Psalm 62

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:05.480 I would like to spend some time here in Psalm Sixty two and and think 2 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:12.550 about some of these themes with you, that we might be encouraged. This 3 00:00:13.150 --> 00:00:18.710 does relate to the passage in genesis twenty one. I won't read it now, 4 00:00:18.949 --> 00:00:26.940 but they're there's a conflict within the family of Abraham and Ishmael and Hagur 5 00:00:27.179 --> 00:00:33.539 are sent out. Abraham's heart is distressed. Hag are as hard as distressed. 6 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:37.689 Ishmael is distressed, crying to the Lord, and the Lord hears them. 7 00:00:38.609 --> 00:00:42.969 He provides for them there in the Wilderness. It says that Hag are 8 00:00:43.170 --> 00:00:48.729 separates herself from her son a bowshot away. I'm not an archer and I 9 00:00:48.810 --> 00:00:51.320 didn't look it up, so I don't know how far that is, but 10 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:56.240 my guess is that it's far enough to get some distance where maybe the cries 11 00:00:56.280 --> 00:01:02.399 are muffled, can't hear him as harshly. They were planning on dying and 12 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:06.790 giving up in the Lord provides for them there. And there's similar themes here 13 00:01:06.909 --> 00:01:12.870 in Psalm Sixty two. I notice in verse three. I ask you if 14 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:17.989 you've ever felt like this. How long will all of you attack a man, 15 00:01:18.189 --> 00:01:21.700 to batter him like a leaning wall or a tottering fence. Have you 16 00:01:21.780 --> 00:01:26.260 ever felt like a tottering fence or a leaning wall? Right, a strong 17 00:01:26.299 --> 00:01:33.049 wall is built into the ground, right. You typically don't build a wall 18 00:01:33.209 --> 00:01:37.090 right on top of the ground. You trench down into the ground, you 19 00:01:37.450 --> 00:01:42.010 lay down your bricks and then from there you build up and you cement it 20 00:01:42.209 --> 00:01:46.569 in and you reinforce it and you make sure it's strong. A tottering wall, 21 00:01:46.689 --> 00:01:51.640 though, is one that people are liable to kick over. There's one 22 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:57.959 over by where my my kids go to school and I drive by there occasionally 23 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:02.870 and it seems like every time I go by there's another brick missing. It's 24 00:02:02.989 --> 00:02:07.949 falling apart and people see that and they take an advance, take advantage of 25 00:02:07.949 --> 00:02:13.030 it. They say, well, can climb over it, it's easier, 26 00:02:13.069 --> 00:02:15.379 right, and just knock out another brick. What's one more? And soon 27 00:02:15.659 --> 00:02:21.620 the wall falls apart. And that's the picture here. Like a leaning wall, 28 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:24.020 a tottering fence, people come and attack him this, this thing is 29 00:02:24.219 --> 00:02:28.460 weak. We can get him while he's while he's weak, while he's down, 30 00:02:28.500 --> 00:02:34.770 and we feel sometimes we feel like that. We feel what we might 31 00:02:34.930 --> 00:02:40.449 call anxiety. We feel anxious, we feel worried, we feel weak, 32 00:02:40.569 --> 00:02:46.840 in a position where we are stressed because we're not okay, or we feel 33 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:50.599 like we're not okay, we're under threat, we're not going to get what 34 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:54.039 we need, and our chest gets ti ate and our minds start to race 35 00:02:54.199 --> 00:03:02.949 and we we worried. But notice how the Psalm starts. For God alone 36 00:03:04.270 --> 00:03:09.909 my soul weights and silence. From him comes my salvation. He alone is 37 00:03:09.990 --> 00:03:15.939 my rock and my salvation my fortress. I shall not be greatly shaken. 38 00:03:16.699 --> 00:03:23.020 Now, imagine you're a tottering fence, broken wall, and you were worried 39 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:30.289 about being knocked down. You, you might imagine, hoping that maybe nobody 40 00:03:30.289 --> 00:03:36.930 will come right, maybe the wind won't blow too strong, maybe I can 41 00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:44.639 hold on tighter for a little bit longer, thinking about these various external circumstances 42 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:50.199 that we hope that will change, that will save us. And we certainly 43 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:53.120 feel that way when we feel anxious, when we feel weak, when we 44 00:03:53.240 --> 00:04:02.150 feel like greatly shaken, and we we get a nervous and stressed and we 45 00:04:02.229 --> 00:04:09.710 start scanning quickly around right what's going to help me? Maybe I can clear 46 00:04:09.789 --> 00:04:13.699 up my schedule, maybe if I get more money, maybe if this person 47 00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:16.819 will stop doing what they're doing. All kinds of number of things. Maybe 48 00:04:16.819 --> 00:04:19.860 if I could just for once something, you know, Calm Down, r 49 00:04:20.220 --> 00:04:24.569 e. whether it's internal or external. We look for these things, right. 