Our Help Is Here: a Meditation on Psalm 46

by Doug Smith (The following was originally published as three articles at SharperIron.org - part 1 - part 2 - part 3. The audio sermon is available here.)

Psalm 46:1-11 (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.

¹ God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; ³ Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah.

⁴ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. ⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. ⁶ The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

When you are in trouble, it is a blessing to know that help is available. It is a great blessing to know that it is on the way. And it is an even greater blessing to know that your help is here.

The blessing of help in time of need is magnified even more when others are involved. If you have had vehicle trouble with a van full of small children, you know what I mean. And if you have not experienced such a thing, you can surely imagine it or relate a similar circumstance where help is needed, not just for an individual, but for a group.

In our spiritual lives, as individuals and as groups—particularly local churches—we experience crises. The world, the flesh, and the devil are set against our having joy in Christ and glorifying God in all circumstances. Persecution and temptation—external opposition, internal strife, and disappointments—threaten to shake our faith. We need help, and help is available. But God’s Word has better news for us than that help is on the way. When we turn to Psalm 46, we see the good news that our help is here. In unstable and uncertain times, we can have stability and certainty because God is our help, and He is here.

The book of Psalms functioned as a songbook and prayer book for Israel. The psalms reflect much about the experience of God’s people—joy and thanksgiving as well as repentance, complaints, and cries for help. Some psalms clearly indicate the event that is addressed in the psalm. For example, Psalm 51 describes David’s repentance after being confronted about his sin of adultery. Others, such as Psalm 46, do not tell us the exact occasion for which they were written. However, Psalm 46 is one of the eleven psalms with the inscription “Of the Sons of Korah.” It is especially appropriate that we take a brief look at the background of the sons of Korah as we consider this corporate psalm of God’s help for His people in troubled times.

Numbers 16 is the record of Korah’s organized rebellion against Moses. After the congregation of Israel separated from the rebels, God caused the ground to swallow up Korah and his followers alive to show His judgment against them. But according to Numbers 26:9-11, there were sons of Korah who did not die. Though not part of the Aaronic priesthood, the Korahites (also descendants of Levi) served in the temple. According to 1 Chronicles 9:19, they were still in existence after the Babylonian exile. Their background in being spared while their rebellious ancestor perished should have made them thankful to sing praises to God for His present help in trouble.

As we look at Psalm 46, let those of us who are believers be grateful for God’s salvation and look to Him to see that our help is here. We will notice three different emphases in this psalm. It teaches us about the people of God, the person of God, and the presence of God.

Our Help Is Here: Help for the People of God

The corporate nature of this psalm is evident throughout its eleven verses. Notice the references that indicate this nature:

v. 1 God is our refuge and strength.

v. 2 Therefore we will not fear.

v. 4 the city of God

vv. 7, 11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Many psalms are worded in the first person singular with “I” and “my” and “me,” but this is one of the corporate psalms, worded with we and our and us (6 instances). The corporate nature of this psalm reminds us that our relationship with God is not merely an individual relationship that has no relevance to our relationships with others. Rather, it changes the dynamics of our relationships to others. When we become God’s children, we find that we have brothers and sisters. I am not an only child to God, and neither are you. All God’s people are part of a larger group.

But before we discuss the importance of the group, let me ask you this: Do you have a right relationship with God? Have you been forgiven of your disobedience and reconciled to Him? God created this world, including you and me, for His glory to display His character. Yet Adam and Eve—and you and I—have rebelled against God. Our sin has rightly been called cosmic treason; disobeying God is equivalent to seeking to dethrone Him and enthrone ourselves as the king of our lives. This treason deserves eternal punishment. Yet in His great mercy, God sent His Son, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who was born of the virgin Mary, lived the perfect life that God requires and that we could never live, and died on the cross in the place of sinners, bearing their punishment. He rose from the dead and lives forever. He promises to pardon and rescue rebels like you and me if we will turn from our sin and trust Him for our salvation. If you do not have assurance that you are part of the people of God through faith in Christ, I beg you—trust in Him today.

If you have turned from your sin and trusted in Him, then you have the certain hope and assurance of salvation in Christ. But He has not saved you for yourself; you are part of a larger body, the church.

If you are trusting in Christ, part of following Jesus means to identify with His people. We do this identification through baptism or the immersion into water as an ordinance of the church in order to testify to the world that we are dead to sin and raised to walk in newness of life in Jesus Christ. To identify with God’s people, we should also join ourselves to a local congregation, becoming members of a local church, where we can participate in the decisions of the congregation and also be subject to its discipline. We take gathering with the church seriously. We attend so we may grow from the preaching of the Word and partake of the Lord’s Supper. We also fellowship and encourage and warn one another, being involved in the lives of others.

If you know Christ but have not been baptized or joined a local church, let me urge you to obey God in these areas. Do not be afraid or ashamed to be publicly united to other believers. In our individualistic society, many do not value commitment. But to please God, we must value commitment to one another and love Christ and one another enough to identify ourselves as His people.

