Thanks very much, Jamie and band.
Welcome everyone again. Thank you for coming out this evening.
You'll be pleased to know we have a more upbeat psalm today, both on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Recently, we've had some psalms that talk about the problem the psalmist has had,
some caused by sin, some caused by a difficult in discerning God's presence.
This evening, we're looking at someone who's come out of that situation
and is able to praise God for his deliverance from it.
So let's read it together and then we'll look at what God's got to say to us through it.
So Psalm 30, heading in my Bible says,
A Psalm, a song for the dedication of the temple of David.
David writes,
I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies float over me.
Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the grave.
You spared me from going down to the pit.
Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people.
Praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts but only a moment,
but his favour lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
When I felt secure, I said,
I will never be shaken.
Lord, when you favoured me,
you made my royal mountain stand firm.
But when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
To you, O Lord, I called.
To the Lord I cried for mercy.
What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
Hear, Lord,
and be merciful to me.
Lord,
be my help.
You turn my wailing into dancing.
You remove my sackcloth
and clothe me with joy
that my heart may sing your praises
and not be silent.
Lord,
my God,
I will praise you forever.
I'm sure God will bless his word
as we consider it together.
One of the things I think we've learned
as we've looked at quite a number of psalms
over recent months
is that it's always worth having a look at the heading.
The heading and psalms, I think,
are a bit like chapter and verse divisions
in our Bible.
They're not a part of the inspired scripture.
Their helps have been added
to give us some guidance
as we seek to understand
what God is saying to us.
So very often,
the headings for the psalms
give us some kind of indication
of the circumstances
in which they were written,
and that then can help us
to relate them to our lives.
I think the heading for this psalm
is quite interesting.
It starts off a psalm,
a song,
fair enough,
good repetition there,
but it then says,
for the dedication of the temple of David.
That creates two difficulties,
I think,
that we need to think about.
The first thing is,
if you know anything
about the life of David,
one thing you'll know
is he didn't build the temple,
and he actually wasn't there
when the temple was dedicated.
The temple was built
under God's instructions
by David's son, Solomon.
Now, David did everything
but build the temple.
All Solomon had to do
was to call the builders in
and to use the materials
that David had got together
in the place
which David had prepared
and to get the temple put up.
But David didn't build the temple,
and he wasn't there
at its dedication.
So why do we have
a psalm of David
that is for dedication
of the temple?
What number of possible
explanations for that?
The word that is translated
as temple actually,
it literally means house
in the original Hebrew.
So it's possible
that it was the dedication
of David's house,
this palace that's being talked about,
though most scholars think not
that it actually was the temple.
Perhaps David,
knowing that the temple
was going to be built
and would be finished
a few years after his death,
he wrote a song,
he wrote a psalm
that would be appropriate
for singing
at the dedication
of the temple,
quite possible.
Or the other possibility
is that actually
the words for the dedication
of the temple
were added later.
And the dedication
of the temple
being talked about
is not necessarily
the temple built by Solomon,
it might be the restoration
of the temple
under Ezra,
or perhaps even more likely
is the rededication
of the temple
by the Maccabees
after Antiochus Epiphanes
had desecrated it
and the Jews
cast him out
and then they rededicated
the temple to God.
This is not in the Old Testament,
it's in the Apocrypha,
but it is Jewish history.
And what will give support
to that is that
the word dedication here
is the word Hanukkah.
And Hanukkah, of course,
is the festival
that celebrates,
the Jewish festival,
celebrates the Maccabees
and what they did.
So a little interesting puzzle there,
probably no great
practical relevance to us.
The second thing, though,
I think is of more relevance
and it's worth a bit of thought.
And that is,
what does this psalm
have to do
with the dedication
of a temple?
Why would someone think
that this psalm
that we've read together
is one that's
particularly appropriate
when the temple
is being dedicated?
Now, if we look back
to when the temple
actually was dedicated
under Solomon,
you have Solomon's
great prayer.
And Solomon's great prayer
has this wonderful vision
of God.
It's Lord,
the God of Israel,
there is no God
like you in heaven
or on earth.
You who keep
your covenant of love
with your servants,
who continue wholehearted
in your way,
and so on.
