Outlines in Psalms

This outline is a companion to two previous outlines:
                                   O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me, and Known Me - Psalm 139   
                                   Such Knowledge Is Too Wonderful for Me - Psalm 139:1-6     

1.  The Lord our God is ever present wherever we go.
     Thus we can know His fellowship at all times.

Psalm 139:7-8 – “Whither shall I go from thy spirit?  Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”

2.  The Lord our God is ever directing in our lives.
     Thus we can trust His upholding for each day.

Psalm 139:9-10 – “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

3.  The Lord our God is ever observing what we do.
     Thus we cannot hide our sinful behavior from Him.

Psalm 139:11-12 – “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

Posted in Outlines in Psalms, Greatness of the Lord, Lovingkindness of the Lord, Knowledge of the Lord

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Outlines in Psalms

“To the chief Musician.  A Psalm of David.”

  I.  The Lord does completely know me. (Psalm 139:1-6)
 II.  The Lord is continually present with me. (Psalm 139:7-12)
      III.  The Lord has wonderfully created me. (Psalm 139:13-16)
      IV.  The Lord does abundantly care for me. (Psalm 139:17-18)
             V.  I stand contrary against the Lord’s adversaries. (Psalm 139:19-22)
            VI.  I submit consistently unto the Lord’s examination. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to five previous sermons:
                Blessed Be the Most High God - Genesis 14:19-20    
                The Most High Ruleth - Daniel 4:32    
                The Most High Uttereth His Voice - 2 Samuel 22:14    
                Sing Praise to the Name of the Lord Most High - Psalm 7:17    
                Dwelling in the Secret Place of the Most High - Psalm 91:1    

Psalm 77:10-12 reads, “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.  I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.  I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”

In Psalm 77:1 the psalmist Asaph presented a summary for the entire psalm, saying, “I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.”  Yet the opening portion of this psalm (encompassing Psalm 77:2-8) does not present a scenario in which Asaph had a positive attitude toward the Lord.  The context and circumstance in which Asaph wrote this psalm was one of great trouble.  Even so, in Psalm 77:2-4 he stated, “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.  I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.  Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.” 

Now, in the midst of this great trouble, Asaph did remember the Lord his God.  Yet at first his remembrance of God did not bring him to a place of comfort, but to a place of complaint.  Again in Psalm 77:2-3 he stated, “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.  I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”  At the first Asaph’s prayer to God and remembrance of God brought him to doubt and question God’s loving care.  At the first he was not comforted or encouraged in the Lord his God.  Rather, at the first he complained against the Lord for allowing such trouble in his life and for not removing it more quickly from his life.  Even so, in Psalm 77:5-9 Asaph expressed his complaint against God, saying, “I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.  I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.  Will the Lord cast off for ever?  And will he be favourable no more?  Is his mercy clean gone for ever?  Doth his promise fail for evermore?  Hath God forgotten to be gracious?  Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.”  Indeed, at the first Asaph doubted and questioned the loving kindness of God, and the goodness of God, and the everlasting mercy of God, and the faithfulness of God, and the abundant grace of God, and the tenderness of God.  At the first Asaph, in the midst of his great trouble, had a negative attitude of complaint against the Lord his God.

Yet in the opening line of Psalm 77:10, Asaph confessed his wrong attitude, saying, “And I said, This is my infirmity.”  He acknowledged and confessed that his negative attitude of complaint against the Lord his God was his infirmity, his wrong doing, his sinful iniquity.  Even so, with this confession Asaph began the process of correction and change in his attitude toward the Lord his God.  With this confession Asaph turned the focus of his heart away from his troubles and away from his complaint against God for those troubles.  With this confession Asaph turned the focus of his heart toward God’s past faithfulness and toward God’s faithful character as demonstrated by His past faithfulness.  In Psalm 77:10-12 he declared, “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.  I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.  I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”  Having confessed his sinful attitude of complaint against the Lord his God, Asaph committed himself to enter into a three-step process for correcting and changing his attitude toward the Lord his God.  First, he committed himself to remember the faithfulness of the Lord.  Second, he committed himself to meditate upon the faithfulness of the Lord.  Third, he committed himself to testify unto the faithfulness of the Lord.  He committed himself to remember, to meditate, and to testify.

Yet upon what specific works and characteristics of the Lord his God did Asaph focus his remembrance, meditation, and testifying?  Yea, upon what specific works and characteristics of the Lord our God should we focus our hearts in our times of trouble, in order that we might have an attitude of comfort and encouragement in our Lord, rather than an attitude of doubt and complaint against our Lord?  What specific works and characteristics of the Lord our God should we remember, meditate upon, and testify unto, as we consider “the years of the right hand” of the Lord our God, the most high God?  The answer is to be found in the closing portion of Psalm 77, in Psalm 77:13-20.