Psalm 28

A little word in opening, turn to Psalm 28. As a reminder, as we read this psalm earlier this morning in the home, where we were and thought an exercise of David, as to a prayer expressed as his desire, and then reaching out to others as well. The heading says, the Psalm of David, Psalm 28, reading at verse 1. Unto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rock.

Be not silent to me, lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors. Give them after the work of thine hands, render to them their dessert. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them and not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusteth in him, and I am helped.

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise him. The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, bless thine inheritance, feed them also, and lift them up forever.

May the Lord bless the reading of these words to our hearts. David has an exercise in his own soul. As he thinks of the fact that the Lord, he wrote Psalm 23, we all realize he could say the Lord is my shepherd.

But he's also the rock, the rock of our salvation. And we think of his own words that the Savior spoke in Matthew 16, it's recorded. He turned to Peter and the disciples, whom do men say that I am? And some say that he was Elias, and some say others.

But whom say ye that I am? And Peter says, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And as he looks upon Peter, thou art Cephas. But speaking of himself, upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The first revelation as to what would take place in this age, the church of which he is the head, that's the universal aspect of it. It began on the day of Pentecost, when Peter was used as an instrument, standing with his brethren to preach the gospel. And the birthday of the church continues to this present hour.

Whenever that company is completed, heaven only knows the last soul is brought in to the speaking of the Spirit of God unfolding to hearts the gospel. Because we had to hear his voice in order to be awakened to our need. And we are made to ponder eternal matters.

And I reminded believers last night in Betown, tonight will make me saved on the way to heaven 61 years and 1 week. We rejoice in the goodness of God. The rock is Christ.

He was a smitten rock at Calvary. To suffer in our stead, to bear our sin, to put it away by the sacrifice of himself, the great provision of grace. And for that moment of deliverance when you and I entered into the blessing of that finished work, that God was satisfied with what Christ had done, a risen Savior exalted in the heavens, crowned with glory and honor as we are singing in our opening hymn.

How wonderful to be saved and sure of heaven. I was thinking last evening to notice 2 Timothy 1. Paul reminds Timothy, he's speaking of himself and every fellow saint, of the power of God. And he can say, who has saved us, not according to our own works, but for his own purpose and grace.

And so as we are thankful for God's salvation. But that's just the beginning of Christian experience. We're waiting for the rapture, the coming again of the Lord Jesus.

And in thinking of this psalm and just thinking of a little in view of the ministry as we are before our hearts today, David desires to hear the shepherd's voice. Lord, he says, unto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rock. Be not silent to me, lest if thou be silent to me, I become like those that go down to the pit.

Now, in Old Testament language, to bring it into the new, we remember when we were without Christ. We heard the word of God in the gospel. And now as believers, we desire, we trust that we'll be encouraged in our Christian pathway, whether younger or older.

But David senses the need of hearing the shepherd's voice. You remember he spoke of the Lord is my shepherd. The Savior said, I am the good shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep.

Hebrews reminds us that the Lord is a great shepherd that cares for the sheep. And of course, he's a chief shepherd that's coming to reward his own, the bema, as to the Christian's life and what his life has been. But David senses the realization that to be left to his own doings only will bring disappointment and emptiness as far as his life is concerned.

He says, verse 2, hear the voice of my supplication. When I cry unto thee, when I lift my hands towards thy holy oracle. You remember the Lord Jesus, we read as Paul spoke of prayer.

Men are always to pray and not to faint. You know how good it is to be able to kneel and tell your wants personally to God. The Lord Jesus, a mediator between man and God.

Men and God who gave himself for us. And so he not only realizes that he desires that the Lord would get answers according to his own will. And as we think of the privilege to carry our request to the Lord privately and as well in the assembly as to the desires.

Yes, and trust for preservation. When he thinks of verse 3, 4, and 5. Those that regard not God or their interest in his works. And I will put in my margin some years ago these words.

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. You know that applies not only to unconverted as we were in our sins before we were saved. But even in Christian experience.

