Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

“The (1) WILLING (heart) and (2) OBEDIENT will eat the good of the Land (have good success)” (Isa 1:19). This reveals 2 KEYS to VICTORY: (1) a willing, submitted heart to God - the key to connecting with His grace. We access His grace thru a humble heart of faith. (2) Obedience from a willing heart. When we hear His voice so we know His will, and receive His grace to do it, then we must obey with all our heart, refusing to quit, however hard or impossible it seems, until it's done. That’s the winner’s attitude. *KEY 1: If something doesn't start from God, then we're not operating under His grace; it’s not His work, for His glory, but our work, for our glory. If it’s from God, His grace is with us and it will be for His glory. There's a difference between good & God, between what seems good to man, and what is from God. If you seek and connect with God, by coming to Him and submitting to His authority, then you'll hear His voice, know His will and receive His grace to do it. We can only access His grace by bowing to His authority. If we don't come to God with a willing heart (to hear & do what He wants us to do), we'll end up doing un-commanded works, that have less value in His sight (1Sam 15:22). We must SEEK God for HIMSELF, out of love. Seek to know Him and be filled with His grace and be satisfied by Him. If you SEEK God, just to get something from Him, then you're using Him as a means to an end, and what you want is more important than God - idolatry (John 6:26,27). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (His righteous life within us thru His Spirit, causing us to live to His glory), for they shall be filled” (Matt 5:6). When we trust in His love for us, that He wants our best, we can come to Him in faith and submit to Him (letting go of our idols, committing our plans to Him and giving up our control), knowing He'll pour out His grace on us and give us all things we need. We don't need to worry about the future outcome, if we surrender to Him, as we can be sure His grace will flow into us and uphold us. Our confident faith in His love enables us to let go of all idols & agendas (natural things we trust in for our security, satisfaction & meaning) and submit to Him. When we (1) HONOUR (reverence) Him and surrender to Him (as One far above us) we ACTIVATE His GRACE, for it flows from the throne of grace (Heb 4:16), and He gives it to a submitted heart (Prov 3:34, Jas 4:6, 1Pet 5:5). Then (2) we can then lay hold of His grace by faith. So, we access grace thru a humble heart of faith. Our love activates His grace, and our faith receives it (Gal 5:6). When we surrender our HEART into His HAND, His SPIRIT manifests in our heart as Rivers of Grace: “The kings heart is in the Hand of the Lord (His Holy Spirit) - Rivers of Water. He turns it (our heart) wherever He wishes” (Prov 21:1). We must yield control for His grace to flow. Esther found favour in the king's sight and activated his grace by honouring him, so that he held out to her His GOLDEN SCEPTRE, representing His grace flowing to her from his authority. Then she went near to the king on his throne and touched the top of the Sceptre, and received his grace by faith (5:1-3). *2 KEYS to VICTORY and SUCCESS in God: (1) Connect with God & receive His grace, by coming to Him with a humble, willing, believing heart. (2) Once you know His will, do it with all your heart – refuse to quit, however hard or impossible it seems. Key 2 is illustrated in the story of Elisha & King Joash (2Kings 13:14-25). Elisha told him to take a BOW and ARROWS and put his hand on the bow, and Elisha (representing God) put his hands on the king’s hands (v15-16). God’s anointing was now on the king. Then he told him to open the window facing Syria and SHOOT; and he SHOT. Elisha said: “The ARROW of the Lord’s DELIVERANCE from Syria, for you MUST STRIKE the Syrians at Aphek (and keep striking them) UNTIL you've DESTROYED them (until the job is done)” (v17). This is the WINNER’S ATTITUDE. Then he told the king: “Take the arrows and STRIKE the ground”; so, he STRUCK 3 TIMES and STOPPED. Elisha (representing God) was ANGRY with him, saying: “You should have STRUCK 5 or 6 TIMES; then you'd have STRUCK Syria until you DESTROYED it! But now you'll STRIKE Syria only 3 TIMES” (v18-19). His attitude should have been dictated by God’s command in v17. God was angry, as he was HALF-HEARTED, stopping after only 3 STRIKES, when he should have continued until he knew the job was done. The WINNER’S ATTITUDE is to keep striking (attacking) until you've won. As a result of this partial obedience he only got a partial victory (v25). Heb 10:38. Jesus our greatest example of the WINNER’S ATTITUDE was wholehearted in fulfilling His mission to defeat all our enemies and save us. He kept doing God’s will every day, until He accomplished our full salvation. He didn't quit, but went to the Cross, and then rose victorious from the dead!

