Sermon(Ps 31): The hand of God

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025256025

 

 

Scripture reading: Ps 31

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>> 1 In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge; let me never be put to shame; in thy righteousness deliver me! ... 3 Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name's sake lead me and guide me. .... 8 Thou hast not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a broad place. .... 15 My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors! 16 Let thy face shine on thy servant; save me in thy steadfast love! .... 19 O how abundant is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and wrought for those who take refuge in thee, in the sight of the sons of men! <<

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A man and a woman are happiest when they walk together hand in hand. If you go hand in hand with God on the road of your life, you will live happily all your life in security, peace and joy. If you grasp God's hand on the road of life, the Devil will not touch you, nor will the wicked harm you. In Ps 31, David confesses that his life is in the hand of God. “My times are in thy hand (v. 15)” Those who are in the hands of God are never caught in the hands of their enemies. “Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors! (v. 15)” Be the ones who are held in God's hand and do not let yourselves be miserable in the hand of the Devil.

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Who falls into the hand of the Devil? He who in danger does not take refuge in God will be caught in Devil's hand. Devil causes fear in the world to confuse people. The Devil gives people extreme trials to catch them as a man sets a net and drives fish there to catch them. Those who flee to God when such trials are coming will have eternal life, but those who do not flee to him will succumb to the power and authority of the Devil. When trouble and trial arise, people go to fortunetellers possessed with demons in order to ask about their future, or bow down to mountains or trees, or go to Buddhist priests under the power of the Devil in order to ask for help. Whoever does these things becomes a servant of Devil. Indeed, so is the process by which Devil or demons make people shamans. The Devil continuously gives trouble to the house of those who seem to be easy to deal with. Sometimes, if the Devil continues to pick on a man, he is compelled to stand barefoot on the blade of a straw cutter - a ritual to become a shaman in Korea. And after he has served Devil and demons as their puppet all his life, he will go to hell. Friends, if Devil or demons try to give trouble or illness to your house, do not succumb to them or serve them as your master. When grievous temptation comes, flee to God and expel demons with his help and gain the everlasting life.

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David escaped to Jehovah the Lord in times of trouble. “In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge; let me never be put to shame; in thy righteousness deliver me! (v. 1)” If anyone in trouble and trial flees to God and asks God for help, God will surely take care of him, because God is righteous. Because he is righteous, he rebukes Devil, demons and wicked men, and will throw them into the everlasting fire of the hell. God punishes men when they sin, but if they confess their sins and seek his forgiveness, he surely forgives them and makes them his children and gives them eternal life, for he is God the Creator. God also protects the weak from the wicked because he is righteous. Whenever David suffered from the wicked, God rescued him. Thus the confession of David was as follows. “Thou (The Lord) art my rock and my fortress. (v. 3)” No one can take the fortified castle of a high mountain. Anyone who escapes to the fortress can live safely. God is the safe fortress! Who can attack the Almighty and rob him of his beloved children? Even the grandfather of the Devil can not do that. Much less can men, weak creatures, attack the God and take the believers who have escaped to him. Impossible! My brethren, if you are in tribulation or trial, do not go to Devil but to God. If the Devil has helped you solve the problem, you have already lost all of yourself because you have become a servant of the Devil. (Be careful! There is no such thing as a free lunch in the spiritual world.)

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Those who belong to Devil set a net to kill the righteous (v. 4), tell lies (v. 6 in Korean version), speak invectives to the righteous (v. 11), in droves speak ill of the righteous (v. 13), persecute the righteous (v. 15), attack the righteous with proud and wicked words (v. 18), seek to injure the righteous with wicked plots (v. 20). Gentlemen, please do not be a servant of Devil and live such a wicked life. He who persecutes the righteous like that is a servant of Devil one hundred percent, and will be cast into the flame of the hell with Devil later. God and Devil are enemies each other. He who hates and persecutes the children of God without reason must be possessed with the Devil that lies in his heart like a snake coiling itself. So he must repent his sins and believe in Jesus, so that he can drive away the Devil and the demons, live in the truth and obtain the everlasting life. Or he'll be suffering forever in the hell.

