TROUBLED WATERS -- SURE SIGN OF A MIRACLE
TEXT: Psalm 69:1-2; Psalm 89:8-9
Psalm 69:1-2 -- Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
Psalm 89:8-9 -- O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
l. INTRODUCTION -- TROUBLE
A. General
The New England Primer -- Our days begin with trouble here, Our life is but a span, And cruel death is always near, So frail a thing is man.
An Old Negro Spiritual -- Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, Nobody knows but Jesus.
-There is an understanding that life often times can be a time of trouble. Our tendency to become despondent and even depressed throughout the twists and turns that life may deal to us is all too common to many of us.
-Depression is a word that many have come to dread. Yet, it becomes a constant companion to them because of an inability to understand what the Word of God states.
B. Biblical
-Some of the Psalms seem to indicate that life is many times a struggle, a great wrestling match. Things competing with our spiritual relationship with God. Substitutes always have the capacity to rob men of their spiritual power. When the substitutes, being far inferior to the anointing of the Spirit, invade sacred territory (the heart of men) often trouble sets in.
Psalm 25:17 -- The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Psalm 40:11-12 -- Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
Psalm 69:14-15 -- Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Psalm 130:1-2 -- Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
-These are just a few of the cries of a man who is in trouble from the Psalms. Just as the Psalms seem to reach the peaks of the discoveries of the treasures of God they also have the tones of difficulty woven throughout.
-Such is the making of a man of God and by that one should understand that man of God has the application for every saint and not just those who fill the great responsibilities of a divine calling on their life. Every man is a man of God who has been filled with the Spirit.
ll. PSALM 69
-The Psalmist in the first text begans to pour out his heart before God. One notes that as he reads through the text, it starts off in distress and progressively displays the state of a man who is in trouble.
-Some commentators are divided as to whom the author of this particular Psalm really is. Some feel that David is the one who held the pen and others feel that it was the writings of Jeremiah.
-Those who contend that Jeremiah was the author attribute it to him because of the mentioning of the deep mire. They argue that there is no correlation in the life of David that mirror the details from this Psalm.
-Those who contend that David is the author do so on the best method of reference in terms of Bible study. They go to the New Testament, specifically to the book of Romans where Paul is quoting David:
Romans 11:9-10 -- And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
-Paul in quoting David reaches back to Psalm 69:22-23. Therefore the strongest contention that David is the author is proved merely by the Word of God.
A. Outline of Psalm 69
-In understanding this particular Psalm it is good to have an understanding of the flow of the content that is found there. The title for simply a reference point could be entitled: Innocent Suffering.
-It becomes perfectly clear that David is speaking of rough handling that came from his own countrymen and not a foreign adversary. Raging waters throughout the Word of God is often paralell to a distressed soul, whether it is a saint or a sinner.
-Phillips Brooks, a great preacher at the turn of the century, states that every man will have to struggle and fight with his own Dark Night of the Soul. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, another minister in England during World War ll echoed those same sentiments. Yet, looking past these men into the pages of Scripture, some of God’s greatest men had perplexing times.
-Such were:
Moses
Elijah
Job
Paul
-Yet, despite all of the troubling waters that they found swirling around them, they overcame the fog of doubt and disillusioning factors that could have eliminated them from becoming some of God’s most powerful tools.
-This Psalm gives to us the same feeling. However, it was a king who was experiencing the Dark Night of the Soul. The Song is divided into two main parts, each consisting of 18 verses. (OUTLINE FOLLOWS-John Phillips)
l. HIS CONDITION -- VV. 1-6
Sinking in mud.
Overwhelmed by a flood.
Eyes that are red from crying.
A throat that is parched.
Robbed of a sense of justice.
A pitiful prayer to be saved from it all.
ll. HIS CLAIM -- VV. 7-12
His sufferings are not due to his own sins.
They come because of his devotion to God.
He became the gossip of the gate.
He became the song of those drunken partiers.
He becomes clear on his choices: Take refuge in God or retaliate with hatred.
lll. HIS CRY -- VV. 13-18
A prayer from the depths of the soul.
A prayer that faith begans to rise up in.
An understanding that deliverance will come.
