When going through the worst days of your life, God is enough.
This Sunday, we are reading Psalm 110. Psalm 110 was written by David who was no stranger to hard times and worst days. However, David wrote many Psalms about God supremacy and authority over his life. In Psalm 110, David declares that his God is more than enough in troublesome times.
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| God is Enough, Psalm 110 |
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
2 The Lord will stretch out Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
3 Your people will volunteer freely on the day of Your power;
In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,
Your youth are to You as the dew.4 The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at Your right hand;
He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.
6 He will judge among the nations,
He will fill them with corpses,
He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.
7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will lift up His head. - Psalm 110
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
God is enough when:
1. Your enemies want to destroy you.
David had faced enemies. As a young boy, he fought the giant, Goliath. He constantly battled the Philistines. He was always running from King Saul who wanted to kill him. For years, David was an anointed king but he was running for his life. However, even though others were constantly seeking to destroy or kill David, he exclaimed that his Lord was enough.
In Psalm 110:2, we see that God will rule with great power right in the middle of what seems to be the enemy's deadliest attack.
In Psalm 110:3, we learn that people who are subject to the Great King (God) will follow Him gladly and freely. God's people will constantly be refreshed.
What enemies do you face? Cancer? Depression? A broken relationship? A struggling family situation?
When you become discouraged under the enemy's attacks, go straight to your King God. God will conquer your enemies and He will renew and refresh you.
2. Your sins consume you.
Not only was David constantly under physical attack. He faced internal struggles as well. David was plagued with his sin of adultery with the wife of Uriah. That sin led to more sin including murder. This all led to the death of David's son.
When sin consumed David's life, David still knew that his God was enough.
In Psalm 110:4, we learn about a truth that will last for all eternity. Jesus is our King forever and our Priest forever.
You might be asking, "Who is Melchizedek anyway?" At this point in his sermon, my pastor tells us what we know about Melchizedek. Here is a brief summary.
In Genesis 14, we learn that Melchizedek is a minor character in the Bible. God has promised to Abraham that He would multiply his descendants, make him the father of many nations, and make him wealthy and prosperous. Abraham has a nephew named Lot. Abraham and Lot were very close. They were both wealthy and lived near each other. Lot lived near Sodom. Sodom went to war with other cities. A king named Chedorlaomer takes over all the valley where Lot lived. Lot becomes caught up in the battle. He eventually becomes a prisoner of war along with his wife, his kids, his entire family including all of his flocks and possessions under King Chedorlaomer.
This struck a nerve within Abraham. In my pastor's words:
"This is not smart, because Abraham is like Liam Neeson. He has a special set of skills. If you take one of his family members, he is going to hunt you down. He will find you and he will kill you."
Abraham goes after King Chedorlaomer. God gives Abraham power so he wipes out King Chedorlaomer. He takes back Lot and all his family and possessions. The he takes all of Chedorlaomer's possessions. Then, Melchizedek comes along. Melchizedek is introduced without genealogy which is unusual for Old Testament characters. We know he was the king of Salem. Salem has the root Hebrew word for peace. Melchizedek's name means King of Righteousness. Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness whose kingdom is peace. Who does this point to? Maybe Jesus?
When Abraham sees Melchizedek, he bows and worships Him. He immediately gives Melchizedek 10% of everything he took from Chedorlaomer. Melchizedek doesn't show up again until Psalm 110 when David says his King is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. David points to the ultimate King Priest, Jesus.
We fast forward to Hebrews 7. Melchizedek is mentioned in Genesis 14, Psalm 100, and then again in the New Testament in Hebrews 7.
We sin. We all sin. Sin separates us from a Holy God. Sin will condemn us to an eternal separation from God. However, God, in His mercy, sent our King Jesus forever, our Priest forever, to pay the penalty for our sin once for all. Jesus is the only one who can make sinful man right with a Holy God.
When you feel consumed by a sin or multiple sins in your life. You might see no way out, but there is a way. Jesus forgives. Jesus heals. David tells us in Psalm 100 that God is enough and He is, even when your enemies want to destroy you and even when your sin consumes you.
3. When your future seems hopeless.
Have you watched the news lately? If you watch, you'll probably feel overwhelmed with all the bad stuff going on in the world. When I watch the news, I feel like our future seems hopeless. The news media is flooded with reports of racial riots, protests, anarchy in the streets, lawlessness, political upheaval, bombings, etc. King David's world felt hopeless too. David's son would murder his other son to avenge his sister's rape. Despite all of that, David loved Absalom, welcomed him home, and greeted him with a kiss. How did Absalom respond?
Absalom conspired to overthrow the king, slandered his father's reputation, forced him to flee for his life, raped all of David's wives, and ultimately cost the lives of 20,000 men. That certainly paints a portrait of a hopeless future for David and his family. David must have wondered about God's faithfulness, but in the midst of all the ugly, David proclaimed that his King was more than enough.
Be encouraged. Jesus is near in seemingly hopeless situations. In fact, in verse 6, we read that King Jesus will repay the godless and unbelievers that threaten you. One day, He will destroy those who mean to harm you.
Regarding verse 7, if you look up the Hebrew word for "drink," it is used for the purpose of celebration such as a wedding feast. The word for "brook" refers to a torrent of water that comes after a deluge of rain.
In the midst of hopelessness, we can remain hopeful because King Jesus preserves His people no matter the circumstances, leading them to a celebration that is coming sooner than you might expect.
If you are in Christ today, be hopeful! Our King is coming!
In the darkest of days, God is enough. Jesus is our King. Jesus is our Priest. Jesus is our Hope.
How will you respond to Psalm 110?
If you have not bowed to King Jesus - if you have not repented of your sin and given your life to Jesus, then I want to challenge you to wait no longer. Surrender your life to Jesus today. He will overcome your enemy, forgive your sin, and give you a future and a hope.
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11
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| Psalm 110: God is Enough (Summer Playlist Series) |