When I Awake…

Introduction

Thank you, John. That was that was very well done. And we coordinated some of those songs for this morning’s lesson, especially the last two. And so think about waking the dawn with praises as we go along this morning. You’ve noticed a few glitches in our PowerPoint presentation this morning. We are completely trying a new system today. And we’re going to get all the kinks worked out. We had a major kink at the last second that caused things to be slow at the start. So just be patient. I don’t know what my slides look like today. I’m hoping they’re what I saw when I was at home. But I have no guarantees. But Daniel says I’m good. And they’ve done a lot of work to get us to this place today.

It’s been very painstaking, a lot of planning. And there’s been a there’s been a laptop right here for a long time. And it’s no longer here. Everything’s being run from up there, and I can now stand here for the first time. Wanted to do that for a long time. You know how I like to roam. Let me scare the visitors, okay? Last Sunday morning I preached for 40 minutes. That’s not normal. I like to keep Sunday morning especially around 30. And as I was preparing these thoughts, I said, I don’t plan to do that today. How long I preach really today depends upon me. It depends upon me. And now that this sermon has become what it is, I have no idea. But I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be longer than last week.

So I want to get to it. But before I do, the irony of how long last Sunday morning’s sermon was, which are all still available, by the way. If you want to watch something from the past, they’re all still available. We can tell you how to do that. The irony is that last Saturday, the day before I preached this abnormally long sermon, one of the members sent me this. Oh, I got ahead of me. Oh, that ringed everything. That was my moment. Okay, so we’ve got some glitches. I think there’s a hesitation here, guys. Okay, there’s a hesitation. Okay. So one of the members, I was going to ask you to guess which member sent me this. And most of you, most of you were going to think, John.

Okay, the song leader, if you don’t know that was. Yes, this was John. Now I’ve altered it from its original state. It said pastor, and I’m not a pastor. So I just put my name on there because that’s what he meant. That what’s standing in the way of you right now, and your restaurant is me. I love John. In a painful sort of way, sometimes. But that led me to this that you’ve already seen.

I was trying to find a way to get this into the PowerPoint, and this was the avenue. Now, all of you don’t know about this, but the reason why there’s laughter is that there was a calendar made. It’s the John and Micah calendar. And all I gotta say, Micah, is that your collateral damage this morning. And this is one of twelve pictures that now you need to see. Okay? I have this calendar, and that’s where the picture came from for this. I have this calendar on the wall in my office, and it provides me humor on a regular basis. You need to see the other pictures. Things do come back to roost. Now let’s turn your attention to the more awesome word of God.

An extraordinary psalm that I’ve I’ve read and studied many times through the years. It continues to spellbind me every time I read it. And probably more this week than ever before. And it is a psalm of David, the sweet singer of Israel. And the psalm is about God knowing us intimately. And these are thoughts by Derek Kidner, who is one of the most concise yet elegant, eloquent commentators that I’ve ever known. I love everything Kidner does. And he says, I don’t know if I agree with everything he says, I haven’t read it all. Any small thoughts of God are magnificently transcended by this psalm. If you have small thoughts of God, this psalm takes you way behind, way beyond those thoughts. Yet, for all of its height and for all of its depth, it remains intensely personal from first to last.

If you’re looking at the psalm, you will realize that it begins with thoughts about God’s omniscience. That is the things that God knows. He has searched me and known me. There’s the intimacy with David himself. You know when I sit down and when I rise up.

You’ve enclosed me behind and before, and you’ve laid your hand on me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. He states the omniscience of God not as a doctrine, but in adoration. Personal, active. The knowledge of God discerns us, sifts us, handles us, knows us better than we know ourselves. And then he says, God is omnipresent. The omnipresence of God. Where can I go to flee from God? Such knowledge might compel me to flee, but where are you going to go? In search story of Jonah here. You might want to avoid this psalmist suggesting. The age old impulse to flee from God. Like a child running from his parent. Have you ever done that? I’m in trouble, and when he catches me, I’m dead. But you know what’s futile about that?

Usually your parent will catch you and will outrun you. Instead of running from God’s nearness, embrace it. And then he comes to verses 13 through 18, and I must confess that I had not seen the connection before. What happens in verses 13 through 18 really flows out of the first two sections of the psalm. Omniscience and omnipresent. To God’s all creative power. And the point that is overwhelming David is that as he is skillfully wrought in the depths, fearfully and wonderfully made in the womb of his mother, that God’s knowledge, God’s presence is indicated that he is the author of every detail of my being. Every detail. And so the thought of the Psalm is this.

