Summer in the Psalms | Psalm 121

Eventually these bodies have got to shut down but there is one greater who never sleeps or slumbers and can I tell you when we're not talking impart? Well, good morning, church. Morning. How's everybody this morning? Great.

Parents, one more day. One more day to soldier on, then we ditch them. We take them back to the schools. Right? Thank you for joining us in prayer today and and linking your faith together.

Man, can I tell you, I'm so excited about what's happening here at Hope City? God's doing some incredible things. Charity. It's all ready to go. That's going to be handed over now to the concrete, company, and they're gonna start putting in forms and, running lines that'll go under the slab.

So, don't blink. It's gonna start moving really fast. But, you know, you gotta be wise builders, you know. You don't want the dirt work to be off because then nothing's right. And so the dirt works great.

If you haven't been by there, go by there. Go take a look. It's it's beautiful what's happening out there. And, it's very cool to see what I've seen, envision, for so long coming to fruition in reality. And I just wanna thank you all for being so benevolent, so giving, and allowing us to fulfill this vision that God's given us for the city of Crestview in North Okaloosa County.

So God bless you. Thank you for giving the way you do. Psalm one twenty one, we're gonna dig into this, just for a few minutes this morning and I think you're going to be encouraged. How many know every time you go to the scripture, you will leave encouraged and challenged? It's just faithful in that way.

The scripture says it like this, it doesn't return void. You'll never be empty by spending time with it. And so I implore each of you, to spend time in the word every day. Spend time in the scripture every day. And so, let's dig into this Psalms 121, starting in verse one.

It says this, I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? Now, this is an interesting fact here is that God did a lot of amazing things in the old testament.

Where? On mountain tops. Right? Whether it's Mount Horeb, Mount Sinai, all of these mountains were places of God impacting man. So there is a picture there of things that have happened in the past, but there's also a very cool prophetic utterance of something to happen.

Jesus was crucified on a mountain. And so there's this picture of saying we've always, been impacted by God on a mountain, but there is going to be a time where we will be once and forever connected to God through a mountain. Can I tell you no matter what you're dealing with today, you can go back to an event that took place on a mountain around two thousand years ago and find every need fulfilled? Amen. So the hills also represent strength and endurance.

Those mountains, they, they they don't shift in that region. And so there's a picture of realizing that our health, and our help and our strength comes from a place of endurance, that it does not change. There's also a very cool picture. The error says, where does my help come from? Where does my help come from?

Have you ever been in a place where you thought, how am I gonna get through this? How am I gonna go through this? He says, well, go back to the place of the victories on the mountain, the victory of salvation. Right? So today I've got a key thought for you and it's this, what keeps my focus controls my mind.

What keeps my focus controls my mind. You see, you can choose to focus on the problem or you can choose to focus on the God who's greater than the problem. But that's up to you. It's called free will. Congratulations.

It's not easy, is it? But can I tell you, it's beneficial? If you will take the time to choose to focus on God and his capability. Do everything we can do. But can I tell you, there's times you can do everything you can do and it still falls short?

That's where we lean on God. Amen. Today, we we have a circle up before, every Sunday morning, and we found out that our preschool students are learning that worship is not just a Sunday thing. They're learning that they can worship every day in every place something that we carry to honor God. And can I tell you, if they can get it, how many knows we better get it?

Amen? And so we're teaching it to our littles today. So if you hear them singing out a little louder than they normally do, praise God for that. Amen. Let's move on to verse two.

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. You know, we have a, great limitation in our creation in that often the things we do not see, we do not focus on. And so I think it's imperative to draw ourself back to God's capability from time to time to see that he is the creator of all that is seen and unseen, early, about two weeks ago. I'm not an early morning person. For those of you who are, God bless you, it ain't me.

But I got up early this one morning. I was sitting on the back porch, and I just heard all those birds chirping. And you know what's funny? From the time the sun starts to come up over the horizon for about thirty minutes, you will hear 98%. This is science telling us this.

98% of the vocalization from birds in that forty five minutes. That's interesting, isn't it? Isn't that something? And so then we go over, and we see that all of creation cries out if we don't. And here's the point I'm trying to make because I don't get early get up early with my worship, those birds are doing it for me.

Come on somebody, that's a blessing, isn't it? Yeah, for those that's like to sleep in, God's got us covered. Isn't that awesome? Yeah. He's the maker of heaven and earth.

