Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Could you imagine riding A psalm of praise. when you're being persecuted and when someone is out there wanting to kill you. It's astonishing, isn't it? How difficult it is to praise God when the king and his men.
are hunting to kill you and you're hiding from him. And he's got all of the resources of Israel against you. Welcome to the verdict. Featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
Sometimes when we're treated unfairly, Our first instinct is to strike out and get revenge. But today on the verdict, we'll observe how David handled his persecution by King Saul. and how David's dependence on God can inspire us today.
Now, with the second half of his message titled Pursued by Saul, here's Pastor John Monroe. Life is often unpredictable. But how we respond to the difficulties disappointments and trials in life. are a good measure of where we are spiritually. Last time we saw David being pursued by King Saul.
Although he was anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel, David is being pursued by the present king, Saul. a king who is envious and resentful of David. But the Lord is with David. And when Saul tries to kill David, David goes to the prophet. Samuel.
That's a very wise thing to do. David is encouraged by his friendship with Jonathan and also goes to see Abimelech the priest. Let's learn now some important principles which David learns when he's being pursued. Principles which we can apply to our lives in the face of opposition, resentment. and evil.
Psalm 59, notice the superscription. It is to the choir master Remember the Psalms are set to music? When Saul sent men to watch his house, in order to kill David. And David is being pursued. By The king at the time.
King Saul. This Psalm is written When David is being persecuted. and plotted against By soul. What kind of song would you write in these circumstances? What would your reaction be?
When someone is trying to kill you. And you've done nothing wrong. Let me mention in the Psalm five things which sustained David. and which sustain us when we feel that we're being l wrongly treated. And five things which I think are true.
of men and women after God's own heart. And these will sustain us in the difficult circumstances of life. First, David submits to the will of God. Psalm 59 then verse 1 and 2. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God.
Protect me from those who rise up against me, deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. He is praying to God. He prays to God for deliverance and for protection. He realizes that God is the only deliverer. In effect, he's saying, not my will, but yours.
Be done. In every circumstance of life, If you believe in the sovereign purposes of God, as I do, in every circumstance of life, particularly in the difficult circumstances. Particularly when you feel that life is unfair and you've been treated badly. It is essential. that we submit to the will.
of God. Number two. God was his fortress. Verse 9 O my strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my Fortress. Verse 16: I will sing of your strength, I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning, for you have been a fortress.
and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. Fortress, what is it? It's a high tower. A high tower to which you look and go to for deliverance.
God is pictured then as a high tower. As a castle, as a fortress, on the top of a mountain where we go for safety. In my hometown of Edinburgh in Scotland, if many of you have been there, you see the castle, Edinburgh Castle. Right on the hill. overlooking the city.
In fact, looking down to Holyrood Palace. the royal palace built on a hill. It's a fortress, it's a high tower. It's a place where in earlier generations people went for safety, for deliverance, where they could see the enemy and where they felt safe. It's not wonderful that God is our high tower.
That God is our fortress. What do you what do you do in difficulty of life? We go to the fortress, don't we? We go to the high tower. The unbeliever knows nothing about that.
They scheme and they plot and they wonder what they do. David is a man after God's own heart, and he says, No, I understand God. And they knew about fortresses. They knew about enemies. In their warfare, God.
A fortress. We sang a mighty Fortress is our God. Do you realize that God is impenetrable? When you're in the fortress, you're totally safe. Proverbs says that the righteous run to the tower.
And they are Safe. You're high. You're above your circumstances. What do we say? When we have a difficult time and people say, How are you doing?
We're saying, Well, I'm doing okay under the circumstances. David was saying, No, don't go under the circumstances, go above the circumstances. What are you doing under the circumstances? Flee to the high tower.
So he submits to the will of God. God is his fortress. Third, he realizes he's the object of God's steadfast love. We thought of that this morning. Again, verse 10, my God.
In his steadfast love will meet me. God will let me look and triumph over my enemies. Verse 17, at the end of the verse, the God who shows me steadfast love. This is the Hebrew word hased. God's covenantal love.
David is part of the Abrahamic covenant. And realizes that his great God loves him with this steadfast, this loyal, steadfast, covenantal love, that God never ever goes back on his promises. Yes, he's hated by Saul. He may be forgotten by others. He may be misunderstood by his brothers, but he understands this.
that He's loved with His everlasting love. Do you believe that? That there is nothing which can separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is this. That's it.
That you're loved by God. That you submit to the sovereign purposes of God. You look to God for deliverance, not your own. Ability. That you flee to God as a fortress, that He is the object of His steadfast love.
Fourth, David praises God. We read that in verses 16 and 17. I will sing, and now he's a musician. He played the lyre. He probably had a pretty good voice, I would think.
He says, I will sing of your strength. I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. Verse 17, O my strength, I will sing praises. To you. Could you imagine writing a psalm of praise when you're being persecuted and when someone is out there wanting to kill you.
