1. O Lord, Be My Helper! John Louis, January 2016

2. Introduction…

3. If you want to know man, read Proverbs. If you want to know God, read Psalms. If you want to be wise read Proverbs, but if you want to be holy read the Psalms.

4. David ruled from Hebron for seven and a half years, and the other in Jerusalem, for thirty-three years. He reigned for about 40 years and died at the age of 70

5. Fourteen of them that were chosen because they are specific links of their context with the books of 1,2 Samuel. Better context and insights when we compare 1, 2 Samuel and Psalms together.

6. These fourteen psalms are… Ps 3 – David fled from his son Absalom. Ps 7 – David prayed concerning Cush, a Benjamite. Ps 18 - David prayed to be delivered from Saul. Ps 30 – David’s dedication of the temple. Ps 34 – David pretended to be insane before Abimelech. Ps 51 – David was confronted by Nathan the prophet. Ps 52 – When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Abimelech”.

7. Ps 54 – When Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?” Ps 56 – David was seized by the Philistines Ps 57 – David fled from Saul to a cave. Ps 59 – When Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him. Ps 60 – David struggled when he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobak and Joab struck down 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt Ps 63 – David was in the desert of Judah. Ps –142 – David was in a cave.

8. Psalms of tribulations and struggles. Psalms 3, 7, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63, 142. Psalms of victories Psalms 18, 30, and 60.

9. The best way to change your character is to____________________

10. Confess/admit them to trusted friends Get feedback / discipling from trusted friends Pray until you gain awareness/strength

11. Be a leader Expose and dismantle them to others Work on them before others Wrestle before God. Get feedback from others Let them monitor your progress

12. Of the fourteen ones Psalms 18, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60 were given to the “Director of Music” of David’s day. Turned them into songs. All of Israel came to know about David’s weaknesses, trials, and triumphs.

13. David did them all… Be a leader Expose and dismantle them to others Work on them before others Wrestle before God. Get feedback from others Let them monitor your progress

14. These difficult events did more to shape David’s character than his victories while he was LEADING...

15. Personal life…

16. The more you hide your weakness the more you insecure you will become and the more controlling you will be. Don’t just admit your weakness, but struggle through it in front of others. Dismantle them in front of your small group/trusted leaders.

17. People will imitate you and will build walls. Most curricullum are 90% content, 10% skill but nothing on character (Allender, 2006). Good institutions with high expectations, yes, they focus on working hard, developing intrisic motivation for studies, showing intiative applying self, but…

18. Self Control… Emotions Lusts Spending, $s Not doing hard things first Listen more than talk…

19. Self Awareness… Level of empathy / compassion Ability to listen Ability to connect Come across Being able to know how to read others

20. Why hide our weaknesses?

21. Three reasons why they hide (Allender, 2006): 1. Narcissism 2. Fear 3. Addiction

22. Two occasions when David sinned the most against God came after incredible victories. First - His adultery with Bathsheba, in 2 Samuel 11, which took place after his victories, listed in 2 Samuel 8 and 10. Second - Counting his fighting men, something that God prohibited him from doing. Again, it is interesting this second major fall of David was placed after the text about his set of victories in 2 Samuel 21 and 23.

23. Defeats and failings have a better chance in helping us to get broken than successes. Best way to be exposed is when you lead.

24. Crisis – Greek word krisis, means “to sift or separate”. During crisis you make a choice. Crumble under the weight of the pressure or suffer with courage and humility.

25. James 1:2-3 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various [a] trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [b] endurance. 4 And let [c] endurance have its perfect [d] result, so that you may be [e] perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (NASB).abcde

26. Romans 5:3-5 3 And not only this, but [a] we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (NASB).a

27. Sufferings leads to perseverance and eventually “Perfect result” and “Proven character”…

28. Every crisis will reveal something about your character.

29. Questions for Reflection 1. When we are in an unhealthy state, what do we think sufferings will produce? 2. What do we fear that such difficult times will do to us? 3. Have you ever given thought that only going though the fires will bring about, “perfect result” and “proven character”? 4. How excited are you to let God use others to shape your character? What are your long standing weaknesses that you have failed to confess and conquer? Please confess your darkest side to your trusted friends.

30. I Will Call Upon the Lord Lesson One

31. Psalms 18 - David sang to the Lord after he was delivered from Saul and his enemies.

32. Church song… “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies. I know, the Lord liveth, and blessed me my rock, and the God of my salvation be exalted. I will call upon the Lord…”(Ps 18:1-3, 46. 2 Samuel 22:1-4).

33. Psalms 18 Psalm 18 [a]a For the director of music. Of David the servant of the L ORD. He sang to the L ORD the words of this song when the L ORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 1 I love you, L ORD, my strength. 2 The L ORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield [b] and the horn [c] of my salvation, my stronghold.bc 3 I called to the L ORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

34. In my distress I called to the L ORD ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

35. The L ORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. [d] 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, L ORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.d 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the L ORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

36. The L ORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the L ORD ; I am not guilty of turning from my God. 22 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. 23 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 24 The L ORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. 27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. 28 You, L ORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. 29 With your help I can advance against a troop [e] ; with my God I can scale a wall.e

37. 30 As for God, his way is perfect: The L ORD ’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God besides the L ORD ? And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. 36 You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.

38. 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. 38 I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. 39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the L ORD, but he did not answer. 42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them [f] like mud in the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me, 44 foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.f

39. 45 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds. 46 The L ORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! 47 He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, 48 who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me. 49 Therefore I will praise you, L ORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. 50 He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.

40. Ps 18:1-2 – David use the Hebrew word love, racham, which is used in the context of a man’s love for God. In other places this word is used and translated as mercy and compassion of God’s love for man.

41. Ps 18:2-5…For David, God was his Strength Rock Fortress Deliverer Shield Horn Stronghold

42. Cords of death Torrents of ungodliness Cords of Sheol Snares of death

43. Ps 18: 6 - Imagine the noise coming from the torrents, cords of Sheol, snares of death? How loud are these? In the midst of these loud noises, the feeblest cry of a righteous man can and will be heard in His holy temple.

44. Ps 18:7 - Can you believe that prayers can shake the earth, open prison doors, heal the sick, and bring about justice to His children. David felt at an emotional level that God lit up his lamp, and illuminated his darkness (18:28).

45. It all comes down the Lord and me…nothing else in life matters. “I, me, David” and “You, Lord, God” – from the beginning till the end, seen in 18:1, 2, 3, 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 39, 43, 48, 49, 50. Wow.

46. By the end of his life here, he had experienced a lot of victories, but he had also committed adultery, murder. Yet…

47. Others have also called Jesus, the son of David Matthew 9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Luke 18:38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48. But what did Jesus say about his relationship with king David?

49. Mark 12:35 35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that [a] the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said [b] in the Holy Spirit,ab ‘T HE L ORD SAID TO MY L ORD, “S IT AT M Y RIGHT HAND, U NTIL I PUT Y OUR ENEMIES BENEATH Y OUR FEET.”’ 37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd [c] enjoyed listening to Him.c

50. This is truly remarkable. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! God can truly use you after a major fall. If we repent and stay focused, God can use us!

51. Questions for Reflection 1. What image of God do you have when you pray? Allow your creativity to flow and imagine God coming down to help you. Do you have faith before God’s actual intervention? 2. Do you believe that you can only get better with God or with man made strategies and knowledge? 3. Do you personally believe God knows your name and has a personal interest to rescue and help and use you in a remarkable way?