In Psalm 7, David is innocent, falsely slandered and pursued to death - a song of a slandered saint on the run from Saul. When he rebelled Samuel told him God would replace him (1Sam 13:13-14, 15:22-29). From then on he watched for his replacement. Samuel anointed David (1Sam 16), who came into favour after slaying Goliath (1Sam 17), but when he was praised him more than Saul, he eyed David with jealousy, believing he would usurp him (1Sam 18:5-9). He then tried to kill David (1Sam 18), who had to flee (1Sam 19–31). The title says David sang it to God concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. Cush was from Saul's tribe, a close advisor, feeding his paranoia by making accusations David was conspiring to overthrow him. He knew about these false accusers and protested his innocence to Saul (1Sam 22:6, 24:8). So he faced a double trial of (1) false accusations, resulting in (2) being hunted to death. He shows us how to respond to false accusation and persecution, by not taking revenge but turning to God for refuge, committing our situation to Him, pleading our case, and asking Him in faith for vindication & deliverance. He starts with a plea for deliverance (v1-2), and declaration of innocence, making an oath: "if I'm guilty, then let my enemies pursue and kill me" (v3-5). He didn't claim to be sinless, but that in this case he was innocent. Next David, believing the Lord was angry on his behalf, urged Him to move into action, due to the hostility of his enemies, ascend to His judge's seat and initiate a court case to decide the issue, and command justice be done (v6). He wants all to witness the outcome and his public vindication. He says this is 'for their sakes' as it is good for people to see justice done, for it helps them trust in God (when evil-doers seem to get away with it, they cast off restraint). Also he had a special role in God's plan of salvation thru Christ, so it was for their sakes for God to judge in his favour and spare his life (v7). Clearly God answered him, for in the Bible, God declared His verdict of his vindication. He turned the matter over to God, rather than taking it into his own hands and taking revenge (Ro 12:19). In v8-9, he declares God will render justice, and renews his plea for vindication. He's not referring to his final eternal judgment (in which he wouldn't dare stand on his own merits), but that God would judge in his favour in this situation. In v9, he says God is qualified to judge for He is righteous and sees every heart. He expands his prayer beyond his situation (an example of other cases of injustice), praying for universal justice, when God brings the evil of the wicked to an end, and establishes the just forever. In v10, he declares his confidence God has heard him and judged his case, so justice will be done, and God will defend him from those who seek to destroy him. In v11, he says God is the just Judge, who continually resists all evil, and is angry with the wicked all day. Sinners never imagine they will stand before a perfectly just God, who can't ignore sin. So, if they do not turn back, He will suddenly release His arrows of fiery judgment on them (v12,13). He sees God as ever ready to judge the sinner, like an archer with his bow bent back, ready to release his arrow at any time. The only reason He delays is His mercy, giving men a chance to repent, not cos He is weak, slack or unconcerned with justice. Men should not presume on His mercy, as if it will last for ever, for judgment will surely come, and suddenly. This poetic imagery reveals the severity & imminence of judgment, a strong incentive to repent. In v14, he describes the nature of sin -a monstrous child conceived in the womb (heart), growing until it comes into manifestation, and ultimately kills them (Jas 1:13-15). Then he describes God's moral government of the universe, as seen in the law of sowing & reaping (Gal 6:7). Like a hunter who lays a trap and falls into it (v15, Prov 26:27), what you do to others will be done to you (Newton's 3rd Law). It will return on your own head as sure as gravitation (v16) - a common way God’s justice works in this life, often bringing the same calamity on the wicked they planned for the just: (1) Saul's violent death after trying to kill David, (2) Pharoh's drowning in Red Sea, after drowning many Jewish babies, (3) Haman hanged on the gallows he made for Mordecai (Est 7:7-10), (4) Daniel's enemies in the lion’s den (6:24), (5) Abab & Jezebel’s judgment for Naboth's murder. God's righteous government means the way of evil can't prosper, as it creates its own destruction. Psalm 7 began with David facing many troubles, but ends with praise for God's justice. Having taken his cause to the righteous God, he is confident in his vindication. He concludes: "I will sing praise to the Name (righteous nature) of the Lord Most High" (v17). We should praise God for all His righteous judgments.

