My Helper - Part 2 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the worries of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace. This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. We continue with the message today, entitled, My Helper. How good to know that we have one who is ready and willing to help us, and has the power that is so necessary to provide the help needed. I pray the message will be a blessing to you today, and if you enjoy it, write and let us know about it.

Our address is the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. David in this psalm describes the Lord hiding himself, hiding his face. What a test and a trial that is. In the book of Hosea, chapter 5, verse 15, we understand something of why God does that. He says, I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offense until they seek my face. In their affliction they will seek me early.

The Lord says, I will go to my own place. I'll withdraw from them until they acknowledge their sin. It's then that they'll begin to seek my face. It's in their affliction that they will seek me first.

They'll seek me early. And can we not relate to that in our own experiences? You go along feeling secure, feeling all is well, being pleased with your prosperity, and in the process being elevated in pride, and then the Lord withdraws himself. He's not smiling with favor upon us any longer.

He withdraws his comforts. Ah, then we begin to seek him desperately. We know how we need him and that life is empty and meaningless without him. Then he says, they will seek me early. In the 16th chapter of the book of Job, we find words that speak to this matter. In the 12th verse, Job says, I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder. He hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. David was saying, I shall never be shaken.

Job said, the Lord took me and shook me, and set me as his mark. He, as Jeremiah had said in Lamentations chapter 3, was set as a mark for the arrow of divine affliction. David was in great distress when the prophet had come to tell him that because of his disobedience, because of his sin, that there would be some consequences suffered. God wasn't going to overlook the matter. And so back in 2nd Samuel 24 verse 10, it says, And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done, and now I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly. He then recognized the seriousness of his actions.

He had displeased God. He numbered his fighting men that he could boast in the strength of his army on the basis of the number. But surely David had learned early in life the battle is the Lord's. He knew that day that he killed Goliath.

It wasn't a matter of numbers. It was a matter of God intervening and directing that stone to strike the giant in the forehead and bring him down so that David could take his own sword and cut off his head. But for this moment he had forgotten and he wanted to take some comfort and glory in the fact that he had a great many fighting men. God judged him as a result of it. So we see the pride that is described here and then the prayer. Verse 1 of Psalm 30 says, I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up, and thou hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto thee and thou hast heard me. I cried unto the Lord.

Certainly David learned that repeatedly. We can see in the Psalms where he was seeking God in his hour of trouble. In Psalm 23 he speaks of my shepherd. In Psalm 30 he speaks of my God. The second verse, O Lord my God.

The 10th verse, Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me. Be thou my Helper. He's talking about his God, his Helper.

This is not something just general and vague, but this is something that he is personally involved with. This is not God at a distance, but this is God present with him. He's my God. He's my Helper.

What a difference it makes when we're calling upon God with that understanding. He's mine. I can't claim him because I'm worthy of his favor, but because of his grace that he has drawn me and called me to himself and cleansed me of my sin and forgiven me for Jesus' sake. He's my God. He's my Helper and I can depend upon him. He cried to the Lord.

He sought help from no other source. In the second verse, what's he saying? I cried unto thee. In verse 8, I cried to thee, O Lord, and unto the Lord.

I made my supplication. In verse 10, Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me. Lord, be thou my Helper.

Wasn't seeking help elsewhere. Too many times that we're aware that the Lord is our Helper. He is our God. We must trust in him.

We must depend upon him. We find ourselves seeking help from other sources and only turning to the Lord as a last resort. Often we turn to him only when we've complicated matters and made them worse because we didn't seek him in the beginning. There's such a sad story recorded in the book of 2nd Chronicles. Asa, who had been a rather outstanding king in comparison to many others that had reigned, he had done a basically good job, but he faltered toward the end. And in 2nd Chronicles 16 12 it says, Asa, in the 30th and 9th year of his reign, was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceeding great. Yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. He had a disease in his feet which ultimately brought his death, but he did not turn to the Lord. He did not ask God's help, but he sought help from the physicians around him. You know, we need to recognize that as David does pray in this psalm for healing and whether it was in fact some physical problem that brought him near to death or whether it was the spiritual struggle which seemed as though death was near and needed healing, David was made to recognize that his ultimate help was in the Lord. We need to recognize in this day of modern medicine, people sometimes say, well it's just remarkable as to what the doctors have been able to do for me. If it wasn't without this medicine that has just been made available, I probably wouldn't be alive. Well certainly we can be thankful for the right kind of medication that will help us, the assistance of doctors that can perform surgeries that would never have been thought of in years gone by, but must we not acknowledge that in the final analysis the great physician is the one who must heal.

