The objective of this lesson: To emphasize confidence in God involves personal struggle.
The first 6 verses have the courage of faith before encountering the faithless enemy. Then the battle began. Casualties occurred, blood flowed, and screams of pain filled the air. Suddenly, the reality of the situation descended over the psalmist like a wet blanket. The reality of the situation and the grave nature of the conflict produced a sober attitude. This change in attitude was seen in verses 7-12. Then a sobered new trust in God arose. This new trust was reflected in verses 13, 14.
Note the cycle. (1) Prior to the conflict, the psalmist was encouraged to understand that with God’s help he could do anything. He was brimming with confidence as he was among those who understood his confidence in God and encouraged him. (2) Then the conflict involved his personal struggle as the conflict that could destroy him raged. (3) Finally, renewed trust in God became reality in the face of struggle.
The majority have been a part of this cycle. For example, a good coach prepares his team to win before a game. Through numerous devices the coach convinces the team that they can and will win. The team is full of confidence before the contest begins—they are convinced they cannot lose! After the contest begins, the game becomes a genuine struggle as key players sustain injuries. Suddenly, everyone collectively realizes, “The other team is as determined to win as we are! Winning will not be as simple as we thought!” Then, only a confident faith that is mixed with the reality of the situation can win! Victory does not ignore reality, but confronts reality with a confident determination!
A good illustration is a good coach preparing his team for victory before the contest with a worthy opponent began.
The Psalm began with a declaration of total confidence in God. The declaration was neither insincere nor just a “bragging” statement. The statement was not improper or thoughtlessly made. Perhaps it was more a declaration of unstressed confidence then a declaration of insincerity. The psalmist made the statement in a realization of God’s adequacy in every circumstance. (The problem never lies in God’s adequacy, but in our ability to trust God’s adequacy.)
As the Psalm began, the psalmist had complete confidence in the adequacy of God to provide the psalmist all he needed no matter how severe the conflict.
He said that because of the Lord he did not need to be afraid of anyone. (True!) God was his light. In a world with feeble (at best) artificial lighting, he did not need to fear the darkness—God could “see” in darkness as well as sunlight. God could save him from any form of danger! He had no need to dread anything! The worst of enemies could attack, and God was more than equal to the challenge. God was bigger than numbers! Because of God, he had the right to be confident even if war broke out against him.
God was huge! He could see in darkness! He was bigger than numbers! (It is easy to have confidence in God if we are in charge of telling Him in what ways He should use His power.) It is easy to declare God’s greatness as we silently assume God will use His greatness in the manner we expect (which often does not involve threats to us or our suffering).
Everything he said about God was true! He had every right to feel confident in God! It was true that God (a) could preserve him and (b) could be superior to any adverse situation.
Because what we believe about God’s power is true does not mean the conflict between good and evil will not involve human struggle.
As an example, it is one thing to be motivated as a righteous person in a congregation of likeminded people when everyone is focused on the adequacy of God. It is quite another to maintain that focus and motivation when you are all alone in an evangelistic situation where no one understands you and most people regard you to be an enemy.
It is FAR simpler to maintain confidence in God’s greatness in favorable circumstances as the person is surrounded by a support group who understands his confidence than to sustain that confidence in unfavorable circumstances surrounded by people who do not understand you or your confidence.
In verse 4 he was totally focused on God’s adequacy. The one thing that mattered the most to him was maintaining and sustaining relationship with God. He wanted to be close to the temple and be impressed with God. If the situation became truly dire, God would conceal and hide him. God would place him above his enemies in a secure circumstance where he could not be attacked. In the face of frustrated enemies, he would delight in offering sacrifices to God and singing praises to God.
Stress that he was totally focused on God’s capability and seemed to be unaware of his vulnerabilities. He deeply wanted relationship with God. There are two factors constantly involved in human confidence in God: (1) God’s adequacy to address the situation, and (2) our adequacy to depend on God when God does not respond as we wish.
