Sermon Cloud

Augustine: “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” 

Catches the reality that our hearts were made for God. God is a relational Being, the Persons of the Trinity exist in eternal fellowship with and satisfaction in one another. God created us for the same purpose through relationship with Him, through Christ. 

The problem with man is that we seek to find satisfaction God’s creation rather than in the Creator. In the benefits, but not the Benefactor. Or, by insisting on our way, our plan for life, our wisdom, rather than resting completely in Him (*cf. Jer. 2:12-13 [10:14-16 for contrast]). 

Most of our spiritual struggles (if not all) come from the fact that we are seeking satisfaction in things other than God; we have competing desires. Are greatest spiritual joys come when find our complete satisfaction in God Himself. When we rest and rely completely on Him, finding in Him the answer to all our hearts desires. 

God has designed to find our complete satisfaction in Him. And it is in this state of satisfaction that we find our psalmist this evening. This is one of the most soul satisfying portions in his love for God, and so serves as a beautiful and encouraging model for us of having complete satisfaction in God. 

To help us think through this section we will structure it my noting 4 results produced when we are wholly satisfied in God. 

Satisfaction produces: (1) Commitment, (2) Sanctification, (3) Security, and (4) Fellowship. 

First, READ: Ps. 119:57-64. 

(1) Satisfaction that produces Commitment (Direction/obedience?).

(57) “The Lord is my portion” - the LORD Himself, not simply above every thing else, but in place of everything else; all things are subordinate to satisfaction in God. There is such incredible rest, joy, peace, security, happiness in this statement. It at once cuts through all our concerns, anxieties, problems, with a transcendent hope and satisfaction for our souls.  

This is a beautiful picture of faith, of humility that displays humble trust and dependence upon the Lord. He sees the Lord as his only source of good, and takes notice of the good that the Lord has done. In other words, he gives credit where it belongs, to the Lord (1 Cor. 4:6), He is the source of all things, He is the only source of good in his life. And in Him there is complete rest and satisfaction. 

Lam. 3:19ff (*24) - in the midst of destruction and the agony of judgment, starvation, a despondent sense of hopelessness and grief, Jeremiah looks to and recognizes the hand of the Lord, rest in His goodness, and takes full notice of the sin of the people that brought about the present circumstance from the Lord (37-39).

Ps. 16:1-11 (*5) captures the same thought. The context of the psalm (11) The psalmist wants joy, he wants satisfaction and he knows that is to be found solely in the Lord.

Ps. 73:25 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (note also 27-28; Ps. 142:1-7). 

Only the Lord satisfies the heart, and only the one who has tasted the kindness of God can know of this secret inner satisfaction that comes from trusting in the Lord. 1 Pet. 2:1-3 “if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord …” 

Many, if not all, of our frustrations and anxieties in life come from the fact that we are seeking to find our portion in places, people, or things other than the Lord. When our hearts are captured with the fact that you are His and He is yours, then all your satisfaction lies in Him and the other worries, anxieties, and allurements of the flesh and of the world fade away. 

Of the unbeliever the psalmist says, “their portion is in this life” and so they seek for satisfaction here; but for the believer it is in the next; even more it is because it is in another! (**Ps. 17:14-15; also cf. Luke 9:27; Matt 13 [treasure in a field; pearl of great price]).

Jesus Christ is the all sufficient and all satisfying balm to our soul. In Him, and in Him alone, there is perfect joy, perfect peace, perfect rest (“Only You”).  Who else can calm our fears in life, and sooth our fears in death - because He has tasted it for us; He has gone before us and entered into the veil on our behalf! Only Christ is the satisfying and healing balm to our souls when we are crushed with the weight of our sin; our example and strength when we are suffering for His name; the confidence in our prayers when we don’t know how to pray, for He intercedes for us. Jesus Christ is our all in all, He alone is our portion, the fullness of God in flesh, our Savior, our Lord, our Friend in life and for eternity!

(58)  “I sought Your favor (lit. “Your face”). 

“Your face” is a beautiful and personal picture that gives expression to the intimacy that the righteous have with the Lord. We do not come to a lifeless idol, or a distant unapproachable diety, we come to the Living God; we seek His presence, we seek His face. To the redeemed this is a place of blessing, and it speaks loudly of grace. For God is holy, He cannot look at iniquity with favor, He abhors sin - the sin that pervades our entire being. How is it that a sinner can come before a holy God, even seek His presence? He captures it in the next verse: 

“be gracious to me” - it is because He approaches Him to extends grace to all who come near to Him in trust, in humility, in dependence, seeking grace. God has not and does not deal with the broken on the basis of their sin but according to His grace. 