As God’s people, we understand that our Lord’s concerns extend not just to our individual problems, but to the problems we face corporately, particularly in local churches. Whether with your local assembly or with persecuted believers gathering in Saudi Arabia or Sudan, God, our Help, is there. He is a very present help in trouble.

Our Help Is Here: Help from the Person of God

God is clearly the subject of this psalm. Twenty-five different references to Him appear throughout these eleven verses. We see a divine name or title eleven times (God, the Most High, the LORD of hosts, the God of Jacob, the LORD), a metaphorical description five times (refuge, strength, help), and deity pronouns nine times (I, He).

This God who is our Help is the God who made heaven and earth. As the Most High, there is no God or power above Him. This God is the LORD. Notice in verses 7, 8, and 11 that the word “LORD” is in all uppercase letters. This use designates that the original Hebrew has the word for the most sacred name of God—Jehovah or Yahweh. It is probably derived from the same name that God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, when He revealed Himself as I AM WHO I AM. This God has the power of self-existence, needing nothing outside Himself to exist. He has all the resources of life in Himself, whereas we need food, water, oxygen and other external circumstances to live.

God’s sacred name not only refers to His self-existence but also speaks of His covenant relationship with His people. This God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and—as focused on in Psalm 46—Jacob—is the same God for the Korahites, for the Israelites, for the first-century believers in Christ, and for you and me. The God who showed mercy and faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has not changed—His people can still count on Him. Notice that this sacred name is paired with “of hosts” in verses 7 and 11. This reminds us that God is omnipotent and commands all the powers of the universe. This self-existent, faithful, promise-keeping, all-powerful, exalted creator God is our Help!

The metaphors in Psalm 46 indicate our dependence on God. He is our refuge, the One we run to for shelter. We trust in Him to protect us. He is our strength. Apart from Him, we are weak and faint. We have reason to fear if He is not our refuge and strength in trouble. He is also our help, providing the aid we need in our distress. This God is our fortress who protects us in troubled and unstable times—our stronghold and safe place. He is our defense. We do not need to fear trouble. We can trust God.

God’s names, titles, and descriptions remind us of His character, but we also learn about Him through His works. This God dwells with His people and helps them “at the break of dawn” (v. 5)—not a second too late. He opens His mouth and unleashes His omnipotent decree: “he uttered his voice, the earth melted” (v. 6). When He thus speaks, compliance is the only option. None can withstand His judgment. Regardless of your view on global warning, we haven’t seen anything yet! God will one day speak, and the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and “the elements will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:12 NKJV). The psalm mentions the desolations God has brought on the earth. We can see astonishing things today that show the power of God. The Grand Canyon shows evidence of the catastrophic effects of the power of God. Hurricanes, tornados, and volcanic eruptions are just glimpses of the infinite strength of the Almighty. This God has power to stop wars, break the bow, shatter the spear, and burn the shields with fire.

God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (v. 10). Calm down. Quiet your troubled soul. Make certain that you truly know that God is God and that He will be exalted in the earth. Consider the greatness of God, Who is the permanent, powerful, preeminent protector of His people. We should not fear trouble if we know Him. We should not fear to take the gospel to those near and far away, even if they react with hostility. God is our refuge and strength, and He will be exalted in the earth. Our Help is here.

Our Help Is Here: Help in the Presence of God

Notice how Psalm 46 emphasizes the presence of God: “God is…a very present help in trouble” (v. 1). He is “in the midst of” the city of God (v. 5). He is “with us” (vv. 7, 11).

It is not unusual to experience a period of waiting for help to arrive after we call for it. We may know that it is available, and we may know that it is on the way; but it is another thing altogether to know that it is here. It could be available but not come to us. It could be on the way but encounter a roadblock.

God is not just potential Help or Help who might arrive—He is already on the scene. The child of God never has trouble in which the Lord is not present, ready to help. He dwells among His people in their midst. He is with us even now.

God has always desired to be among His people. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden before they sinned. He manifested Himself to Abraham. He dwelled with His people in the tabernacle and later the temple. Jesus Christ Himself is the fulfillment of the temporary dwelling places God made use of. John 1:14 tells us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled or pitched His tent] among us.”

Knowledge of God’s presence should encourage us. His river makes the city of God glad. He was with Joseph in the midst of all his trials (Gen. 39:2-3, 21, 23). God’s promise of His presence encouraged Moses and Joshua and the returned exiles who rebuilt the temple (Ex. 3:12, Josh. 1:5, Hag. 1:13; 2:4). God has also promised to be with believers today. Jesus Christ, when charging His disciples with the Great Commission, told us, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). The unchanging one, Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, has promised never to leave us so we can say with boldness and confidence, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6).

This God dwells with you if you are a believer. He dwells in a special way in the midst of His called-out ones, His church. If you are trusting in Him today, you can be encouraged that God is with you, a very present Help in trouble. Our Help is here.

