Text: Psalm 143:1-12

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.”

Introduction: “Sometimes I’m up, Sometimes I’m down, Sometimes I’m low to the ground!” Do you ever get down? Are you down right now? How can you get up? David got down, but his God got him back up! There are (2) bridges to cross when you get down in order to get back up:

 

1. What do you do WHEN LIFE gets you DOWN?

• Remember to cry out to our Lord (Psa. 143:1). 
” Hear my prayer, O Lord.”
• Remember the devil’s badness (Psa. 143:3).
” For the enemy hath persecuted my soul.”
• Remember God’s goodness (Psa. 143:5). 
” I remember the days of old.”

 

2. Where do you go, WHEN life gets you DOWN?

• You TURN to JESUS (Psa. 143:7).
” My spirit faileth…. like them down in the pit.”
• You TRUST in JESUS (Psa. 143:8).
” For in thee do I trust.”
• You TRIUMPH in JESUS (Psa. 143:11).
“Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name sake.”(“quicken” means revive, make alive)

 

Conclusion: Aren’t you glad that we don’t have to stay down when we get down? I’m praying for those of you who will read this now. Sometimes we need to make CHANGES in our life…. How about you? A man recorded on his answering machine the following message: “I’m away from my phone right now, and making some CHANGES in my life, but leave a message and I’ll get back to you…….{pause}……. by the way, if you don’t get a call back…. you are one of the CHANGES!” 

 

Time to get up!
Love y’all,

Dr. Randy Reese