An exposition of 2Corinthians 10:3-6 revealing its historical background and God's strategy and mighty weapons for pulling down strongholds.Spiritual warfare is being waged over the battlefield of men's hearts and minds. Join Derek as He shares about the war between the Romans and Pirates in 63 BC, which gives the historical background, which talks about the weapons of our warfare being mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Paul used this war, where the Romans defeated the Pirates, as a picture of how we can be victorious, by using (1) God's mighty weapons (words), and (2) His strategy for deploying them, which is to first locate and pull down the enemy strongholds (false beliefs erected against God's truth), and then take every pirate-thought captive to the obedience of Christ, just as the pirates were made to surrender to Rome.

Psalm 6 is one of the 7 Penitential Psalms of the early Church (6,32,38,51,102,130,143). It describes David in a terrible state, in a perfect storm of problems. He is weak, like a withered plant, and sick, with his body wracked in pain (v2), also in a state of emotional distress and mental torment (v3), grief and depression (v6-7), even close to death (v5). Also, he has many enemies coming against him (v8-10). He realises the root cause of all this and the greatest of his problems is that he is not right with God, as he has sinned, and so is under God's discipline. Thus, it begins with David acknowledging his sin and asking God to forgive him: "O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger" (v1). When we confess our sin to God, He forgives us and cleanses us from it (1John 1:9), but that is not enough for our full restoration. Our sin causes us to be separated from God's Presence and blessing, and puts us in a negative (unclean) state. When we confess our sin, we are forgiven and cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, which blots out the sin, and brings us into a neutral (common) state. However, there is still a lack of the God's Presence (an emptiness in our soul), which makes us vulnerable to sinning again and becoming unclean (Matt 12:43-45). The only way to be empowered to overcome sin and be restored to a positive (holy) state of blessing is to rededicate ourselves to God and invite His Holy Spirit to fill us. God can't fill what is unclean - 1st we must be cleansed by His Blood and then we can be consecrated (made holy) by the Oil of His Holy Spirit possessing us. This is why he does not stop with his confession in v1, but continues by saying: "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak" (v2a). He is asking God to fill him with His grace and restore him in every area of his life. Having done this, He now looks to his Lord in confident faith to move quickly to heal him and restore his soul: "but You, O Lord - how long?" (v3). As he returns to the Lord, he asks Him to also return (turn back) to him and restore His Presence in his soul and body and deliver him from his sickness (v4a). His prayers are based on his covenant with God, who is a covenant-keeping God (he uses God's personal covenant name 'Yahweh' many times in Psalm 6), for he appeals to God's unfailing covenant love as the basis of his petition: "Oh, save me because of Your mercies (chesed = steadfast love)" (v4b). He also pleads his case for God to save his life on the basis of His greater glory, reminding God he can glorify Him much more if He keeps him alive, rather than letting him die and go down to Sheol (the underworld): "For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave (Sheol) who will give You thanks?" (v5). This is not saying people are unconscious in Sheol-Hades, or that believers will not praise God there. Luke 16:19-31 proves that all men in Hades are conscious, and Psalm 115:17-18 shows that although 'the dead' (unbelievers) do not praise God there, believers continue to praise God after death. Rather it means, he will not be able to glorify God in Sheol in the same way as in this life. v5 can be translated: "For in death no Memorials are made to You." This refers to public worship at the Feasts (Esther 9:28). After death, he says he will not be able to glorify God and give Him thanks, as much as in this life, especially at the Feasts. This shows the special importance of this life, and the opportunity it gives us to glorify God, especially in our public worship. In v8-10, David is now confident God has heard his prayer and now has the assurance that He will give him the victory over his enemies. He is no longer afraid of them but says to them: "Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity" (v8a). Now God has returned to him and is with him, they must flee from him, for if God is for him, who can be against him (Rom 8:31, Jam 4:7). He declares: "for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" (v8b), referring to his tears of contrition and grieving over his loss of God's Presence because of his sin, compounded by the personal rejection and hostility from his enemies (v6-7). Then he reaffirms his faith that: "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer" (v9). As with 5:10, 6:10 is an imprecatory verse: "Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed (disgraced) suddenly." The word 'troubled' is the same word as used in v2 & 3 to describe David's troubles due to his sin. Thus he prays for his enemies that they will fail in their evil endeavours, that their sin will be exposed and that they face the troubling consequences of their sin (as David did), so that they will turn back from their evil course of action, and also turn back to God in repentance (as David did), before it is too late for them. v10 can also be translated as a prophetic declaration, as in the ESV: "All my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled. They will turn back and be ashamed suddenly."

