In this sermon, Pastor Gavin Helms explores Psalm 37:25 (“I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread”) as a lesson on God’s continual presence and faithfulness even when He is not visibly perceived. He opens with a playful peek‑aboo illustration to explain object permanence, arguing that mature believers, like babies who develop object permanence, must trust God’s unseen presence. Helms weaves personal anecdotes—his daily weight‑lifting routine, callus formation, and a desire to become an NCAA football coach—to illustrate how repeated pressure creates protective resilience, mirroring spiritual durability. He repeatedly emphasizes “celebrating durability,” urging the congregation to recognize that they have outlasted sin, pain, and hardship, just as David did. The sermon unpacks the Hebrew nuance of “forsaken,” presenting it as God’s unwavering duty rather than mere absence, and frames God’s relationship with believers as a binding contract that He will keep regardless of human failure. Throughout, Helms engages the audience with call‑and‑response prompts, encouraging listeners to testify to their own experiences of outlasting trials and to trust that God’s covenant remains firm. The message concludes with a practical invitation to live under this divine contract, trusting God’s promises even in seasons of sorrow, uncertainty, or perceived silence.
Chapters
And there's an exegetical invitation I want to extend to you. I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me this morning in the 37th Psalm. Psalms 37. TC, I see you a good influence on your wife. Usually you're the first one standing, but this time she joined you, so you're a good influence, man. Psalms 37. I just simply want to do my best to lift verse number 25. You all know the word of God reads, I've been young, now I'm old. I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. You may be seated. I've never seen the righteous forsaken. For just a few moments, I'm gonna try to get through this best and as fast as I can. God wants to Help us this morning from the thought, the precept of his presence. The precept or the lesson of his, or from his presence.
Peekaboo!
I see you. Have you ever noticed that we always play that game with babies. Quite frankly, we would look very strange if we played peekaboo with adults. Babies, however, are fascinated by peekaboo. Because babies do not have developed object permanence.
Object permanence, concept of how individuals are able to know someone's presence even when they can't see them. So therefore when we play peekaboo with babies. Since babies have not developed and since they do not have enough experience, when someone hides their face, the baby believes that just because I can't see you, you must have gone somewhere. Have you ever noticed once again a baby suffers from separation anxiety? You are still in the house, but if the baby does not see you, the baby starts crying because the baby thinks that you're gone. Two things that would be very strange if we saw grown, developed adults doing it. I would call you some help if I saw some adults playing peekaboo with each other, because at this grown age in your life, you should know that you do not have to see a person in order for a person to be present. Also, I should not see you crying when someone simply leaves the room, because since you're grown, you should know that if a person simply leaves the room, it does not mean that she or he is absent. Child of God, just like that is true physiologically, the same should be true for us spiritually. Because there are moments in life where you may not be able to perceive God, but it does not mean that we suffer from an absence of the presence of God. And child of God, many of us have gone through life's toughest moments where it seems like God is nowhere to be found. But even when God is nowhere to be found, I know that God exists because of my faith. And before I go any further, I don't want to press too hard because I'm trying to preserve my voice. But I want to know today if there's anybody who has enough faith, enough maturity, enough growth, and enough experience with God to know that just because I don't see him, it does not mean that God is not present. And I want to challenge you this morning as we still make our way into 2026 I want to warn you that there may be moments where you don't see the manifestation of God like you normally do, but even in those moments, you know that you're growing with God when even if you don't see him, you still will serve him. Because just because you don't see his manifestation, it does not mean that that God is still not preparing things for your good. And I want to let you know today that God does not have to be seen in order for his presence to be manifest. Because even in the darkest moments in my life, if you just continue to praise God through it, you will discover that I didn't see him, but he was right there giving me strength.
He was right there giving me power.
He was right there providing for me. He was right there touching me. And the reason that you're blessed today is because even when you didn't see God, God was still blessing you. And that's the message this morning in this song, as God deals with the psalmist David. And David goes through a litany of things in this song. And David, as an experienced man, says, you know what, I know that there is wickedness in the world. He goes through all these things talking about the enemies, but he comes down, and then in verse 25 he says, I know that enemies are present, but I've had enough experience now, and I'm an older man now. And one thing that I've observed is that I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.
I've seen this enemy come and I've seen this enemy go. I've seen this circumstance come and I've seen this circumstance go.
And I want to know, is there anybody who's like David this morning?
You've seen one trial after another. You've seen one sickness after another. You've seen one circumstance after another. But through it all, you must confess that through it all, God did not leave you. You still have an experience with God. And I want to tell the devil that I will no longer be fooled by the foolishness of this world, because even through the foolishness, I still have a Father. Preach early in the morning, Gavin. I think I will. God said, I'm still with you through it all.
I'm 5 minutes in, let me hurry up. Here's why I woke up this morning, did an earlier workout to come preach and tell you this morning. Y'all ready for it? A true sign of growth is going through the toughest experience, but you still expect to have a godly encounter. True growth— I feel good now— is when you go through the toughest experiences, but in the toughest experiences you still expect to have a divine encounter. Say it a different way, Gavin.
