All right, good morning. Always a joy to bring the word of God to God's people. Today we're gonna take a break from our series in the shorter books of the New Testament. We just completed 2 John and we will start 3 John next week. And as I was planning out the preaching schedule, I noticed that I would be preaching on what would have been my father's 65th birthday. And so I decided that I will do that sermon that I was going to preach on August 13, of 2023, Psalm 7. Now, of course, the Lord had other plans for that weekend, difficult times for my family. But two years later, I can say that God has brought us from an anxious place to a place of assurance. And so please stand with me as we read Psalm 7. If you got it, say Amen. Amen. Psalm 7. A Shigion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush of Benjamites. Verse 1. Oh Lord, my God, in you I have taken refuge. Save me from all those who pursue me and deliver me, or he will tear my soul like a lion, dragging me away while there is none to deliver. Oh Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there's any injustice in my hands, if I have rewarded evil to my friend or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust, Selah. Arise, O Lord, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries, and arouse yourself for me. You have appointed judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples encompass you, and over them return on high. The Lord judges the peoples. Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge and a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, he will sharpen his sword. He has bent his bow and made it ready. He also has prepared for himself deadly weapons. He makes his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, he travails with wickedness, and he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood. He has dug a pit and hollowed it out. He has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence will descend upon his own pape. I will give thanks to the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. Amen, that is the word of God. You may be seated. Let's pray to our Lord to bless our time today in Psalm 7. Oh Lord, we thank you again as we just prayed and partook at the Lord's Supper. We're reminded of just how you are always with us and you're here today to speak to us through the book of Psalms. And Lord, it's just amazing, just 150, how many songs we have that we can just meditate on and chew on. I pray, Lord, we will do that today, that you will speak to us and convict our hearts. Give us a love for the lost. Give us a love for one another. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. You did it. I know it was you. You're the guy who stole my car, or maybe One of your professors at college claims you cheated on your midterm exam. You used AI, I know it. You wouldn't have wrote that. False accusations and allegations hurt. Your reputation is at stake. Will you be remembered as the cheater like the 2017 Houston Astros? as the guilty party. Maybe you stood before a judge before, I don't know, you ran a red light or you didn't stop at a stop sign and you presented your case. It wasn't me. You got the wrong guy. I didn't do it. In our text this morning, David will express how it feels to be charged falsely. We will observe how he goes from this feeling anxious to a feeling of assurance. In other words, he will continue in faithfulness regardless of his circumstances. And we're going to see this in six sections. The first section we're going to examine is his prayer of his protest of innocence. And so we have, number one, the prayer of desperation. Number two, the protest of innocence. Number three, the plea for justice. The fourth section is God's preparation for judgment. The fifth section has to do with punishment of his enemies. And then the last section we'll do is the praise of Thanksgiving. So let me repeat that. First, in verses 1 to 2, prayer of desperation. Verses 3 to 5, protest of innocence. Verses 6 to 9, David's plea for justice. Verses 10 to 13, God's preparation for judgment. Verses 14 to 16, the punishment of his enemies. And then verse 17 is the praise of his thanksgiving. All right? But before we look at those sections, I want us to deal with the context and the setting of this psalm and answer this critical question when it comes to anxiety. Look with me at the heading of the psalm again, right there above verse 1. It says, A Shigion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite. And so ashegion, it's likely referring to this wild, passionate, and emotionally charged song, right? David is singing a song to the Lord, right? It's this one vocal song, no instruments. He's just crying it out to God. And he's singing to the Lord concerning Cush of Benjamite. This is a psalm of great lament. This is the predicament, right? David is in a difficult situation. And although we can't exactly identify the dilemma in the historical books, right? 