An faith that sees God hear him, draw near to him, and redeem him.
But deliverance comes in God’s own time (allow God call the shots).
A faith that is a submitted and committed faith.
lV. HIS CALAMITY -- VV. 19-21
David outlines what would later prove to be a Messianic prophecy.
Earlier in verse 5, David had admitted to his own foolishness.
Now in verse 20, David brings himself to admit his own reproaches.
It is always good to take refuge both with sin and with suffering.
God knows both the place of sin but he also knows the place of suffering.
V. HIS CURSE -- VV. 22-28
He admits the importance of taking refuge in God.
Despite his refuge, David begans to utter fierce thoughts concerning his detractors.
It is a prayer that is sharply in contrast with the NT prayers of both Jesus and Stephen.
However, an underlying principle of ethics is brought to mind: Right is right and wrong is wrong.
Vl. HIS CONFIDENCE -- VV. 29-36
Then David begans to feel that anointing once again.
God will deliver, therefore the righteous must be encouraged.
Zion will be established and prosperous.
The Church will be established and be prosperous.
-What a powerful understanding of what God can really do if men are only faithful to their relationship with Him.
B. When Did David Write This Psalm?
-This Psalm brings the question to our minds, of when and under what circumstances did David write such a Psalm.
Was it written in later years in his memory of how Saul had attempted to destroy his life?
Was it written with the idea of Saul being responsible for the elimination of his friendship with Jonathon?
Was it written when Shimei had began to curse him and humiliate him publicly after the death of Saul?
Was it written when all of the tribes of Israel refused to recognize him as their true king?
Was it written under the weight of guilt that his sin with Bathsheba had created?
Was it written when he was dealing with the turmoil of his son, Absalom=s, attempted coup?
Was it written while he watched the treacheries of Joab being carried on?
Was it written when the conflict arose between Solomon and Adonijah?
-Much to the surprise of many people, there is a price that comes with being a man after the heart of God. David endured all of this during his lifetime and still had the presence of mind to continue to serve a just God.
-Serving God is all about rebounding from the bounces that life sometimes may bring our way:
Failure -- Jonah understood the importance of following through on his obedience to God.
Disappointment -- When God disappointed David by not allowing him to build a Temple, he had to go on.
Destruction -- Job knew that regardless of what was taken from him in this life, it would only benefit him in the life to come.
Mistakes -- Noah the man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord, got drunk and caused a curse to rest on one of his sons.
-Troubled waters can always be a sure sign of a miracle if we make the adjustments that come from a Spirit-led life.
-At every turn of life, we have a God who is able, who is abundantly able, who is exceedingly, abundantly able.
Ephesians 3:19-21 -- And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
-When the waters rage, there is a God who can reach to the lowest point and give life and rest to the weary. Hope is not far off to those who are faithful to the Creator.
lll. PSALM 89
-Somewhere between Psalm 69 and Psalm 89, God stepped on the scene and brought victory to the life of the distressed. Yet, Psalm 89 does not come from the pen of David, it comes from one of the royal musicians who graced the courts in Jerusalem.
-It was here that Ethan the Ezrahite began to witness the works of God in the life of David. It is always beneficial to have a personal testimony of God in our lives but when those who are around us began to notice that God has indeed been present, it has the great tendency to make God even more real to us.
-This is what happened with David. Regardless of what trouble that he had to walk through there was a God who had the ability to control the trouble waters around him. One of the keys to great faith is having a very clear understanding of what God can do with troubled waters.
-You are no different from David. You may have:
A world full of trouble.
A struggle with discouragement.
A bout with depression.
Family problems.
Job problems.
Spiritual problems.
-Everything that can go wrong is going wrong and what isn’t going wrong you are fully expecting it to fall apart in the next 24-48 hours. The more that you struggle and fight, the deeper the mud and mire seems to pull you down.
-You are on the bottom and covered with trouble.
lV. TROUBLED WATERS -- SURE SIGN OF A MIRACLE
-Little do you realize that you have just entered the zone that God works in best. He has the ability to put your trouble beneath your feet. He has the ability to give you the power to tread on the Serpent.