You may see life, but you expect God to show up. You may go through pain, but you know God is going to reveal himself. You may have tears of sorrow today, but you know that God's gonna turn those tears into joy. And I want to ask the room this morning, Is there anybody who's in a season of sorrow, in a season of pain, and in a season of uncertainty, but through it all you still expect God to get some glory out of this? You still expect God to turn it around. And even if God don't turn it around, God can turn you around and you turn your hands up.
Get out of here, Gavin. But before you do, save your voice, unpack your hermeneutic highlights, and tell your people what you came to tell. Here it is. There go my boy. I'm ready to preach now. This text teaches us about how to have celebrated Durability. Celebrate durability. I was young, now I'm old. That's y'all testimony, ain't mine. I don't know what y'all thought this was. I was young. Now, oh, at the onset, it seems like the celebration is simply in surviving, all right, because it shows that time has elapsed. And that's why, thankfully, many of you just celebrated, because you can testify. We all can, actually, no matter how much chronological time we spend on this earth. We all can celebrate. And I was, and I am. I wish I had— wish I felt like it this morning. I was young, now I'm old. I was this, now I'm that. So we shout about, rightfully so, the transition from was to is. All right, all right. But God dealt with me on that and said, Gavin, go deep. Look at the life of David and really see the miracle of it. When we were introduced to David around 1 Samuel 16, he was overlooked by his father, but he was still anointed to be king. Make it a reason, Simon, for this. Chapter 17, after being anointed He didn't go straight to the palace. He went to have to fight Goliath. After beating Goliath, he had to deal with the jealousy of Saul. After that, he became king and had to deal with enemies, and most notably, one of his greatest enemies was his family member. Different sermon for a different day. However, in this 37th Psalm, when he says, I was young and now I'm old, all of those things that he's been through are not present in this song. Y'all missed the whole point. So not only Did David survive? David says, I didn't just survive, but I outlasted. Lord have mercy this morning.
David said, I didn't just make it through, but everything I made it through left before I did. And I want to know, Pearls, this morning, can you look back over your life and say that I did not just come through But I have outlasted some things. I have outlasted some of my sins. I have outlasted some of my lies. I have outlasted some of the rumors. I have outlasted some of the mistakes. I have outlasted some sickness. I have outlasted some pain. They told me I was going to be in this condition forever, but on this 12th day or 11th day of January 2026, I'm still here. But it ain't I want to know if you feel like it this morning. Can you thank God that you here? But it ain't whatever your it is, it is gone, bye-bye, and God still got you here. Come here, come here, come here. Even if it's still here, God got grace for you to deal with so you can outlast it. Is there anybody here this morning who's thankful to God that I have outlasted some stuff?
I was young, now I'm old, and there was everything in a way that could prevent me from getting old, but everything that tried to prevent me has been prevented by God.
Boy, you better talk in here like you got a haircut. And I want to tell somebody today, just keep on waking up in the morning. No matter how tough the day may get, God says you will outlast it.
Yeah, you better not sweat, it's cold outside and you gonna get sick. I told you, since we had an earlier service, I do a workout pretty much every day. This morning I did an earlier workout and weights in the gym this morning said, Gavin, I want to help you preach today. Say, I always welcome help. What you want to help me with? Says, you just picked up that dumbbell. Do you remember when you first started coming to the gym? You used to wear gloves because when you first started lifting weights, the friction caused pain. And so in order to prevent the pain, you put on gloves to help prevent the pressure from causing pain. The way Saxman Kevin, where are your gloves? I told the dumbbell, thank you for asking me that because you revealed something to me, that after time I got used to the weights. And so y'all know I don't do much manual labor. I'm a computer guy. I work behind this. I don't go out in the yard. Respect to y'all who do, but that's just not my testimony nor my ministry, so don't ask me to do it. But even though I'm a computer desk office executive worker, I'm thankful that I got a few calluses here on my hand. My calluses do not come from working outside, they come from working in the gym. What does the callus teach us? See, the body forms calluses as a protective covering that when life or your hands go through pressure Your hands are now protected from what used to be pain.
Y'all missing me this morning. And so now I'm still lifting weights, but because I've developed something to protect me through the pain, I'm still lifting, but the pain gone. I still have the same pressures, I still lift more weight now, but I don't go through the same pain because I've been adjusted and protected to endure the pain and pressure of life.
I might go work out again and tell that dumbbell thank you. We have a celebrated durability. David celebrating the fact that not only am I here, but stuff that was bothering me, I've outlasted that. I'm coming around the corner now. I'm about done. Boy, I still feel kind of good. I might actually hoop and eat that today. But text also teaches us that God has given us a concrete decree. God has given rules and regulations that are not flimsy, they're concrete. Whatever God has said concerning you, it still applies to you despite you. What is it, Gavin? Here it is. I've never seen The righteous forsaken. David, you righteous, you must have forgot about Bathsheba. You must forgot about your family problems. You must forgot about the sins that you've committed. David says no. I didn't forget, but God's righteousness forgot.