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel. We know that whoever this was, right? Cush. Whatever the name represented, some enemy was falsely charging David. We know from the rest of the scripture that David has been through plenty of anxious episodes. For example, King Saul tried to kill him. We read that in Psalm 57, 4. Listen to David expressing this scenario that he went through. My soul is among lions. I must lie among those who breathe for fire. Even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue is a sharp sword. Now this predicament is similar. It doesn't have to do with life and death even though it feels that way. It's a dark place to be when the world is saying false things about you. And maybe you've experienced this. Someone talking behind your back and spreading rumors about you. You know high school can be cruel, right? Nowadays, these kids on social media experience all kind of attacks. Or maybe it's in the workplace. One of your co-workers are saying that you stole from your employer or you sexually harassed them. That can cause a great deal of stress. Surely you didn't steal or abuse anyone, but others are talking. They're questioning. Maybe he did it. No trial is a walk in the park. you will have to present your case. And that is what David does. Like Abraham, he's likely having this in mind. Shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly? And so, he will make a protest of innocence. But I want you to see and notice how he starts with prayer. Look with me at verses 1 and 2 again, our first section. I want us to answer this important question. Who do you go to when you're anxious? Look at verse 1 and 2. O Lord my God, in you I have taken refuge. Save me from all those who pursue me and deliver me, or he will tear my soul like a lion, dragging me away while there's none to deliver. And so David goes to God. Verse 1 begins with the personal name of God, Yahweh. We cannot go to anyone else first with our anxiety but the Lord God Almighty. He is who we pray to. It's in Him that we seek refuge. We don't go to pills, we go to Jesus. Maybe you're going through a lot. Beloved, follow what you see in scripture. David is stressed out. We don't see him going for a jog and working out to let go of that stress. That can be helpful. But what do we see David doing here? He's crying to God. He knows that he needs him. And so that is the pattern that our life should represent, this desire to cry out to God in any anxious moment. May we cry out to Him. He is our refuge. If you go anywhere else, there is no guarantee of assurance. You will not be fully protected. You will not be safe from the world and the devil and his schemes and his fiery arrows. But in Him, In God, there is shelter. In Yahweh, there is peace. It's a no-brainer, but many of us still struggle with going to God first. We may go to a friend, or a loved one, or maybe a counselor. Again, that can help, but we must remember we need to go to God first. We must pray to Him and tell Him what we're going through. He listens and cares for you, and He promises to be with you in that dark place. And so David continues in verse 2 with, These imperatives. He prays to the Lord to save him and deliver him. That is what he wants. Otherwise, he will be chewed up. His soul will be broken. This is a real and bad scenario that David is in. He either will be saved and delivered or he will be destroyed. But we must remember that God is not shocked or amazed by this danger presented in David's life. He is sovereign, right? He has ordained all things to take place. God will use this difficulty in David's life for good, right? Romans 8, 28. We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. We also know that God has delivered and save David before. And so it doesn't matter how dark the setting is, our God can shine his light and bring about deliverance. He did so with the Israelites during the Exodus. Remember, the Egyptians were chasing them down and they were freaking out. They had the Red Sea before them. What are we going to do? Well, God can deliver them, right? He does a miracle. And so God can save David from all those who pursue him. It can be this great army or this kingdom of just giants coming at him. Whatever comes his way, it doesn't compare to the one who created the stars, right? To the one who the ocean is like a raindrop. Our God can deliver him. Now without this deliverance, David argues that he will be torn into pieces. He will be dragged away. His enemy is like this lion, right, vicious, ready to destroy him. Imagine the breaking of all of his bones. What great agony. And yet, God, right, Yahweh, the God that David has a personal relationship with, can save him. He is able to protect David from any creature. And so back to our question. Who do you go to when you're feeling anxious? David gives us the answer. He goes to God. And the implication here is that he humbled himself before Yahweh. I like what Aldit Welch says from CCEF. It sounds very simple and it is, but it changes everything. This is the secret to dealing with fears and anxiety. Oh snap. This is the secret, guys. Listen up. The words of God in the comfort of the Spirit become much more obvious when we are repentant and humble before Him. No deals. If you spare me from this suffering, then I will. Just simple trust. We trust Him because He is God, not because He is going to immediately remove our anxieties or our fear-provoking situation. And so Welch, what he's doing there, he's referring to 1 Peter 5, 6 to 7, and he says this. Humble yourselves is the only exhortation in this passage. This is what Peter wants us to hear and obey. If we jump in the middle, it makes no sense. We can't cast our cares on him until we have recognized that he is God and we are his servants who have been elevated to become his children. So you see the pattern there? We need to humble ourselves first. And then we go to the Lord. And so, yes, cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you, but make sure you humble yourself first under the mighty hand of God. And there's a promise there that He may exalt you at the proper time. And so we see David doing that in Psalm 7. He prays with a humbled heart and he presents his case. Look with me at verses 5, 4, and 3 here. Verse 3. Oh Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice in my hands, if I've rewarded evil to my friend or have plundered