We all need help. (Psalms 49-51; 61-66; 69-72; 77-78; 85-86)

49: 6-7, 10, 17

It’s easy to trust money. Money pays the rent and buys food and clothing. Money gets us a car to go where we want. It is easy to believe that money is the thing that provides for us. Why wouldn’t we ‘trust’ money? “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.)

All of the money in the world cannot purchase eternal life for ourselves or our brother. Money can’t redeem. In fact, money often corrupts. How much wickedness has been inspired by the acquisition of money? How much pride is created by wealth? How much spiritual growth has been stunted by the ease that money provides?

We cannot put our trust in wealth. Wealth is ALWAYS stripped from us the moment we die. Our trust should be focused on the Lord. That relationship will continue to bless us throughout eternity. “For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.”

We cannot take our wealth into the next life. “For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.”

49:20

“Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.” If we attain worldly honor but do not understand the principles of faith and repentance and the plan of salvation, our death is similar to the death of an animal. An animal relies on its animalistic instincts and simply responds to its internal, spontaneous urges.

There isn’t spiritual growth in an animal. Its soul hasn’t intentionally prepared for eternal life. For those who focus on worldly honor, their lifespan has a similar value as a beast. We don’t want to do that.

50:15

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Is this saying that God will deliver us out of any trouble we’re experiencing? Of course not. But, the act of turning to God and asking for deliverance helps us recognize our dependence on God. We are practicing the skill of turning to God.

We should all view ourselves as beggars. We all want salvation but none of us can earn it. It has to be given. Turning to God in days of trouble helps us have this mindset.

Our entire lives are days of trouble. We will all be delivered eventually. Our deliverance will add to God’s glory.

51:2-3

“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.” We cannot cleanse ourselves from past sins. Only God can do that. No amount of spiritual scrubbing erases our sins. We must accept that we need the Lord for that.

I am concerned that David’s sin is “ever before” him. Some of us choose to continue to beat ourselves throughout our lives. If we have repented of a sin, we shouldn’t think about it anymore. It shouldn’t be in the forefront of our mind. We should trust Christ and His atonement.

51:10

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” This is what it feels like to repent. We can feel clean and renewed - regardless of the sins we have done. Our hearts and spirits are not worn down, full of holes and stretched thin. Through repentance, our hearts and spirits can be fully restored. Feeling clean and new is a good feeling.

51:12-13

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Those of us who have sinned can be restored through repentance.

There is a benefit to being a past sinner. It helps us understand and empathize with those who are current transgressors and sinners. We have been where they are. We know the path back. We can share the difference repentance has made in our lives.

I’m not encouraging anyone to sin so you can empathize with sinners. But, if you have struggled to get back on the covenant path, you do have additional wisdom. You have been that one sheep who lost his way and can help other lost sheep make it back to the shepherd. That experience can be valuable in blessing others. Those who have always been part of the 99 don’t necessarily have that perspective.

51:17

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Christ repeated this phrase when he visited the Nephites. “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” These are the hardest sacrifices to make - to sacrifice our own will. Most of us prefer our will. We like to do what we like to do. To give that up is hard. It is what Christ is asking of us.

To give up our will becomes harder with age. We get into a routine of what we like to do. We feel wise. We have worked hard throughout our lives to be good people and see ourselves as good people. Our course is ‘fine.’

To disrupt that thinking is hard. To continue to say, ‘I am a sinner and must repent - show me my sins,’ is hard. To believe we are in need of constant repentance throughout our lives is challenging for a lot of us. To believe that we are good people in need of no repentance is not a broken heart and contrite spirit. Even the most righteous among us must maintain this and ask the Spirit for guidance in more closely matching God’s will.

61:2, 8

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” You can feel David’s dependence on the Lord. I feel his love for the Lord.

This morning, we sat for a while on the beach in La Jolla. I watched the waves hit the rocks. Some were low and some were higher. The waves easily swept over the lower rocks but thrashed with futility against the rocks that were higher. Here’s a picture:

If I were to stand on one of the lower rocks, the waves could easily push me off. But if I moved to a higher rock, I was safe. Both rocks were stable and immovable - but the higher rocks offered more protection from the waves.

We build our spiritual strength on the Savior. Our foundation is on rock. This is good. However, we must add to that foundation. Our spiritual strength should have an upward trajectory - higher and higher.

Incidentally, these rocks didn’t just appear. They were built over a long time of layer upon layer. Our spiritual strength is the same. It is built by daily, small layers of effort and experience. “So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.”

62:9

We can only put our trust in God. God is our only source of salvation. No class of man can offer what God does. “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.” This verse describes two classes:

1. Men of low degree are vanity. We can replace ‘vanity’ with ‘emptiness.’ These men have nothing to offer. They cannot contribute one bit to our salvation.

