David cried out to God in his time of distress, and said, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). It’s how we all feel when adversity comes to our lives: It’s as if the ground beneath our feet has started to crumble. The story of Saul persecuting David illustrates how to find a sure path when it feels like your life is falling apart.
well this is the word of God the eternal
Word of God I’ve been reading it for
over seventy years now I’ll tell you
something I’ve never had a situation in
my life and I’ve been through a lot of
things in a difficulty hardship pain of
suffering at some point in some place in
the Word of God I’ve found some comfort
strength encouragement sometimes I cry
about what I read and sometimes I didn’t
want to shout about what I read but
every time I wanted to believe what I
read because that’s why God gave us his
word he gave us his word as a stabilizer
in our life he gave us his word that you
and I could face any and every situation
in life and the Word of God does what
the Word of God is there to encourage us
and point us the way out and when
somebody says I don’t believe it
I don’t feel angry I feel sorrow that
you live in this world in this day and
time with all the things we have to face
and you don’t believe the Word of God
you don’t believe this simple verse for
God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son that whoever believes
in him would not perish but have
everlasting life you don’t believe that
what about you don’t believe if we
confess our sins he’s faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness you don’t
believe that you don’t believe what he
says when he says this is the confidence
that we have in him that if we ask
anything according to his will he hears
us and if we know that he hears is we
know that we have the petition we
desired of him you
don’t believe that how are you living a
life without the Word of God you may be
existing but you’re not living until you
have discovered the Lord Jesus Christ
who is at the heart of all of this book
the wonderful promises that he makes to
us and the assurance that you and I have
that no matter what we face in life this
we know for sure he faces it with us he
says I will never leave you nor forsake
you and we’re living in a time when
those words are very important because
these are some of the most difficult
times that we faced in this country that
we’ve had times of war and so forth
there’s something about this time that’s
different there’s not that sense of
oneness not that sense of caring for
each other not that sense of stability
and strength somehow there’s a sense of
doubt and uncertainty and conflict and
uneasiness that permeates everything
that’s going on what are you doing as a
believer you say well I’m gonna vote I
understand that I certainly hope you do
but if you ask God what he thinks do you
think God’s not interested in elections
do you think he says nothing about it
are used to telling me how to vote no
because I think you’re wise enough and
smart enough as a follower of Jesus to
know what to do is you read the Word of
God you don’t need somebody else telling
you what to do and so when I think about
where we are where we’re headed and what
could happen to this nation it is a time
to cry out to God they give us wisdom
and the spirit of obedience and the
courage to do what do we know is the
right thing to do so when I read the
passages of Scripture God always has
something
saying I want you to turn to the 11th
psalm if you will and I’ll give you a
little background of what’s happening
david was confronted with Goliath to
save the nation of Israel remember he
didn’t want in the armor because he had
the armor of God upon him and you recall
he confronted Goliath until him he was
going to cut off his head and feed him
to the birds and so he won that battle
and every kid and sunday-school knows
about a slingshot and David and Goliath
and so what happened because he’d been
serving soul and was surveying King soul
King Saul got angry he got jealous
because after David’s victory the
scripture says the women just came out
of the households everywhere and singing
King Saul killed his thousands but david
young david killed his ten thousands
saul couldn’t handle that and he tried
to kill David not just once but several
times and chased him for years until
finally he himself was killed and so
when I read this passage of Scripture
and knowing what David was facing look
if you will in verse one in the Lord I
take refuge how can you say to my soul
speaking of those who were telling him
to run how can you say to my soul flee
as a bird to your Mountain and then he
says but behold the wicked bend the bow
they make ready their arrow upon the
string the shoot in darkness at the
upright at heart and then he says if the
foundations are destroyed what can the
righteous do he said I’m not about to
run I’m not a cow but I’m not fleeing
you see you’re suggesting that I take
refuge and listen to what he says he
says I want you to know right up front
where my refuge is in the Lord I take
refuge in the Lord is my safety no
matter if the king
of Israel is after me I’m trusting the
Lord to care for me he knows what my
need is and so untrusting
he says how can you say to my soul flee
as a bird to your Mountain that is be
safe and so he’s simply saying this
suppose I wrong suppose I leave then
what’s going to happen and so when he
says when he says if the foundations are
destroyed what can the righteous do and
this is a question we need to ask
ourselves at this time in the life of
our nation if the foundations are
destroyed what can the righteous do this
is not a time for God’s people the
shrivel up and act afraid of anything
it’s a time to stand up and remember
what we stand on we stand on the truth
of the word of God this is our
foundation this is our guidebook this is
our compass this is our continuing
reminder that we’re the children of
Almighty God and no matter what we face
in life God will see us through it that
does not mean we won’t suffer it doesn’t
mean we won’t hurt it doesn’t mean we
won’t be disappointed but one thing for
certain our Heavenly Father was with us
and for he says here the foundations are
destroyed what can the righteous do in