50 00:04:24.649 --> 00:04:29.170 We look for something in our world, in ourselves, that can fix 51 00:04:29.889 --> 00:04:35.329 our problems. David here points us to the real solution. When we find 52 00:04:35.410 --> 00:04:41.199 ourselves and situations where we don't know what to do, when we feel overwhelmed, 53 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:46.399 when we feel like things are not going to be okay, he tells 54 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:50.480 us, through his example, through he's been's words, inspired by the spirit, 55 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:58.350 through this confession of faith, to trust in God for God alone. 56 00:04:58.389 --> 00:05:03.829 Yeah, I wonder if he screamed this sometimes. Right, he says in 57 00:05:03.990 --> 00:05:12.019 verse five about silence for God alone. Oh my soul, weight in silence. 58 00:05:12.060 --> 00:05:19.500 Right, he talks to himself. He says stop, wait, and 59 00:05:19.579 --> 00:05:25.370 maybe there were times to when he he called it out loud and told himself, 60 00:05:26.050 --> 00:05:32.410 soul, wait. Either way, the reminders this that God alone is 61 00:05:32.649 --> 00:05:38.399 our rock, God alone is his Salvaser and his fortress. I shall not 62 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:42.360 be greatly shaken. I shall not be greatly shaken. I shall not be 63 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:48.120 greatly shaken. Why not? Because the wind will stop blowing or the enemies 64 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:55.269 will stop attacking, but because of who God is. That's the promise of 65 00:05:55.389 --> 00:06:00.350 scripture. Now David certainly recognizes that there are other forces at play here, 66 00:06:00.470 --> 00:06:04.860 and he speaks to his enemies. How long the leave me alone? How 67 00:06:05.019 --> 00:06:10.779 long will you all attack a man to batter him? They only plan to 68 00:06:10.860 --> 00:06:14.819 thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure and falsehood. They 69 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:17.379 bless what they mouths, they inwardly curse. This reminds me, of course, 70 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:27.050 of our Lord Right, behold the king of the Jews. Right, 71 00:06:27.329 --> 00:06:31.370 these kind of claims of praise outwardly, but inwardly it's, of course, 72 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:38.000 cursing and mocking and and all of that. And then David repeats it. 73 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:41.600 A reminder of the repetition of these things that we need in our lives. 74 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:46.680 How we need to tell ourselves these things over and over again, for God 75 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:51.870 alone. Oh my soul weighed in silence. Wait, wait, wait, 76 00:06:53.470 --> 00:06:57.709 for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, 77 00:06:57.829 --> 00:07:01.180 my fortress. I shall not be shaken. Oh God, or on 78 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:06.740 God rests my salvation and my glory, my Mighty Rock, my refuge is 79 00:07:06.860 --> 00:07:12.660 God. So David speaks to his own heart as indeed, we always do 80 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:16.370 do. This is prayer, to speak to the Lord, to speak to 81 00:07:16.449 --> 00:07:23.449 our hearts as well, to have a conversation and say, soul, trust 82 00:07:23.569 --> 00:07:28.410 in the Lord, Lord, help my soul, help me, provide for 83 00:07:28.569 --> 00:07:31.959 me, care for me. And then David speaks outwardly, says trust in 84 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.560 him at all times. O People, pour out your heart before him. 85 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:40.839 God is a refuge for us, and this, of course, is not 86 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:46.990 just David speak speaking. This is the Holy Spirit who inspired these words, 87 00:07:48.269 --> 00:07:53.829 so beloved, here, these words for you, your own ears. Trust 88 00:07:53.949 --> 00:08:00.459 in him at all times is the word of the Lord. Pour out your 89 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:09.019 heart before him. Why? God is a refuge for us. To help 90 00:08:09.100 --> 00:08:13.449 remind us of this and remind us of the difference between God and the things 91 00:08:13.490 --> 00:08:18.930 that we often depend on, we then have versus eight and ten. I 92 00:08:18.089 --> 00:08:26.290 love these. Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high 93 00:08:26.290 --> 00:08:31.279 estate are but a delusion. In the balances they go up, they are 94 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:37.960 together lighter than a breath. So this is like when we say that God 95 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:43.870 created things, visible and invisible. This is our way of saying that God 96 00:08:43.070 --> 00:08:52.750 created everything, and this is the way of the psalmist saying that everyone is 97 00:08:52.789 --> 00:08:56.299 who you I'm going to get all my double negative is wrong here. You 98 00:08:56.340 --> 00:09:00.259 don't need to worry about anyone. There we go. You don't need to 99 00:09:00.299 --> 00:09:03.860 worry about anyone. Those of a lot low estate, those of high estate. 100 00:09:05.299 --> 00:09:09.460 What does he say? In the balances, they go up. The 101 00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:13.370 image here is if you've ever seen those, those balances where there's a pole 102 00:09:13.570 --> 00:09:18.370 in the middle and a pull across and then chains going down on both sides 103 00:09:18.850 --> 00:09:24.840 and then maybe two baskets or or plates. All right, perhaps you've seen 104 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:28.399 lady justice right, who holds those balances and that symbol of that balance there. 