never changes; He is still the same!
?For I am the Lord, I change not? (Malachi 3:6).
C. Trust Him to Keep Us
Every person experiences difficulty whether or not he chooses to
serve the Lord. No one is exempt from trouble. ?Man that is born of a woman
is of few days, and full of trouble? (Job 14:1). We will experience trouble
either with or without God?s help, but trouble is much more bearable when we
serve the Lord and have His constant presence and assistance.
We are presently experiencing turmoil and confusion in our world.
Many people are fearful, wondering if we are indeed entering the end times
spoken of in the biblical books of Daniel and Revelation. Some people
speculate whether the church will be caught up to meet the Lord before the
Tribulation or if God?s people will have to suffer through that troublesome
time. If we truly trust God to keep us, however, it really does not matter
what happens. We can trust God to care for us through any and every
difficult circumstance!
CONCLUSION
King David was a mighty king of Israel whom God chose to be the
leader of His people. He was a man after God?s own heart. God used him
mightily and was always with him, but this did not keep David from going
through many battles and having many problems.
In Psalm 56 David enumerated some of his troubles. Many enemies,
using different tactics, tried daily to ?swallow him up.? He complained that
their thoughts were against him and that they twisted his words. But David
did not just give us a list of his complaints. Although King Saul was
hunting him to kill him, David was the anointed of the Lord to succeed Saul.
And David carefully wrote that in his fear he trusted in the Lord who kept
him safe.
David stated that God counted his journeys and kept track of his
tears, putting them in a bottle and recording them in His own book. As God
knew always of David?s situation, so He knows our condition?and He will take
care of us! Although we may have troubles, God is always with us to help and
deliver us. May we never fail to trust God in our times of trouble.
REFLECTIONS
? What did David do when he was afraid? Discuss.
? Discuss the difference in the terms ?trust? and ?faith.?
? What are two military tactics that David?s enemies used against him?
Discuss.
? What did David mean when he wrote of ?God?s bottle?? Discuss.
? Discuss how our problems might sometimes resemble David?s.
A fruitful harvest requires faithful service.
Galatians 6:9 states,
And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.
YBIC, Thomas, And YSIC, Linda.
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