in essence the righteous can turn to
Almighty God so let me ask you a
question
when you’re going through a difficult
time maybe it’s something very tragic or
something maybe not so tragic but you
don’t know you don’t know you know what
am I gonna do does it ever cross your
mind that the most immediate thing you
should do is turn to the Word of God
this is our guidebook and think about
this you can’t think of any circumstance
of situation of difficulty hardship of
trouble that you face in life of which
there’s not an answer in the Word of God
every single solitary situations
circumstance heartache trial sickness
death he
knew about every single one of them so
he’s covered them all whatever you are
facing in life this covers it all
you can’t come up with a single thing
that God does not cover nowhere will you
find God saying oh I forgot never with
God because he pinned this book for you
and me watch in order to walk through
the most difficult trying times in life
and so that means that you and I can
feel adequate to face any and every
situation as long as we follow his words
so when we think about all the things
that are happening today and trials that
we’re facing and pain hurt the things
had gone that we never thought what
happened to us listen to what David says
he asked us a question he says if the
foundations are destroyed if everything
you and I believe what can the righteous
do so the question is what are the
foundations what is he referring to yeah
well he’s likening a nation to a
building and you know that every
building if it’s gonna stand has to have
a foundation and the better the
foundation the longer the last you build
a house and you don’t have a good
foundation it doesn’t take much to make
it start crumbling a nation that does
not have a solid firm foundation also
can crumble this nation was built on the
Solidarity of righteousness the men who
gave us a constitution the men who were
the forefathers of this nation built
this foundation to endure and to
withstand anything and everything and so
from just a handful they built the
foundation upon which we built the
greatest nation on earth but notice what
he says if the foundations are destroyed
then what can the righteous do
so what are the foundations here the
foundations the foundations upon which
we were built was law and order things
that we see crumbling around us justice
and truth what is the truth anymore
morality and decency we’ve thrown that
to the wind integrity faith fairness
trustworthiness all of these a part of
the foundation that’s made our nation
great when we tear down any one of those
when we forsake those we decide we don’t
need that don’t want that in him on our
life we are doomed as a nation and so
when he says in this passage if the
foundations are destroyed what can the
righteous do we turn to Almighty God
because the foundations of our nation
are being destroyed because oftentimes
there’s not truth and integrity there’s
not decency and order there’s not
justice there is not the quality of life
that God intended for us because there
are certain things that have to be part
of it so what happens we have a
determined definite attack upon what has
made our nation great you want to
believe the people who are representing
you you want to believe the people who
tell you that they’re telling you the
truth but everything about them says
that’s not absolutely true and so it’s
almost like David is about to cry and
when he says when he says in this
passage if the foundations are destroyed
what can the righteous do we do it David
did he said you turn to the Lord and if
we look around us and see what’s
happening to many people who’ve lost
everything all the foundations of their
Nations
have crumbled right before them and if
you think about suddenly in a matter of
weeks of everything you own you’re lost
where you live your house is gone
you have no privileges you have no bank
no money in the bank you can’t get to
the bank you don’t have enough gasoline
but you don’t know it’s all all the
things that happen to people we don’t
ever think that they could happen to us
but whatever happens to us our answer is
the same I’m trusting Almighty God I’m
not running anywhere away from anything
because Almighty God is sufficient to
see us through whatever we are facing in
life so you have to ask the question all
right so I’m turning to him what’s God’s
response remember this we have to be
right with him because God and sin do
not coexist I either have him I don’t
have him I’m either walking in obedience
to him I’m fulfilling my own sinful
desires when you and I have surrendered
our life to Almighty God we live under
his divine protection doesn’t mean I may
not hurt I may not suffer loss but I’m
under his divine protection which means
he puts a limit to it and even people
who lose their lives what happens when
they’ve trusted Jesus Christ as their
Savior they haven’t lost absent from the
body present with the Lord
that’s not losing it’s I’m not
undermining in any way the pain the loss
to hurt the suffering but the assurance
that we as believers have when David
says when the foundations are going what
do we have left then he says the Lord is
in his holy temple and what he’s saying
is his God is available God is ready to
listen to my Mead to whatever it might
be and so you and I as believers we have
assurances the problem is that many of
us don’t realize what our assurances are
and that’s why I started off by saying
this is the Word of God whatever I need
somewhere I can open this book and I’ll
find out what God wants to say to me he
may say well get ready for this or get
ready for that but listen he will never
leave us alone no not alone there’s a
wonderful old song no never alone he’ll
never leave us along because he’s God
and he’s willing to help us through
everything he says in verse 4 the Lord
is in his holy temple the Lord’s throne
is in heaven
his eyes behold his eyelids tests the
sons of men he sees what’s going on then
he says the Lord tests the righteous and
the wicked and the one who loves
violence his soul hates God hates
violence
he hates wickedness and then he
scripture says upon the wicked he will
rain snares fire and brimstone and
burning wind will be the portion of