105 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:35.039 The idea here is that if something is weighty, something is heavy, 106 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:39.710 if you put it on one side, what happens? Goes down. If 107 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:46.110 it's not heavy, it goes up. So the question is is when the 108 00:09:46.149 --> 00:09:50.789 king drops his money bag on the table and says, if you do what 109 00:09:50.870 --> 00:09:56.100 I say, you will receive this, or when the soldier thrusts his sword 110 00:09:56.139 --> 00:10:00.539 into the ground and says, beware, I claim this is my own right, 111 00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:03.179 what is the what is the weight that is carried in those moments? 112 00:10:03.299 --> 00:10:07.370 The weight of power, the weight of high position or the weight of low 113 00:10:07.409 --> 00:10:11.090 position? How do how are we to evaluate that when we worry about the 114 00:10:11.490 --> 00:10:18.129 pressures and things that are around us, the Scripture says that together they are 115 00:10:18.169 --> 00:10:26.080 lighter than a breath. Might be fun this evening to go home and take 116 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:30.279 out your electronic scale, put it on the counters, zeroed it out, 117 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:35.399 and then breathe on it and see what happens. Of course, a breath 118 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:39.870 doesn't even stay there. Right. A breath moves across the scale. You 119 00:10:39.950 --> 00:10:46.230 can't even weigh it because it doesn't even stay there. Really, and and 120 00:10:46.389 --> 00:10:48.549 the Lord says, the word says that these pressures that around us, these 121 00:10:48.549 --> 00:10:54.100 pressures that are inside of us, they are lighter than a breath, lighter 122 00:10:54.820 --> 00:11:00.620 than a breath. So don't trust them. Put No trust in extortion, 123 00:11:00.740 --> 00:11:03.259 set no vain hopes on robberies. If riches increased, set your heart not 124 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:07.889 on them. And so in concludes with this. Once God has spoken. 125 00:11:07.970 --> 00:11:13.850 Twice have I heard this. That power, true power, belongs to God 126 00:11:13.049 --> 00:11:20.279 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love, for you will 127 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:26.159 render to a man according to his work. Well, what about this last 128 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.279 sentence? You will render a man according to his work. How are we 129 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.190 to that if, for the whole Psalm God has been saying trust me, 130 00:11:35.549 --> 00:11:39.190 trust me, trust me. And now he says I'll pay you what you 131 00:11:39.269 --> 00:11:43.070 do. Does it feel like it takes it away a little bit, like 132 00:11:43.230 --> 00:11:46.500 the strength and the power and the dependence on God. Now, all of 133 00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:50.139 a sudden he's going to render to us according to our work. We get 134 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:54.580 a little fearful again, please. I do when I read that at first. 135 00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:07.529 But remember this. Ask Yourself, what is the chief work of the 136 00:12:07.690 --> 00:12:13.049 one who trusts in the Lord, and what is the chief work of the 137 00:12:13.129 --> 00:12:16.399 one who does not trust in the Lord? Right, because this is where 138 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:22.759 the issue turns. The one who does not trust in the Lord trusts in 139 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:26.919 what his own works is on wealth, that's fame, it's read Iputation, 140 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:31.389 all those kinds of things. That's what he trusts and the Lord will render 141 00:12:31.470 --> 00:12:33.909 to him his reward. What is Dus men, which of course, is 142 00:12:33.950 --> 00:12:41.870 very light, not worthy. What is the work of the one who trusts 143 00:12:41.909 --> 00:12:46.899 in the Lord? Well, it is the work of faith. And what 144 00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:54.820 is the work of faith? It is receiving the blessings of the Lord. 145 00:12:56.019 --> 00:13:01.409 It is not working ourselves else to earn ourselves award. The work of faith, 146 00:13:01.490 --> 00:13:07.289 as scripture calls it, is trusting in the Lord to receive his reward, 147 00:13:07.409 --> 00:13:11.809 the reward that he eared, when we put our trust in the Lord. 148 00:13:11.129 --> 00:13:16.679 That is our work, when we rest on him and receive all of 149 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:18.879 his work given to us. That's what our work is and that's what our 150 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:24.480 reward is. And so it is a call to us both. It is 151 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:30.669 it is both a warning to not trust in yourself and it is again an 152 00:13:30.750 --> 00:13:37.710 encouragement and an assurance to us to trust in him. We remember, remember 153 00:13:37.789 --> 00:13:41.340 that this is our chief thing, it is the thing, the main thing 154 00:13:41.419 --> 00:13:46.740 that we do. Everything else flows from this point right, flows