Solomon's dedication
of the temple
had a very high vision
of God
and of his greatness
and of his dealings
with his people,
Israel.
But this psalm
is just one man's testimony.
It's not about
God's dealings
with Israel
and the great sweep
of history.
It's one person
who's gone through
a time of difficulty
and God has brought them out
and he is asking others
to celebrate with him.
So why is it a psalm
that's of particular relevance
to the dedication
of the temple?
Again, I think,
two reasons.
One is that the theme
of this psalm
is God's mercy.
That the psalmist
had got into this situation
where he was probably
very ill,
probably on the point of death,
and God in his mercy
and his grace
rescues him from that.
And of course,
the temple is the place
of God's mercy.
It's where the people
were able to come
to meet with God
and where sacrifices
were made for sins.
Indeed, if we'd read on
in Solomon's prayer
in 2 Chronicles 6,
we'd have seen
that most of that prayer
is about the Israelites
being disobedient to God.
God then disciplines
them for it,
whether it's through
foreign armies coming in
or through famines
or whatever.
And Solomon's praying,
when they turn back
to you, God,
listen to them
and in your mercy
show forgiveness.
So what we read about
in 2 Chronicles 6,
specifically in relation
to the temple
as it has been built,
on a national level,
I think we see
on the individual level
in Psalm 30.
Here is a psalm
that reminds us
of the mercy of God
as the temple reminds us
of the mercy of God.
And of course,
for us as believers
in the Lord Jesus,
as the cross of Christ
above all else,
reminds us
of God's mercy to us.
Second reason why
I think this is a psalm
that is relevant
to the dedication
of the temple
is that it is
an individual
who is calling
others together
to rejoice with them.
And when we come together
to worship
and to praise God,
part of what we do
is that we rejoice
in God's goodness
to us individually.
And all of us
can celebrate
what God is doing
in other people's lives.
I think it's been really good
in recent weeks and months
that we've had more people
at the All-Each service
talking a little bit
about what God is doing
in their lives
and what God means to them
day to day.
And that is a way
in which all of us
can begin to understand
more of God's goodness
and can celebrate together.
And of course,
again,
as we think of the temple,
we maybe think
largely of the Day of Atonement
and the sacrifice
for the sins of the people,
but most of the sacrifices
that were made
in the temple
were sacrifices
by individuals.
Sacrifices recognizing
their sin
or particularly
in this context,
sacrificing,
recognizing God's goodness
to them,
thank offerings
for what God
had done for them.
And so this psalm calls us
if we as Christians
have experienced
the goodness
of God
in our lives,
to share it with others,
to give thanks
to God for it,
and together
to praise him
for his goodness
to us as individuals
as well as to us
as a church.
So this is a psalm
that's relevant
to the dedication
of the temple
and very relevant
to us too
as we think
of our need
for God's mercy
and as we think too
of how we together
should praise God
for all the things
that he's doing
in our lives
as individuals.
Let's try and get
a little bit of understanding
of the structure
of the psalm.
The psalm begins
and ends
with words of praise
from David.
Verse 1,
I will exalt you,
O Lord.
And verse 12,
later at the end,
Lord my God,
I will praise you
forever.
And then in verse 4,
David takes his
personal praise
and he encourages
everyone else
to join in
with them,
sing the praises
of the Lord.
and these three
phrases there,
they are the kind
of dividers
of the psalm.
And in between them,
there are two accounts
by David
of what God
has done for him.
So first of all,
David gives
what is in many ways
the physical description
of what's happened.
He was ill,
he was on the point
of death
and God
raised him up.
That's verses 2
and 3
particularly.
And then the second
half of the psalm,
in the longest bit
of the psalm,
David, if you like,
gives the spiritual
reason for what's
happened.
And he talks about
the security he felt.
He talks about
how he was dismayed
when his world
started crumbling
around him
and he couldn't
see God's face.
God had hidden
this place from him.
He talks about
the prayer that he prayed,
that prayer for God's
mercy
and God's grace
to him.
And then at the end
he talks about
how God has turned
his life around
and has clothed
him with joy.
So essentially
a psalm with two
is not two halves
because the second
is a lot longer
than the first
but it's two
different ways
of looking at
the same thing.