2. Men of high degree are a lie. These men are a little worse. They claim to be able to help us but it is a lie. It is a delusion.

Weighing them both together still amounts to emptiness. Again, God and Jesus Christ are the only true sources of eternal happiness.

63:1

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” There have been a few times in my life where I’ve been truly thirsty. When I’m really thirsty, I have a hard time thinking about anything else. I definitely am not myself. I’ll admit I get a little cranky.

If I’m thirsty and there isn’t any water to drink, I’ll do whatever it takes to get to water (or Coke). My whole body yearns for it.

Is it possible to have those same feelings about our relationship with God? Is it possible to progress to the point that our bodies yearn to commune? I haven’t made it to this level but I have a glimpse of it.

I’ve established a good habit of studying the scriptures. If I don’t do it, I miss it. I’m not yearning for it but perhaps one day I’ll get there…

64:3

“Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.” Most of us aren’t physically dangerous. Also true: most of us can be dangerous with our words. We wouldn’t think about punching someone in the face but will use our tongue as a weapon to make someone feel worse about themselves.

Jesus said, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” (Matthew 15:11) Every morning, I pray that I will be nice to people. It’s one of the earnest parts of my prayer. I struggle with being nice to strangers who are irritating or oblivious. It’s a big character flaw that I’m focusing on.

64:9

“And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.” How wise is it to live life aware of God’s involvement? It is so healthy. Our thoughts change:

• Admiring a beautiful sunset becomes being grateful for God’s creation.

• Enjoying wealth becomes gratitude for God’s mercy.

• Pitying a homeless person becomes seeing him as a son of God with infinite potential.

• Being healthy becomes wonder at God’s creation.

All beauty and blessings and trials and struggle become a part of becoming like God. Seeing things this way adds to our wisdom.

65:7

“Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.” The world is a noisy place. The gospel can silence that noise. Having an eternal perspective can help us rise above what’s happening in the world.

Also, in a real practical way, the gospel gives us chances to leave the noise of the world behind:

• Scripture study.

• Temple peace.

• Silent prayer.

• Reverent sacrament.

Our spiritual selves need these quiet times. The Spirit works in whispers. To hear those quiet promptings, we need quiet!

66:18

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” If we have evil thoughts and regard (contemplate) them, the Spirit leaves us and we are left to ourselves.

We all have errant thoughts. The goal is to sweep them quickly aside. We certainly shouldn’t nurture them and allow them to take root in us. Hypocrisy is detrimental.

We should work to be authentic through and through. We can’t focus on our outward appearance and nurture wicked thoughts and expect to commune with the Lord.

69:2, 14, 17, 20

We’ve all been in situations where we have felt overwhelmed. It may be a troubled marriage or a lost job or sin or financial disaster. David felt this way. “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” The challenge with what he’s describing is that we can’t save ourselves. If we are in a mire and can’t get a foothold, what can we possibly do. If we are in deep waters, without an external force, we can’t be rescued. In both cases, we need help.

David understood this. “Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.” When we’re sinking, we need someone to throw us a rope or grab us by the hand. For all of us, the person who can help is the Lord. If we’re looking to other people and ignoring the Lord, we aren’t going to find the help we need. “I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” We can be helped by other people along the way, but we cannot be truly saved without the Lord’s help.

David knows this. He sees the urgency of receiving help from Christ. “And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.” If we could turn to the Lord for help rather than expecting to pull ourselves out, we would get out of trouble more quickly. We could receive strength speedily. If we are counting only on ourselves and our circle of friends, we are ignoring the main source of strength available to us.

70:5

“I am poor and needy.” This is King David speaking. He’s not someone I would consider poor and needy. However, when we are thinking of our lives with an eternal perspective, we are. It doesn’t matter if we are kings or homeless. We are all beggars when it comes to our salvation. It is healthy for us to consider ourselves continually poor and needy.

71:7-8

“I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.” Some of us may attain fame and power in this life. We may accomplish a lot. We may find ourselves respected and honored. It doesn’t matter.

I’ve always wondered about famous people and how they maintain any humility. How hard would it be to be humble when you perform in front of tens of thousands of admiring fans. How hard would it be to be king and still be humble? David understood that he was dependent on God. He knew he must give the praise and honor to God.

When we succeed or accomplish something very difficult, we must be sure that the accolades don’t mess with our head. We must get in the habit of giving thanks to God for any accomplishment that He allowed us to be a part of.