Conclusion

It is a great encouragement when needed help arrives. But the help of God is far greater and more necessary than any human help we may need. We all need God’s help every day in the troubles of this life. We are tempted to fear and worry when the circumstances we face seem like the earth shaking and mountains falling into the sea. When things threaten to change life as we know it, we need the help of God to survive the storm. It may come. Things may change. But God, the only source of stability in unstable times, is unchangeable.

The sixteenth-century Reformer and German pastor Martin Luther wrote a famous hymn based on this psalm. We know it as “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Luther faced many trials from the world and the devil as well as his own flesh. It is written of Luther that,

In the darkest times he used to say, “Come, let us sing the 46^th Psalm, and let them do their worst. He says, “We sing this Psalm to the praise of God, because God is with us, and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends his church and his word, against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh and sin. ¹

God’s help is promised to His people forever. But there are those who will not survive storms and calamity and judgment. Friend, if you are not looking to Christ today, you are in trouble and great danger. You do not know when you will draw your last breath. God will judge all people with His perfect justice. He requires perfect obedience to His commands, but we have all failed in this regard. The penalty for such an offense against the infinitely high dignity of God is eternal, conscious torment in hell. Yet because of His great love, God sent His Son Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the requirements of His holy law to take our punishment if we trust Him. If you forsake your sin and efforts to make yourself acceptable to God and simply trust in the One who has done the work for you, you will find a very present help in trouble.

Are you facing fear and anxiety? “God is our refuge and strength, avery present help in trouble” (v. 1). Our Help is here. Are you discouraged? Our Help is here. Are you tempted? Our Help is here.

Uncertain, unstable times should serve as a reminder to look to the certain, stable, faithful God. “Be still, and know that [He is] God” (Ps. 46:10). He can be trusted. He is our refuge and strength. Encourage one another with this truth from Psalm 46—our Help is here.

Notes:

^{1. William S. Plumer, Psalms: a Critical and Expository Commentary with Doctrinal and Practical Remarks – Geneva Series Commentary (Carlisle, PA: the Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), 522-523.}

Romans 8:3-8 Sermon: "What We Couldn't Do, God Did"

October 26, 2008 - Grace Haven Baptist Church, Manchester, NH (church website) - Sermon on Romans 8:3-8, "What We Couldn't Do, God Did" (audio) (manuscript)

Isaiah 55:1-13 Sermons: God's Invitation - Why We Should Listen and Respond

October 19, 2008 - Calvary Reformed Baptist Church, Exeter, NH (church website) - Two messages on Why We Should Listen to God's Invitation and Respond to Him:

sermon on Isaiah 55:1-7 (audio) (manuscript)

sermon on Isaiah 55:8-13 (audio) (manuscript)

Micah 6:6-8 Sermon: What Does God Want from Me?

October 12, 2008 - Hillside Baptist Church, Pembroke, NH (church website) - sermon on Micah 6:6-8 (audio) (manuscript)

Ephesians 6:1-9 Sermon: Living for Christ at Home and at Work

October 5, 2008 - Rumney Baptist Church, Rumney, NH (church website) - sermon on Ephesians 6:1-9 (audio) (manuscript) (arc)

Philippians 2:1-11 Sermon: Humility - the Pathway to Unity

September 28, 2008 - Community Baptist Church, Whitefield, NH (church website) - sermon on Philippians 2:1-11 (audio) (manuscript)

Psalm 46 sermon: Our Help Is Here

September 21, 2008 - Crossway Community Church, Methuen, MA (church website) - sermon on Psalm 46 (audio) (manuscript)

Isaiah 6 Sermon: Look Up, Look In, Look Out

September 14, 2008 (p.m.) - Island Pond Baptist Church, Hampstead, NH (church website) - sermon on Isaiah 6 (audio) (outline)

The point of the sermon: a proper view of God, self, and ministry is essential to serve Him faithfully, particularly in difficult times.

Ephesians 1-3 Overview Sermon: Our Spiritual Wealth in Christ

September 7, 2008 - Grace Baptist Church, Merrimack, NH (church website) - Overview sermon of Ephesians chapters 1-3 (audio) (manuscript)

NECEP 2008

I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in the internship program of the New England Center for Expository Preaching, based out of New Hampshire. I plan to post some updates from time to time (and may use this particular post to provide links to sermon audio as able), but I will be quite busy over the next 3 months with sermon preparation, other assignments, and ministry. I would appreciate your prayers that this would be a profitable experience for myself, our director, Dave Ricard, the other intern, Neil Jackson, and the people to whom we minister.