their a cup and so somebody says well
that was back in Sodom and Gomorrah well
all of history says that God destroys
the wicked that ultimately there’s
destruction the things that are
absolutely ungodly and so David simply
saying I’m I’m not running from this
because my security is in my
relationship to holy God and because his
security was in the relationship he had
with God he wasn’t running anywhere so
is that not the attitude God’s people
should have we don’t run we stand we
don’t question we trust and no matter
what goes on we believe that God will
see us through it as he says one way or
the other
and so when he when he says this it may
appear that he’s inactive God’s not
inactive God is available to listen to
our pains and sorrows and hurts and
heartaches and the question is am i
living according to the principles of
the word and while living the way I want
to live
we desperately need a revival in this
country their revival is not getting a
whole bunch of people saved a revival is
getting a whole bunch of us clean before
Almighty God so that our prayers will be
answered and it was an interesting thing
is I’ve noticed lately there’s a little
rumbling across this country you may not
have paid any attention to it yet but
you will there’s a little rung crumbling
going on because people are beginning to
open their eyes a little bit and I don’t
know what’s gonna happen you don’t know
what’s gonna happen but we know that
God’s gonna be in the middle of what’s
happening but we do know this when
people turn to God God does the most
amazing things and all across the
country I believe there’s a little
wondering just just enough to give me
encouragement anyway and I hope you that
he’s up to something
because the worse things get God does
not wring his hands he rejoices with the
opportunity of intervening and
demonstrating himself strong for all of
those of us who are his children and so
we don’t run we trusted we wait upon him
we ask him to give us direction for a
life but most of all we gonna ask him to
cleanse us and get us ready and so when
when I read these verses and when and he
asks the question when the foundations
crumble what then we know what’s then
it’s time to get ourselves and I’ve said
it before to get ourselves cleaned up
it’s time for us to look at ourselves
first ask God to show us what in our
life does not fit and then ask him to
forgive us of our sin but then to repent
of our sin which means we make a
determined willful decision to turn away
from sin in order to be used by Almighty
God
in whatever ways and what does he do he
listens to the cries of his children he
hears eres he hears our cries their
needs and he’s willing to respond to
what those needs are
and so when I look at this passage and I
looked to see what David did and and
then if you’ll notice what he says he
says the Lord is righteous he loves
righteousness the upright will behold
his face that is God will show himself
strong that those of us who will not
trust him so let’s get back to this is
there anything that comes to your mind
in your life that you need to clean up
anything that you know in a habit in
your life or anything that you maybe
haven’t already that you know you
shouldn’t anything that you need to lay
aside confess and repent of anything
that you’re holding on to that’s
separating you from God for your own
sake for the sake of this nation we are
on the edge for the sake of this nation
are you willing to lay down sin are you
willing to turn away from it a you and
ask God to forgive you and are you
willing to repent of it today and tell
God Lord you can count on me to cry out
to you with a pure heart and I am gonna
join this group of people who are gonna
pray for revival I’m gonna keep my life
clean by the grace of God and I’m going
to expect you to work I’m not running
god I’m praying trusting and believing
you amen
then we want to start right now and you
know when you’re dealing with sin it
doesn’t take long when you confessing
and repenting it doesn’t take long
it just takes purity of motive listen
carefully I want to challenge you to
find somebody anybody somebody you work
with you somebody in your family or
whatever if all of us choose somebody
and agree with them that we’re going to
pray together even if it’s just once a
week I’m gonna call you on the phone
we’re gonna pray for our nation or
that’s what we get off of work we’re
gonna pray together find somebody who
will agree to pray with you
for revival in this country that’s how
it begins you / there’s two people two
to two hundred thousand millions of
people praying so I’m gonna challenge
you to do that
pleaded with you in Jesus name find
somebody that’s somebody you say well I
never have pray with anybody before
that’s okay
you slam they say the wrong thing you
won’t say the wrong thing if you’re
confessing a sin and repent my sin you
gonna say the right thing and then
you’re gonna ask God to forgive you and
then when you step out the next day you
remember when you start the next day you
start knowing that yesterday you dealt
with sin and Lord I don’t want to have
to deal with it again but if I do god
I’m on my face before you differ asked
you to forgive me so now I’m not asking
you that pray with somebody beside you
right now but I’m asking you to lift
let’s all of us lift up our hearts to
garden and what we’re praying for is God
send revival into America and start with
me it doesn’t take long to get right
with God and to make a commitment to him
amen let’s pray together
[Music]
father thank you we don’t have to beg
for forgiveness and cleansing but ask
sincerely and believe that you’re more
than willing the sanctifies to cleanse
us and Lord we humble ourselves again as
the people of God crying out to you all
father having repented as best we know
how we cry out to you to save our nation
and to save multitudes of people opening
people’s eyes to their sins Lord God
thank you we don’t have to beg we can
simply ask and though in our heart the
Holy Spirit who lives within us will
enable us to live a godly life and they
garland this within us will be clearly
seen by others so that they too have
warned you as they’re saving our Lord
thank you Father
thank you Father thank you Father in
Jesus name
amen
you