Truth for Troubled Times
Mike Stone
Psalm 13
I heard about a middle-aged lady who had never been married. When she turned 40, her pastor asked her if she desired to ever marry. She said that her ‘‘life verse’’ would not allow marriage. The pastor asked, ‘‘What is your life verse?’’ She replied, ‘‘First Thessalonians 4:13...I would not have you ignorant brethren.’’
Ten years later on her 50th birthday, the pastor asked, ‘‘Is that great Thessalonian passage still your life verse?’’ She replied, ‘‘No, pastor. Now I prefer Luke 9:23. If any man will come after me, let him.’’
Well, Psalm 13 could indeed be my life’s chapter. It truly is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. It is comprised of 6 verses that spell out truth for troubled times.
That’s where Psalm 13 can be so helpful.
It begins with trouble and ends in triumph.
It starts with a problem and ends with a praise.
It opens in the valley of the shadow of death and it ends on the mountaintop of praise.
In verse 1, David is wringing his hands in despair.
By verse 6, David is lifting his hands in worship.
Our big question for the day, how do you do that? Well, to answer that, I want you to observe three simple life principles, gained from the testimony of King David.
1. The Crisis in His Life (1-2)
One of the greatest evidences of the inspiration of the Bible is its absolute gut-wrenching, unvarnished honesty. The word of God pulls no punches. There’s no façade, veneer, or pretense. You see, David is in a mess because his life is in a mess.
What exactly was going on in his life? We honestly don’t know. Some have conjectured and guessed, but guessing is all we can really do.
Charles Spurgeon - ‘‘This psalm cannot be referred to any special event in David’s history. All attempts to find it a birthplace are but guesses. It was doubtless more than once the language of that much tried man of God and is intended to express the feelings of the people of God in those ever-re ...
Mike Stone
Psalm 13
I heard about a middle-aged lady who had never been married. When she turned 40, her pastor asked her if she desired to ever marry. She said that her ‘‘life verse’’ would not allow marriage. The pastor asked, ‘‘What is your life verse?’’ She replied, ‘‘First Thessalonians 4:13...I would not have you ignorant brethren.’’
Ten years later on her 50th birthday, the pastor asked, ‘‘Is that great Thessalonian passage still your life verse?’’ She replied, ‘‘No, pastor. Now I prefer Luke 9:23. If any man will come after me, let him.’’
Well, Psalm 13 could indeed be my life’s chapter. It truly is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. It is comprised of 6 verses that spell out truth for troubled times.
That’s where Psalm 13 can be so helpful.
It begins with trouble and ends in triumph.
It starts with a problem and ends with a praise.
It opens in the valley of the shadow of death and it ends on the mountaintop of praise.
In verse 1, David is wringing his hands in despair.
By verse 6, David is lifting his hands in worship.
Our big question for the day, how do you do that? Well, to answer that, I want you to observe three simple life principles, gained from the testimony of King David.
1. The Crisis in His Life (1-2)
One of the greatest evidences of the inspiration of the Bible is its absolute gut-wrenching, unvarnished honesty. The word of God pulls no punches. There’s no façade, veneer, or pretense. You see, David is in a mess because his life is in a mess.
What exactly was going on in his life? We honestly don’t know. Some have conjectured and guessed, but guessing is all we can really do.
Charles Spurgeon - ‘‘This psalm cannot be referred to any special event in David’s history. All attempts to find it a birthplace are but guesses. It was doubtless more than once the language of that much tried man of God and is intended to express the feelings of the people of God in those ever-re ...
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