And somebody, this is the word for you: you too busy remembering stuff that God's already forgotten. Not because God loses his mind, but because God chooses to put that in your past. Somebody today, before you go another day forward, You need to have the mind of God to forget the things that he's forgotten.
I don't care who remembers.
I don't care if you remember it. God says he has called you righteous not because of what you've done, but because of what Jesus has done and what he's doing in your life now. And I'm no longer the same person because there's a change in my life because Jesus lives in me.
I've never seen righteous forsaken. You think you know that word. I thought I did. That's why y'all pay me the big bucks, not to just stand up here and preach, but to prepare before I preach. Did a more in- investigative study of that word forsaken. I've thought all of these years that it just simply means to neglect or leave, right? Which is why I titled the sermon Precept of His Presence, which means that God is still here. But that word forsaken is a little bit deeper. Than just being present. Y'all want to hear what it means? That word forsaken suggests in a Hebrew etymology that God is not just there, he's still dutiful. Meaning literally that God— and excuse this word because it's going to sound like I'm disrespecting God, but just bear with me for lack of better terms— it means that nothing causes God to neglect his job responsibility. In other words, God has declared us righteous by Jesus Christ, so therefore he is faithful to what he has declared.
So you want to know why you still here? You want to know why he's forgiven you? You want to know why he keeps providing for you even though you don't deserve it? It's because God remains faithful to what he has decreed and declared. He knows what his job is. He knows how to be Jehovah Jireh. He knows how to be your healer. He knows how to be your savior. And nothing you do can stop God from doing what he called himself to do.
He's really saying, I was young, I was young fool, Now I'm old and still kind of foolish, but God kept being the Father. I've made some mistakes, Preach Camp.
I've done some things I wasn't supposed to do, but every time I did what I was not supposed to do, God kept just doing what he promised to do. And you sitting there like you're not a living witness this morning. But the reason that you're here is because God kept his end of the bargain when you did not keep yours. God kept keeping you when you were not studying God. God kept on providing for you even after you blew your money. God heals your body when you ate all them pig feet. And the reason that you can lift your hands is because God keeps his end of the bargain.
I'm just trying to teach you the lesson about God, cause going into this new year, some of you are thinking that you always— this is the year I'm gonna see God move. I can't tell you that. Every year you tell yourself that. Every year some prophet tell you every day you're gonna see some power and miracles.
Sometimes God is not gonna be visible. And you have to learn how to be victorious about your knowledge of God and celebrate the fact that God is keeping his end of the bargain even when you are not. And that's why I want to live better, because God just keeps on being faithful despite me.
If you say it's all right, I'll close right here. Y'all know I'm a pastor and I'm a higher education professional, but I'm thinking, I'm thinking seriously about changing careers. Don't get nervous. Y'all know what I'm thinking about doing? I'm thinking about staying in higher education, but I think I want to be an NCAA head coach. I want to coach football Specifically because y'all think crazy, but stay with me as I close. If you watched ESPN or any sports channel— good night— if you watch any of the news networks late You know, we are as fans are so hard to please. One loss too many, you got alums and boosters who never played the sport, never coached, calling for you to be fired. They get these fingers on social media and say such and such needs to be fired, as if you can do any better. And there's been an uptick— good night, y'all— of poor college coaches being fired. But have y'all watched this story a little bit longer? Because every time a coach is fired The school still owes them money. And so even when the wins are not there, even— good night, y'all—
when there are too many losses The coach is paid not because of the performance, but the coach is paid because the university has obligated themselves to pay the coach no matter what. And the reason you here this morning, and the reason I want to be a coach, is because sometimes I know I don't win like I'm supposed to win. Sometimes I lose more than I'm supposed to lose, but he keeps blessing me. Because one Friday on a hill, it was called Calvary, he signed a contract and he promised me that day that if I believe in him, I would have eternal life. I would be righteous. I will be justified, I will be sanctified. He would keep me, he would bless me. And when you see me blessed today, don't say good job, Gavin, just say I got a good contract, I got a good Savior that even when I mess up, he keeps on giving to me. Even when I don't give him praise, he keeps on giving to me. And I know everything is gonna be all right this year. Because God promised me never to leave me alone.
So when y'all see me, Gavin Helms, new football coach of such and such university, I want y'all to know my simple plan is just to get a contract.
I'm not trying to win no games. Fire me the first day, but as long as I got a contract, you gotta pay me.
We all for Jesus this morning. I want you to come sign the contract. He's offering it for you. Thank you. He wants it for you. I want to know, is there anybody who's under that contract this morning who's thankful that you are glad that you signed the contract and you didn't even have to work out the terms of agreement?
They were just too good to pass by.
We offer him to you this morning.