Sermons

September 7, 2008 - Grace Baptist Church, Merrimack, NH (church website) - Overview sermon of Ephesians chapters 1-3 - "Our Spiritual Wealth in Christ" (audio) (manuscript)

September 14, 2008 (p.m.) - Island Pond Baptist Church, Hampstead, NH (church website) - sermon on Isaiah 6 - "Look Up, Look In, Look Out" (audio) (outline) [The point of the sermon: a proper view of God, self, and ministry is essential to serve Him faithfully, particularly in difficult times]

September 21, 2008 - Crossway Community Church, Methuen, MA (church website) - sermon on Psalm 46, "Our Help Is Here" (audio) (manuscript)

September 28, 2008 - Community Baptist Church, Whitefield, NH (church website) - sermon on Philippians 2:1-11, "Humility: the Pathway to Unity" (audio) (manuscript)

October 5, 2008 - Rumney Baptist Church, Rumney, NH (church website) - sermon on Ephesians 6:1-9, "Living for Christ at Home and at Work" (audio) (manuscript) (arc)

October 12, 2008 - Hillside Baptist Church, Pembroke, NH (church website) - sermon on Micah 6:6-8, "What Does God Want from Me?" (audio) (manuscript)

October 19, 2008 -Calvary Reformed Baptist Church, Exeter, NH (church website) - Two messages on "Why We Should Listen to God's Invitation and Respond to Him":

sermon on Isaiah 55:1-7 (audio) (manuscript)

sermon on Isaiah 55:8-13 (audio) (manuscript)

October 26, 2008 - Grace Haven Baptist Church, Manchester, NH (church website) - Sermon on Romans 8:3-8, "What We Couldn't Do, God Did" (audio) (manuscript)

November 2, 2008 - Crosspointe Community Church, Hudson, NH (church website) - Sermon on Matthew 16:13-20, "The Identity Question (Who Is Jesus?)" (audio)

November 9, 2008 - Pilgrim Baptist Church, North Brookfield, MA (church website) - Sermon on 1 Timothy 1:1-7, "The Target of Christian Teaching: Love" (audio)

November 16, 2008 - Grace Baptist Church, Cheshire, CT (church website) - Sermon on Luke 11:33-54, "Be Real" (The Fine Print of Discipleship?) (audio)

November 23, 2008 - Community Church of Exeter, Exeter, NH - Sermon on Isaiah 6:5, "Seeing Ourselves in the Light of God" (audio)

How to Complain to God: a Meditation on Psalms 42 and 43

by Doug Smith This article originally appeared on SharperIron.

Have you ever seen a grievance form or policy? Many institutions offer a means through which a dissatisfied individual may file a complaint in a proper manner. Most places have enough sense to know that everything they do and everyone they hire will not consistently meet the highest standards of perfection at all times. Therefore, they offer a means to complain properly because there is a right way and a wrong way to complain.

God created the world for His glory. The original creation was perfectly ordered and supplied, and no one could have filed a legitimate grievance in it. But when sin entered the world, things changed. In a fallen world, much is not right. When Adam and Eve rebelled, they altered the relationships of humans to God and to one another. The earth itself was cursed, death became a reality, and work became difficult and futile. The woman began to know sorrow in childbirth; the man began to know sorrow in work. God knows we live in a world that is now imperfect. He understands that we face difficulties. He realizes that we will have complaints, but we have a right way and a wrong way to complain.

Many think Psalms 42 and 43 are one unit. They certainly share the common refrain (notice vv. 5 and 11 in Psalm 42 and v. 5 in Psalm 43).

Psalm 42 (ESV)

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

¹ As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

³ My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

⁴ These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation ⁶ and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

⁸ By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalm 43 (ESV)

¹ Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!

² For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

³ Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

The inscription of Psalm 42 presents itself as a Maskil of the sons of Korah. The ancestor of these sons led a number of men to complain from a heart of jealousy and vain ambition. They were swallowed up by the earth in judgment (see Num. 16). God clearly showed us that their kind of grumbling and griping was not the right way to complain.

The book of Psalms demonstrates to us the right way to complain. We often think of Psalms as a book of praise (which it certainly is), but laments and grievances to the Lord make up more than 60 of the 150 psalms. We are not sure who wrote Psalms 42 and 43 (some speculate David when running from Absalom or perhaps earlier in his life when running from King Saul). Nevertheless, these psalms present a lament that demonstrates how we should complain to God. Thankfully, the sons of Korah learned the lesson that we should make our complaints with honesty, trust, and hope.

An Honest Complaint

The psalmist bares his soul. He is not fabricating a complaint, but describes his desperate situation as he pours out his soul (42:4). He has an intense need for God, like the body needs water—he thirsts for Him like the deer for the flowing streams (42:1-2). He weeps at his enemies’ taunts (42:3), which wound him (42:10). He is separated from God’s people and misses corporate worship (42:4). He feels overwhelmed, rejected, and forgotten (42:7, 9; 43:2). He is cast down and troubled (42:5, 11; 43:5).

Have you ever felt as the psalmist did? God made us for Himself and in such a way that, in addition to private worship, we need to worship with others.

We need to be honest with God. Would the psalmist’s words describe you if you were in a similar situation? If you are a believer in Christ, are you part of a local church? If you are, do you thank God for it? Do you faithfully attend church and encourage your fellow believers? Perhaps you are thankful and blessed in regularly being with the people of God, but you can cry out on behalf of those persecuted for the cause of Christ, for the sick, for shut-ins, and for casualties of church closings and apostasies—those who lament the same kind of situation the psalmist faced.

Are you facing persecution or injustice? Do you feel God has rejected and forsaken you? Then tell Him so. Pour out your complaint to Him with honesty.