And thus we need to apply the word of God and enjoyment of the Lord personally. And as we are thinking of assembly testimony. And I look back, we'll soon be 61 years come November.

Following believers baptism received into fellowship. And I'm grateful as we think of those matters. But just to drop down in a psalm for a few minutes.

In verse 6, blessed be the Lord. Because he heard the voice of my supplications. You know, it's good not only to recognize need.

But to answer when the Lord answers prayer. It's not only just the salvation of souls. But it's preservation in life and testimony.

And he recognizes the Lord is good. And he's kind and interested in our needs. Verse 7, he says, the Lord is my strength.

And my shield. My heart trusteth in him. And I am helped.

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. And with my song will I praise him. You know, when you think of the Savior.

We often remind our hearts of those words in Hebrews. The writer says, the Lord says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Read it backward.

Thee forsake nor thee leave, never will I. He's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. And he's a true friend. And he's a source of our strength.

And of course it's through his word. That we're given understanding as to the pathway to honor him. And to seek to please him.

We'll still and do have the old nature. But every child of God no longer seen positionally in Adam. He or she is in Christ.

That's the work of the Spirit of God is to salvation. And thus to realize that he is our strength and our shield. David is thinking of the need as he thinks of only his own life.

But he realizes and he expresses these words. The Lord is my strength and my shield. You see we're exhorted in the Ephesian letter to put on the whole armor of God.

His truth. And to work out your own salvation. That is your trials.

And it's not the salvation of our souls for eternal blessing. The work that accomplished that was done at the cross. Secured us.

But we have cares. We have burdens. We know a believer seeking and needing of work.

Jobs dissipate. We know of circumstances, health issues. Many have problems as they come in life whether younger or older.

And how good it is to cast the matter upon the Lord. He is my strength and my shield. David expresses a confidence.

You can lean upon this one. He says, my heart trusted in Him. He's the rock.

A sure foundation that the prophet spoke in Isaiah. When he prophetically spoke of the Lord Jesus. Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a rock, a chief cornerstone.

And now all the blessings that we enjoy. And so David acknowledges where his true help comes from. You know, we can look to ourselves and we'll be disappointed.

We can be looking at, you know, others. And thank God for dear saints have been an encouragement and example to us. And those who have passed on to the glory.

They've departed to be with Christ which is far better. And all through down to the ages. But David realizes it was the Lord that gave him strength.

My heart trusted in Him. And I am helped. How wonderful to realize His blessing and care.

And he says, therefore, my heart greatly rejoices. And with my song will I praise Him. So he again reminds us.

The Lord is my strength and He is the saving strength of His anointed. So when I come to the last verse. And I know likely this song you've read it many times.

For some at least. As we think of David is enlarging his exercise. As he looks at the anointed.

Those, of course, are those that know the Lord by spiritual birth. Have been thus blessed of God. And the Spirit of God as we know in New Testament understanding.

Indwells every believer. Sealed by the Spirit of God through the Word of God. The truth that we enjoy in our position.

So now in a practical way, verse 9. He's saying, save thy people. What is this entailing? We recognize our salvation for our eternal security was all in the work of Christ. But we need preservation and as a Hebrew speaks about.

The writer is preserving as well as other passions in the New Testament. We live in a world that is anti-Christ. For a great deal of their desires and movement.

The preservation, save thy people. As we think of individual lives. As to truth being enjoyed.

We're in a world. We're not of it. But we're here in it.

All that know the Lord have been taken out as far as position before God. Here we are. And John 17 of the Savior's own prayer that John records.

The world mentioned 17 or 18 times in that chapter. And that which identifies itself. The God of this age.

You know our citizenship is in heaven. So in view of the ministry and the teaching of the Scriptures. The preservation that we need in life.

Because how important it is. Not only the first little exhortation here, save thy people. Bless thine inheritance.

I've enjoyed and I remember reading it as a young Christian. Those words of Romans 8. Heirs of God join heirs with Christ. God is going to share with you and I the redeemed of the ages.

All that he has as to the glory be found in the presence of the Lord Jesus. We wait that moment. Where his inheritance.