Can I tell you there is nothing that you will face greater than him? I it listen. I I I know we all carry some heavy burdens, but God is greater. He's just bigger. And so I encourage you today to remind yourself that your help comes from the Lord.

The, I go outside every night, as I'm locking the doors. We got any OCD door lockers in the house. Yeah. All the dads just wave at us. And, I walk around the house.

I lock all the doors and usually two or three times because if I forget, did I do that one? I go do all of them again. Can anybody relate to that? I'm weird that way. And so the last thing I do at night is I go out on my front porch, take the dog out.

And, and I'm sitting out there and I'm looking up to the stars. And, three nights ago, I'm standing out there, the stars were just incredible. There's those nights you feel like you can see the stars behind the stars. And so I'm out there and it dawns on me that not only are there infinite number of stars, but there's a God who not only hung them in place, but He knows their name. He calls them by name.

And you know as beautiful and as incredible as they are, He did not die for them. He died for me though. So that means in all of his infinite beauty and all of the attention and all of the detail that he gave to the heavens, his heart is for you today. Can I tell you it's imperative that we remember that our help comes from that Lord early in the morning and you hear the birds worshiping, or whether it's late at night and you see the stars and all of their glory reflecting his presence? Can I tell you, he loves you so much more than that?

He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber. You ever been in a season where you feel like you're slipping? You just feel like, man, you're kinda getting unraveled? I can tell you it happens to the best of us.

It happens to all of us. You're gonna have a season to where you feel like no matter what you do, you can't grab traction. Can I tell you that is a time to come back to this verse and remind yourself, he will not let your foot slip? He's gonna hold you in place. Those who are anchored in him, your foot is slip free.

It cannot slip. He will hold you in place with his mighty right hand. That's what the scripture says. And so I wanna encourage you today. If from time to time you feel yourself unraveling, can I remind you that's the circumstances around you?

That's not you. That you're still being held by a strength that's greater than yourself. He's not gonna let you slip. And then it goes on to say, just in case you think you're slipping, he ain't asleep. He ain't asleep.

He's with you even when you think God's not watching. Have you ever asked this question, God, where are you? Can I tell you rest assured it's gonna say it again in the next verse that he does not sleep nor slumber? Why does it tell us that? Because we are so quick to, to personalize and personify God.

But he is different than us. He does not need rest for restoration. He is forever strong. Discernment. Can I just talk to you about that for a second?

Let's get it. Come on. Don't miss that. You see, he's sovereign. He knows the beginning from the end.

Why does that matter? Because he does not stay north somewhere. And he will not let your foot slip. Okay. Let's put those thoughts together.

An all knowing, all sufficient, always awake, always alert, always focused on you, God, is involved with your everyday. Does that build your faith like it builds mine? Well, as I was writing, God always gives me the coolest stories. And I gotta be honest, it's a heavy emotional day for me today. My firstborn is gonna be a senior this next year.

She's going into her senior year of school. And so I've been flooded with all these memories. And I got a picture of her, from her first day of kindergarten. Yep. Yep.

There she is. Maddie, just wave at the whole church with your red face right now. Just yeah. So, Gabe, leave that up. Just for embarrassment purposes.

Yeah. Yeah. Don't ever forget kids. Dad has a microphone two hours every week. Okay?

Father who doesn't sleep nor slumber. And it took me back to, one of the, first nights. Maddie and Gabe got a new bedroom when we moved to Florida. We moved to Florida in 2013. Moved into this house, and we got Maddie.

We all slept on the floor of mattresses the first few nights till our furniture got here. Once our furniture got here, we set everything up. We set up a date. And, we set up a date. And, we set up a date.

And, and we put her, in her room, and we went through our prayers, went through our rituals. You know, routine is important. Right? But there was something new. And, and I remember being kind of longing nights.

And I remember thinking, man, I wish we could do that all the time. And, it it life is hard when you like your kids. You know that? It's hard. So much easier when you don't like them.

The, and we put her in her room, and a few minutes goes by. And then have you ever heard this? Dad, mom, I'm thirsty. Okay. Well, we're on the Second Floor.

I had to go all the way downstairs, get her some water, bring it back up. Right? A few weeks of that, you just get them a water bottle and leave it in their room. Right? You're smart.

We're growing wisdom. Well, I go get her something to drink, bring it up to her room. And, we go back in bed. Mom, dad, I'm hungry. Dang.

Well, did she not eat dinner? Yeah. But I'm still hungry. Okay. Well, run to get her up and take her downstairs, get her a snack, take her back to bed, make sure we have water going back upstairs.