A Trusting Complaint

In addition to honesty, a proper complaint is characterized by trust. The very fact that the psalmist is praying is a good sign. He addresses God (42:1, 6, 9; 43:1-4), recognizes his need of God (42:1-2, 6), and prays when others say, “Where is your God?” (42:3, 10). He remembers God in a faraway land (42:4, 6) and demonstrates his faith in Him by speaking of His steadfast love and the song and prayer that are with him (42:8). He prays for vindication and deliverance, trusting God for these things (43:1). He calls for God to send out His light and truth and to guide him to His dwelling place (43:3).

The psalmist’s descriptions of God also give evidence of his trust. He calls Him his rock (42:9). He takes refuge in God (43:2), calls Him his help and his God (42:11), and finds his joy of joys in God (43:5).

Do you feel the same way about God? Is He the One you trust in? Do you pray to Him and believe He can do for you what you need? Can you complain to Him in a way that indicates you are trusting Him, or does your grievance amount to an unbelieving gripe?

A Hopeful Complaint

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God ” (Ps. 43:5; cf. Ps. 42:5, 11). Along with honesty and trust, the psalmist also displays hope in his complaint. He speaks to himself with the reminder to hope in God. He has an expectation of renewed praise, that he would yet praise God again. He believes God will deliver him. He has hope that God will lead him to His dwelling place and that he will go and praise God on the harp.

The psalmist clearly looks toward a brighter future from a dark place. Can you say the same thing? When you are hurting, do you remember the hope you have in God? Is your hope in Him or in your circumstances and earthly comfort?

Christ and Our Complaints

The psalmist wasn’t the only one to have this threefold aspect to his complaint. Ultimately, Jesus Christ exemplified this method.

Just before His passion, Jesus told the Father with bare honesty that He dreaded the hour to come (Matt. 26:36-42, 46; 27:45-46). He asked the Father to let the cup pass from Him, but prayed that, nevertheless, the Father’s will be done (Matt. 26:39ff.). God’s waves and billows truly went over our Lord Jesus as the Father punished Christ for our sins. Jesus not only felt forsaken but also was forsaken so those who trust Him would not have the same experience. Matthew 27:45-46 records that He cried out the words of Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Christ trusted the Father. He may well have had the whole of Psalm 22 in mind, knowing that He would be giving thanks to God after complaining (Ps. 22:22-31). He certainly had a song in the night, singing a hymn with His disciples on His way to be crucified after the supper with them. He showed trust in God by committing His spirit to Him in death (cf. Ps. 31:5).

Our hope is in this Man of sorrows who was acquainted with grief (Is. 53:3-4). We find no hope elsewhere. Though we are certain to have tribulation, the risen Christ has overcome the world, and that fact should encourage us (John 16:33). We can have the confidence of Romans 8:37-39—that we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us and that nothing (including all the sorrows and disappointments and persecution we may face) can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion

We see in Psalms 42 and 43 and in our Lord Jesus Christ that we have a proper way to complain to God. So what do you do when you are depressed and disappointed? Do you pray? Are you honest with God? Do you complain from a heart of faith? Do you, as the psalmist did, remind yourself of the hope you have in God?

Get familiar with the Psalms. Pray the Psalms. Look at what the Psalms teach us about our faithful God, about ourselves, and about our trials. They show us how to approach God and talk to ourselves in troubled times. Examine yourself in light of the Psalms. Preach the gospel to yourself and rejoice that one day God will wipe away every tear in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:4). But as long as we are in a fallen world, let us be sure that our complaints are the right kind: those that are honest, trusting, and hopeful.

Persevering in Our Priorities - The Message of Haggai

 

by Doug Smith

 

You've probably heard about or seen the object lesson where someone takes a jar and fills it with big rocks, gravel, sand, and then water.  The point of the lesson is that if you don't get the big rocks in first, you won't get them in at all.  In other words, if you neglect the important things in life, other things will press in and crowd them out.  We need to make sure we have our priorities right.

 

The book of Haggai chronicles God's message to people who had let their creature comforts crowd out their priority of fully restoring the public worship of God.  The Jewish audience was composed of those who had returned to the land under the auspices of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians who carried the Jews into captivity in 586 B.C.  They began the project, laying the foundation, but soon quit due to opposition (Ezra 3:8-6:18).  They would go on to complete the work (Ezra 6:14), but first they needed some serious reminders from God.  By the time Haggai the prophet (a contemporary of the prophet Zechariah) brought them God's message in 520 B.C., sixteen years had passed.  The people were living in nice, paneled houses while God's house still lay in ruins (1:4).  God had sent agricultural and economic hardship to get their attention (1:6, 9-11).  Haggai's message was this:  consider your ways and get to work rebuilding the temple (1:5, 7-8).  The people got the message and got to work (1:12).