One is the description
of physically
what God has done
for the psalmist
and the second
then is the
spiritual side
of things,
how he interprets
what's happened
and they're all
encapsulated
within the praise
of the psalmist.
So let's begin
and have a look
through the psalm.
I've got loads
of alliteration
this evening
hopefully it might
make it a little bit
easier to remember
and the first few
verses we're looking
at what I've called
my proclamation
David's proclamation
under the theme
of death defeated.
So here we have
David doing
the first pass
at what God
has done for him
and recognizing
that he's gone
through a near death
experience
and he's come
out of it
through God's grace.
So verse 1
he says
you lifted me
out of the depths
you did not let
my enemies gloat
over me.
Very interesting
to read the psalms
all the psalmists
seem to have
lots of enemies.
I assume these
are enemies
are people
who are
the other nations
or those who
didn't have
any time for God
but very often
you read about
the enemies
who just seem
to be waiting
to pounce
on anything bad
that happens
to the psalmist
and to put him
down even further.
So but God
doesn't let the enemies
gloat over him
because as he was
ill
as he called
to God for help
God healed him
and he says
you brought me up
from the realm
of the dead
you spared me
from going down
to the pit.
I think the natural
interpretation of this
is that the psalmist
had been very very ill
that he had perhaps
been on the point
of death
and God had healed him
he had recovered
and looking back
on things
he was able
to praise God.
He knew that God
was the one
who was stronger
than death
who was able
to rescue him
and to heal him
and to help him
and to comfort him
as the title
of our series
this evening
says to comfort him
in his time
of trouble.
Now we're not going
to spend any longer
on this
because I think
the real spiritual meat
is in later parts
of the psalm.
So let's move on
to the next two verses.
I've called this
my principle
grace guaranteed
and I think that's right
I think this is
the kind of theological
basis for what the writer
says in the psalm
but I looked at it
and thought
that looks very sterile.
The psalmist is getting
really excited here
and he's saying to me
will rejoice with me
and really think
about God's goodness.
He disciplines us
for a short time
and then
he restores us.
So I thought
we'd write things
just a little bit
and perhaps give a bit
more of a flavour
for what the psalmist
is thinking here.
You may have come across
a book called
Rob Lacey
it is called
The Word on the Street
used to be called
The Street Bible
and it's a very loose
paraphrase
of important parts
of the scripture.
And when Rob Lacey
is writing about
the psalms
he says
these are songs
they were meant
to be sung
let's imagine
what kind of style
they might be sung in
if we were singing
them in our society
today.
And he says
Psalm 30
would be a rock anthem
it would be full
of guitar riffs
and loud noises
and people dancing
about
and really getting
excited
about what's happening.
And verses 4 to 5
the verses we're
looking at here
he says
that's the chorus
that's the highlight
that's when you really
get on top of things.
So let me read
what he
translated
interprets it as
in this book.
He says
so let it rip
sing it strong
let its crew
take the roof off
with this celebration
song
his fury
didn't last so long
his favour
lasts a lifetime
we cry
through the night
but the morning sun
begins its climb
and it's
celebration
time.
That's what the
psalmist is saying
to those who are
listening or those
who are reading
it's celebration
time
it's the time
to celebrate
God's goodness
and God's
grace
to us.
And as we read
these verses
we really should be
getting quite excited
about what God
is doing
for us.
So he says
sing it appraises
the Lord
you as faithful
people
praise his holy
name
and then this
wonderful verse
verse 5
his anger
lasts only a
moment
but his favour
lasts a lifetime
weeping may stay
for the night
but rejoicing
or joy
the older verses
say joy
comes
in the morning.
Why is that?
It is because
God's grace
is guaranteed
if we turn
to him.
Now we'll be looking
in a few minutes
at the psalmist's
situation
but it looks
likely the psalmist
had been guilty
of some sin
in his life
because of his sin
God had disciplined
him
he turned to God
God restored him
to health
as well as
spiritually
and he's able
to rejoice
because he knows
that God
is a God
of grace.
God doesn't
want us
as Christians
to live lives
that are miserable
that we're always
down
and that there
are all sorts
of problems
that keep
occupying
our attention.