him, who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah. And so we have here David's protest of innocence. He repeats who he's addressing. He says again, O Lord my God, may we not overlook this. We need to go to God again and again. And he tells God, the one he loves and the one who loves him, if I have done this. Jared Wilson states, The psalmist's claims of innocence are couched in the form of self-curse. Confident of complete innocence, he is willing to accept dire consequences if any guilt can be proved. And so David explains what he is being falsely accused of here. Did he commit any injustice? More specifically, did he reward evil to his friend? Someone he was at peace with? Did he betray, backstab, or plunder him? Right? This is war language. Did David take advantage of an ally? Did he break a treaty or a covenant that he had made? Maybe it wasn't for personal benefit, but just out of spite and hatred. David is being accused of acting treacherously. And so he says, if, but then he says, let. David, he asks for deliverance from his pursuers. but he is willing to be pursued if he has done wrong. This should remind us again of his humility. He is willing to be judged if he has done wrong. We know this about David's life. When he does wrong, he confesses his sin. We read in Psalm 51 verse 1, after his sin with Bathsheba, this is what he says, Be gracious to me, O God, according to your lovingkindness, according to the greatness of your compassion. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge. That's what David wants. He wants to own up to any sins he has committed and he is ready for God's discipline. That is why he says in verse five, let my enemy pursue and overtake me if I wronged him. Let him trample on my life down to the ground and lay his glory in the dust. He is willing to just be crushed if he has done wrong, if the accusation is true. The commentator writes, the verb here for trample can be used to describe the action of a potter mixing clay by foot, a vintner crushing grapes, a crowd of people trampling a man, or horses trampling Jezebel underfoot. And so you get that picture of just complete crush, crush, crush. And David doesn't mind to be crushed if he truly crushed his allies. This refers to a complete destruction of both soul and body. Peter Greggie, he states, the psalmist's glory was not merely his personal honor, but his capacity to praise and worship God. If he were guilty, that capacity would go along with life itself. I don't know about you, but don't you love coming here to praise the Lord together as a church, as an assembly, and we get to worship him? Imagine that being taken away from your routine. That should, you should hate that idea. You should never want that to happen to you. But that is what David is willing to let go of if he was falsely, if his accusation is true. And so he has great confidence that, no, no, no, I am innocent. And so David gives this pause to this song of lament, Selah, right? It's a good time for us to reflect. Are we willing to be disciplined if we were to do something wrong? If we've betrayed someone. If we've lied and acted in violence. Beloved, may we be honest before God. May we confess our sins. Let's not live in the dark. May we humble ourselves and present our case with clean hearts. James 4 says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will exalt you. This brings us to our next section, David's plea for justice. Look with me at verses 6 to 9 again. Arise, O Lord, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries, and arouse yourself for me. You have appointed judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples encompass you, and over them return on high. The Lord judges the peoples. Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, for the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. We observe here four more imperatives. Arise or rise up, lift up, arouse or awake, and declare or appoint. Again, a lot of military language. David tells God to give him justice. Maybe you've prayed that before. Give me justice, Lord. Craigie, he writes this, the language implores God to act in the most urgent tones. It was not that God was actually sitting and should arise or sleeping and should awake, but so long as the false accusations against the psalmist remained unanswered, it would appear that God was futile and his enemies rampant. So David acknowledges that God has a holy anger. He knows he cares about the situation he is in. David is asking for a change in that situation. And beloved, let me remind you, it's okay to pray for justice, amen? We just did that in our Lord's prayer when we prayed before the scripture reading. And so we ought to pray for justice. It's okay to tell God, please Lord, act on my behalf or act on the behalf of the unborn. Wilson writes, the object of concern that he hopes will motivate Yahweh to new action is divine indignation against the arrogant violence of his enemies. It is as Job recognized that the very concept and nature of justice is established by Yahweh himself. He defines justice, affirms it as righteous, holds humans to its standard, and consistently acts to uphold it. There is nothing wrong with this prayer of David. He is asking the just God to do what is just. And that would mean relief for David and judgment for his enemies. It's similar to when he prayed when he fled from his son Absalom. Listen to Psalm 3, verse 7. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for you have smitten all my enemies on the cheek. You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. And in Psalm 35, 23, David writes, stir up yourself and awake to my right and to my cause, my God and my Lord. In Psalm 138, verse 7, he writes, though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my imperative. That implies that the Lord will rule. David's enemies have nowhere to run. They must bow before the king and God will give them what they deserve. But we must remember that God is the judge. May we not take that truth lightly. Maybe you feel like he isn't doing anything in your current situation or hurts. Just hold on to this promise in Psalm 96, 13. For he is coming to judge the earth, he will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. We can worship God, we can rejoice and be glad in a dark season because we know one day God will make all things right. David knew this and that is why he prays for the Lord to vindicate him according to his righteousness and integrity. Right, we know David wasn't a perfect, sinless man. But he is right about this situation. He did not do what he's being accused of. He is certain he didn't do it. And so he trusts that God will judge rightly. Justice will be served. Listen to what he says when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul in Psalm 1820. The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me. There's that cleanness of his hands, right? He has not done that which he is being accused of, and the Lord has rewarded him for his faithfulness. David finds rest in the God who tests the hearts and minds. God knows all things, right? He has perfect insight. And so David prays that the Lord will bring an end to the evil of the wicked, an end to the slander and lies. And so he prays, oh, righteous God, strengthen the righteous. that they will be able to stand tall again on solid unshakable foundation and not under this weight of unjust pressure. So let me ask you this, when was the last time you had to plea for justice? Maybe it wasn't for yourself, but for someone else. If you're praying for justice, you are praying for God's will. And so keep praying. David sang about God's justice many times. Listen to Psalm 1846. The Lord lives and blessed be my rock and exalted be the God of my salvation, the God who executes vengeance for me. and seduce people under me. He delivers me from my enemies. Surely you lift me above those who rise up against me. You rescue me from the violent man." And in Psalm 58 verse 10 we read, the righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. And men will say, surely there's a reward for the righteous. Surely there's a God who judges the earth. In Romans 12, 19, you know this verse, never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine and I will repay, says the Lord. You see that vengeance, vengeance, vengeance, the Lord will repay. And so keep in mind that this prayer is not just about a change in circumstances, it's about bringing glory to God. David's deliverance will be a testimony to the world. When justice is served, God is glorified. And so let's keep praying for justice. This brings us to our next section and you're going to see more military language. David expresses how His God prepares for judgment. It's a scary image. It should bring us fear, a fear that leads to repentance. Look with me at verses 10 and 13 again. My shield is with God who saves the upright in hearts. God is a righteous judge and a God who has indignation every day. If a man does not repent, he will sharpen his sword. He has bent his bow and made it ready. He also has prepared for himself deadly weapons. He makes his arrows fiery shafts. There is only one that could protect David in the current mess he's in. God who is his shield. A shield we know is very important in battle, just like shelter. God who David has taken his refuge in. is also the God who can save him. Right? David doesn't place his hope in his own strength or wisdom. Right? He's beaten giants before. He doesn't place his own hope in his strength. He places his trust in the righteous judge. A commentator, he writes this, the psalmists invite us to understand divine righteousness as a source of confidence and comfort rather than a fear and dismay. A refuge must be entered before it is effective. Often our understanding of God's righteousness prevents us from taking that step. Too often we understand God's righteousness means that he judges not only our rebellious sinfulness but also our weakness and ineffectiveness as human beings. In other words, beloved, the Lord knows what you are going through. Don't be afraid to go to him. David understood this, and that is why he turns to God in a time of agony, right? God knows that you're weak, that you fail, that you do fall into sin. He knows you're weak. He knows you're human. But go to Him. Now God is not only a judge. He will save the upright in heart, we read, which means God is also a savior. Picture yourself on a battlefield, a whole army against you, and you have no hope. Then, boom, there's this invisible shield around you. You are being attacked, but you're able to press on in the fight. Or maybe you could picture it like this. In the last moment before your death, God sends many angels to defeat your enemies and protect you. Ultimately, it's the Lord who sustains you. He will defend you. It's the Lord who fights your battles. What a humbling truth, that we are to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Amen? Without Him, we are nothing. Look at verse 11 again, how our God has indignation every day. He is the one who really is nothing to worry about when we know who's in control. He is the one who prepares for judgment. Again, He's not this judge that doesn't care. He's a judge that cares. He's the one who prepares for judgment. In verse 12 we get that picture of a warrior. God is the one who sharpens His sword, who has His bow bent and arrows on fire ready for the enemies of David that do not repent. Sin must be punished. You can picture it in Psalm 64, 7. But God will shoot at them with an arrow. Suddenly, they will be wounded. God takes any false accusations seriously, and he will judge anyone who doesn't repent of it. Now, this should remind us of God's patience and how he is slow to anger, right? We read in 2 Peter 3, 9 that the Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, right, his return, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. And so maybe this morning you're not on the side of innocence, but instead you are guilty before God. You might not have falsely accused anyone, but are you living in sin? God is calling you to repentance. 