Psalm's Peaceful Waters

When I want comfort and rest and hope and encouragement and peace and quiet in my Christian life, I go camp out a while in the book of Psalms. I go sit under a palm tree by the waters and meditate on the Psalms. The Psalms of David are always of particular interest to me as I can relate so much with him and his trials and his tribulations, his answered prayers and deliverances, and his praises and his thanksgivings.

When I'm hurting and discouraged, I go spend some time by the peaceful waters of the book of Psalms and that's the title of my message today friends, Psalms, Peaceful Waters, and I will preach out of three Psalms today, and they are tied together like a glistening golden chain, turning your Bibles friends to Psalm 22. We're going to start off there and then pass on to Psalm 23 and Psalm 24. We're going to see a link between these three Psalms and in that connecting link we are going to focus our attention on three prominent things, a cross, a crook, and a crown.

All three of these things speak of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to lift up Christ Jesus to you today friends. Oh that beautiful pearl of great price who is worth selling all for and losing all for.

He is chief among ten thousand. He is the lily, the valley, and the bright and morning star. He's the blessed hope who will soon return on a white horse, riding faithful and true, coming in the clouds of glory.

Oh how I love Jesus because he first loved me. And I want to begin out of Psalm 22 which is a Messianic Psalm of David. Oh wow you can't help reading it without seeing Christ on the cross.

This Psalm speaks of a cross. The very first words of the Psalm are the words that Jesus cried out from the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That's when the Father had a look away from the Son who had become sin for us.

Jesus our sin substitute on that bloody cross. Why he was an object to ridicule and we see Christ despised and reviled in verses six through eight. But I'm a worm and no man.

A reproach of men and despised to the people. All they that pass by laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip.

They shake their head saying he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him saying he delighted in him. Oh friends how I see that sky on Calvary's Hill go black as the Jewish religious rulers pass by that cross on which the Savior died.

And they point their fingers at him and mock and jeer. In Mark's gospel we get a look at this terrifying scene. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes.

He saved others. Himself he cannot save. But oh friends the very cross that cruel men try to do away with Christ is the very place of blessing to all who come to Christ and put their trust in him and own him as Lord.

And we see Christ on the cross in verses 16 through 18 of Psalm 22 that pierced my hands and feet. I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.

So we see in Psalm 22 friends Christ to the cross. In Psalm 23 we see Christ the Good Shepherd. A shepherd leads his flock of sheep with a staff or a crook.

He uses it to fight off wild animals or to hook a strange sheep back into the fold. And he uses it to guide them. Psalm 23 begins with a vivid description of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. That means that the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ will not want for power over sin. Not want for protection against evil.

Not want for necessary provision. Not want of his wonderful presence. For as a shepherd over the sheep he exercises tender care with his crook.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside still waters. Christ our shepherd will be our peace in distress or calm in the raging sea.

With him by our side we'll be brought to green pastures and still waters. Oh what love the shepherd exercises over his sheep. He restores my soul.

He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Oh friends how the Good Shepherd will go fetch us when we wander away from him in sin. He'll pick us up when we are too weary to walk and carry us on his broad shoulders.

He will pour oil into our wounds and hurts and care for us tenderly. He has a rod and staff. This crook of his that will comfort us.

That rod and that staff they comfort me. And friends there is a super abundance in Christ. My cup runneth over.

The life in Christ is an abundant life. Super abundant in quantity and superior in quality. That's the very definition in the Greek word abundant.

Christ is enough. He is my all in all. His work on the cross saved me.

His shepherd's crook sustains me. Now let's go to Psalm 24 and see the third aspect of our little study today and that is the crown of a king. Oh what a sovereign Lord we serve.

Verse 1 declares the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. The world and they that dwell therein. Christ Jesus sits on a throne at the right hand of the Father and he earned that right by way of a bloody cross.

And in this psalm King David tells us how to approach a monarch. How to come into the presence of a king. Verse 3 states who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place.

Now listen closely friends for here is the answer. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully. Here we see how to approach the King of Heaven who wears a crown of majesty.

Our text speaks of clean hands and a pure heart. Clean hands speak of our relationship with men. It's a horizontal relationship in our dealing with others.

Clean hands. The pure heart speaks of our position with God in heaven and this is a vertical position. Are we living in a right relationship to him through a surrendered walk with him.

So picture this in your mind friends. Picture that horizontal plane and the vertical plane and put them together and they form a cross. Oh friends what a privilege it is to have access to the King because we're under the blood of the Savior.

What does verse 5 say of those who access this King. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. We are told in verse 6 to seek him to seek his face and in verses 7 and 8 we read lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle. Oh friends what a picture we have here of King Jesus who fights for battles.

The King of kings. He wears a crown that speaks of authority and majesty. So in our study today friends we have taken a look at a cross a crook and a crown and they each reference the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us worship our King. Let us be thankful for his redemptive work on the cross and let us walk in a close love relationship with our Good Shepherd who gave his all for us. Let us give our all for him.

Let us pray.