A Road Map for Life | Beginning With GodSample

SOME GOOD NEWS IN A WORLD OF BAD NEWS (Psalm 9)

It is amazing that as you begin to read Scripture, it is like reading about the world around you. It is so relevant because truth endures to all generations. When you come to Psalm 9, you come to a psalm for the world in which we live. If you have been watching the news and keeping tabs on what is going on around the world, if you see all the wickedness and all the violence in our society, then Psalm 9 is for you today.

Look at verses 1-2. “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”

You would think by the tone so far, David must have been having a really good day, maybe on vacation and just enjoying life. However, it is believed that Psalm 9 was written after the victory over Goliath. So these are the words of a man who had been in the battle and near death. He already knew what it was like to deal with one’s enemies.

Verse 3: “When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.” Remember how the Philistine army turned and fled after Goliath fell.

Verses 4-6: “For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.”

What is he saying? He is saying that in the end, all the enemies of God and all the enemies of truth and right are going to be defeated. They will all fall, and the One who has always been on the throne will still be on the throne — our great God.

As you read through Psalm 9 and try to view it from David's perspective after his victory over Goliath, it really gives you a whole new sense of what must have been going through his heart and mind, instead of just reveling in what he accomplished. Instead of just thinking about those wicked people, he turned his attention to God.

What do we learn about God in this passage? Let’s find out, starting with verse 7. “But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.”

God is going to last forever. There is no end to our God. He will endure. Governments come and go. Leaders come and go. Seasons come and go. But God is the eternal God. The everlasting God. He will endure forever.

Verse 8: “And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”

God is the ultimate judge. His judgments are always right. We know that in the end, He is going to deal with every Goliath. He will take care of every Philistine army.

Verse 9: “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

God will be a refuge for His people. He will not only take care of the enemies in the end; He will also take care of you and me today. You do not have to wait to the end for victory. You can have victory right now.

The Lord is a hiding place, where every person can go in the midst of great calamity and find peace. In the midst of a mixed-up world and a messed-up society, you can find order. You can find grace. You can find help. All of that is found in the Lord.

I love verse 10: “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Do you know His name today? Do you know Him personally? He is the One who never forsakes us.

In addition to the things in David’s life and the great truths about God, what does this psalm point out for us? Consider these simple thoughts.

Stop listening to all of the bad news. Sometimes our 24-hour news cycle can fight against our faith if we are not careful because all we hear is the bad. Everything we see is from man’s perspective. Get your eyes on the Lord and remember who He is.

Verse 11 changes the entire tone of the psalm. “Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

We need more of God’s people to talk like God’s people. We need more Christians to talk about Christ. We need more of those who have experienced the goodness of God to rehearse the goodness of God to other people.

Instead of thinking about all that is going on in the world, think about the God who is above all. Then talk to God about it when you are troubled and don’t know what to do, instead of just talking to everybody else.

Talk to the Lord. Look at verses 13-14. “Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.”

He began by thinking about the Lord and rehearsing the goodness of God. Then he brought his troubles to God in prayer, just explaining it to Him. God wants you to talk to Him about what is in your heart. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Pet. 5:7). I think sometimes instead of posting on social media, we would do better to go to a quiet room, get on our knees, and tell God, the only person who can actually do something about it.

If you are worried about the situation around you and wondering how this is all going to end, take heart in the fact that our God is still on the throne.

Take comfort in verses 17-20. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.”

If you want encouragement today, remember that you are just you, and God is still God. Meditate on this truth today.

This is a psalm for the world in which we live. Every nation that turns away from God someday will be turned into hell. All of those who stand against God someday will fall. But all of those who run to Him, who rest in Him, who find their refuge in Him, all of them will be kept by Him - now and for all eternity.

Don’t take your news from the media today. Take your news from the God who never changes. Let Psalm 9 encourage your faith and it just might encourage somebody else’s faith today. Talk to someone else about how good and wonderful your God is.

All of this is going to end, but our God is going to endure forever.