How much more we who know Christ? Who is in God’s presence for us … how much more boldly can we now approach the throne of grace? 

(2) Satisfaction that produces Sanctification

(59) “I considered” - he looked at his life objectively and in the light of his circumstances and his plea for God’s grace. 

“I will turn my feet” - in response to, or conjunction with the consideration of the Lord’s ways. The first statement is a statement of fact, a declaration of what he does. The second fruit of it. 

The picture is graphic. He could have just as easily said, “I thought about Your ways and then obeyed.” But instead he grabs our attention by painting a vivid picture so that we can watch the action in our minds - “I turned my feet” - you can picture a set of feet walking in one direction and then turning around to go another. 

There is a picture here of repentance (Lk 15:17-20 provides an illustration), of “putting off” and “putting on.”

Here also is hope, for the fact that he is here turning to obedience suggest that he had a time of not walking in obedience; yet, he recognized and turned back to the Lord. And like the Father to the prodigal son, He not only accepts our pleas for mercy he meets our every motion of repentance with an abundance of grace. No matter how many steps away from the Lord you have taken restoration is only one step back, when you turn to him in repentance and faith. The Christian lives under grace, therefore no sin should every be considered as final, and leaving the Christian without hope. The Lord is abounding in lovingkindness and mercy.

(60) “I make haste and I did not delay” (Qal/pf & hitpalael pf) - describes the manner, or attitude in the urgency of his action; he turned quickly to obey God’s commands. 

So often we are lethargic in obedience, knowing the right way and having to external impediments, we yet linger with internal fear, laziness, and apathy and do not quickly and decidedly obey the commands and walk in the right way. 

Sometimes it is for love of the world, lack of a final break with the world (“delay” same term to describe Lot; cf. Gal. 6 “I have been crucified to the world and the world to me”). 

He recognizes that the true prayer of confession and seeking of God’s favor is attended with a sincere desire, an earnestness to obey and yield to all that God would require. It is a false prayer to come to God for grace and then not heed His instructions. 

E.G. Jer. 42:1-22 (note esp. v 20, “you have only deceived yourself” - those who make commitments to obey but then follow their own way).  

Obedience is the final measure of sincerity (1 John 2:3-5). 

“the commencement of a godly life consists in men awaking form their lethargy, examining their ways, and, at last, wisely considering what it is to regulate their conduct properly.”

It is not enough to simply know the right way, until your faith takes action and you actually obey the way you know to be true, the  way of trust and obedience set forth in Scripture, you will never know the joy and fruitfulness that yieldedness and obedience brings. Spiritual strength and joy come when we first exercise the faith to simply trust, let loose of the reigns and yield to His clear commands. 

(3) Satisfaction that produces Security

(61) “I am surrounded by the snares of the wicked” - the picture is of a lone man in the midst of a hostile crowd (Illust: football drill). The temptations to fear, to compromise, and given in to the lures and intimidation of the wicked were about him, but he did not forget God’s Laws. His heart is bound to the authority and gracious provision of God. 

We live in a world hostile to righteousness, hostile to truth. We have an enemy within and the enemies without (sin, world, devil); Eph. 6:1ff; 2 Cor. 2:11; 2 Tim. 2:24-25; 2 Cor. 4:4; Job 1; etc.) the traps are laid and the threats are before us. 

2 Tim. 3:12 “all who desire to live godly will be persecuted” - is a promise for both the OT and NT believer; righteousness incites resistance and hostility in an unrighteous world. Sometimes (Calvin notes) resistance and the perception that God is not available, or willing to help breeds the temptation to compromise on the truth. But the psalmist held fast  and serves as an example to others. 

(62) “In the middle,” or as most translations, “at midnight” - I believe there is a deliberate tie with the previous picture. In the previous verse he is in the middle, surrounded by the wicked who are laying snares; here he is in the middle of the night, having withstood the snares, now laid down to rest and his heart is compelled to worship God, who is his strength. His life is so immersed in and dependent upon YHWH. 

It pictures the rest of one who has been able to experience the spiritual battles of the day and yet lay down their head at night with a clear conscience of having trusted and not denied the Lord’s word; of having remained faithful. 2 Cor. 1:12.

It also displays the satisfaction that the psalmist has in the presence of the Lord; the time of day may suggest his desire for solitude, unhindered and undistracted time with the Lord, enjoying his relationship, conversing in prayer. 