In this teaching we look at the healing of a leper (Luke 5:12-15). This is the first of 4 Messianic Miracles, which were specific signs of the Messiah. The others are casting out a dumb spirit, healing of a man born blind, and resurrection after 3 days - the sign of Jonah. The special significance and symbolism of Leprosy in the Bible explains why it was a Messianic Miracle. God uses leprosy to teach us about sin. That’s why it was treated differently from all other sicknesses. Leprosy is a picture of sin (Isaiah 1:18), which is why the Bible only talks about the cleansing of a leper. Derek shares how leprosy is a picture of sin. The healing of a leper is a picture of Messiah saving us from sin, for we were all spiritual lepers. Since only Messiah can save us from our sin, it was appropriate that only Messiah can cleanse lepers, which is why it was a Messianic Miracle, so when Jesus healed lepers it was a special sign proving He was the Messiah. The cleansing of the leper in Mark 1:40-44 is a picture of how a sinner receives salvation from the Lord, who is full of compassion for us. 2 chapters are devoted to what the priests should do with lepers. Leviticus 13 told them how to diagnose leprosy. Leviticus 14 told them what to do when a leper was healed. While the priests constantly practiced Leviticus 13, they never practiced Leviticus 14, for no leper was ever healed in Israel! They came to conclude that only Messiah will heal lepers. There was a prescribed Ceremony for leprosy that was ordained in the Leviticus 14, that the priests had to fulfil whenever a leper was healed. When Jesus sent the leper to go to the priests to verify his healing and perform the Ceremony, that was a testimony to them that the Messiah was on the scene. This Ceremony which involved 2 BIRDS. It revealed the basis upon which leper was healed (Leviticus 14:1-7). This Ceremony gives us a wonderful picture of the Atonement of Christ. God is declaring that the cleansing and healing of the leper was accomplished through the Atonement. Since leprosy represents both (1) sin and (2) sickness, this Ceremony shows both (1) that we are CLEANSED from SIN, and (2) that we are HEALED from SICKNESS through the ATONEMENT of Christ. This confirms that Healing is in the Atonement. Healing from sickness and cleansing from sin is only possible through Christ's Atonement - that is what the ceremonial Law of the Leper proclaimed.

Psalm 5 is the first example of an imprecatory Psalm, where David prays that God would deal with his enemies: "Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You" (v10). The challenge we face is how we can harmonise this with Jesus' teaching that we should love, bless and show mercy to our enemies (Luke 6:27-36)? It helps to understand the difference between temporal judgments in this life and a man's final eternal judgment which happens immediately after death, when his eternal destiny is forever sealed. It is surely against the teaching of Jesus for us to desire and pray that anyone would die and go to Hell. It is probable that the imprecatory verses were the basis for the teaching of the Pharisees: "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy" (Matthew 5:43). But Jesus rejected this interpretation saying: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (v44). Thus these imprecatory verses must be interpreted in this light - as expressions of love, not hate for our enemies. In Psalm 5:4-6, God reveals to David that the wicked are under God's wrath and if they will not repent, they will be condemned and cast out of God's Presence forever. One way to read v10, allowed for by the Hebrew, is as a prophetic declaration affirming this final judgment, in agreement with His revelation in v4-6: "You will pronounce them guilty, O God! They will fall by their own counsels; you will cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You." In this way of reading it, the Psalmist is also adding His agreement with God's holy justice in executing Him final judgment on them, at the time of His choosing. God's declaration of eternal judgment is His warning to sinners that they must repent before it is too late. However, there seems to be more going on here than a declaration and all the translations interpret v10 also as a prayer, in which case, the interpretation that best fits with the rest of Scripture is that it is a prayer for God to intervene in their life (in a temporal judgment), in such a way as to lead them to repentance, so that they do not face the horror of eternal condemnation and punishment. This is confirmed by the phrase: "Let them fall by their own counsels", which points to their evil plans in this life coming to nothing and even rebounding on them, for if they prosper in their evil-doing, they are less likely to repent. In other words, a loving prayer for the wicked is: "Lord, do whatever it takes in their life to bring them to repentance. Don't let them prosper in their evil-ways, but bring them to the end of themselves, so that they realise that they need to repent and turn to you in faith and so be blessed, rather than going to Hell." David's basis for praying v10 is: "for they have rebelled against You", which shows that he is not praying out of personal malice, but rather a concern for God's glory and a realisation that their rebellious state makes them candidates for eternal condemnation. In Psalm 5:9, David again describes the wicked nature of his enemies, including the phrase: "Their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue" which Paul quotes in Romans 3:13, in his general description of the sinfulness of all mankind (v9-20), where he establishes that all mankind is sinful and guilty before God and so heading for eternal condemnation. But God offers His saving mercies to those who will turn to Him, trust in Him and submit to Him (Psalm 5:2,7), and so David completes the Psalm by describing the blessedness of those who put their trust in God. They rejoice because they are under God's covering (atonement): "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend (cover) them" (v11). They are protected from God's wrath and from their enemies. As well as trusting God, having received His love, they also love Him: "Let those also who love Your Name (revealed nature) be joyful in You" (v12a). They have been forgiven and made righteous by faith, and so are under God's blessing, grace and favour which covers them like a large shield: "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield" (v12b).

Psalm 5 shows us how David came to God in the morning (v3) to receive the wisdom, strength and protection he needed for the day, especially because there are many enemies conspiring against him - the word for enemies in v8 means those 'who lie in wait.' The setting might be during the time that many were conspiring against him to remove him as king and replace him by Absalom. Psalm 5 provides a model for purposeful prayer (v1-3,7-8,10-12), as well as giving a clear contrast between the righteous under God's covenant love (v1-3, 7-8, 11-12) and the wicked under God's wrath (v4-6, 9-10). David understands that prayer is the expression of the inner thoughts (meditation) of his heart, so he opens his heart to God and invites Him to look into his heart to see his genuine commitment to God and desire to see his prayer answered (v1). David is purposeful in coming to the Lord and focusing on Him: "to You I will pray." In particular, he addresses the Lord as "my King and my God" - focusing on both His awesome majesty (transcendence) and gracious presence (covenant nearness). Moreover, he presents his prayer with urgency, determined that God will hear him (v2). In v3, he emphasises twice his commitment to come to God in the morning, which confirms the importance of morning devotions, to dedicate the day to God and to receive His grace for the day (Mark 1:35, Lam 3:22-23). The he describes what we should do before and after our prayer to God. Before we make our petitions, we should 'direct it to God.' the word 'direct' literally means 'to prepare' and 'to set in order' (Psalm 23:5). It means to arrange our prayer before God, to plead our case (a lawyer prepares his arguments before presenting them to the judge). We should first know the basis of our petitions from God's revelation of Himself in Scripture and on His covenant-promises to us, and then present our case to God. Doing this will increase our faith that we are praying according to God's will and that He will hear us (1John 5:11-12). We see many examples of this in Scripture. After praying, we should 'look up' to God with expectation, to watch to see what God will say or do (Habakkuk 2:1). As he draws closer to God, he becomes more aware of God's holiness and man's sinfulness. David sees God's wrath upon all sinners and His unrelenting opposition to them, and he sees their ultimate end in final judgment if they do not repent (v4-6, Psalm 73:17-18). By contrast, in v7, David, as an example of a righteous believer in covenant with God (see also v11-12), is one who comes into God's Presence (House), (1) trusting in God's abundant covenant love (mercy - chesed), not in his own righteousness, and (2) worshipping Him in reverential fear (submitting himself to God's authority), looking up to God in His holy Temple (in Heaven - Psalm 2:4,6, 3:4), just as we are to pray: "our Father who art in Heaven." David exemplifies a saving faith of trust in God as his Saviour and submission to God as his Lord. Having first come into His Presence in praise and worship (v7), David is now in position to ask for and receive God's leadership and guidance for his life: "Lead me, O Lord, in Your (way of) righteousness" (v8a). This was especially necessary "because of my enemies" (v8b) who were plotting against him. Likewise, satan's kingdom is setting traps for us to fall into, so every morning we need to pray: "Lord, do not lead me into temptation (the traps of the enemy), but deliver me from evil." David knew only God could protect him from the traps of sin, satan and his enemies. He also asks God to give him wisdom by revealing to him the way that he should walk, and that He would remove all hinderances, so that he might make speedy progress in fulfilling God's will: "Make Your way straight before my face" (v8c).