How many times we've heard of somebody going to the hospital for what was supposed to be minor surgery and they died and someone else goes there and they say by the estimation of the physicians there's not much probability that they'll make it, but we must try and they not only survive but they recover completely and the doctors themselves stand in amazement. So we're not suggesting that we ignore what God has made available to us, but even when it comes to our physical problems must we not recognize that we need His blessing, His healing power to deliver us, and certainly when it comes to the troubles of our soul. How strange that people who believe in God and say they've had an experience with Jesus Christ would rather resort to the physicians of this world to analyze them and try to prescribe some solution for their problem than to turn to God and His word. He cried to the Lord. His prayer was short and to the point. No doubt there is a time and place for long prayers.

The early church met in prayer for extended periods of time, but there's also a time that a prayer that's very brief, very direct is in order. What did he pray? Have mercy, help me.

Not a lot of preliminaries, not a lot of review of the past, not a lot of details. Lord, I know I've sinned. I'm acknowledging what I need is mercy and what I need is help. It's interesting how as you look at that expression in the tenth verse you can't help but think about what is brought before us in the fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews. A New Testament lesson bringing such similar thoughts before us. Hebrews 4 16, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

What are we looking for? Mercy, help. That's what David prayed for and that's what he got. Think of the prayer of the public and he smote upon his breast and said, God be merciful to me the sinner. No long detailed description of all of his background and his experience, just God be merciful to me the sinner.

And you remember when Peter had attempted to walk on the water and he began to sink? What was his prayer? Three words, Lord save me. And by the time some of the preliminaries that people will occasionally use in prayer had been offered, Peter had been 10 feet under the water.

He didn't have a time for a long introduction. I'm in trouble and I need help quick. Lord save me. Do you find yourself having to pray some of those prayers periodically? You're in a predicament, you're in a place where you need help and you need it quick and you're calling on the Lord. That's an appropriate prayer. We need help, help in the times of our sufferings.

When physical sickness comes and often if the pain is great, the discomfort is severe, you say, I don't even feel like I can pray. It just seems that my prayers are empty words. I need somebody to pray for me.

And your prayer may be nothing more than just help me. Help me, Lord. Troubles come. Pray, Lord, I need help. I'm facing a crisis. I'm facing an unexpected problem. I'm facing something here that I don't know how to handle.

I don't know what to do about it. I'm needing help. Well, Psalm 46. Verse 1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Not a help that's at such a distance that there's no value to the help. Not one who refuses to come to our rescue, but a very present help. And then we look at Isaiah chapter 41, verse 10. Several promises here in succession that God will be our helper. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Verse 13. For I, the Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee. If God promises he will help us, then it surely is in order to pray such a prayer. Lord, help me. Because God's already said he will.

What's the matter with my safety? He says he will. Why ask him? He likes for us to present his promises in prayer. Fear not, thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel. I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Help. Help in the time of trouble. Help in the day of temptation.

He provides a way of escape. Lord, help me. Help when you're full of doubt. Questions are troubling your mind.

Answers seem to be difficult. Help when you're discouraged. When you say, Lord, is there any use to go on? It seems that the opposition is so great.

It seems that the successes are so few. Is there any need to go on? And when you struggle with discouragement, make David's prayer your prayer. Lord, help me. Have mercy and be thou my helper. And then he makes an interesting point in the ninth verse of this 30th Psalm.

What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? In other words, Lord, I felt like I was going to die, but if I do, am I any advantage to your cause here? Lord, if I go down to the pit, I'm not going to be here singing your praise.

This is very similar to the appeal that Hezekiah made when he was looking toward the end, feeling that death was imminent. Lord, how can I serve you? How can I praise you when death carries me away?

And so he appeals on that basis. Lord, hear me. Have mercy upon me. Spare me that I not go down to the dust, for how shall it declare thy truth? And then praise. He says in the first verse, I will extol thee. I'm going to praise, extol, exalt thy name. I'm going to praise God's name. I'm going to extol thy attributes, thy mercy, thy grace. I'm going to talk about what a great God I have.

How many of us can say that we could read these words and truly declare, this is my intent. I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou has lifted me up. He praises the Lord because of his victory over his enemies. Thou has made my foes. Thou has lifted me up and has not made my foes to rejoice over me. There were those that hated David.