Right? Well, I'll never forget. I closed the light off in her room, and we left her door open to the hallway area. And, and I'll never forget what she said. Dad, would you stay with me until I fall asleep?

Yeah, I was sitting here with you. And, so I sat in there. And would you tell me a story? Yeah. I'll tell you a story.

So I started telling her a story. And then, a few minutes later, things get quiet. I don't even think I got to finish the story. And so I just kinda sat there and closed the book, and she goes, are you not gonna finish? So I finished the story.

And, and I said, the end. And of course, she was out. And I remember putting the book down and setting it over on this bookshelf in her room. And I go to get out of this little seat that she had in there. And, and she goes, where are you going?

So I'm going to my bed. And she goes, we just stayed till I fall asleep. I said, you were asleep. What's happening here? This, this part of our service is sponsored by Benadryl for children, folks.

We recommend we should think about we pay that church off quick, man. I get some sponsors in here. We can do that. It's funny. Alright.

Dad, were you staying here till I fall asleep? Sure. I thought you were asleep. No problem. So I go in there.

I sit back down. And every once in a while, dad, you're still there? Still here? Well, Wendy turns the light off in the hallway. All of a sudden, it's darker.

Dad, you still there? Still here. Not going anywhere. Next thing you know, breathing gets a little heavier, slows down. Sister is out, sleeping well, knowing that her father's watching over her.

Here's the picture. Is we all desire something greater than ourselves to watch over us. And in Psalm 121, it answers a longing in each of us to have something great and powerful and benevolent and loving, not just watch over us, but never sleep or slumber. Watching over us. And can I tell you, it's not just for five year old little girls, it's for 45 year old pastors too?

That's right. That's right. That I love the fact see, here here's this is what's crazy. Is no matter how much I love Maddie, and it's a lot, but no matter how much I care for her, this body has got to rest. I can stay up, if I remember in my twenties, like seventy hours, but then I crash.

Eventually, these bodies have got to shut down, but there is one greater who never sleeps or slumbers. And can I tell you when we're not talking to him, he's singing over us? There is never an end to his exchange and his desire and his ability to give and love and care and protect and impart and it just it's who he is and and and can I tell you parents, we desire that for our children but can I tell you there's limitations to us in our earthly form But can I tell you, there's a God who has no limitation in His ability? It's our job to connect them to a father who does not sleep. And so my heart today is to remind you, maybe you're that person saying, Dad, are you still there?

Father, you're still there? Are you with me? Let me encourage you today. He never takes his eyes or thoughts off of you. Do you know how cool that is?

Going back, he created the mountains, the heavens, the earth, the oceans, the creatures. He created all of that, but he sings over you while you sleep. There's also a wonderful picture there of who are we to withhold our worship from that God. Who are we to be indifferent in times of high emotion or anger or frustration Verse five. It's a doubling down of the concept he watches over you.

The Lord, your shade at your right hand. The old testament, anytime you found shade, you found rest. You found rest. He's watching over you. The more anxious I'm becoming.

Can anybody relate to that? I don't know if it's something to where, like, I realize the older I get how short time actually is. Very unhealthy. If it's if it's harnessed well, I can use it, but there are times it outruns my ability to harness it. Can anybody relate to that?

Where you feel an anxiety like you gotta rush to get I've got to hurry and have a conversation. I've got to hurry and and and Let me just speak this over you. Rush. You can be at rest. AIMEE.

Don't let anxiety control your thoughts and your decisions. Know that God has positioned you perfectly. He has scheduled your day with elegance and the opulence and wisdom of heaven. Just trust him. Trust him.

Be at rest. I've gotta remind myself of that a lot. Verse six, it says, the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. Went to the river a few weeks ago, talked about it last week. The sun harmed me.

Matter of fact, it's still harmed a bit now. The, the pale skinned one, is harmed by the sun. We're with some friends who they have great tans, and they they can just sit out there all day. This guy cannot. If this shirt came off right now, you'd go blind.

There is almost a see through capability to my skin. It's bright white. And and and what's interesting when you read this, you think, wait, the sun will harm me. Then why do I get a sunburn? This is crazy.

Right? No. No. No. Listen.

The pictures that David is painting is that what wears everything down will not wear you down. Place that brings seasonal change. Don't miss that. What can harm us has also been sent to bless us. Don't miss that.