And God is might. And so here’s the thought. God surrounds me, his faithful child. God surrounds you, his faithful child. God surrounds you at all hours and at all times. And that blew David away. That knowledge. God is with me. And I am with him. Life indeed. And so we come to the verse that I want to share with you this morning. Building on those thoughts, how precious also are your thoughts to me, O God. How great. How vast, some translations say. How great and how vast is the sum of them. All of God’s thoughts, all of his intimate knowledge, the fact that he created the heavens and he knows all the stars and gives names to them all, that he is abundant in strength. And when I think of God’s knowledge, if I should count the thoughts of God, they would be more in number than the sand.

And speaking of being surrounded by the presence of God, the knowledge of God, he says, When I awake, I am still with you. Okay, so now you understand what’s going on in the Psalm, and now I’m here to tell you, I am teaching today for one purpose, one goal for you to appreciate what David says in verse 18. And for that to become you if it is not already. Wouldn’t you like to wake up every day? And the first thought that hits your mind is, I am with God. I must tell you, I’ve read this verse hundreds of times, and I’ve wondered, how do I get there? How did David get there? How can I, like David, more consistently? I know, I know there, and David is probably not saying that this has been characteristic of every day of his life.

But this was the norm. How can I, like David, more consistently have God as my first thought when I wake? I love to preach sermons that have an application to everybody. There isn’t anybody here today who cannot benefit from this message. You can grow closer in your walk with God. This is capable. You are capable of this. And to know the joy and peace in the depth of your soul in regard to your relationship with God that you have never known before. One thing this says, and this is one thing I harp on a lot, but I’ll take the opportunity to do it again. One thing this says is that David is godly. He is focused on God. And we should live godly because we need him.

Whether we realize it or not. If you don’t realize it, you try to run. Like Jonah did. I don’t want any part of that. I don’t trust that. I don’t believe that. I’m doing my own thing. Let’s see what that does for you ultimately. I want to suggest to you that David realized his need for God. And we should live godly. We have every reason to embrace him because he is awesome in person and he is awesome in works. Insult. That’s not right. Insert. Don’t mean to insult anybody. Insert the rest of the Psalms right here at this point. Everything you know about the Psalms. I will lift my eyes to the hills from whence my help comes. God is a refuge and a present help in times of trouble.

1. Spiritual Training

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Wait a minute. Who wrote that? David. The whole Psalms, the whole Bible is about the works and person of God. And the promises. Oh, standing on the promises more than sitting on the premises. Standing on the promises of God. And beyond all of that, if that is not enough, and it is more than enough, God offers his help to his people. That’s why you end up where David did. When you appreciate that, and you realize that right there, when I awake, I am still with you. How did David get there? Had to involve spiritual training. Why was Timothy a man of God? Oh man of God. Paul calls him in 1 Timothy 6 and verse 11. How did he get there?

His grandmother and mother, Lois and Eunice, and the faith that dwelt in them. No males are mentioned. Two females. A godly grandmother and mother. And the things Paul says, of which you have been convinced from your youth. 2 Timothy 3, 14 and 15. And may I suggest that was true of David? Remember his anointing. When Samuel comes to the house of Jesse, and he says at the very beginning, remember in this process that the Lord is looking upon the heart. And so in comes Eliap, the oldest. Surely it’s him, a scrapping young man. He’s going to be the next king of Israel. And Samuel, by the direction of God, says, not him. God looks upon the heart. David is already a man of faith. Where did that come from?

His parents. Okay, I already told you what his dad’s name is. You did know that Jesse was the name of David’s dad. Do you know the name of his mother? Bible trivia 101. I love it. I love it. Who is David’s mother? You know what’s interesting about this is that a lot of the kings, their mothers’ names are mentioned. Some because those mothers have a bearing on the biblical story, like Jezebel and Athaliah. But some they really have no relevance to the events that unfold in the scripture. So here is this key figure in the Old Testament who plays heavily in teaching in the New Testament. The great David, the king after God’s own heart, who served the purpose of God and his generation. And so we know that this training must have emanated from his youth, and his father’s name was Jesse.

Have you figured out his mother’s name?