A. Moses at The Red Sea
-Perhaps the most famous of the Old Testament stories of troubled waters had to do with Moses and the Children of Israel at the Red Sea.
-They had fled in the middle of the night, the Passover had been instituted, now they were free to go. No more bondage, no more taskmasters, no more hard times, they were on their way to the Promised Land, four hundred years of hard times about to be history.
-The excitement was at a fevered pitch, enthusiasm was high, nothing could untrack them. They were on their way to the Promised Land, on their way to revival.
-Then lo and behold, look up and what do you think I see, a Red Sea right in front of me. Not just a low sea, but a high tide. Rolling and troubling waters. There sits the old devil looking right down at me and asks how in the world did I get myself into this jam.
-But instead of ringing his hands, Moses heard the voice of God: Stretch forth your rod. The east winds began to blow. The troubled waters stood to the attention of the heavens and the Israelites walked through on dry land. Pharoah and his armies went down in the waters.
-Troubled Waters of the Red Sea -- Sure sign of a miracle.
Discouragment -- Sure sign of a miracle.
Depression -- Sure sign of a miracle.
Doubt -- Sure sign of a miracle.
Stigma of past mistakes and failures -- Sure sign of a miracle.
Financial Setbacks -- Sure sign of a miracle.
Family Problems -- Sure sign of a miracle.
You fill in the blank -- Sure sign of a miracle.
B. A Long List of Troubled Waters
-Job informed us that life would be a few days and full of trouble.
In the German art galleries there hangs a painting called "Cloud Lane." It hangs at the end of a long dark hall. On first glance it appears to be nothing more than a huge, ugly mass of confused color that is foreboding. However, the closer that one gets to the painting, there is portrayed on the canvas an innumberable company of angels. How often men are tempted to run when trials and temptations began to have free course in their lives. Yet, looking through the eyes of faith, men often find that ministering spirits are sent from Heaven to help them through the difficult times of life.
Isaiah 59:19 -- So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Other signs of troubled water:
Elisha -- ll Kings 2 -- A bad spring that no man could drink from and Elisha pitched salt into the water and it became clear and of full benefit to drink.
Noah -- Genesis 7 -- The great sin of the people and it was on the troubling waters that God gave him an ark for him and his family.
Moses -- Exodus 15 -- The bitter waters at Marah were sweetened.
Joshua -- Joshua 4 -- The Jordan River had to be crossed at the flood stage. The priests stepped into the waters and God parted them again.
Jonah -- Jonah 2-3 -- Jonah was thrown overboard in the midst of a raging storm. What looked like the end was really the beginning. God prepared a great fish to carry him to the people of Nineveh.
The Disciples -- Matthew 8, Mark 4 -- In the middle of the troubled waters, PEACE BE STILL!!!
V. CONCLUSION -- I’VE BEEN DELIVERED
Jesus healed the blind man and made him see,
Cast demons out of the man of Gadarene,
Cleansed the lepers too,
He made the lame brand new,
He put hope back into a hopeless life,
He saved a man close to death,
He gave a boy with asthma back his breath,
The best miracle to see
Is when He sets you free,
You know you’re free indeed.
I’ve been delivered,
I’ve been delivered,
The hold the devil had on me,
He ain’t got no more on me!!!
-You know as well as I know that the anointing breaks the yokes of the bondage of sin. There is something about the last few weeks that I feel that through the power of prayer, I am starting to get some leverage on the snake.
Troubled waters of high walls that hold people captive are coming down!
Are you sick and tired of being down and out and want to be up and coming? Your ripe for a miracle!
Are you ready to put some devils to flight in your life?
Are you ready to ransack the kingdom of darkness?
Are you ready to let some strongholds fall?
Look fear in the face and declare: It’s my time.
Look failure in the face and declare: It’s my time.
-It’s not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit saith the Lord. I challenge you to forget about the troubled waters around you. Invoke the name of Jesus Christ over the difficulties that have set you back.
Forget the person next to you
Forget the trials that you are in right now
Forget past failures
Forget about tomorrow
Forget about who has talked about you
Forget about who has tried to bring their injustice to your life
Forget about your backslidings
Forget about everything but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philip Harrelson
barnabas14@yahoo.com