Sometimes he will
discipline us
sometimes he will
in the words
of the psalm
be angry
with us
if we turn
away from him
perhaps particularly
in the ways
we're going to
talk about in a minute
if we turn
away from God
if we lose
our trust
in him
in practice
if not
in words
then he may
bring things
upon us
to wake us up
to help us
to realise
that we depend
on him
and that we
need him
but he disciplines
us only
to bring him
back
to himself
and he does
it in a way
that is short
term
and that allows
us once we are
restored to him
to enjoy
again
the joy
of our
salvation
grace
is guaranteed
if we put
our trust
in the Lord
Jesus
if we come
to him
and confess
whatever is
happening in
our lives
whatever we
have done
whatever our
attitudes have
been
that are
wrong
when we come
truly confessing
our sin
and relying
on the death
of the Lord
Jesus
as the one
who took
these sins
on himself
then we
can experience
God's grace
in our lives
and when we're
going through
the night
when we're
weeping
when things
are really
really hard
it can be
difficult to
see God
at work
it can be
difficult to
understand
how God
is working
things
for our
good
but when we
come to the
morning
when things
get brighter
when we
begin to
understand
more
of God's
way for us
we can look
back and we
can say
what God
allowed to
happen to
me
was for
my good
for my
benefit
and I
can rejoice
in his
grace
to me
his anger
lasts
only a
moment
but his
favour
his grace
lasts
a lifetime
let's
celebrate
and rejoice
in the
grace of
our God
and all
that he
does
for us
despite
our sin
and despite
our
failure
let's move
on and look
a little bit
more at the
situation
of the
psalmist
as I
said
from verse
6 on
he's
broadly
looking at
his
spiritual
condition
as well
as a
little bit
of the
physical
but verse
6 I
think may
be the
key to
understanding
what's
going on
in the
psalm
psalmist
says
when I
felt
secure
I
said
I
shall
never
be
shaken
picture
put up
there
says
I
shall
not
be
moved
and
the
key
word
there
I
think
is
I
the
psalmist
has
gotten
to
a
situation
where
he
is
self
satisfied
where
he
is
proud
where
he
doesn't
realize
his
dependence
on
God
oh yes
if you
asked him
you would
say
God
is
my
God
I
trust
him
I
follow
him
I
depend
on
him
but
actually
in his
life
and in
his
thoughts
and in
his
attitudes
he's
thinking
I
can
take
care
of
myself
I've
got
into
this
situation
of
his
David
maybe
it's
the
situation
of
being
in
the
palace
and
being
in
a
position
of
authority
and
thinking
this
is
my
thing
one
possibility
of
this
psalm
is
that
David
wrote
it
after
he
tried
to
count
all
his
armies
and
when
God
had
told
him
not
to
and
as
he
counted
his
armies
God
brought
judgment
on
Israel
perhaps
that's
the
situation
he's
talking
about
that
was
really
David's
pride
in
wanting
to
see
how
powerful
he
and
his
armies
were
maybe
it was
something
else
but
it
does
look
as
the
psalmist
got
a
situation
where
he's
saying
I
have
done
this
I
shall
not
be
moved
I
shall
never
be
shaken
I
am
secure
that's
a dreadful
place
for anyone
who trusts
in God
to get
into
and yet
perhaps
it's a
place
that's
all too
easy
for us
to get
into
as we
live
lives
which by
and large
are
comfortable
where most
of us
have a
reasonable
amount
of
material
things
we're
not
thinking
where's
my next
meal
going to
come
from
or that
kind
of
thing
most
of us
in that
kind
of
situation
it's
very
easy
for us
to become
dependent
on
ourselves
say I've
got a
good job
I've
worked
I've
saved
up
I've
built
up
my
life
and you
kind
of
then
lose
your
dependence
on
God
and
sometimes
God
then has
to come
in
and to
discipline
us
and to
draw us
up
and to
say
no
without
me
you
are
nothing
and you
mustn't
depend
on
yourself
I
certainly
as I
read
this
psalm
it is
one thing
that really
strikes you
as you
think about
it
as you
examine
your
heart
to say
am I
self
satisfied
like
the
psalmist
I
wouldn't
say
it
but
perhaps
by my
actions
and by
my
attitudes
I
demonstrate
it
that my
feeling
is I
shall
never
be
shaken
I
feel
secure