You know what I’m about to say, right? She’s not mentioned by name in the scripture. Now, I just want to pause right here and say, that blows me away. She’s nameless. The Jewish Talmud calls her Nitzvet. And so I think it just might be that it was so hard to pronounce it didn’t get included. But no, that’s a bad idea. I mean, Nitzhavet. So I’m going to go with it because at least the Jews thought that was her name. But you know, she is referenced twice in David’s life. She’s referenced in 1 Samuel 22, when David refers to the fact that he’s running from Saul and he is at the cave of Adulum, and his family hears about it. And they come to him, and as they come to him at Adulum, they then go to Mitzpah and Moab and the king there, and David says, Can my mother and my father, as well as his brothers, can my family and my mother and my father have sanctuary here with you?

And so there’s mom. Mom’s with Jesse, and they come to Mitzpah, and what’s cool is Gad the prophet comes to them while they’re there, and Gad says, Don’t stay here. Now we’re not told why. It must have something to do with Saul, or it could be a lot of things. He says, Don’t stay here. There’s one other reference to Mom. And the other reference to Mom is actually in Psalm 86 and verse 16. Turn to me, David says, and have mercy on me. Show your strength in behalf of your servant. Save me. Because I serve you just as my mother did. Isn’t that cool? Nitzavet. You’ll be able to say it when you leave. Maybe that was her name. Maybe that’s right in the Jewish town.

He said, faith started with mom. Faith from mom and dad. You know, you don’t get to where David was without training. Now you may not have had parents who introduce you to the truth, but you’re going to need spiritual training. You’re going to need spiritual training to get there. And that’s what we’re doing here today. You know what’s even cooler about this? And I don’t have time to explore all this. I want you to think about how much access to truth that David had. We have this whole Bible. He had just a little smidgen of the Old Testament. I’m guessing they had their own personal copy, or maybe they only learned it in public assembly. But his knowledge of the truth. And so when the psalmist just goes eloquent about the word of God in Psalm 119, he’s not talking about the whole package.

2. Assurances of God's Presence

He’s talking about just the part of the Old Testament that he had. And yet he was in love with God’s truth and the guidance that it gave and the counsel and the wisdom that came from God. Spiritual training. Point number two. This is what struck me in the study of this awesome phrase. When I awake, I am still with you. Assurances of God’s presence. You know, David did not wake up in the morning and say, Yep. I wonder if this whole faith thing is real. I wonder if God is really there. Oh no. No. No. That didn’t happen by this time in David’s life. Remember the anointing? Eliab, no. Second, Abinadab, no. Shamma, not him. How many more sons you got? Seven of them parade him.

Not them. You got any more? Oh, yeah, there’s one little guy, handsome, young, ruddy in appearance. David marches in before Samuel. You.

Okay, so David, whoa. My life is going to be extraordinary. And think about all of the problems that happen before David can get from the anointing to the inauguration. The journey, the cave at Adula. The Psalms of Distress that he writes. Running for his life. And so then when the improbable happens, he becomes the king. Huh. Isn’t that amazing? That God predicted that so long ago when it seemed impossible. What is impossible to men is possible to God. Remember what he said when he faces Goliath? How much faith did David have? When nobody else would face the giant. He is outmatched, overmatched. In typical warfare, he has no chance. You are defying the armies of the living God. And this day, the Lord is going to deliver you into my hand.

Not only does he have that confidence before the battle, that’s exactly what happens in the battle. And after the battle, David doesn’t say, I wonder if God was with me.

And then there’s survival from the hand of Saul. Saul is slain as thousands. David is ten thousand. Saul is provoked with jealousy, chases him all over the place. Two times. David has a chance to kill Saul and refrains because he’s the Lord’s anointed. And all the way along he knows.

And boy, this could be 30 minutes, but I’m not gonna do it. Jonathan. Jonathan. I love John. Saul’s son. He comes to David at Horash. David’s on the run. He comes to David at Horash and says, It says that he encouraged him in God. Now this is this is Saul’s son. He encouraged him in God. And he says, You will be king. That’s extraordinary. You will be king, and then a tragic statement to me. I will be next to you. That didn’t happen. I wish it could have in the plan of God, but for some reason Jonathan had to die on Mount Gilboa with his dad. But he was right about what he knew for sure. And that is that David will be the next king.

There’s a threat to David’s throne, Ishbesheth, the remaining son of Saul. And that’s put down. And so everybody comes to the stronghold. You need to see this in 2 Samuel chapter 5. Everybody comes to David’s stronghold in Hebron before it is moved to Zion, the holy city. And after the Ishbasheth a tempt is thrown down. When Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in, the people say. You are bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. And the Lord said to you will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel. Even the people know this is the doing of God. And then Uzzah.

