PSALM CHAPTER 31
MAINTAINING HAPPINESS:
What I should do.
DAVID’S BATTLE . . . JUST LIKE OUR OWN !!
WHY REMIND BELIEVERS TO LOVE GOD ?
1. I PUT MY TRUST IN GOD. SO, HELP ME ! V.1, 14.
CAN BELIEVERS HAVE TROUBLES ? WE MUST TRUST GOD
FOR DELIVERANCE ! PS. 97:10, PS. 34:17, PS. 34:7.
WHEN WE DON’T KNOW ANSWERS. ROM. 8:26
2. I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. V. 5. IS THIS ENOUGH ? NO !
GOD WANTS TOTAL COMMITMENT. I THES. 5:23.
THE FAILURE PARTIAL COMMITMENT: PARTIAL KNOWLEDGE
—HATED PEOPLE, NOT WHAT THEY DO. THIS DEFILES
THE INTENT OF THE COMMITTED SOUL THAT SHOULD
HATE THE ACTIONS, BUT LOVE THE PEOPLE. GOD’S
ACTIONS: JOHN 3:16. LUKE 6:31-35.
3. I TRUST IN THE LORD: WHAT ARE THE RESULTS ? V. 6.
CAN THIS TRUST BE PARTIAL ? INCOMPLETE ?
YES. WHEN WE HOLD ONTO ANY PART OF OUR WILL.
MATT. 8:19,20, JOHN 13:37.
SELF-WILL HINDERS GODLY ACTIONS. JAMES 2:14.
RESULTS CAN BE PAINFUL. ACTS 19:16.
4. I WILL REJOICE. ; V. 7. KNOWING THE TRUTH HELPS ME DO
THIS. BUT, IS IT ENOUGH TO WIN THE BATTLE ?
—MUST BE DOING WHAT THE WORD SAYS. JAMES 1:23.
—IT TAKES BIBLICAL FAITH. I JOHN 5:4.
5. I AM IN TROUBLE. V. 9
*NOTE THAT DAVID CALLS ON GOD’S MERCY (NOT GRACE),
THUS INDICATING THE TROUBLE WAS HIS FAULT.
A. GOD PROVIDES PROVISION FOR RESTORATION WHEN WE
SIN AND REPENT.
B. REPENTANCE IS A COMMAND, NOT AN OPTION. ACTS 3:19
ADAM & EVE. GENESIS 3:21.
DAVID. PSALM 51:9-13.
JOHN THE BAPTIST. LUKE 3:7.
OFFER TO SIMON. ACTS 8:22.
6. I HEAR WHAT OTHERS SAY. V. 13.
USE IT TO BRING YOU TO GREATER FAITH IN THE LORD.
—SEEING THAT THE BIBLE PROPHESIED THIS.
MATT. 5:11, LUKE 6:26, I THES. 5:3, **2 PET. 2:8.
—SEEING THAT I COULD COME TO THE WRONG
CONCLUSIONS, TOO, IF I FAIL TO SEEK GOD’S WISDOM.
—USE IT AS A CHALLENGE TO LET OTHERS HEAR WHAT YOU
SHOULD BE SAYING. PS. 107:2, MATT. 10:27. MATT. 10:32.
7. I HAVE CALLED ON THE LORD. V. 17. KEY: HEB. 11:6, JAS 1:6
—IT SHOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! JOHN 10:27.
JUST BECAUSE GOD HEARS US, DOES IT MEAN HE WILL
DO WHAT WE WANT ? JOHN 9:31, I JOHN 5:14.
IF IT DOESN’T SEEM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, EVALUATE:
— AM I GETTING THROUGH ? HAVE I GROWN IN LEARNING
HOW TO PRAY ? AM I STILL PRAYING IMMATURELY ?
— AM I SEEING THE WHOLE PICTURE ? DO I TAKE MAN’S
FREE-WILL TO REJECT GOD’S WILL INTO ACCOUNT ?
— ARE THERE ANSWERS I AM NOT SEEING ? DO I REALLY
EXPECT TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT GOD DOES ?
I SAM. 16:7, DAN. 12:4.
8. I HAVE SAID THINGS IN HASTE THAT WERE WRONG. V. 22.
*BUT THE LORD HEARD HIM. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE ?
IF A PERSON SINS, HOW CAN THEY BE HEARD ? JOHN 9:31.
TYPES OF HEARING WITH WHICH WE CANNOT BE SATISFIED:
(“WELL, GOD KNOWS MY HEART…” “GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING…”
“HE KNOWS BEFORE WE ASK HIM, SO NO NEED TO HURRY…”
“HE’LL HEAR ME NO MATTER WHAT I DO…”)
—HEARING THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE RECEIVING WHAT YOU
SAY. JOHN 8:6-8.
—HEARING THAT ONLY INVOLVES KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT
WAS HEARD, NOT A RESPONSE. I JOHN 3:20.
A. I HAVE SAID THINGS TO THE LORD IN HASTE.
—REACTING INSTEAD OF THINKING. MARK 9:6.
—GOING BY IMMEDIATE FEELINGS RATHER THAN TRUE
COMMITMENT. MATTHEW 8:19.
B. I HAVE COMMUNICATED TO OTHERS IN HASTE. PROV. 25:8
C. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MYSELF IN HASTE.
—CAN MAKE MYSELF DISCOURAGED. PS. 116:11
—CAN CONVINCE MYSELF IN FAITH NOT OF GOD.
LUKE 12:18
9. DAVID’S CONCLUSION. V. 23.
A. CAME FROM HIS PLEA FOR HELP.
WHY SHOULD GOD HELP US ?
—BECAUSE WE OBEY HIS WORD. PS. 119:173.
—BECAUSE HE IS OUR FATHER. PSALM 38:22
—BECAUSE HE IS MERCIFUL. PS. 109:26, HEB. 4:16.
B. CAME FROM HIS PAST EXPERIENCE WITH THE LORD.
—PS. 116:6, PS. 118:13, GEN. 30:27 (LABAN).
—EXPERIENCES HELP US TO DEVELOP SPIRITUALLY IF WE
WILL LEARN FROM THEM. ROMANS 5:3-5.
10. ALL GOD’S PEOPLE SHOULD LOVE THE LORD. V. 23.
***NOT SO OBVIOUS AS IT MIGHT SEEM.***
A. BECAUSE IT IS COMMANDED. DEUT. 6:5 (MARK 12:30).
B. BECAUSE GRATITUDE SHOULD BE FORTHCOMING NATURALLY.
—FOR THE IMMEDIATE CIRCUMSTANCE.
—FOR PREVIOUS SITUATIONS.
—FOR THE VERY FUNDAMENTAL REASON: OUR SALVATION.
C. BECAUSE MANY MISUNDERSTAND WHAT BIBLICAL LOVE IS.
—GOD PROVIDES WAYS TO TEST IT. DEUT. 13:3, I JOHN 4:20.
—GOD PROVIDES WAYS FOR US TO SEE IT. I JOHN 3:13-18,
I JOHN 5:3, JOHN 14:15.