Listen, these are deeper things. I hope I can trust you with them. What what what what when when you're in a season of being overwhelmed, it's because there's something being built that will bring an increase to you. The sun won't harm you, it's saying there's seasons where you feel like you're so overwhelmed that the heat just keeps coming and coming. But can I tell you, things don't grow in cold season?

Things don't grow in cold season. Celebrate the fact. When you feel like you're overwhelmed, listen, listen, listen. Stop and trust God, and celebrate that he's working on your behalf. And the scripture says he's not gonna let you be overwhelmed.

And then it goes it says, nor the moon by night. I had to do some deep study to figure this one out. Because I'll be honest, I can stare at the moon all night long. I mean, I've never done it, but I imagine you'd be naked under the moon and never get burned. And if you have, don't email me about that.

But I've never heard of a moon burn. And so I got to thinking. I was like, Lord, okay. I get the sun. I'm the pale one.

I get it. That burner lights you up. What do you what are you saying about this moon? And the spirit whispered so gently to me, what keeps you up at night? I went fear.

And he said, that's what I meant. How many times have you watched nights go by cover by day, but he is our peace and comfort at night. It's a beautiful picture. Verse seven, the Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life.

Again, to kind of reiterate what I said earlier, God does not need discernment. I was asking the Lord this morning if I should share this, and, I want to trust you with something today. When when Nora was, like, between two and three, an outdoor play set, that Bobby and Heather actually hooked us up with in our neighborhood. We brought it down. We set it up in the backyard.

And, and she would stand on the top of the slide. Well, that's a place we sit down. We don't stand up. And so, Nora would get up on top of that slide, and she's always been bold. She still is bold.

I apologize to Antioch Elementary for tomorrow and the rest of the year. She's coming. Okay? She'll be there. Ready or not, here she comes.

Okay? And I would, and I would speak to her and I would say, Nora, that's a sit down spot, not a stand up spot. Of course, she would instantly sit down and never stand there again. Right? Yeah.

Maybe your kid, not mine. She's standing there. And I said, Nora, if you keep standing there, you're eventually going to fall. And you're gonna tumble down that slide, and it's not gonna be pretty. Please sit down.

And, eventually, what I fear was gonna happen happened. Took her outside, and she swings for a while. She climbs up the ladder, little climb the wall thing. She climbs up. And she goes over to the slide, and she's standing there and not paying attention.

Her foot goes on the part that starts sliding down, and she kinda does this weird splits thing. It rolls and flips down the slide. Of course, as a parent, you lose your oxygen. You can't get there fast enough. You're you're running as fast as you can.

And at six four three hundred, that ain't real quick. But I'm covering ground trying to get to her. And I remember I picked her up real fast. And I say this all the time, but the Lord speaks to me more through my kids than about anything else in my life. I, I told her, I said, don't stand up there, sweetheart.

This is what I was trying to tell you. This is the this is the why behind the what. We don't stand on things where we could fall. So I'm trying to comfort her, trying to console her, trying to get and I found great hope because a few days later she goes up and she goes, Dad. And she sits down.

And she pushes and she goes down the slide. And I was like, yes. But then something hit me. I said, boy, I wish you would have learned without that knot on her head. And then God said, I wish you would have learned without a knot on your head.

And I went, I am a good son. But stay with me. Just give me your focus just for the next three minutes because I wanna give you a deep facet of the word of God. Saying the way I was saying it. Her receiving my word, Her receiving my word was through her own desire, not through her father's heart.

And and and and this as it goes on, it says the Lord will keep you from all harm. He'll watch over your life. It goes into verse eight. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever. Let me explain to you how that happens through his word, through his scripture.

There is no other religion in the world that says that their holy book is the very word and life of their God, but ours is. So why is it that we struggle? Why is it that we go through the problems that we face? It's not because he hasn't spoken about it. It's not because he hasn't give us instruction about it.

Saying it. Because we're limited. A lot of times we're limited because we really have desires that sometimes stray outside of his desire for us. Have you ever had a desire that went outside of his desire? Have you ever had a stray desire that doesn't line up with his word?

Well, so here's what you have to be careful about, is if you have those desires, you have to understand your Father's still speaking about the matter. He's given you his word. He's given you a set, of instructions. Hey, don't stand up there. If you stand here, you're gonna be okay.

You stand over there. There's a fall eventually that will happen. It may not be the first, second, third, fourth time, but eventually, it's gonna hurt. And see, when we see it through Nora's story of going down a slide, it's like we get some clarity on that. Because so many of us are in a season to where we want something so great, but it may be outside of what God desires for us.