and the
psalmist
says that's
not how
it should
be
so then
in verse
7
he talks
about what
happened
so he's
saying I
feel
secure
I
shall
never
be
shaken
and then
verse 7
he turns
back to
talking
about
God
interesting
the psalm
he kind
of alternates
between giving
some commentary
and talking
to God
I think he
addresses God
eight times
in the psalm
he said
when you
favoured me
you made
my royal
mountain
stand firm
not exactly
sure what
that means
but I
think the
kind of
import
of it
is quite
obvious
that it
was God
they had
given them
some security
and some
stability
in his
life
and it
made his
life good
and relatively
easy
but then he
says when
you hid
your
face
I
was
dismayed
and God
hid his
face
in this
case
it looks
like
when the
psalmist
fell really
ill
and thought
he was
about
to die
and in
that
situation
where the
psalmist
was full
of himself
and confident
in himself
God
comes to him
and says
actually
you have
no reason
for confidence
in yourself
your life
is here
today
it could
be gone
tomorrow
you have
no
real
long term
power
or authority
unless it
comes
from God
and if
your security
isn't in
God
then that
security
is insecure
you're not
standing on
the solid
rock
you're standing
on the
sinking
sand
and you're
liable to
come in
for a
big fall
and God
allows the
psalmist
to go
through that
experience
God
the psalmist
said
hides
his face
from him
so the
psalmist
is looking
to God
in his
time of
illness
in his
time of
difficulty
in his
time of
trial
and he
has great
difficulty
finding God
not that
God's not
there
God is
always there
always present
and yet
as the
psalmist
until he
is willing
to admit
his failure
and to
admit
that he's
got things
wrong
it is
as if
God
is hiding
his face
and the
psalmist
begins to
lose
all hope
perhaps at
times we
get into
that kind
of situation
too
when things
seem to be
clattering
down around
us
and God
doesn't seem
to be
present
and there
are lessons
in that
part
and we've
looked at
that in
some of
the previous
weeks
of this
series
as well
the psalmist
says my
security
was shattered
I had
a big
problem
so what
does he
do
he prays
verses
8 to
10
he comes
before God
and you
have this
really desperate
prayer
to you
oh Lord
I call
to the
Lord
I cried
for mercy
and what
does he
say to
God
he says
what is
gained
if I'm
silenced
if I go
down to
the pit
will the
dust
praise
you
will it
proclaim
your
faithfulness
hear
Lord
and be
merciful
to me
Lord
be my
help
we have
to realize
that the
Old Testament
writers
didn't have
the full
view of
scripture
that we
do
so we
would look
at death
hopefully
in the
light that
Paul
looked at
in Philippians
chapter 1
to say
for me
to live
is Christ
to die
is gain
so for the
Christian
death
isn't
something
that is
final
and that
stops us
from praising
God
in some
ways
it's the
gateway
into even
greater praise
and adoration
of God
as we
see the
Lord Jesus
face to
face
and as
we fall
down
and as
we truly
worship
him
for the
psalmist
it was
something
that was
to be
dreaded
and not
to be
looked
forward
to
now again
I'm
slightly
challenged
by this
because I've
said as
Christians
this is
how it
should
be
I'm
not
sure
always
as
Christians
this is
how it
is
and perhaps
at times
we do
dread
death
perhaps
we do
everything
we can
to cling
on to
life
and sometimes
God has
to say
to Christians
no it is
better for
you that
you come
to be
with me
that is
my plan
for your
life
so we
shouldn't
dread death
perhaps
we do
sometimes
but I
think what
we take
particularly
from these
verses
is that
when we
get into
this kind
of situation
the psalmist
is in
when all
seems
hopeless
when all
seems to
be going
against us
and we're
really worried
about our
future
and what's
going to
happen
perhaps
whether
we're
even going
to face
death
or something
dreadful
instead of
that
that is
the time
when we
really get
before God
in prayer
earnestly
and sincerely
now we should
be praying
in that way
when we're
feeling secure
when we're
in a situation
the psalmist