1 Corinthians 6, 9 says, Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor infeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor junkyards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Revelation 19 makes it clear that the Lord Jesus will come back in judgment. Verse 15 says, from his mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it he may strike down the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron and he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty. And so beloved, we need to be prepared to meet our maker. Trust in what the Lord Jesus did for you on the cross when he died for you so your sins may be forgiven. We know that God approved of his sacrifice for you because he raised him from the dead. He lived the perfect life you couldn't, and He died the death you deserve. And so, repent of your sins and trust in Him if you haven't already. Otherwise, you will meet God without a shield. You will meet Him with a bow bent towards you. Ray Comfort writes, This is the message we must bring to a sinful world. God is angry with the wicked every day. His wrath abides on them. Every time they sin, they are storing up for themselves wrath that will be revealed in the day of judgment. Unless they are convinced that there is wrath to come, they will not flee to the one who can deliver them from that wrath. Right? That's why we need to preach the bad news and the good news. That there is this wrath to come. This brings us to our next section. David describes the punishment of the guilty. Look with me at verses 14 to 16 again. Behold, he travails with wickedness and he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood. He has dug a pit and hollowed it out and has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head and his violence will descend upon his own face. What happens to those that do not repent? They get exactly what they deserve. In verse 14, we read how the wicked are pregnant with sin. Craigie writes, It's similar to what we find in James 1.14. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. This is a good time to check ourselves. Are we living a life of wickedness? Do we think about harming others or ourselves? Do we approve of those who practice things that are worthy of death, like abortion? It begins in our hearts. What are we craving? What do we want? If it's not God, then we've got a big problem. Those who do not repent of their sins will have a big fall. Ironically, they will fall into the hole or pit they made for the righteous. We see that in Proverbs 26, 27. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will come back to him. And so David's enemies seek to judge the righteous, but they will be the ones that are judged. Sinners will reap what they sow. They will taste divine retribution. In verse 16 we read how all the trouble and violence that He intended for the righteous will fall upon His own head. It's like someone evil trying to shoot someone good, but they end up shooting themselves. This guarantee of judgment or punishment of the guilty should encourage the innocent party that justice will be served. It is also a warning to those who have not repented of their sin, right? You do not want to continue on that path of wickedness. Get off of it before it's too late. If you attack, you will be attacked. Wayne Grudem writes, there is a way out for the persecutors. Namely, they can seek the Lord. This is a warning to the wicked and invites them to repentance. It is also helpful to the faithful to prefer and wish that their oppressors would turn to God rather than suffer punishment. And so let me remind you of where David has traveled from before he concludes the psalm with a praise in verse 17 or last section. David had a predicament in which an enemy was falsely accusing him, and so he prayed. He praised the God, the righteous judge, a savior and a warrior, In this prayer, he presents his case by making a protest of innocence. If he isn't innocent, he's willing to be judged. And so he humbly pleads for justice and acknowledges that God is prepared to bring judgment. He also knows that his enemies will be punished if they do not repent. And so this leads him to praise God. Look with me at verse 17 again, our last verse. I will give thanks to the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. This answers a big question for us. How can we go from a tense anxiety to a transcendent assurance? How can we go from anxiety to assurance? We acknowledge who God is. We know that He is righteous. God's righteousness is greater than all the wickedness of our enemies. And David can't help but to praise God, for he knows that God is mighty, He is strong, He is the Lord Most High, right? No one compares to our great King of all the earth. He can do all things. And David calls God again by His personal name, Yahweh. He has this close relationship with Him. He has been through plenty already. But this trial will be like the rest. He knows by the end of it, God will