They despised him. He spoke of this in Psalm 41 and the fourth verse. I said, Lord, be merciful unto me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.

Mine enemies speak evil of me. When shall he die and his name perish? His enemies said, when's he going to die? When's his name going to perish?

We want him out of here. But he says, Lord, in spite of the fact that my foes would have rejoiced if I had died, thou has lifted me up and I want to praise thee for that deliverance. He also speaks of the fact that he's praising God because he's been delivered from anger. Verse 5 of the Psalm, For his anger endureth, but a moment in his favor is life.

Yes, Lord, you were rightly angry at me and you set the plague because of what I did. But his anger endures, but for a moment yet his favor is life. His mercy endures forever. Thank you, Lord, that though sometimes you may deal with me in your anger, that soon it is replaced by your favor and your mercy. He says, Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. In the moment when I felt the chasing rod, in the moment when I have felt the displeasure of my God, in the moment when he has withdrawn his comforts and hidden himself, it's been a night of weeping. It's been a season of darkness. It's been a time of terrible difficulty. And the night sometimes seems to drag on so slowly.

When will the morning light appear? But the promise is real. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy, joy cometh in the morning. In one sense, all of life may be compared to a night of weeping as we think about the dawning of the eternal day where all tears are wiped away. Oh, the burdens and heartaches of life. The sicknesses that are so difficult to endure. The loss of loved ones. To see parents weeping because a child has died. To see a wife say, how can I go on without my husband upon whom I have depended so? To see the struggles and the conflicts that so often are endured in this world which is under the curse of sin.

The book of Job says that man that is born of a woman is a few days and full of trouble. Certainly would not suggest that there is no joy because we are to rejoice in the Lord even in the night season. But compared to the eternal day of glory, compared to the brightness of the presence of Jesus Christ when we at last see Him and live with Him forever, this sojourn here is as a night of weeping.

But though weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning. He says, Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing. Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.

The sackcloth and ashes signified one that was in a mournful state, but Lord, Thou hast blessed me to put it off. Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing, into a season of joy. I've been able to rejoice in Thee because Thou didst not allow my enemies to prevail over me. Thou hast brought me up from the pit. Thou hast delivered me in this great hour of trouble.

And though Your anger was upon me for a moment, it's been replaced by Your favor, Your mercy. And Lord, Thou art my Helper. What a Helper!

You had a project at various times, you say, oh I need somebody to help me. And maybe a friend has come to help you and you're thankful for that help. But it doesn't matter what the trouble or the trial might be, there is no one that can help like the Lord God Himself.

You're not left alone. God my Helper, my Helper. And then as the psalmist filled with so many contrasts, it concludes with one more. To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee. Signifying that He wanted His glory, His soul, His tongue to be singing praise to God. To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee and not be silent. Oh Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto Thee forever.

Here's the contrast. Am I going to be silent or am I going to speak? Am I going to be quiet or am I going to be praising?

How is it with you? Are there times that you're silent when you should be praising? Do you take every opportunity to praise God, to extol the Lord, to speak of His goodness and His mercy, His greatness? How many times there's a hesitation to speak about God and His Word and His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ just because we know that with many that it's an uncomfortable subject matter.

We dare not speak what we really believe and what we feel in our hearts. But David says, I'm not going to hold back. I'm not going to remain silent.

I'm not going to keep quiet. Oh Lord, I will give thanks unto Thee forever. God delights in praise that comes from His people. And if we're silent, what kind of a testimony are we giving? Certainly praise is to be given to God for His glory and He's pleased with it, but it's also to be given for the benefit of others. That is, we extol the greatness of our God, describing Him as my God, my Helper. That testimony may be an influence in the lives of others, a help and a blessing to them. How often are we silent? May we be encouraged to say with the psalmist, I want to sing praise to Thee. I don't want to remain silent. I want to give thanks unto Thee forever.

My Helper. Although his pride brought great trouble, he was ultimately moved to prayer and God heard his prayer and that brought him to a place of praise. As we see our need, as we confess our sins, as we see some of the consequences of our actions and our poor decisions that have been made under the influence of our own pride, that we come humbly before our God asking for His forgiveness and be found praising Him continuously. We have brought you the concluding part of a message entitled, My Helper. If you would like to get the complete message on CD, request it when writing us at Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. And until I greet you next time, this is LaSara Bradley Jr. bidding you goodbye and may God bless you. Raising my Savior. Raising my Savior. All the day long.