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). As well as teaching us what it means to be a good neighbour this Parable reveals the Gospel in code. It also gives a hint that Jesus will return after 2 DAYS (2000 years).

Psalms 3 and 4 connect together, for both took place just before the battle with Absalom's army (2Samuel 18). Whereas Psalm 4 is set in the evening before the battle, Psalm 3 is set on the morning of the battle, so when David declares in Psalm 3:4 that he has prayed and God has heard him, this refers to his prayer in 4:1. Likewise his belief he would sleep well in 4:8 was fulfilled (3:5). Compare also 3:2-3 and 4:2. David reveals the basis for his approach to God was that his righteousness was from God (not himself): "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!" (v1a). This is imputed righteousness through faith, and well as the fact that he knew he stood for a righteous cause (he was praying the will of God). Having righteousness before God gives us confidence that God will hear our prayer (1John 5:14, Proverbs 15:29, 1Peter 3:12, Psalm 34:15). He prays that God would be gracious to him and relieve him in his distress; changing his situation from being hard-pressed on all sides to an enlarged place of freedom (v1b). Based on his assurance that God has heard his prayer in v1, David speaks boldly to his enemies, declaring that their rebellion against him, which was based on following lies (that he was no longer God's anointed) and empty promises, is about to come to an end (v2). He also declares that he is still beloved and chosen by God, set apart to Him by covenant as God's anointed king, and this gives him confidence that God hears his prayers and will give him the victory (v3). We then discuss different applications of David's advice: "Be angry and do not sin" (v4a), which Paul applies in Ephesians 4:26-27. In order to overcome the flesh and not sin, we need to mediate in God's Word (v4b, Psalm 1) and bring our flesh into quietness, so that we can hear God's voice to us (v4b). Then we need to 'offer the sacrifices of righteousness', which means doing right actions in obedience to God's word to us, and doing what God tells us to do in the situation, trusting in Him that He knows best (v5, Proverbs 3:5-6), even though this may well mean denying the natural inclinations of our flesh and human reasoning.

Last time in Psalm 4, we saw how David prayed for victory over the army of Absalom (2Samuel 18), putting his faith in His covenant-keeping God (v1), bringing him full assurance, resulting in confident declarations of faith flowing out of his prayer (v2-5). Next he describes the inner peace and happiness that he possessed through his fellowship with God in prayer (v6-8). He points out that most people are primarily seeking for things (outward prosperity), such as his opponents who were believing in Absalom's promises of a better life under his rule (v6a). Seeking things first before God and His righteousness (which is covetousness) is futile, as things can never ultimately satisfy us. But David understood that God is the source of all goodness, and that the key to inner happiness and satisfaction is face to face fellowship with God, who shines the light of His love, joy and peace into our hearts: "Lord, lift up the light of Your Countenance upon us" (v6b, Numbers 6:24-26). Likewise, Jesus said if we FIRST seek the Lord and His Presence (Spirit of Righteousness) in our hearts, then all these outward things (blessings) will also be added to us (Matthew 6:33). We must choose to love and serve God above mammon (Matthew 6:24). The test is, do we put God's Presents before His presents? - this was the test faced by Moses in the wilderness. David testified that through His prayer and fellowship with God, He imparted gladness in his heart, so that even when going through hard times, he possessed a greater inner happiness from God's Presence, than all the carnal people had, even at the time of their greatest prosperity (v7). the joy of the Lord does not depend on circumstances, but comes from God's Spirit within our hearts (Romans 14:17). Through spending time in God's Presence on the eve of the great battle, David prayed through to a place of inner peace, having put his trust in the Lord for his protection, so that he knows he will have a deep, peaceful and undisturbed sleep: "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (v8). In Psalm 3:5 tells us he woke up the next morning testifying: "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me."