Fononarae 2019 Kuching Sunday Sermon

A Time to Trust

Rev Lau Hui Ming  

Chaplain Kuching Group Council

Psalm 88



Psalms 88:1-18 (KJV)

1 O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.

11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

2 Corinthians 12:5-10

2 Corinthians 12:5-10 (KJV)

5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.

6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

When we are troubled, we should run to our Father especially when the storm. Of life hit us. 

Psalm 88:5

88:3 For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.

88:4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.

88:5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

88:6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.!!? 

Psalm 13:1 How long, O God? 

Ask the right question, don't ask Why but ask what can be done

In life, learn to trust God even in suffering. We can experience victory even when we are not victorious. 

In serious illness, we may not be cured but we can be healed. 

Joy is not the absence of sadness or suffering but it comes from deeper faith in God. 

V1 O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.   

V13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.