Turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the Book of Psalms.

We will be reading Psalm 3, the entire Psalm and Psalm 4.8.

Psalm 3

1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Psalm 4.8

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

verse 8 contains three words I would like us to consider this afternoon
...thou, LORD, only

As we look at the word THOU,
I would like us to see the Person of God.

As we look at the word LORD,
I would like us to see the Power of God.

And as we look at the word ONLY,
I would like us to see the Plan of God.

First,
In the word THOU, we see the Person of God and as we consider the Person of God I would like to mention a number of God's attributes.

1. God is holy.
In Psalm 99.9 we read,
Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

And in Hebrews 7.26, the Bible says that the Lord Jesus is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.

Who knew no sin and Who did no sin.

We who are Christians need to be reminded often that God has called us unto holiness!
The Apostle Peter tells us,
As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy... 1 Pet. 1.16.
For God has not called the believer unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 1 Thess. 4.7
And the believer in the Lord Jesus is to be holy and without blame before Him in love. Eph. 1.4

God is holy.
A second attribute of the Person of God is that
2. God is love.
In I John 4.7,8 the Bible says
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is love.

And God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3.16

God is love and we are to love one another.

The Lord Jesus said,
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13.35

God is holy, God is love, and
3. God is good.
In Psalm 118.29 we read,
O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good

The LORD is good, His goodness endureth continually, yea He daily loadeth us with benefits! God is so good!

And we are told by the Apostle Paul, that we as believers in the Lord Jesus are to do good.
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.  Gal. 6.10

Another attribute of the Person of God is that
4. God is faithful.
In 2 Thess. 3.3, the Bible says the Lord is faithful

And we as Christians are told four times in the Scriptures that—
The just shall live by faith.

As we live our Christian lives we need to pray,
"increase our faith, O Lord" that we might lead lives that are pleasing to Him.

The Person of God:
God is holy, God is love, God is good, God is faithful.

In addition, God is light and in Him is no darkness at all 1 John 1.5
God is life.
He is unchanging.
God is eternal.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalm 90.5

And let us not forget that He is a personal God;
That He is longsuffering and a God of all comfort, 2 Cor. 1.3

Who cares for us so very much!

Who calls us to come unto Him that we might have life both now and forevermore!

Thou, LORD, only.

We have briefly looked at the Person of God as represented by the word Thou,
Now let us focus on the word LORD, and see the Power of God.

The Psalmist exclaims, O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Ps. 8.9

For the LORD He is God
and
1. God is omnipotent.
In Rev. 19.6 we read:
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

God is all powerful—He is the Creator.

We are told in Job 37.14
O consider the wondrous works of God!

The Psalmist declares
The heavens declare the glory of God; and firmament showeth His handywork. Ps. 19.1

And in Heb. 1.10 we read
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.

God is all powerful
and
2. God is omniscient.
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 1 John 3.20

God is all knowing

"Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite," we are told in Ps. 147.5

3. God is also omnipresent

The Lord's words as recorded in Jeremiah 23.24 state
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

God is everywhere present.

God is all powerful, all knowing, everywhere present.

The Scripture proclaims:

Thou, LORD art the mighty God. Isa. 9.6

the Lord God Almighty. Rom. 4.8

the King of kings, and Lord of lords. 1 Tim. 6.15
Lord of heaven and earth. Luke 10.21
Lord over all. Rom. 10.12
the Lord of all  Acts 10.36
and to we who believe, He is
our Lord and Saviour. 2 Pet. 3.18

Thou, LORD

We have looked at the Person of God, the Power of God, and now as we look at the word ONLY, I want us to see the Plan of God, specifically God's plan of salvation.

O the love that drew salvation's plan
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary!

God's Person, (His love and grace), God's power (the mighty gulf that God did span), God's Plan (at Calvary!)

As we consider this final word, ONLY, and the Plan of God, we
we need to realize that

1. The God of the Bible is the only God. There is only one true and living God.

In Isaiah 45.5 God declares,
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me.

And in Deut. 6:4,5 the Bible says
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

God is the only God, and the second point we need to realize is that
2. The God of the Bible is the only Saviour.

In Is. 45, the Lord says
There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Is. 45.21-22

And both of these truths (that The God of the Bible is the only God and the only Saviour) are brought together in the benediction to the Epistle of Jude where we read—
To the only God and our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 25

Thou, LORD, Only

The God of the Bible is the only God, the only Saviour, and

3. The God of the Bible has provided us with the only way (to Him, to Heaven)
It is not man's way, it is not my way, it is not your way.

Proverbs tells us
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Pr. 14.12

Not our way, but God's way.
Our way is wrong. God's way is right!

It is God's way only, there is no other option.

Salvation is of the LORD. Jonah 2.9

The beloved Apostle John says
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4.14

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Him.
The Bible tells us in John 14.6

Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4.12

This is God's way; God's plan of salvation.

Remember the Christmas story, how the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and declared:

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  Luke 2.10-11

and remember Simeon; he was a just and devout man who lived in Jerusalem

and the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die, before he had seen the Lord's Christ, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus.

Well, we are told that the parents of Jesus brought the child Jesus to the temple to do for him after the custom of the law. And Simeon took the child Jesus up in His arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people. Luke 2.29-31

Holding Jesus in his arms, Simeon blessed God and declared, Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.

God the Father sent God the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
Simeon testified to this truth.

This is the Plan of God.

The Lord Jesus, God's Son whom He sent, came to this earth to die for you and for me, to pay the penalty for our sins.

There is a green hill far way
Without a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell
What pains he had to bear;
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.

Thou, LORD, only

In just three words
We have seen the person of God—and seen that it is not God's will that any man, woman, boy or girl should perish in Hell, but that all should come to Him through faith in His Son as Saviour, and be saved and spend eternity in Heaven.

We have seen the Power of God—and can be assured that He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to Him by faith and receive His salvation;
and that believers are kept by His power to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven.

And we have seen the Plan of God—that salvation is of the LORD and through faith and faith alone in His Son, the Lord Jesus.

If you have not personally come to God and received His salvation by faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus, you need to today. It is your decision. God invites you to come.

May each of us in this room know God.

His Person—His Power—His Plan

And as we live the life that He has given us, may our lips and lives proclaim
Thou LORD, only!

I thank you Lord that thou art my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my Saviour.

You are so loving and kind.

Truly your way is perfect. Thank you for providing so great a salvation to all who receive it by faith.

May the Holy Spirit open the eyes of any in this room who have never come to you through faith in thy Son, the Lord Jesus, that they would see and acknowledge, Thou LORD, only!

Notes from a message by Stephen Ross for a monthly, Sunday afternoon service at The Pillars (a retirement home in Shelburne, Vermont) which the Ross Family (including my Dad and Mom) provided during the years 1983-2002.

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