Then the situation demanded his struggle. Perhaps things were not going as he previously anticipated. Now he had to face himself. The issue was no longer God’s adequacy, but his adequacy. In the reality of struggle, he became acutely aware that the problem in the struggle confronting him lay with his sinfulness, not with God’s adequacy. God was adequate; he knew God was adequate; but did he have the strength to place his confidence in God’s adequacy? How was his sinfulness affecting his ability to put his confidence in God’s adequacy?
Sometimes dealing with US and OUR struggle is more an issue than accepting God’s greatness. The struggle against enemies is ours as well as God’s. Affirming God’s greatness does not remove our struggles.
Note that the problem IS NOT the adequacy of God, but IS his inadequacy. His confidence in his ability to trust God’s adequacy was falling fast. He was pleading with God to listen to him and answer. He was as determined as ever to seek God’s face, but now he feared God would hide His face. Now he feared his sinfulness so offended God that God would respond in anger or abandonment.
Today’s question often is, “How can this happen to me?” Too often we share the feeling of abandonment with the psalmist. Does the reality that we struggle offend God? Are we struggling because we sinned?
His feelings confused him. How can he think of his Helper and the One who rescued him in terms of anger or abandonment? Even if his parents deserted him (unthinkable), God would not! Suddenly the one who was so confident in God understood he needed for God to teach him God’s ways. Knowing God’s ways would be the difference between falling to his enemies and surviving the attack.
It is easy for us to be confused. Does affirmation of confidence in God remove all doubt? Does the existence of doubt mean the affirmation of confidence was false? How can we have such confidence in God and be so upset with God? What do the existence of such feelings mean? Read again Romans 7:15-8:1 to see the struggle and to see the answer for us. Give thanks to God for what we understand in Jesus Christ that the psalmist did not have available to him.
As all looked dark and gloomy, he realized God was and had been active, giving him help all the time. Had it not been for God’s goodness, he would have been consumed by his despair. The need was for patience. Only if he waited for the Lord would he discover strength and courage.
Often we do not grasp all God has done and continues to do for us until we see God through the gloom of serious struggle. Human struggle is used by God to verify His presence. The difference between despair and hope is the ability to see God at work in our struggles. Read John 20:26-29.
In the beginning of the Psalm, God was the light that saved. God was the light, but he had to look for the light instead of staring at the darkness.
They lived at a time when (a) darkness was a powerful reality and (b) was a constant danger. In a real way, darkness controlled the rhythm of life. To affirm that God was greater than darkness was a huge affirmation.
Perhaps the question for us is this: Do we look for the light, or do we stare at the darkness?
The issue is what controls our focus?
For Thought and Discussion
1. What cycle did the Psalm use? Illustrate the cycle.
a) The cycle is confidence in God in favorable circumstances, doubt in struggle, and renewed confidence in spite of struggle.
b) A coach preparing his team for victory before the contest begins and the realities of the struggles of the contest can be a good example of the cycle.
2. How did the Psalm begin? Explain “unstressed confidence.”
The Psalm began with total confidence in God. “Unstressed confidence” is confidence expressed in favorable circumstances with eyes only on God as an understanding support group encourages us.
3. What did he say about God? Discuss the truth of his attitude toward God.
a) The Lord was so big he did not need to fear anything.
b) The discussion should include that confidence in God’s adequacy in all situations is correct.
4. Verse 4 was totally focused on what?
It totally focused on God’s adequacy as the psalmist yearned for continuing relationship with God.
5. What was most important to him?
A continuing relationship with God in which God was always his priority was important to him.
6. Discuss the fact that the situation demanded his struggle.
The discussion should include that he was not prepared to face his role in his severe struggle.
7. The problem was not what? The problem was what?
The problem was not God’s adequacy. The problem was his adequacy.
8. Why did his feelings confuse him?
He did not understand how he could know his confidence in God was so real, and yet he could struggle so much to maintain his confidence.
9. What did he realize?
He realized God was and had been there sustaining him all along, even in his darkest times.
10. Perhaps the question for us is what?
Do we look for the light, or do we stare at the darkness?
Link to Student Guide Lesson 11
Copyright © 2010
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