be glorified. He can say, Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We acknowledge who God is, and we give Him thanks. We are grateful for how God is active in our world and in our lives, how he cares, how he's with us in the storm. God is worthy of our trust. He will uphold the righteous and punish the wicked. But keep in mind that there will be times in our lives that justice will not be served until the return of Christ. A commentator writes this, but whether or not we perceive that justice is done, we require the proper perspective. It is better to maintain integrity and continue to suffer injustice than to sell out to the evil form ranks with the unrighteous. Beloved, do you have this proper perspective of the trials in your life? Do you consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance? Listen to what Jesus did in his trials. 1 Peter 2. 21 reads, for you have been called for this purpose since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. What did Jesus do during His trials? Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth, and while being reviled, He did not revile in return. While suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. That is what we got to do, beloved. We have to entrust ourselves to Him who judges righteously. And again, you may not see that justice right now or in your life on this earth, but there will be a day that you see that justice. Another commentator writes, it is only at the end of the prayer that balance is restored, that the balance involves a proper appreciation of God's righteousness and the nature of evil. It is the judgment of God that matters more than the schemes of wicked persons. It is better to stand in integrity before God who is a righteous judge than to share the slippery foothold with sinners on the edge of the pit that they have dug for themselves. And so this brings us to our applications. Two actions we should take if we want to move from anxiety to assurance. Two actions. Because God is dependable and able to deliver His people, may we, number one, trust in Him, and number two, thank Him. So trust in Him and thank Him. As our refuge, He will give us rest. The commentator writes, God does indeed offer refuge we can depend on, but being able to stand within the protective embrace of Almighty God is not the assured result of our spiritual perfection and pride. It is instead the consequence of our recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy, and our total submission to the immeasurable grace of our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ. So again, it's not about us earning it. I can get this assurance if I just keep being a really good Christian. I just got to make sure I don't do that sin and God is going to give me rest. No, no, no. We understand we are sinners. We understand that we have broken His law and that we need the Lord Jesus Christ to cover us. Otherwise, we're going to hell. And so we understand His grace and His love for us. And that is how we go from anxiety to assurance. We are able to sing this. In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength and song. This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when striving cease. My comforter, my all in all. Here in the love of Christ I stand. And so we sing that with thankful hearts, right? We've been changed. And we trust him and we thank him. But I do have two more applications if you want to move from anxiety to assurance. These are more for unbelievers, but they still apply to us. Because God is dangerous and able to destroy His enemies, may we number one, fear Him, and number two, flee from sin. We must humble ourselves and repent of our sins. Hebrews 11.29 says that our God is a consuming fire. May we pray humbly. Rock of ages, cliff for me, let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flowed be of sin the double cure. Save from wrath and make me pure. While I draw this fleeting breath, with mine eyes shall close in death. When I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne. Rock of ages, cliff for me, let me hide myself in thee. Can you picture that? Just imagine seeing the Lord Jesus Christ coming back. If you know Him as your personal Savior, you're excited. But if you don't, you're scared. And so we want Him to be our refuge on Judgment Day. And so we ought to, number one, trust in Him. Number two, thank Him, fear Him, and flee from sin. In conclusion, What can help us when we face false accusations or allegations? How can we go from anxiety to assurance? True affections and true allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. We have nothing to be ashamed of if we're living in the light, if we're loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Welch writes this, and we love more people and have concerns for their welfare. If there's anything close to a command about fear in scripture, it would be this. When we are afraid, and we will be, we are to turn to Jesus. This is God's calling in our lives, and it is our growing aspiration in the midst of worries. Psalm 56 verse 3 says, When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. We can try depending on ourselves as if we can manage and control our world, Or we can try to quarantine ourselves from our worries as if worry itself might shield us from future threats. But it won't work. It won't work. Beloved. May we turn our eyes upon Jesus, right? I love that hymn. Oh soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see. There's life for a look at the Savior and life more abundant and free. Remember, He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. You're feeling anxious? Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Amen.