 

God is not calling us to travel to Jerusalem and begin working on a construction project on the ruined temple there now.  The application for us is to build our spiritual lives, as individuals and corporately.  Christ Himself is the fulfillment of the temple – it is through Him that we have access to God (Jn. 2:19-22; Heb. 10:19-22).  If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, the first priority is that you come to God through Him.  You must repent of your rebellion and place your trust in Him who died as a sacrifice in the place of sinners so that God's wrath against them could be removed and that they could have eternal life in knowing Him.

 

Now that Christ has ascended and given His Spirit, we who are Christians are the temple.  This is true for us as individuals (1 Cor. 6:19) and as His church (1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 6:16).  God dwells with us and in us.  The Jews needed to restore the public worship of the temple as a testimony to the living God who was worthy of worship.  We need to live for God's pleasure to display His glory (1:8).  Therefore, we need to make sure we have the right priorities.

 

There are several ways to discover what are priorities truly are.  How we use our time and money are chief indicators.  Our goals, or lack of them, and how we pursue or don't pursue them may show where our treasure is.  Our prayer life, including the content of our prayers (and indeed if we pray at all), reveals much about us.  Our commitment to hearing God's Word through reading the Bible and diligently listening to preaching is likely to be quite telling as well.  The presence or absence of family worship in our homes and the quality and consistency of our relationships with others in the local church may also help us assess our priorities.  Do we think of others?  Are we living lives that show joy in God, denial of self, and loving service to others?  We need to consider our ways.  What and who are we living for?  What do we hope for ourselves and our children to accomplish and why?  Let us see that, as individuals and as God's people, we are evidencing a heart of worship through obedient lives ordered by God's priorities.

 

Getting our priorities right is important, but it is not enough.  It is insufficient to simply be committed to an idea or vision on paper.  One must implement these priorities and be committed to persevering in them, despite difficulties.  Haggai encouraged the Jews, and reminds us, to do just this.

 

Haggai reminds us of God's help.  The people became discouraged by memories of the previous temple and its glory (2:3).  Haggai encourages them to look for their help in the LORD, who brought them out of Egypt, who will shake heaven and earth, and who has all resources (2:5-8).  The encouragement to be strong and the reminder that God is with them may echo David's words to Solomon, who first built the temple (1 Chron. 28:20).  These words are addressed to the leaders, Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor, as well as the people (2:2, 4).

 

Church leaders and congregations may become discouraged at their lives or ministries when they compare them with how things used to be or with others that seem to be blooming.  But we must remember that God has not called us to live in the past, to reconstruct the "glory days," or to imitate the latest church growth fad in order to get the appearance of success.  He has called us to faithful obedience to His Word.  He is our strength and help.  And what He chooses to accomplish through us should not be despised as something worthless.

 

Haggai reminds the people that holiness is not contagious, but uncleanness is (2:10-14).  Yet from their time of obedience, God would bless them (2:15ff.).  This may refer to the contaminating nature of their previous disobedience among one another, or perhaps to sinful attitudes and behaviors that remained even after they began rebuilding.  Either way, they are instructed in the importance of holiness.  We too should persevere in holiness, valuing God's blessing and desiring to encourage God's people, knowing that our sinful attitudes and disobedience can easily infect others (cf. the warning about the root of bitterness in Heb. 12:14-15).

 

Finally, Haggai would have us hope in the sovereign power and plan of God.  God has the final word in history.  He promises to overthrow thrones and kingdoms and to make Zerubbabel his signet ring, a symbol of authority and blessing (2:21-23).  Ultimately this promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is of Zerubbabel's line (Matt. 1:12-13; Lk. 3:27).  Though we may face opposition, we must remember that God keeps His word.  The coming of Christ, His perfect life and death for sinners, His resurrection and ascension give us hope in the One who overthrows thrones and kingdoms and gives salvation to all who repent of their rebellion against Him and trust in Him alone.  It is this hope that enables us to persevere in our priorities and glorify God.

 

Thoughts on Pastoral Ministry from Psalm 23:

Being Satisfied with Our Shepherd and Pleased with Our Pastor (Part 4 of 4)

 

by Doug Smith

 

Note:  This article is adapted from a message delivered at the first graduation for the Cumberland Area Pulpit Supply (an extension of Bancroft Gospel Ministry in Kingsport, Tennessee), Phase 1 Training, on April 14, 2007.

 

Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

     3. Finally, we must be satisfied with our Shepherd's PROMISES.  Notice that this Psalm is future-oriented in the responses of the Psalmist:  verse 1: "I shall not want;" verse 4: "I will fear no evil;" verse 6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

     The relationship we have with God and His provision for us are not just for now, but for the future.  What He has done in the past and present are previews of what He will do in the future.  As it has been observed, our "best life" is not now, but is yet to come.  We do not have to worry, but may trust in the faithful, covenant-keeping LORD to take us to dwell with Him forever as He promises.  Are you satisfied with His promises?  If so, your satisfaction will show up in your present life.

     John Owen wrote, "It is a vain thing for any to suppose that they place their chiefest happiness in being for ever in the presence of Christ, who care not at all to be with him here as they may."  What does your prayer life and time in the Word say about your satisfaction in the promises of God?  Is your hope in this life only?  Is your hope in a "big" or "successful" ministry?  Or do you hope in the promise of dwelling with God forever?

