Today I landed on Psalm 3:4, on my born-again birth date –  November 14th, 1991

As I’m studying through the Psalms, it is not by coincidence that today I landed on Chapter 3:4 (on the date of my new birth). The following is a ‘preview of my sermon notes.’

Next in verse 4 we see David’s ‘appeal to God.’ As I study this verse today (on November 14th), today is my ‘born-again birthdate.’ And just like David, I cried-out (qârâ’) to the Lord for ‘deliverance and salvation,’ on my own “Holy Hill” (qôdesh).

Verse 4 says, ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.’

David said he ‘cried out’ (qârâ’) to the Lord. But he didn’t just ‘cry-out’ in a silent prayer, he ‘cried-out’ audibly with his voice (qârâ’), and the Lord heard him (though the Lord knows our thoughts).

Pay particular attention where this ‘crying-out’ occurred. It occurred on his “holy hill.”

This phrase ‘holy hill’ is the Hebrew word qôdesh (ko’-desh), which means a ‘sacred place or thing, a place of sanctity or a sanctuary.’

Though the ‘Lord’s Day’ at our regular places of worship is Biblically important, sadly some turn the Lord’s Day into ‘idol worship,’ assuming that the only place that is ‘holy’ or sacred is our church property on Sunday mornings. What are we doing the other six days of our week?

When I get to verse 8, I’ll talk more about my ‘shootout on that church property.’ But in the midst of bullet trajectories, gun smoke, blood, and death; that church parking lot became my ‘holy hill.’ That church parking lot was my qôdesh. That homicide scene at a church (qôdesh), is where I too was ‘delivered’ from my enemies, and ‘saved’ from my sins (yeshû‛âh).

Furthermore, David here was referring to his past, his adultery with Bathsheba, which led to her husband’s murder, and much more carnage.

When a Christian sins, we must ‘cry-out’ to the Lord in repentance. We must cry-out to the Lord in sorrow of our sins, and in ‘fear of the Lord,’ we must repent.

Thankfully it says the Lord ‘heard his cries.’

Thomas Watson said, “When prayer leads the van, in due time deliverance brings up the rear.”

• Christians, we are commanded to pray without ceasing (not just while in danger).
• In faith, the Lord will answer as He wills.
• We should record (or journal) His answers of grace (and give Him all the glory).
• As another said, “So that we may strengthen ourselves for the future, by remembering the deliverances of the past.”

Christians, where was your qôdesh, and when was your qârâ’?

Next is verses 5-8 where we will see David’s Triumph. But first in vs 5-6 we will see ‘David’s Vision.’

Lord willing, a video of this study will be coming soon. Soli Deo Gloria!