71:9, 14

“Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” We will all get old and feeble. We must remember that we can continue to contribute to gathering Israel until we die. Sometimes, I think we ‘retire’ from serving in this church. It’s harder to serve when it’s hard to move. I think the Lord can strengthen us when our “strength faileth.”

Part of the solution is having “hope continually.” We must have hope that we can continue to refine ourselves until our final moment of mortality. We can’t ever lose hope that we can continue to improve and bless others.

77:2

“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.” We’ve all felt pain or frustration like this. It keeps us up at night.

I have to say that I’ve never been sad where it kept me up at night. I’ve been lucky in that way. I can say that I’ve been kept awake by anger. It’s not a good feeling and a good frame of mind. I’ve had my mind race with various scenarios of revenge.

If I would have interrupted my thoughts of anger and asked for the Spirit to give me peace. I believe it would have been granted.

77:6

“I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.” This is an interesting verse. What does it mean to commune with my heart? A definition of ‘commune’ is to “share one’s intimate thoughts or feelings, especially on a spiritual level. Or to “feel in close spiritual contact with.”

How often do I take the time to commune with what is in my heart. What is motivating me right now? What do I care about? What am I feeling drawn to? I don’t really sit and meditate on these questions. I should. It would be healthy for me and would likely help my spiritual trajectory.

In verse 12, he writes “I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.” Part of communing with our heart is to commune with God and consider what he has done for me personally. Being grateful and focusing our thoughts on what God has done helps us not becoming wrapped up in ourselves and continually looking inward.

Our spirit was with God. Our spirit has been taught by him. My spirit agreed to participate in the plan of salvation. My spirit is drawn to Christ. If I allow my spirit to search my heart, I’ll discover eternal things. My spirit knows right from wrong - it has discernment that my mortal brain doesn’t have.

I don’t know exactly how to connect my heart, mind and spirit but I think it has to do with silent pondering more. Most days, I get up and quickly get to the needed business of the day. I need to make room for communing with my heart and allowing my spirit to conduct a search of what I can do each day to be a better disciple of Christ.

78:17

“And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.” The Israelites kept asking for more. They asked for water, then bread, then meat.

Do we do the same? Do we pray for more when we should just be grateful for what we have? I do. Almost every prayer I’ve ever said is asking for something. It would be healthy if I offer simple gratitude prayers where I thank God for what he has already given me.

Truth is, I feel like I’m one of the most blessed people on the planet. I should be more grateful.

78:34-37

There are two key points made in these verses:

• “When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.” We seek after God when we experience trials and are suffering. We remember that God is in control. When we can’t provide for ourselves, we seek after God.

There is a song by Regina Spektor that captures this same sentiment:

No one laughs at God in a hospital

No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God

When they're starving or freezing

Or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls

After some routine tests

No one's laughing at God

When it's gotten real late

Their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane

Starts to uncontrollably shake

No one's laughing at God

When they see the one they love

Hand in hand with someone else

And they hope that they're mistaken

No one laughs at God

When the cops knock on their door

And they say "We got some bad news, sir"

No one's laughing at God

When there's a famine, fire, or a flood...

• “Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.” When we experience trials and turn to God, it may be that we are just giving Him lip-service. We’re thinking and saying the right thing but we’re not truly converted. We’re doing the right thing because we’re hoping that God will show his favor.

Another part of that Regina Spektor song goes:

God could be funny

When told he'll give you money

If you just pray the right way

And when presented like a genie

Who does magic like Houdini

Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket

And Santa Claus

God could be so hilarious

If we are saying the right things to receive blessings, we’re basically lying. Our hearts must be truly committed to what our mouths are saying. We must make and keep covenants to continue to refine ourselves and show our true love and devotion to our Heavenly Father.

78:41

“Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Of course we can’t limit God. But, we can limit his affect in our lives. We can limit his influence on us. We can limit his ability to strengthen us. We have our agency and God will not force us to accept him.

We can also imagine limits on what he can do. We may not pray for a miraculous healing because we can’t imagine how he could possibly reverse cancer. We should never imagine limits on an all-powerful God.

85:13

“Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.” God is drawn towards righteousness. We can invite God into our lives through making righteous decisions. God is never attracted to wickedness. If we are making unrighteous decisions, God won’t approach us.

Righteousness will set us on his same path. We can walk in his steps by being righteous. Remember, God was once like we are. We MUST take the same steps and stay on the same path that he walked.

86:11

“Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.“ Sometimes, my heart isn’t united. I love God and want to be obedient. This part of my heart yearns to submit. Then, another part of my heart shows up and wants to be prideful. My heart isn’t always united. I feel what David felt here. I am working to fully unite my heart. But, like David, the Lord is the one who can, finally and fully, unite my heart.