     Men, this world is full of things that will never satisfy us.  Material things won't satisfy, but neither will ministry.  Only God will ultimately satisfy, and our ministries will not be pleasing to Him until we are pleased with our Pastor, and satisfied with our Shepherd.  Are you satisfied with Him?

 

Thoughts on Pastoral Ministry from Psalm 23:

Being Satisfied with Our Shepherd and Pleased with Our Pastor (Part 3 of 4)

 

by Doug Smith

 

Note:  This article is adapted from a message delivered at the first graduation for the Cumberland Area Pulpit Supply (an extension of Bancroft Gospel Ministry in Kingsport, Tennessee), Phase 1 Training, on April 14, 2007.

 

Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

 

     2. We need to be satisfied with our Shepherd's PROVISION.  Notice the verbs in the six verses of Psalm 23.  Most of them refer to God.  God's activity is highlighted here, showing us why we shall not want, or lack, or need any thing.

     "I shall not want" food because God makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.  He gives us calmness and a pure resource of life-giving nourishment.  We can feast on His Word.  We should be satisfied with the riches of His Word.  God has not made us lie down in a wasteland, but in lush pastureland.  He has spread a banquet before us, and calls us to feast.  If we do not feed upon God's Word ourselves, how can we expect our people to come hungering for it, and, if they do, how can we expect to give them nourishment from God's Word when we are sickly and fainting because we have drunk from the contaminated potholes of cable TV or movies or the Internet or the news or magazines and neglected the pure springs of God's Word?  Let's be satisfied with God's provision so that we will have healthy, wholesome food to give to the sheep, and not spiritual junk food or poison that simply tickles their ears.

     "I shall not want" guidance, because God leads me.  He is the one who takes me by the still waters, and who calls me to follow in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  He is a safe guide, who has been down the path we are to follow.  We don't know where we need to go, and we are prone to stray.  But Christ walked the path of perfect obedience to God that we failed to do.  But if we trust Him, God clothes us in that perfect righteousness of His and then we are to walk in obedience.  He binds up His reputation with us – "for His name's sake."  How then can we be indifferent to matters of obedience?  How can we say "follow me as I follow Christ," as Paul said, unless we are walking with our Lord, following Him.  How can we guide others unless we know the guidance of the Lord and are satisfied with it?

     In addition to guidance, God gives correction.  Sheep are pitiful creatures when they are on their backs.  So are Christians.  We are powerless to restore ourselves.  "He restoreth my soul" – putting me back up on my feet.  I must be satisfied enough with God to confess my sin and be thankful that He corrects me instead of leaving me to die in it.  I must be content with God's correction if I am to use His Word to correct others and help restore them, putting them back onto right paths.

     God also protects.  The Shepherd uses His staff and rod, to drive away wild beasts and to protect the sheep from its own foolishness in straying.  God is with us through the valley of the shadow of death, so we don't have to fear.  He spreads a banquet table before us in the presence of our enemies.  He protects us.  We must be satisfied with His protection if we are going to brave the dangers of the ministry free from the fear of man.  We can face death and trials unafraid if our trust is in God.  We can face opposition to the message of the Gospel, be it man's words, man's threats, or man's actions and we can rejoice in the midst of persecution if we are satisfied with God's protection.  If we are going to guard our families from spiritual danger and our flocks from false teaching, we must know God's presence as our Protector and be satisfied with Him.

     In all these things, God provides in abundance.  He anoints the head with oil, in a manner fit for an honored guest.  He causes our cups to overflow and pursuing us with goodness and mercy, as one preacher put it, like two sheepdogs, nipping at our heels every time we turn around.  We have every reason to be satisfied with our Shepherd's provision and no reason to grumble and complain about His goodness to us.

 

Thoughts on Pastoral Ministry from Psalm 23:

Being Satisfied with Our Shepherd and Pleased with Our Pastor (Part 2 of 4)

 

by Doug Smith

 

Note:  This article is adapted from a message delivered at the first graduation for the Cumberland Area Pulpit Supply (an extension of Bancroft Gospel Ministry in Kingsport, Tennessee), Phase 1 Training, on April 14, 2007.

 

Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

 

     1. We need to be satisfied our Shepherd's PERSON.  This refers to God's character. 

     Verse one reveals Him as "the LORD."  When we see "LORD" in all capital letters in the Old Testament, this means that the Hebrew text (from which our English is translated) contains the most sacred name of God:  Jehovah, or Yahweh.  This is related to God's self-disclosure as I AM THAT I AM to Moses in Exodus 3.  It is a reminder of God's self-existence; He needs nothing, because He has the power of life in Himself.  He depends on nothing outside Himself for His being.  God's sacred name is also a reminder of His faithfulness.  Jehovah, or Yahweh, is God's covenant name.  It is the name of the One who is faithful to remember and perform all His promises.  The God who made the world by His Word has authority, responsibility, and ownership.  He is the sovereign Lord.  This God is the Shepherd spoken of here, and we need to learn of His character.