I mean Do you beginning to understand why David is a man after God's own heart? It's astonishing, isn't it? How difficult it is To praise God when the king and his men are hunting to kill you and you're hiding from him. And he's made it clear he's going to kill you. And he's got all of the resources of Israel against you.
His faith and his endurance and love for God are such that he praises Good. What do Paul and Silas do when they're in prison in Philippi? What do they do? They're singing praises. Don't you find that remarkable?
I remember when I served in Michigan, I went on a trip to Kazakhstan and We got into a little difficulty with the police and had a court case over it. And then in the courthouse, this is in the middle of Siberia in February, cold. Uh dark Uh And um there's a There was an actual prison in the courthouse and I've looked at it. And I was with a young pastor, and he said, John, do you not think we should just pay? They were wanting a bribe.
And I said, No, we're not going to pay. Pay a bribe. Do you not think we should just pay? And I said, yeah, that may be where we spend our next few years. And uh the last thing we thought of doing was Praising God.
But that's what Tifa doesn't That's a strong faith, isn't it? A strong trust that you're exactly where the Lord wants you. In spite of the opposition. He's praising God. But haven't you found one of the great tonics?
I can testify to this, I'm not a musician, as you know. I can saying reasonably well, I think. But haven't you found that one of the tonics in a time of difficulty. It's praise.
Now it's so easy with uh YouTube. You put it on. If I want to listen. Yesterdays I'm Preparing for this morning. Putting on the love of God.
I'm putting on it's well with my soul. I mean, just think of the resources that we have. And that when you're In a time of difficulty. to praise to God. That is why Brothers and sisters, worship.
is so important in the life of the church. I was recently somewhere, and people said, Well, in their church, they didn't like the worship, and they just came from the preaching. And I thought, well, it's opposite with us. People just come from. the worship and leave for the preaching.
But yeah, Clapp, you're right. I agree with you. The saying is much better than the preaching. Uh I thought no. This praise is not just for musicians.
This is for The way that God ministers to us, that our spirit is revived. Even Saul, when he was down, he called for the musician. Haven't you found that when your spiritual life is still and you're a bit flat, what's one of the best things to do is to start singing. And if you can't sing and don't feel like singing, put on some music of praise to God. This is what David is doing.
Fifth. He trusts in God's timing. He trusts in God. Do you know that God is always on time? As I studied this and read Psalm 59 and thought of this.
That David One of the ways, I think one of the main things That he was characterized as a man after God's own heart, that his faith in God was so strong. that he depended on God's Timing.
Now some of you probably naturally are a little bit more patient than I am. I find one of the most difficult things to do is to wait. I'm a person of action. I like to solve problems. I like to solve things.
And when someone confronts me with a problem before they even tell me, my wife sometimes says, John, let me. Get out the problem before you start trying to solve it. We like to solve things, don't we? And it sometimes means that we're impetuous. And This also means that even when we want to do good things for the Lord, as we all do here, that's why we're here, aren't we?
To be equipped and to serve God. It's difficult, isn't it, sometimes? To wait on God. And to realize that God's will includes the right. Timing.
That's why. I don't really like the expression. God showed up. People say, well, and God showed up. I think, doesn't God always show up at the right time?
I know what people mean. David says in 2 Samuel 22, verse 31, as for God, his way is Perfect. Not only is his way perfect, but his timing is perfect. And we don't We won't take time to read the account. In 1 Samuel 24 and 1 Samuel 26, when David has the opportunity to kill.
Yeah. Does he take it? Why doesn't he kill Saul when he has the opportunity? We would kill him and then say, Well, it was a God thing. No, he just showed up.
We were in the cave, and Saul came in, and he was right there. And we could just put a a spear right through him. Or on the other occasion when Saul and all of his men were against us, they were They were asleep. And we saw them. And Abishai, who was, wasn't he, the nephew of David, he says, listen.
There's your enemy. You can kill him right now. In fact, David, if you allow me. I'll only take one stab at him. I'll put a I'll Kill him with one.
Stroke. of my spear. And you remember the other occasion David came and he cut A piece of souls. Rob. to show Saul that he had his life, humanly speaking, in his hand.
And even doing that, David was so convicted. Why? Because he said, no, this is the Lord's. Anointed. Saul was an evil man, full of hatred.
And David used these opportunities to teach his men a lesson. That when we serve the Lord. It's not just that we want to do the right thing. We want to do the right thing in the right way at the right time. time.
And when Saul is there, And David and the Bishai are looking at him. And he's asleep. And they could have put the spear right through his heart in one blow. David could have said, well, this is providential. This was a God thing.
God delivered them right to us. But he says no, I can't put my ha hand against the Lords. Anointed. David waits On the Lord, knowing that the Lord will answer and deliver in God's time. Yeah.
Amazing. I I Think if I was there And I had been David, I'd have thought, okay, this man has been chasing me. And after all, God has called me. God has revealed his will through Samuel that I'm to be the next king. This man is of the flesh.
He's a bad king. He's an evil man. Here is my time, and I can kill him. I'll take the kingdom, and I will now rule as the king of Israel. Uh but David doesn't do that.