Through his death. And his glorious resurrection. We've been made heirs of God.

How wonderful when we think of that position. Yet we recognize as David is thinking of preservation in life. And testimony for the Lord.

That the blessing of God he desires. To be seen in lies. Bless thine inheritance.

You know as we think of the age in which we live. We read in 2 Timothy. In the last days difficult or perilous times will come.

And surely there's places. As we think of the world and the tragedies and the movements. And all that's been happening.

And yet we count our blessings. And we realize God has blessed us. And we owe him the honor.

And the praise. And the gratitude. And he speaks also.

Feed them also. And so this brings us to our very purpose of our coming together. To hear the shepherd's voice.

The Lord exhorted Peter. Feed thy lambs. Feed my lambs.

Feed my sheep. Tend my sheep. Care for them.

So to hear his voice. When Peter picked up his pen after being saved. Probably 25-30 years.

Wrote those words in his first epistle. That we enjoy the sincere milk of the word. As we think of Christian experience.

That we might grow thereby. And thus it's a continue matter. To enjoy the truth.

The meat of God's word. To feed them. To be sustained.

Because when we look at what we, you know, life. And all the cares and the responsibilities of life. We need the time to set aside.

And I trust you do that daily in the home. Whether it's morning or evening. A time to spend around the word.

Not only with the family. But individually as well. Feed them also.

And lift them up. What an encouragement. Forever.

You know we're waiting for that moment. We don't know when it's going to be. It caused me concern before I was saved.

Because when you think of the fact that. Lost and helpless without Christ in the world. Bound for ruin and despair.

On the way to eternal pain and judgment. Recognizing the work being done. We're made His forever.

But the best is yet to come. As we think of our anticipation. As we think of the promise that awaits us.

He that shall come will come. And shall not tarry. That moment may be very, very near at hand.

Those Thessalonian believers. They turned to God from their idols to serve the true and the living God. And to wait for His son from heaven.

Even Jesus. Who delivered us from the wrath to come. While there's a future application there.

As to what's coming for this poor world. When we think of the people of God. How wonderful it is.

No matter what it may yet we might experience. Because we don't know when that moment's coming. The Lord is on our side.

What a wonderful desire is David pended. And the Lord used the Psalms when He spoke to those two. On the road to Emmaus.

He spoke of the things in the Scriptures. And Moses and the prophets. The things concerning Himself.

To convey to their hearts. And as they journeyed they didn't know it was the Savior. Jesus Himself drew near.

And as they came to their abode there. He made as if He was going on further. And they constrained Him to come in.

And when He sat down. And they saw apparently those hands with those nail prints. And suddenly He's gone.

And they said one to another. Did not our heart burn within us? Warmed up. As He spoke to us along the way.

Those weary travelers left and traveled that approximately possibly seven miles or more. Back to the city of Jerusalem. The Lord is risen indeed.

Yes. We began by singing, look ye saints. The Savior is exalted.

The man of sorrows now in the glory in the throne. But we're waiting for Him. How blessed.

What a hope. What a prospect. Might we hear His voice? Because how needful.

If we're left to ourselves we wander away and can get cold in heart. That's why we enjoy as John wrote a fellowship in his epistle. Fellowship with the Father.

Fellowship with the Son. Fellowship with one another. How precious to be in the family of God.

And then in our personal experience we come from various areas. And how precious that all that have enjoyed assembly fellowship. Not only as the book of the Acts declares.

The breaking of bread. Continuing steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. And the breaking of bread and the prayers.

And the exercise to reach out to others with the gospel. There's work to be done. May the Lord preserve us until that moment.

When we leave for higher ground. Whether we go by way of the earth. Or best of all the rapture.

Be snatched away. Gone. And meet Him face to face.

What a change. You see dear saints in health issues. And other circumstances.

And as they long to be with the Lord. And await that blessed hope. The change.

Will have glorified bodies then. And what an enjoyment will be ours forever. Save thy people.

Bless thine inheritance. Feed them. And lift them up.

It was David's prayer. May it be our exercise today. To hear His voice.

For His name's sake.