     God's character is revealed throughout the Psalm as our Provider, Corrector, Leader, and Protector.  He is good and merciful.  He is eternal, for his children have the promise of dwelling with Him forever.  Men, we need to be students of God's character.

     Note the little word "my."  This makes a tremendous difference.  It does not say "The LORD is a shepherd" or "the shepherd," but my Shepherd.  The word "my" indicates a personal relationship.  The psalmist knew the shepherd personally.  This is a good reminder to us as pastors that the Lord is not everyone's shepherd – not even all pastors.  We would do well to heed Richard Baxter's warning about ministers who do not know Christ – and make sure that this does not describe us!  In his book, The Reformed (which means in his title, revived) Pastor, "Many a tailor goes in rags, that maketh costly clothes for others; and many a cook scarcely licks his fingers, when he hath dressed for others the most costly dishes." 

     Who is this Shepherd we must know?  Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:11), the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) and the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4).  He is the One who laid down His life for His sheep – disobedient, hell-deserving sheep who had gone astray but had their sin laid upon the Shepherd.  He was the Lamb of God slain as a substitute for sinners, who rose from the dead, and commands us to repent of our sin and trust in Him, bidding us to come and follow Him.

     Let us not be preachers who, as Baxter put it, "worship an unknown God," "preach an unknown Christ," "pray through an unknown Spirit," "recommend a state of holiness and communion with God, and a glory and a happiness which are all unknown, and like to be unknown to them for ever."  What a horrible condition – a condition that should make us tremble.  Let us make sure we know this God personally and can say in truth, "The LORD is my Shepherd."    

     We should also realize that God's Person, or Name is supremely important to Him in how He shepherds us.  Therefore, God's glory, not our recognition, should be the goal of our pastoral ministry.  His reputation is at stake in how He cares for us and how we care for His sheep.  As we begin to look at how we should be satisfied not only with His person but His provision, let us not forget the reason He does what He does:  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

 

Thoughts on Pastoral Ministry from Psalm 23:

Being Satisfied with Our Shepherd and Pleased with Our Pastor (Part 1 of 4)

 

by Doug Smith

 

Note:  This article is adapted from a message delivered at the first graduation for the Cumberland Area Pulpit Supply (an extension of Bancroft Gospel Ministry in Kingsport, Tennessee), Phase 1 Training, on April 14, 2007.

 

Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

 

     Are you satisfied?  Satisfaction seems to be a rare commodity these days.  In fact, the marketing gurus capitalize on our dissatisfaction, by focusing our attention on things that make us discontent or by trying to make us think we need more of something, or something better or bigger.  How many times have you replaced or upgraded your computer or installed updates for its programs in the last 5 years?  2 years?  1 year?  Month?  Week?  Have you ever obtained a new vehicle because you were not satisfied with the one you had?  Perhaps it guzzled the gas.  Or there wasn't enough room.  Or you didn't have enough horsepower to pull that trailer.

     Related to this idea of satisfaction is the "law of diminishing returns."  This is the idea that the more you get of something, the more you need to satisfy you.  You may never have a car fast enough, or a house big enough.  You may never have a computer with enough memory, or a drill with enough bits.  Among other people, drug addicts and those enslaved to pornography experience this.  They constantly seek increasing quantities and increasingly extreme experiences to fill their cravings.

     The tendency toward dissatisfaction in our earthly lives is ever-present in the ministry as well.  If you are the pastor of a church ten years from now, will you be satisfied and content?  Will you be the target of books that promise to increase the apparent success of your ministry?  Will you be the type of individual that conference promoters seek to court because they want to give you that secret that will make your ministry explode with growth?  Will you constantly be depressed because you cannot gain the favor of everyone in your congregation?  Many churches close each year and many men quit the ministry each year, often because of such frustrations.

     Now, it is true that we should be discontent in some areas, even in our Christian lives.  We should never think we have arrived.  We always have room for improvement in our relationships with our wives, our children, and our friends.  We can do better in our witness to nonbelievers, and even in our preaching and leadership.  But more than any of these things, there is one area in which we should constantly be seeking satisfaction.  We should not be satisfied until we are satisfied in our relationship with God.  He is the only one who can truly satisfy us.

     Are you satisfied?  If God is going to be pleased with you as a pastor, you must be pleased with your Pastor – satisfied with your Shepherd, who is God.

     As we turn to Psalm 23, we are reminded of these familiar images of a Shepherd, a sheep, and pastureland.  We think of David, who probably penned these very words, who experienced firsthand the life of a shepherd as a young man.  He knew what it was like to feed, lead, and protect sheep.  He also knew the life of a king.  He knew popularity, power, and prosperity.  He also knew the emptiness of sin, and God's correction and restoration.  He knew his need to be happy in God.  David was not satisfied with his prestige, but with his Pastor, that is, his Shepherd – the LORD.

     Psalm 23 reminds us of some important aspects of pastoral ministry and demonstrates our need to be satisfied with the Person, Provision, and Promise of our Pastor.