David was afraid of God that day. When Uzzah perished. And finally, God’s voice. All the way along, all the way along, he has access to God’s voice. There are two prophets in particular mentioned in 1 Chronicles 29, who were his counselors. Gad, who came to him in the stronghold of Mitzvah. Nathan, the prophet, who is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 29. Thank you, Aaron, for that little piece. And the conversation that takes place over Bathsheba. Now I’m referencing this for this reason. I don’t want to go over the whole story. When David sins with Bathsheba, Uriah is killed, and Nathan comes in, the prophet and tells the story about the little you lamb, and David says that man deserves to die. And Nathan says, You’re the man.

And then he says, This is going to be the result of what you’ve done. Guess what happens? Henceforth. Everything Nathan said is going to happen. You’ll have foes within your own household, Absalom, when the whole Absalom thing happens. Nathan told him that long ago. He didn’t like it, but he embraced it. But even more. Bathsheba has conceived and bears a child. That child will die. So when the child dies, David gets up. He mourns until the child dies. And when the child dies, he gets up, dust himself off. Got to go forward. This is what God said would happen. Solomon is born, he’s the next in line to the throne. Okay, so let me get to the crux of this. Man, I’m only at 30 minutes.

3. Practice Devotion That Cements Faith

Five more minutes. How did David get there? How did he get to when I awake, I am still with you? Here it is. And this is where you have to go. And this is where I have to go. God had been real to David his whole life. The reason why we struggle in faith is that we question God’s realness, his nearness, and that he encloses us behind and before. And he knows everything about us. And that he loves us and can direct his power toward us. And that leads us to, because of the spiritual training, because we need more training, because we are absolutely certain that God is, and that he is intimately acquainted with all my ways. That leads me, that compels me to practice devotion that further cements this response to God.

You pull your way, you pull yourself away from devotion, and you’re going to lose this. You won’t have that. You won’t know real life indeed. You will not. You cannot. So when we talk and beat people over the head, you need to come church, you need to come church. That’s not starting in the right place. This is where you start. It’s the long practice devotion that keeps cementing the faith that leads us to God. I’m going to talk about prayer tonight at 5 o’clock. I would think this lesson, if you’ve been honed in on it, if your stomach is not growling because of John, that you would want to hear more about communing with God and prayer like David. And this is the man who said, I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.

And you know, when I quote Psalm 122 in verse 1, I realize I talk to people sometimes that, well, you know, I had to, I had to sort of force myself. I had to get up earlier than I wanted and do all the preparations and get out the door early on a Sunday morning, and there were other things I wanted to do. You know, and I’m glad you’re here. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you’re here. But wouldn’t it have been better if you would have wakened on the Lord’s day and said, I can’t wait. I can’t wait to worship God with His people. Keep practicing devotion. And you’ll get there. And you’ll be able to say with the shepherd. As David contemplated in his spiritual training way back when he was out tending the sheep, the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want.

4. Wake Up With God, End Your Day With God

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For your rod and your staff, they comfort me. One final thought. If you’re going to wake up with God, you’re probably going to end your day with God. And the one leads to the other. If God is a distant thought for you all day Monday, all day Monday. And I would just say, this is the reason why we need to pray before meals. And I mean, it’s not a rule. You can eat food without praying. If so, if you have to pray before every meal, then when you eat popcorn on the couch at night, you need to pray before that too. And that’s not typically been my practice. But it might be good to say, God thank you for the popcorn because it’s really good.

Thank you for the ice cream that I’m having here before bed. But you know what prayer before meals does? It keeps thoughts of God regularly throughout your day. If you want to pray in the car before you eat, or if you forget to pray and pray after the meal, it doesn’t matter to me. You need to have regular thoughts about God. Because if God, if God is only a Sunday thing, and you go home and Monday, God is not a thing in your life, you won’t get there. You will not.

Conclusion

Perhaps in this statement, there is even a glimpse of the ultimate of the resurrection. When ultimately the Lord’s people will awake unto eternity with him.

You may think, wow, I’m not there. Whatever he’s been talking about today, I don’t get it, don’t really know how to get there. I mean, he talked about some things that I know I can do, but I’m not there. Okay. Okay. But David is telling you. And I’m telling you, there is great treasure here. Great. Great treasure. And then the Psalm concludes Search me God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is in any way something offensive in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. Boy, put that on your prayer list. Lead me. Oh God. He leadeth. O blessed thought. Lead me in the everlasting way. Walk on higher ground. Let’s stand and say.