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If anyone still doubts that he can defend himself against demons if he takes refuge in God, see in the Bible how much the demons were horrified before Jesus the Son of God. >>And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy one of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" and the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. (Mk 1:23-26)<< Those who have led a miserable life so far by serving Devil as their master should accept the God as their master and don't have to worry about their future days. If you escape to God, Devil and demons can not do you harm. God the Creator is so strong.

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What attitude should those who, like David, have taken refuge in God assume? David says, "Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. (v. 5)" David laid his life under the authority of the God of truth. God saves those who, like David, have made him the owner of their life. Some people consider it a great loss to leave their lives to God's disposal. But it is a misunderstanding. The whole world is the work of Jehovah. All living creatures are originally God's. God created heaven and earth and said that the world was so perfect and beautiful. All living beings are beautiful and harmonious when they live in God. For a man to live as a good human being and to live a good life, God the Creator must be the Lord of his life. Like this, he who recognizes God as the lord of his life is a true Christian, and such a true Christian lives in the holy heavenly blessings and the rich worldly blessings, lives in the truth, and has obtained the eternal life. Because God has delight in blessing human beings and gives even the eternal life to them. once a woman gets married, she must be under the protection and instruction of her husband. Is it a loss for a woman to give all her heart to her good and competent husband, and then to receive his love and care? Brethren, we will never lose anything when we trust our all to the omnipotent, good and righteous God. There are many wicked people stronger than me in the world, but if I am caught in the hand of God, I will become his instrument and live a life of victory against the wicked.

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When David committed his spirit to God and depended on him (v. 6), he did not fear all evil men, but could go in the way of righteousness and truth, taste God's mercy, live joyfully (v. 7), see the face of God (v. 16), and was not put to shame (v. 17), and lived in God's grace. “O how abundant is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for those who fear thee, and wrought for those who take refuge in thee, in the sight of the sons of men! (v. 19)” Here, to fear God is to regard the violation of God's commandments as a grievous sin, and to live with the resolution to breach none of them. God is very gracious to those who acknowledge his highness, worthiness and goodness, and worship him. He forgives the righteous believers, acknowledges them as righteous, protects them from falling in the pit the wicked have dug, above all makes himself known to them, hearkens to their prayers when they cry, works miracles for them, sometimes hides them from the wicked, and attentively cares about their circumstances.

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David says that all saints (believers) should love Jehovah (v. 23). To love Jehovah is to suppress the haughty and vain heart, to worship God with joy, holiness and truth, to complete with sincerity what he has assigned, to respect him who fears God, to live a holy and clean life, to seek the righteousness. Moreover, if we love God, we must keep away from sin, evil and falsehood and must not unite with the wicked. And we must not let the idols be the rivals to God in our hearts. If we love Jehovah, all the good things he promised in the Scripture are ours.

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David exhorts us to bless (praise) the Lord (v. 21). We have to praise him, because he baffles tricks of the wicked and gives victory to those who love righteousness. We should praise him for he, the Most High, has mercy on humble humans, holding them up with his strong and righteous right hand. We must love and praise him, because he has loved us, sinners, and recognized us as his holy children, led us, and made us the citizens of heaven. Thinking of his grace, we should not keep our mouth shut like a mute. While the wicked are defeated and shut up like a mute, we must open our mouth wide and praise him aloud.

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David says to us who wait for the Lord, "Be strong, and let your heart take courage! (v. 24)" Though we are sinners, God is pleased to forgive our sins and to love us. So we can boldly come to his throne and tell our wishes. We must not be afraid of the visible wicked men before us. Do not be afraid of Devil and demons, either. Jesus' name is so mighty that you can drive away Devil by his name. We do not have to be fearful of death also. Already, Jesus the Savior returned to life three days after his death. We, who believe in him as the Savior, will be able to overcome death forever by the power of God.

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May God's strong right hand hold you firmly, and God give you victory always.

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Chong Tack Kim

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                                 - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -