Opening Prayer: If I walk into the thick of danger, You will preserve my life from the anger of my enemies. You will extend Your hand; Your right hand will save me. The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Lord, Your faithful love endures forever; do not abandon the work of Your hands (Psalms 138:7-8, CSB) In Christ’s beloved name, we pray. Amen!
Today’s Bible Verse: Psalm 71:4-8
Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you. I have become like a portent (wonder or phenomenon) to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
Associated Scriptures:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” (Psalm 91:2).
For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe (Psalm 61:3).
Correlative Quotes:
God who gives us the grace to hope in him, will assuredly fulfill our hope, and, therefore, we may plead it in prayer. His name is "Jehovah, the hope of Israel" (Jeremiah 17:13); and, as he cannot be a false or failing hope, we may expect to see our confidence justified.[1] – Charles Spurgeon
Supported in being, upheld in life, and sustained with food and raiment (clothing), and followed with the mercies and blessings of life from the beginning to this present moment; which the psalmist takes notice of, as he does of what goes before and follows after, to encourage his faith and hope in God as to present deliverance.[2] – John Gill
In the trials of life, the promises of God are a source of encouragement and comfort, but we can enjoy the consolation which they afford only by faith.[3] - William Jones
Author’s Notes:
INTRODUCTION
The old confident quote says: “Life is just a bowl of cherries.”[4] However, those days are few and far between for many people. The lasee faire attitude of society’s children riding the Ferris wheel of life with its aimless circle to nowhere leaves them in continual disarray.
Fear may be the cause of debilitating worry, but stress is a huge drain on the human system. Tension causes us to be unsure of ourselves as it manifests itself in inconsistent behavior. When people are apprehensive about an outcome, they feel sick all over.
Life’s circumstances can be uplifting or devastating. But, in all ways at all times, God will give His children hope. While His disciples feel as though life could not be better, He still gives us the hope of continued success and security. When evil surrounds the saints and everything feels hopeless, God gives those He loves the hope that tomorrow will be filled with rainbows. All people will face anguish. Only true believers will have the ear of God when they request relief from the world’s turmoil.
HOPE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF LIFE
David was familiar with the power of God to deliver those who trusted in Him (Psalm 27).
God had a plan for David long in advance of being created in his mother’s womb. Before time existed, through His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29), God chose David to be a shepherd king. He protected David in the wilderness as he watched over the sheep. David testifies to Saul (1 Samuel 17:37): The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
God also chose David to slay Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40-51). Refusing king Soul’s offer of armor, David headed for the giant. On his way, David chose five smooth stones from a nearby brook. With his sling in hand and the power of God as his ally, David headed for the front. With one stone and the guiding hand of God, David hit Goliath between the eyes. The giant was dead before he hit the ground. The entire Philistine army headed for the hills.
In the preexistent past, God chose David to be the successor to Saul as king over all of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3). He knew that David would lead Israel to victory.
God also knew that David would not be a perfect king. Therefore, He did not choose David to build the temple in Jerusalem. 1st Chronicles 22:8 states: But this word of the LORD came to me: 'You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.”
How can those who have accepted Jesus as Lord not make Him the sovereign of their lives? It is, after all, the number one requirement of salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Sovereign means demonstrating supreme authority. 2 Chronicles 20:6 (NLT) explains: O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are the ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are the powerful and the mighty God; no one can stand against you! Having authority requires the enforcement of obedience. Therefore, God’s sovereign position requires Him to implement the penalty for sin. So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16).
Mankind cannot avoid disobedience (Romans 3:10). God required payment to cover man’s sin (Romans 6:23a). The necessity for the payment of sin caused His Son Jesus to become human and die for our disobedience. While we were living in our sin, Christ died for us (Romans 5:10). A loving but just and sovereign God allowed Jesus to pay that penalty for mankind (Colossians 1:20).
Our hope has its foundation in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. His birth proves that the Son of God is the Lord Himself (John 1:1, 14). His sinless life, teachings, and miracles were a testimony to both Christ’s humanity and His divinity (Hebrews 4:15). The death of the Son of Man brings redemption and justification to all who believe (Ephesians 1:7 and Romans 5:1). The resurrection proves Jesus has the power of life after death (1 Peter 1:3). The ascension provides propitiation for sin (1 John 2:1-2).
There is no one step in this process of atonement more important than any other. However, the one action impacting our hope for salvation in this life and our future eternity with God in the next more than any other is the resurrection. The unquestionable scriptural evidence of the triune Godhead raising Jesus from the dead is our hope of eternal life (Romans 6:4, John 2:18-19, Romans 8:11).
The evidence for the resurrection is overwhelming. The apostle Paul, in Romans 8:38-39 begins these verses with the statement: For I am convinced... He met the risen Savior on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9).
The women who were at the cross were convinced. Luke 24:9-10 teaches: When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
The other apostles were convinced. In John 20:24-29, Thomas doubts that Jesus is the risen Christ. Once He placed his fingers in the nail prints and his hand in Jesus’ side, they were all convinced.
More than 500 other disciples were convinced. In 1 Corinthians 15:6, Paul shares: He (Jesus) appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living.
We must be convinced. The message of scripture is hope. There is no other hope of eternal life but through Jesus and His blood sacrifice. All of Christ’s life and His accomplishments here on earth and in Heaven are essential to understanding His place in history. However, His resurrection is all the proof we need.
There are several ways to praise God all day long. First, we can sing His praises. There are many hymns, praise, and worship songs that we have put to memory. Singing these songs out loud or in our minds is an excellent way to channel our praise to the Father.
Using scripture during ordinary conversations brings honor to God. When discussing raising children to respect others you might quote Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. In a business planning session on goals, we might cite Proverbs 19:19 (NASB), Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained. (However, “A stitch in time saves nine” is not a Bible verse.) Thanking God in public by responding, “Thank God” or “Thank you Jesus” will also glorify God.
Praying in public or asking a hurting person if they need prayer will often open a door to a conversation about God. When the waitress delivers the food to the table we may ask, “We are going to pray for our food. Do you have something you would like us to pray for?”
Spiritual Application:
God is able and willing to deliver us from all the unrighteousness in our lives (2 Peter 3:9). He can justify believers since God rules and reigns over all things. He paid the price that we could not pay. Jesus rose again to prove that He could guarantee life after death. We must believe it to receive it, live it to testify to others, and praise Him who gave it.
Lessons within the Lesson:
What is the evidence of the resurrection in scripture?
Are you convinced?
Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life? Read (Romans 10:9-10).
What is the proof of God’s sovereignty in your life?
[1] Charles Spurgeon, Psalm 71:4-8, Treasury of David, Vol. III, Ibid, P. 208.
[2] John Gill, Psalm 71:4-8, John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, Ibid P. 8105.
[3] William Jones, Psalm 71:4-8, The Preachers Commentary, Richard D. Dickenson, 84 Farringdon St. 1881, Vol. 1 Book of Psalms, P. 374
[4] Ray Henderson, Lew Brown, Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, Content is used under the rules of fair use to further the educational objectives of BFM, greatamericansongbook.net/pages/ songs/. 1931.