It also gives the cure to anxiety; the psalmist is so thankful for all of God’s goodness and mercies to him that he cannot help but rise in the night to express his thanksgiving to God. 

As one has suggested, if someone is anxious and losing sleep then they should start counting blessings and not sheep. 

(4) Satisfaction that produces Fellowship

(63) “I am a companion to … (1) all those who fear You … (2) keep Your precepts” - to the one who delights in God there is not greater earthly joy than to be in the presence of others who do the same. This defines true, biblical fellowship, it is God-centered. 

ILLUST: first saved - love, kindred spirit that was global. 

God’s people should have, and do have by the indwelling Holy Spirit, a unique, distinguishable, love and connection with other of God’s people than they do with the world. If a person senses no distinguishable difference between their relationship with an unbeliever and their ability to relate than they do with a Christian, then there is something wrong. Ps. 16:3; 2 Cor. 10:24ff; Heb. 10.

Unbelievers simply do not share any of these with the Christian, and these are the fundamental issue of life; these all relate to the very core of our identity, affections, directions, perspectives, of life. 

The company we keep as Christians is of utmost importance to the Lord (1 Cor. 15:33; Rom. 16:17 (contrast 15:24, 32); 1 Cor. 12). 

Christian’s share the common bond of the Holy Spirit; and common hope in Christ; a common bent toward righteousness; a common future inheritance; a common authority. Our lives are bound to one another in every significant way; all other issues that differentiate believers, nationalities, social positions, jobs, etc. are all superficial and really only become means of serving and loving and meeting the needs of one another. 

Christians should receive their greatest joy in being with other Christians. These should be the most satisfying relationships. 

As Christians we need to make sure also that we don’t disguise or cover over the uniqueness of our relationship and bond, in others words we must be sure to make Christ, and His word and His glory our common link and topic of fellowship. 

True fellowship is defined by its content. Christian activity and conversation must be markedly different than that of the world. Just hanging out with other Christians is not true fellowship if the content of their time together is not Christ-centered. 

All Christian companionship should be a means, vehicle to discipleship. Conversation and motivation (content) is in the light of our faith in Christ and the truth of His word. 

(64) “The earth is filled with Your lovingkindness, O LORD” - this is the culmination of these building expression of satisfaction from living in the presence of God, from living in complete satisfaction in YHWH. 

Gen. 6:13 is the contrast to how the Lord views the world of those who do not live by being satisfied in Him “the earth is filled with violence.” (cf. Jer. 23:10; 46:12). 

But for the righteous who know God, who have discovered His glory and are satisfied in Him, who have bound themselves to walk in His ways, and who see in the world God’s handiwork it is illumined with the light of His glory. 

Ps. 33:5; 104:24; Is. 11:9 (mill); Habk. 3:3 (context of judgment). 

In what ways is the earth full of the Lord’s lovingkindness? 

God’s character of lovingkindness is seen in His works and the tender and faithful care that He has for all His creatures (Ps. 104); He feeds the animals of the field, He waters the plants of the earth. He supplies those made in His image with every good thing (Matt. 5; Acts 14; etc.) - comforts, joys, satisfaction, and more from this creation (beauty, cool breeze, fishing, boating, camping, etc.; art, music, creativity, discovery, etc.). 

Only those with eyes awakened can truly behold God’s goodness in all of His creation and respond with joy at the Word’s proclamation of His sovereign care. But even more God’s lovingkindness is seen in His acts of redemptive mercy, His dealings with men, especially the saints of old, and even now to those who daily walk with Him and know of His mercies, grace, and lovingkindnesses that follow His people every day.

Calvin catches the sense of the final clause well, 

“He desires that the mercy of God, which is extended to all creatures, may be manifested towards him in one thing, and that is, by enabling him to make progress in the knowledge of the Divine law. Whence we gather, that he accounted the gift o understanding as an inestimable treasure. Now, if to be endued with the spirit of understanding ins a chief token of God’ savor, our want of this, proceeding form our own unbelief, is an indication of our alienation from him. It behooves us to remember what we have stated elsewhere, that it is an evidence that we have given ourselves up to the most shameful sloth, when, contented with a superficial knowledge of Divine truth, we are, in a great measure, indifferent about making further progress, seeing to renowned a teacher of the church labored with the greatest ardor to become more and more acquainted with God's statures. Beside, it is certain that he does not here treat of external teaching, but of the inward illumination of the mind, which is the girt of the Holy Spirit. The law was exhibited to all without distinction; but the prophet, well aware that unless he were enlightened by the Holy Spirit, it would be of little advantage to him, prays that he may be taught effectually by supernatural influence.”