What Can the Righteous Do?
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· 430 viewsGrace Fellowship in Rusk, Texas Sunday, November 8, 2020 at 10:30 AM
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What Can the Righteous Do?
What Can the Righteous Do?
In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?
The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.
For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.
The Trial of Rising Wickedness
The Trial of Rising Wickedness
The wicked bend their bow
They activate their armory against the righteous
The wicked make ready their arrow on a string
They prepare specific strategies to launch against the righteous
The wicked shoot secretly at the upright in heart
Their target is the upright in heart
They “shoot” or launch their plot in secret, under the cover of darkness (denial and deception)
They destroy the foundations
The foundations of righteousness and justice
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.
When the foundation of God’s righteousness and justice is removed, there no longer remains a standard by which to discern everything else.
The wicked seek to replace God’s standard of right and wrong with lawlessness
The Temptations of the Righteous
The Temptations of the Righteous
The temptation to flee in fear
In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
The temptation to seek refuge in things other than in the LORD
The temptation to give in or to give up in discouragement
If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?
The Time to Look Up
The Time to Look Up
I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD is in His holy temple!
The LORD is our covenant God!
The LORD is in His holy temple!
He has not abandoned His covenant people.
He is STILL God.
He is STILL present with us!
He is STILL keeping His promises!
He is still working on behalf of His covenant people!
The LORD’s Throne is in heaven!
His authority remains unthreatened by the wicked.
His sovereign control remains unaltered by circumstances.
The LORD tests the sons of men
The LORD tests the sons of men
The LORD tests the righteous by the presence of the wicked.
The LORD hates the wicked and those who love violence
The Outcome of the Righteous and the Wicked
The Outcome of the Righteous and the Wicked
The Wicked
Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.
This will be the portion of their cup, the portion of wrath assigned by the LORD.
For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down.
For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
The Righteous
The LORD is righteous
His nature is righteousness. Thus, He opposes the wicked.
The LORD loves the righteous
The righteous are the objects of His love
The LORD’s countenance beholds the righteous
The LORD’s countenance refers to the LORD’s favor and blessing
The righteous are the objects of His favor and blessing
Response to the Word
Response to the Word
I will not fear. I will not flee!
I will not be discouraged. I will not quit!
I will not focus on the devises of the wicked. I will praise the LORD who is on His throne.
I will not fall with the wicked. I will stand with the righteous.
I will not look around! I will look up!
What can the righteous do?
What can the righteous do?
They can say with David, “I will trust in the LORD!”
They can say with David, “I will trust in the LORD!”