The MESSAGE for September 3, 2023

Facing Life’s Hopeless Situations

Psalm 56

Live Broadcast

By: Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill

Greater Concord Missionary Baptist Church

 

Life is full of situations far beyond our limited powers to control. Situations at work and at home, with our families, in the fellowship in matters of finance, and in matters of our future. Trouble is trouble, but whence it comes makes a difference. David had made a great mistake in fleeing from the hounds of Saul to the house of Achish. The moment he crossed the frontier he stepped out of the mind and will of God, for God’s promises to the Hebrew people were all in Canaan. To step outside the land was to step outside the sphere of God’s blessing.

 

God draws circles around us. He draws circles around a child in a home: the circle of parental authority. He draws a circle around a wife in a home: the circle of her husband’s position. He draws a circle around the believer in the church: the circle of pastoral authority. But there are some circles outside which we are never to step, for to step outside them is to take oneself out of the sphere of protection the circle provides.

 

David stepped across such a circle when he went down to Gath. He was no longer in the place of blessing; he was in a place in which his own unbelief and self-will had placed him. His life hangs on a thread. We picture him under lock and key in Gath, a prisoner in a foreign land. They have him at last, the young fellow who had slain their Goliath and thus caused such a massive defeat for them at Elah. Some of them had lost brothers, fathers, sons, friends in that battle. Now they have David in their power.

 

In this seemingly hopeless situation what does David do? David encourages himself in three ways: in mercy, mindfulness, and might of God. That is a great way to face hopeless situations! He cries out, “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppressive me.” Their perpetual animosity can almost be heard out David’s cell pacing back and forth; their continual jabs and jibes were getting on David’s high-strung nerves. Their personal animosity was also great toward David so he cries again to God, “Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O Thou Most High.” David senses their animosity toward him. He had killed their champion in fair fight, according to the rules of war and according to the special conditions Goliath himself had proposed.

 

The Philistines had no thought for that. All they could think of was their public humiliation at the hands of a teenage lad. David now puts his mind to work. “What time I am afraid; I will trust thee.” He puts his faith in God to work. God is mindful of me and He has made some promises. I will be king of Israel. God is faithful, man is feeble. “In God will I praise His word: in the Lord will I praise His word. In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” It is a great thing to rest on the promises of God in times of stress.

 

Lastly, God is a mighty God. God is so mighty that David can look upon His deliverance from the men of Gath as already accomplished. The path to the throne was not an easy one for David. He was in God’s school and God gives stiff exams. He does not grade on a curve; he puts those he intends to exalt to the sternest of tests.

 

Let us remember when our circumstances seem to frown that God is watching. When we cannot sleep at night, when we pace the floor agonizing over a lost loved one, a wayward child, God is watching.

 

Let me close this message this morning. Yes, we have a mindful God, a faithful God, a powerful God who is well able to keep His promises and if we don’t step out of the circle that He has around us, we will be well. Many have been in storm after storm. Storms just may be better for us than sunshine. Come wind! Come weather! “I shall trust. I have a merciful, mindful, and mighty God. Satan is a master at wearing us down. Often, we collapse because we are physically or psychologically exhausted. Stay in the circle. Don’t step outside the sphere of God’s blessings.

 

Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cullian W. Hill