Trust in the Lord!
[Psalm 9]
Our despair as Christians leads us to long for God. Ultimately, despair turns into longing, and longing leads to hope in God, which causes us to praise Him. This is why the psalmist says in Psalm 42:11: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God." Here, the psalmist declares to his soul, "Hope in God," which is a commitment to trust in the Lord. Ultimately, even though we Christians may despair because of various things in this world, the Holy Spirit will turn that despair into a longing for God, leading us to trust in Him even more. That is why, in Psalm 9:10, the psalmist David says, "Those who know Your name will put their trust in You." Now, how do those who trust in the Lord behave? Today, based on Psalm 9, I would like to reflect on three points:
First, those who trust in the Lord give thanks to God with their whole heart and rejoice and be glad in Him.
Look at Psalm 9:1-2: "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." The reason David praised, rejoiced, and was glad in God with all his heart was because God had defeated David's enemies and their nations. Here, David's gratitude and joy were not because his enemies were defeated, but because God's justice and greatness were revealed (according to Park Yun-seon).
I ask myself, why do I thank God, rejoice, and be glad? Do I, like David, give thanks and rejoice with all my heart because of the manifestation of God's sovereignty, or do I thank and rejoice in God more because of His actions rather than His sovereignty? Reflecting on this, I cannot help but recognize that I often fail to fully trust in the Lord. The reason is that the basis for my trust is not God's sovereignty but His actions. How could I possibly understand all of God's actions? Therefore, if I base my trust on His actions rather than His sovereignty, I often end up trusting in things other than the Lord, which is a sin I commit repeatedly.
Those who truly rely only on the Lord give thanks and rejoice with all their hearts because the sovereignty of God is manifested. David gave thanks and rejoiced with all his heart because he realized and experienced God's "righteous judgment" (v. 4). The reason for his joy was that through God's righteous judgment, His justice was revealed. David recalled the past events when the Lord, who "defended my cause and my right" (v. 4), sat on His throne, rebuked the wicked, destroyed them, and "blotted them out forever" (vv. 5-6), and in the midst of his present suffering and persecution, he gave thanks to the Lord, rejoiced, and was glad. We, too, in the midst of our current suffering and difficulties, should look back and remember God's sovereignty we have experienced in the past, giving thanks with all our hearts and rejoicing in Him as we face our present struggles and trials.
Second, those who rely on the Lord make God their "fortress."
Look at Psalm 9:9: “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” When David was in a situation as dire as the "gates of death," suffering at the hands of his enemies (v. 13), he recalled God's sovereignty—His righteousness—and gave thanks to the Lord with all his heart, rejoicing and being glad. Not only did he give thanks and rejoice, but in the face of near death, he made the Lord his fortress. In verse 9 of today's text, David says that the Lord is "a stronghold in times of trouble." The word "trouble" comes from the root "bichelo," which means "cut off" (according to Park Yun-seon). In other words, David, in a situation where all hope seemed cut off, made the Lord his fortress. What a precious faith! Reaching the gates of death, David relied solely on the Lord, making Him his fortress and finding refuge. This is indeed a beautiful expression of genuine faith.
We, too, like David, when all hope in this world seems cut off and there appears to be no hope, should make the Lord our fortress and rely only on Him. The reason is that our Lord is a God who does not abandon those who seek Him (v. 10). Furthermore, our Lord is the God who does not forget the cries of the poor (v. 12), and the Lord whose mercy is abundant in seeing our distress (v. 13). Therefore, we must make the Lord our fortress. He will not forget us, indeed, He cannot forget us, and He will never disappoint us (v. 18). This is why we must make the Lord our fortress and seek refuge in Him during times of trouble. We must be under His protection.
Lastly, third, those who trust in the Lord praise God.
Let’s look at Psalm 9:2, 11, and 14: “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High... Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion; declare His deeds among the peoples... When you do this, I will declare all Your praises, and rejoice in Your salvation at the gates of the daughter of Zion.” The psalmist, David, who made the Lord his fortress, believed that the Lord would not abandon those who trust and seek Him, but, in His mercy, would deliver them from the gates of death and bestow upon them the grace of salvation. David, who believed that the Lord would guide him from the gates of death (v. 13) to the gates of Zion (v. 14), could not help but praise the Lord with his soul. This praise of David in the Old Testament reminds me of the praise that Paul and Silas offered in Acts 16:25, while they were in prison: “But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” And in that moment, Paul and Silas were delivered from the prison. Therefore, even in the midst of adversity and difficulty, we can offer praise to God, as we sing: “When troubles come, though my faith is small, I will trust in my Lord even more. As time goes by, I will rely only on Him, and whatever happens, I will trust in Jesus” (Hymn 342, 1st verse and chorus).
The believer who knows the name of the Lord is the one who trusts in Him. And the one who trusts in the Lord, reflecting on the times when they have experienced God's sovereignty, gives heartfelt thanks to God, rejoices, and is glad even in the midst of current pain and adversity. In that process, they make the Lord their fortress and take refuge in Him. Especially when all hope in the world seems to be lost, they praise God, saying, “My only hope in this body is in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Hymn 539). And as they do so, God, who dwells in their praise, will reveal His glory and power through them.
The Lord is my fortress,
James Kim, Pastor
(Confessing that, as time passes, the only one I can rely on is the Lord).