Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleCry Unto God Most High
Bible TextPsalm 57:1-11
Synopsis When we are in any trial, cry unto God most High. Listen
Date20-Feb-2020
Series Psalms 2011
Article Type Sermon Notes
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Cry Unto God Most High (32 kbps)
Audio CD Quality Listen: Cry Unto God Most High (128 kbps)
Length 40 min.
 
Series: Psalms 
Title: Cry Unto God Most High 
Text: Ps 57:1-3 
Date: Thursday, February 20 
Place: SGBC, NJ 
 
Psalm 57: 1: « To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. » Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2: I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3: He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 
  
In the title of this Psalm “To the chief Musician” means David would have this song sung by the very best musician.   “Altaschith” means “destroy not”.    This is a “Michtam of David” meaning it is “a golden, instructive Psalm.”  The time when David wrote this Psalm is “when he fled from Saul in the cave.” David fled from Saul and found shelter in the clefts of the rock.  Saul and some of his men slept in the cave as David and his men hid against the wall.  At some point during that great trouble, David wrote this song. 
 
Subject: Cry Unto God Most High 
 
Proposition: When we are in any trial, cry unto God most High. 
 
THE BELIEVERS MOST COMMON CRY
 
Psalm 57: 1: Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 
 
God’s people most often cry to God for mercy.  In 133 verses in the Psalms, David begs mercy from God—sometimes multiple times in a verse as he does here.  It is mercy for God to send trials to hedge up our way and shut us up to his mercy.  The trial itself is mercy from God.  Any trial that leaves us no where else to turn but God is an act of God’s mercy. Concerning the dark cloud of trial, He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy” (Job 37:13). When his child cries for mercy God showers us with new mercies. 
  
Someone wrote, “It may be a tedious and a painful process; faith may be long and sharply tried, yet the blessings it will bring forth will more than repay for all the weeping, and suffering, and crying, it has occasioned. Do not be surprised, then, at any severe trial of faith; be sure that when it is thus tried, God is about to bring your soul into the possession of some great and perhaps hitherto unexperienced mercy.” 
  
Everything a sinner needs for salvation is of God’s mercies. 
  
Lamentations 3: 22: It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23: They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 
  
To those of us who are real sinners in need of God’s mercies, God says, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David” (Is 53: 3). 
  
Why did David ask God to be merciful to him—"for my soul trusteth in thee:”  David knew that God would never let him be ashamed for trusting God.  It is true that it is only by God’s mercy that God gives us faith to trust him—faith is the gift of God’s grace.  But it is also true that those who trust in God shall never be ashamed for trusting him.
  
The sons of Reuben made war against the Hagarites—"And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him” (1Ch 5:20). 
  
In another battle—“…the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers (2 Ch 13: 18). 
  
Yet another battle—"Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand” (2 Ch 16: 8). 
  
Why is a sinner saved from our sins?  Why are we kept by God trusting Christ?  
  
Isaiah 26: 3: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isa 26:3). 
  
Psalm 32:10: Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. 
  
Hebrews 11: 6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6) 

Is anyone a sinner who needs God’s mercy?  Is anyone in bitter trial in need of strength? "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isa 26:4). 
  
Then David gives a beautiful picture—"yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”  The life of a believer is a life of calamitiesa life of “tempests of wickedness, storms of afflictions.”  But in a storm the little chicks huddle under the wings of the mother hen.  So our refuge is under the wings of our Redeemer.  Between us and the storm of affliction Christ stands in the gap, the refuge to protect his people.  So it was that Christ stood on the cross between his people and the curse of the law, the wrath of God’s justice.  He bore everything his people earned by our sins.  We will never have to bear it because every believer is under his wings.
  
Brethren don’t miss this.  When the calamity comes, remember, they will soon be “overpast”.  Like a severe thunderstorm, they come but they pass away.  Our calamities are matters of time, but our refuge in Christ is a matter of eternity.
 
Oh, what mercy for God to send his child a calamity to graciously make us take refuge under Christ’s wings to make us cry for mercy and trust Christ.
 
OUR FOUNDATION
 
Psalm 57: 2: I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
  
What is our foundation for trusting God?  Why do we expect God will save us who trust him? 
 
One, because of who he is—"I will cry unto God most high.”   David was up against Saul who had 3000 men.  They entered the very cave where David and his men were hiding.  But Saul was only the king of Israel; Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our Savior of absolutely sovereign over all!  The same one who laid down his life for you believer is now risen and reigning, “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph 1: 21-22). 
  
“When we trust in the Most High, the giants of the earth are changed into pitiful dwarfs.” 
 
Two, we expect he will save us because of what he does—"I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.”  “All things” includes everything in the salvation of God’s elect. God does it ALL for us.  Christ did not put way some of our sins; he put away ALL the sins of ALL  God’s elect.  He did not leave a part for us to do; he said of it ALL, “It is finished!”  His righteousness that wraps us as robe is not a partial garment; he wove it ALL from top to bottom with no seams.   Believer, we do not have to fight—our warfare is ACCOMPLISHED.  We do not have to wash away our sins; before God they are ALL gone.  What about the cares of this life?—Peter said, "Cast ALL your care upon him for he careth for you.”
  
Spurgeon: “Why do you fear where you never ought to have hoped?  Instead of fearing that you cannot hold on, despair of holding on yourself and never look in that direction again! If the preservation is of God, where is the cause for anxiety with you? In Him let your entire reliance be fixed.” 
  
The apostle Paul said I am confident of this, “that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Php 1:6).  The apostle Peter said, “The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect [performeth could be translated perfect], stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Pet 5:10). 
  
Three, our ground for trusting Christ is that God performs at all times for me—"God that PERFORMETH all things for me.”  You know the old English “eth” ending means continual, ongoing action.  He has, he is and he shall save me!  “In everything give thanks, for this is [this very day this trial is] the will of God for you”
 
Four, my ground for trusting God is this is particular graceTake out the words added by the translators—"God that performeth FOR ME.”  If you are chosen child of God then on the cross Christ was performing for you in particular.  If you were redeemed by Christ’s precious blood, when he crossed your path with the gospel he was performing for you in particular.  If right now his child is suffering a trial, God is performing for you in particular—"this is the will of God FOR YOU.” 
  
THE SURE OUTCOME
  
Psalm 57: 3: He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.   
  
This is what every believer can expect God to do for us—"He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah.”  Where are you looking to be saved from the reproach of him that would swallow you up? Are you looking to heaven or earth; to man or your Maker? To the creature or the Creator?  Look to our Savior alone!  He shall!  He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up.  Meditate on that truth. 
  
What is a believer to expect from God?—"God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.”  God sent forth his mercy and his truth when he sent Christ forth; “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged.”  It is done!  Christ Jesus justified everyone for whom he died in truth and justice.  At the same time, God saved all his elect by mercy.  
  
Therefore, God shall continue to save me by his mercy and his truth.  Flee to Christ, trusting God our Savior to save.  Believer, he has, he is and he shall! 
  
AMEN!