He doesn't want his kingdom to begin. with blood shed. He awaits God's Time. Haven't you noticed in your life That the flesh is always in a hurry. There's a man in a hurry, isn't he?
If I don't get this. Porridge. This soup, if I don't get this meat, I'm gonna die. No, no, Esau, you can wait. The flesh is demanding.
The flesh wants it now. Flesh wants to solve the problem now. The flesh is impatient with God. But those who wait on the Lord shall be renewed in strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not. Faint. David could have doubted God when he was being hunted as an animal. And he could have easily killed Saul and have rationalized his Actions, he would have ended his exile, he would have assumed the throne.
But David waits on God's time, and God is going to deal with Saul. David is not going to put his spear through Saul. God takes the ungodly Philistines. In the last chapter of 1 Samuel. And Saul.
Takes his own life. And the Philistines cut off his head, And David then comes. to the throne. Can I ask you And I'm preaching to myself here first and foremost. Can I ask you to be men and women who wait on God?
There's something in your life that you would like to happen, you'd like God to do. And it's a good thing. It's not a bad thing. It was a good thing for David to be king. Perhaps it's a relationship.
Perhaps something to do with your Your work. Your business. You're praying for someone's salvation. What a great thing to do, but you're impatient and you're forcing it. There's a time to wait and there's a time for action.
Here is encouragement for times of trial. Times of persecution, times of suffering, times of misunderstanding. Do not repay evil for evil. Never rationalize your sinful actions. Be generous.
You know, David was a remarkable man. He was generous of spirit in the face of opposition. You know what we call that? We call that Grace. Grace.
David understood something. Of grace. The Babylonian Talmud and Tract Hill. Tractate Sanhedrin portion 72 verse 1 states: If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first. Israeli secret.
Service. Go by this. And from a human perspective, I understand. If someone is plotting to kill you before they get a chance to kill you, you rise up and you kill them first. David didn't follow that advice.
He didn't take matters in his own hands. Paul writes, Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. See, revenge removes the perfect justice of God. You've been wronged. And you would like that person to be punished.
But rather than waiting on God to deal with a person you want to take action, don't do that. Follow the example. David wisely didn't follow the advice of his mighty men. Never go against God's will. Never go against his word.
Never take, spiritually speaking, the law into your own hands. William Blakey writes, Alas, into how many sins and even crimes have men been betrayed through unwillingness to wait for God's time. Will you wait? On God's time? I don't know what that means for you, but will you just wait on God's time?
That's maturity. That's being a man after God's own heart. Is that hard?
Well, it's hard for me until I remember that God is sovereign. That His way is perfect. That he works all things together for good to those who love him. And those When God is on our side, nothing can stand against us. Love your enemies, Jesus said.
and keep close to the Lord. You know, God hasn't abandoned you. Did God abandon David? Absolutely not. Tired of waiting on God?
Be patient. Endure. God loves you with an everlasting love. He's your fortress, He's your strength. As we're singing, He will never leave you, never forsake you.
We look back on our Christian life and we can say that through that difficult day, this we do know, that God loved us and He never ever left us.
So keep your eyes on David's greater son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was hated without A cause. Who never took vengeance Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but he committed himself to the righteous judge. Peter says. Fear is the enemy of faith.
Trust God. Claim His promises. Your faith will grow. And you'll be a man, a woman. after God's own heart.
Father, help us. To apply these through your Spirit to our lives. Thank you that you're our fortress. That your steadfast love is on us. May we experience that in the depth of our soul.
And help us to wait on you as a church, Father. We thank you for the many blessings that you give us as a church, as families, as individuals. I pray, Father. that we will not panic. that will not go ahead of you.
but that we will trust you. Knowing that you are with us. And that your way. It's perfect. Help us not to lean on our own understanding.
but to trust you with all of our heart. Knowing that you will guide us. in the perfect path. For our lives, strengthen us, we do pray. Use us this week.
To point people to Christ in His name. Amen. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and a message titled Pursued by Saul. Our lesson comes from John's latest study on the life of David. And as a special addition to this series, we're offering a helpful resource.
It's a listening guide from John. specifically designed to complement each of these daily lessons. With details on key points, questions for review, and practical ideas for daily application. This printable workbook is a great resource for your own personal study or for hosting a group discussion with friends or family.
So get your free copy of this resource today by visiting us online at the verdict.org. and downloading your free copy of the Life of David listing guide. While you're there, you'll also have the chance to help reach new listeners with the gospel. by supporting the work of this radio ministry. We're so grateful for fellow believers like you.
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Now, with his closing remarks, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Have you ever experienced someone who's against you, a critic?
Someone who really resents you?
Someone who may even conspire against you. Be like David. The man after God's own heart. Look to God as your fortress. Don't repay evil for evil.
Don't go into a spiritual slump. Praise God that in the midst of difficulties, God is with you. and for you. Make sure you tune in next time as we continue to follow David. who will have a strange encounter with a very foolish man.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mm.