is in
in verse 6
not that
should he
but the
situation
he was in
when things
were going
well
and it
all seemed
to be fine
that is
the time
when we
should be
building our
relationship
with the
Lord
we should
be investing
time
in reading
the scripture
and learning
it in
prayer
and meditation
and making
sure that
when the time
of difficulty
does come
we have a
relationship
with God
that we can
come to him
in prayer
and with
confidence
in his
answer
sadly
sometimes
when things
are going
easily
for us
we're all
to forget
to pray
as a church
do we pray
together
and fervently
and sincerely
as often
or as much
as we should
I suspect
the answer
is that we
don't
as an
individual
do I pray
to God
in the way
that I
should
when things
are going
well
the answer
in my life
perhaps in
yours too
is no
not always
but when the
time of
difficulty
comes
when we
recognise
our need
of God
when we
come to
him
and we
plead
to him
for mercy
God
is there
and God
is able
and willing
to answer
our prayers
and our
recourse
in the
time of
trouble
is not
to look
to ourself
not to
look to
others
round about
us
but to
look to
God
and to
look to
his mercy
and to
seek his
face
and his
guidance
and protection
in it
so the
psalmist
dreaded his
destruction
his death
but he
did the
right thing
he came
to God
in prayer
and in
the last
couple of
verses of
the psalm
is a
praise of
the psalmist
have called
it
rejoicing
restored
I guess
there's five
is the one
that most
people know
from this
psalm
and the
joy in
the
morning
bit
but also
verse 11
and 12
I'm sure
look familiar
to us
there's a
picture that's
not unique
to this
psalm
in scripture
it's taking
someone
pictorially
who is
dressed up
to go
to a
funeral
who is
in mourning
and who
is really
sad about
things
and they
have a
complete
change of
clothing
and they
also have
a complete
change of
attitude
the sackcloth
the mourning
garments
come off
the joyful
garments
the garments
of salvation
go on
and the
wailing that
was there
before
was turned
into
dancing
the psalmist
life
has been
completely
transformed
and he
goes back
perhaps
in one
sense
to where
he was
to begin
with
he's been
through this
time of
illness
and he's
back again
with God's
favour
and in a
good place
physically
but he's
actually not
going back
spiritually
to where
he was
before
he's
recognising
that was
not a
good place
to be
and having
experienced
God's
discipline
and God's
grace
so he
rejoices
in God's
goodness
and I'm
sure as he
goes forward
his trust
is much
more
confidently
in God
and so
he rejoices
in God
and he
encourages
others to
rejoice
in God
as well
my heart
sings your
praises
and is not
silent
Lord my
God
I will
praise you
forever
so someone
who's been
through the
whole gamut
of things
that we
read about
in the
Psalms
he started
off with
God
and feeling
secure
and feeling
God's
blessing
in his
life
but perhaps
not recognising
how much
he was
dependent
on God
he's
experienced
God's
discipline
for his
sin
he's
experienced
illness
he was
perhaps
on the
point
of his
enemies
gloating
over him
though it
doesn't seem
to have
come to
that
and then
he experiences
God's
grace
and he's
able really
to rejoice
in the
Lord
and that's
a good place
for us to be
if we're
going through
times of
difficulty
to recognise
that there
is joy
in the
morning
that God
does have
a plan
for us
if we've
gone through
that time
to share
with each
other
and to
rejoice
in all
that God
has done
for us
when I
came to
church
this morning
I was
told
pondering
in my
mind
how I
would
finish
this
evening
I
always
find
the
most
difficult
part
of a
sermon
is
the
end
relatively
straightforward
usually
to divide
up the
passion
to explain
it
there's
usually
something
that comes
at the
beginning
that you
can
get a
hook
into
it
but
often
to
really
end
well
is
difficult
and I
was
sitting
this
morning
and I
looked
over
on my
right
on your
left
there
and it
was
the
words
that
young
people
did
at
Easter
service
Paul
got
the
young
people
to
fill
in