And I tell you, you won't ever know if you're not in His Word. So whatever it is you desire, does it line up with God's word? And if it doesn't, here's where he is faithful in such a beautiful way. Say, God, take my desires. Give me your desire.

Jesus modeled this so beautifully in the garden. He says, Father, if this cup can pass from my lips, let it be so. Nevertheless, watch this. Watch this. Not my will, but thy will be done.

It's an exchange. If you will desire what he desires for you, can I tell you there's great success there? And He's keeping you from all harm as you know and begin to live out His word. There's a protection that comes from that. It doesn't mean your life will be perfect.

But can I tell you, you will miss so many shortfalls by doing it God's way? And so as we close the book on the Summer in the Psalms, let me just put a bookend on this entire series. Everything that was taught, whether it was me, Troy, Pastor Leah, Pastor Kenny, whoever taught in this series. I think Tim threw one at us during the summer of Psalms. But whoever threw one at us, there's a common picture there that God's love is great.

His word is great. And if we will love him enough to honor his word, there are many benefits to that. Amen? Are you grateful for the word of God today? Stand up to your feet.

Let me bless you. So my prayer team's gonna be across the front. We wanna pray for you, whatever you're going through. I don't know if you've noticed here lately, but we have been intentional about making prayer a priority. We were talking as a staff this past week.

When Jesus went into the synagogue and began to flip the tables with the whip, and, I love that he, we think is kind of an impatient moment. No. He was patient. He took the time and made the whip. Go back and read that.

He was very patient. He was very thoughtful in how he functioned in that moment, very wise. He could have said anything. My father's house will be a house of honor. My father's house will be a house of giving.

My father's house will be a house of worship. What'd he say? My father's house will be a house of prayer. Why? Conversation with him.

You see, we have his word. It's always speaking to us. But our prayer is us speaking to him. And he's saying, when you come to my house, make talking to me a priority. But Frank, can I tell you, once Jesus died on the cross, now you and I are the living temples?

We're supposed to talk to him every day in all things. Just have conversation with him. So we've made an intentional shift so that you can come and be prayed for here. We were gonna wait for the new building. Can I tell you, the Lord might come back before we get that new building?

I ain't worried about that building. That'll take care of itself. You know what I'm worried about? What you're dealing with right now. That is a number one priority.

If you need prayer today, do not leave this place without coming down and letting us pray with you. As I pray to close the service, I just wanna rebuke all fear and every anxiety, every moment of trepidation because I know it's hard to step out. You may not have been raised in the church where you walk to the front. Can I tell you there's no different in the floor up here than the floor you're standing on? There's just people here who will join you in faith.

And so I encourage you, I implore you, I challenge you and charge you. If you need prayer, don't leave. Let us pray with you, okay? Let me bless you. Father, we love you.

We thank you. We thank you for this summer in the Psalms. Father, we thank you that as this season shifts, as the 2025 goes into the books, we open up the fall, a new time of celebration, a new time of exchange, a new time of increase and understanding. Father, as our students go back to school, Father, I praise they will go with more of You. Father, may it not just be for our students, may it be for us?

May we lock more of You down in our hearts by just thinking of You more, by being aware that You don't sleep or slumber, that You're always watching over us, and not only the sun, but not the moon either. There's nothing in this world that you have put in place that will harm us. You're watching over us. But father, my prayers that we will hear your word not through our carnal desires, but that we'll hear your word through your heart for us, through a heart of gladness and understanding. So father, if there are any here who need prayer, give them boldness to come forward to pray, and, and we'll give you praise for that.

Help us as a church, to be more intentional with moments of prayer, and we'll give you the glory for that. Father, for each person here, I pray that the Psalms, that we have taught will ring true in their hearts, that will remind them whether they need to stay in the secret place more, whether they need peace more, whether it's times they need to worship differently. Father, we have learned great amounts of who you are this summer. And I just wanna say thank you, for the Psalms. Thank you for your word.

It always brings increase and blesses. And so thank you for that. Father, bless us and keep us. Be gracious to us and show us your favor. Make your face shine upon us and give us peace both now and forevermore.

Cover us with the blood of Jesus from the top of our head to the soles of our feet. I thank you that no weapon formed against us will prosper, but that your hand will remain on us, that your Psalms of worship and thanksgiving will be locked away in our heart. Father, bring us back next week with more wisdom and more of your word, and we'll give you praise for it in Jesus' name.