WE NEED TO BE STRIPPED OF OUR SELF RELIANCE

TRIALS ARE A GRACE FROM GOD!

Psalm 143:1-2

Hear my prayer, O LORD;

give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

Enter not into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous before you.

David is again asking for mercy and kindness from God. His request is rooted in the faithfulness and righteousness of the Almighty God. He knows that he cannot expect God to answer him based on his works, because he is not righteous and, in fact, no one is. He is asking for mercy, not judgment.

As one reads this psalm, it becomes obvious that having trials is not a curse, but rather, a grace of God. Trials produce the work of God in our lives. We humans tend to be independent and arrogant when we are left to ourselves, but these verses will show us how dependent David was in many areas of his life. In these first verses, he is dependent for the grace of God. He pleads for mercy; he does not deserve the care of God and he admits it.

As he goes on, he realizes that he also depends on God for protection.

Psalm 143:3-4

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

Therefore my spirit faints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

His enemies are pursuing him, he is crushed, he has been forced to live in darkness, his spirit is weak, and his heart is dismayed. His difficulty has caused him to see his total inability to protect himself and that he needs to rely on the Lord for help.

As he looks to God for mercy and protection, his need for spiritual strength is also exposed.

Psalm 143:5-6

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

I stretch out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

He can remember the care of the Lord and he stretches out his hands to God, pleading for strength. His dependence on God is total. There is no other place he can receive relief. There is no nourishment apart from God, Himself. God has proven His power, and now it is a grace even to be able to stop and remember the works of the Lord in his life. He looks around, but there is no other fountain of help for his parched spirit.

David realizes, as he looks at his situation, that he needs God’s guidance to know how to navigate the difficulties of his circumstances.

Psalm 143:7-8

Answer me quickly, O LORD!

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

If there had ever been any past feeling of self-sufficiency, now it is gone. He starts in the morning and looks to the LORD for guidance. He is unable to know where to go. His day begins in utter dependence on God. He depends on Him for encouragement and for wisdom.

David further realizes that he needs God to instruct him in the way he should go.

Psalm 143:9-10

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!

I have fled to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

Let your good Spirit lead me

on level ground!

He has made his choice: that Jehovah is his God and from Him alone will he receive instruction. He does not rely on his own knowledge or experience. The ability for him to know and do what is right can come only from the Lord, Himself. All other ground will be uneven and hard to cross.

Psalm 143:11-12

For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life!

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your servant.

Having made a clear choice to depend completely upon the Lord, David declares that he is His servant. The character of God is what gives him peace. He knows God is righteous, His love is unchanging and dependable, and God will always provide for his soul. God’s name is all David needs to find rest and rescue.

We so often look at trials as something to avoid or to go through as quickly as possible. But in reality, trials are a gift of God, for they strip us of all our self-reliance. Trials expose our need for grace, for protection, for strength, for guidance, and for instruction. We can rest assured that God will be true to His character and that trials are His means of producing godly results in us.

OUR TRIALS TODAY ARE NOT A CURSE, THEY ARE A BLESSING!