these
three
words
presence
peace
and
power
and I
thought
these
are
really
relevant
as we
think
about
this
psalm
it
is
about
the
presence
or
absence
apparent
absence
of
God
it
is
someone
who
is
dependent
on
God
and
has
felt
God
present
and
suddenly
feels
God
absent
and
yet
he
recognises
that
actually
God
is
there
and
that
is
the
first
step
in
our
restoration
if
we're
going
through
times
of
difficulty
to
recognise
that
God
is
always
present
and
he
is
always
here
to
hear
us
and
to
answer
our
prayers
and
then
there's
peace
John
Godingay
in his
commentary
on
this
chapter
talks
about
two
stages
in
God
answering
our
prayers
and
this
psalm
is
largely
about
the
second
phase
this
is
the
first
phase
of
God
answering
our
prayers
is
when
we
bring
our
request
to
him
and
we
trust
him
that
he
is
going
to
answer
and
he
answers
initially
by
giving
us
that
peace
that
confidence
in
him
knowing
that
we
have
a
loving
heavenly
father
and
that
he
will
do
what's
best
for
us
so
peace
I
any
other
psalms
the
psalmist
says
I
will
trust
in
God
despite
everything
that's
happening
in
my
life
and
these
psalmists
have got
to
stage
one
of
God's
answer
they
have
recognized
they
need
God
they
have
committed
things
to
him
and
God
has
given
them
a
peace
about
it
God
has
assured
them
of
his
love
and
that
he
will
always
work
for
their
good
but
then
there's
the
second
stage
and
that
stage
is
the
stage
that
is
represented
by
the
word
power
over
here
that
it
wasn't
just
in
the
psalmist
attitudes
or
his
understanding
of
God
that
God
worked
that
God
actually
gave
him
the
request
that
he
asked
for
he
answered
his
prayer
in a
very
real
in a
very
physical
way
and
when
we
pray
we
need
to
recognize
the
presence
of
God
we
need
to
leave
things
with
God
to
trust
him
and
to
know
that
we
can
have
peace
because
we
committed
it
to
him
but
we
then
need
to
look
for
the
evidence
of
God's
power
and
the
answer
that
he
gives
to
our
prayers
not
always
as
we
expect
our
heavenly
father
knows
better
than
we
do
what
it
is
we
need
but
to
look
for
the
evidence
of
God's
power
and
how
he
has
changed
things
in
our
lives
and
when
we
see
that
when
we
can
look
back
and
we
can
understand
the
goodness
of
our
God
and
all
that
he
has
done
for
us
that
is
the
point
at
which
we
need
to
share
it
with
others
we
need
to
bring
our
testimony
before
others
in
our
fellowship
or
among
our
friends
and
together
we
can
then
rejoice
at
the
goodness
of
God
and
to
recognize
that
with
God
his
mercy
his
grace
his
favor
lasts
a
lifetime
but
there
may
be
weeping
but
that
weeping
is only
in the
short
term
if
our
confidence
is
in
God
and
in
the
morning
things
lighten
up
the
darkest
hour
is
just
before
the
dawn
and
as
the
dawn
comes
and
the
light
comes
in
we
can
see
God
working
and
we
can
rejoice
in
all
that
he
has
done
for
us
so
let's
take
comfort
from
this
psalm
in
the
knowledge
of
what
God
does
for
us
and
let's
be
willing
to
share
with
one
another
God's
goodness
in
our
lives
let's
pray
together
father
we thank
you for
your word
to us
we thank
you that
this
psalm
really is
one of
rejoicing
one of
being able
to celebrate
your goodness
and your
grace
we thank
you that
you are
a God
above all
of grace
and of
love
and
although
our sins
rightly
bring your
wrath
because
sin is
hateful
to you
yet
you are
eager
that
your
grace
should
overcome
all our
faults
that
where sin
abounds
that grace
should abound
even more
and that
we should
experience
your forgiveness
and your
joy
and your
work
in our
lives
help us
to have
a real
dependence
on you
help us
not to
rely
on ourselves
and on
our
strength
help us
to depend
on you
and in
good times
and in
bad times
to be able
to come
to you
in earnest
prayer
recognizing you
as our
heavenly
father
and to
bring
all our
requests
to you
in the
name of
the
Lord
Jesus
so we
give you
our
thanks
for being
with us
for a
time of
worship
and of
meditation
on your
word
and we
commit
ourselves
to you
for the
coming
days
in the
name
of the
Lord
Jesus
Amen
chapter 2
to you