from faith 155 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:50.139 and trusting in God. And so my question to you then, is, 156 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:58.370 will God provide? Will God provide for you? There are a lot of 157 00:13:58.490 --> 00:14:03.649 things that we need, aren't there? The scriptures themselves say that we need 158 00:14:03.809 --> 00:14:07.610 them. Food and clothing our examples, but we could add to others as 159 00:14:09.450 --> 00:14:16.440 we need friendship, we need safety, we need justice, we need dignity, 160 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:20.120 we need work, we need rest. These are the things that we 161 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:26.509 need. We need hope, we need love, we need these things in 162 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:31.789 our lives and there are all kinds of things that threaten all of those things 163 00:14:31.950 --> 00:14:37.190 and more all the time. This world is a hard place and when we 164 00:14:37.350 --> 00:14:41.340 don't get these things, or when we feel like we may not get these 165 00:14:41.460 --> 00:14:46.059 things, what happens? But we feel greatly shaken, we feel nervous and 166 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:56.250 anxious and worried. So the question again is, will God provide? Will 167 00:14:56.409 --> 00:15:01.330 he provide, yes or no? Will he provide? Because if he won't, 168 00:15:03.090 --> 00:15:05.210 if the words here in Psalm Sixty two are not true, then we 169 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:09.679 have every reason to be greatly shaken, because there are all kinds of problems 170 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:16.320 all around us. But what if? What if what God says is true? 171 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.149 In light of that, I'd like to read a few more passages of 172 00:15:22.230 --> 00:15:30.870 scripture to you. First, Matthew, chapter six. Matthew Chapter Six, 173 00:15:30.909 --> 00:15:39.019 Verse Twenty Five. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about 174 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:41.860 your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about 175 00:15:41.899 --> 00:15:46.700 your body, what you will put on. Is Not life more than food 176 00:15:46.740 --> 00:15:50.450 and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the year. 177 00:15:50.730 --> 00:15:54.730 They neither so nor reap nor gather into Barnes, and yet your heavenly father 178 00:15:54.809 --> 00:16:00.889 feeds them. Are they not of more value than they and which of you, 179 00:16:00.169 --> 00:16:04.159 by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? 180 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.240 And why are you anxious about clothing. Consider the lilies of the field, 181 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.240 how they grow? They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, 182 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:15.759 even Solomon, in all his glory, was not a Rabe like one 183 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:21.149 of these. But if God so close the grass of the field, which 184 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:26.230 today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much 185 00:16:26.230 --> 00:16:30.309 more clothe you, oh you of little faith? Therefore, do not be 186 00:16:30.470 --> 00:16:33.659 anxious about do not be anxious saying what shall we eat? What shall we 187 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:37.620 drink, what shall we wear? For the gentile seek after these things, 188 00:16:37.299 --> 00:16:41.220 and your heavenly father knows that you need them all, but seek first the 189 00:16:41.220 --> 00:16:45.220 Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be out of 190 00:16:45.299 --> 00:16:51.490 to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will 191 00:16:51.490 --> 00:17:00.049 be anxious for itself sufficient, for the day is its own trouble. You 192 00:17:00.090 --> 00:17:04.119 See, what God is saying is there's various arguments he's giving. Says, 193 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:08.359 look at the flowers, I take care of them. Look at the birds 194 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:14.000 in another place, he says. Look at the Ravens in Luke Twelve, 195 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:17.789 he says, consider the Ravens Thine. They neither so nor reap. They 196 00:17:17.869 --> 00:17:22.430 have no store house nor barn, and yet God feeds them. They literally 197 00:17:22.549 --> 00:17:26.309 are arlity. I was going to say living hand to mouth, but they 198 00:17:26.349 --> 00:17:30.819 don't have hands. They're literally living no mouth whatever. They pick food up 199 00:17:30.859 --> 00:17:37.740 off the ground. They have no storehouses, like there's no backup plan for 200 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:47.730 the Raven. He eats what he is given. That's it. Now that 201 00:17:47.930 --> 00:17:49.849 creates a little bit of anxiety. And me, even as I'm preaching about 202 00:17:49.849 --> 00:17:55.730 drop, beaying anxious. Right, that is hard. That is hard to 203 00:17:55.849 --> 00:18:00.359 remember, which is why we're spending time in pressing these things and and and 204 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:07.079 and and focusing on them. But if you're asking yourself, as perhaps I 205 00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:11.910 am, what's wrong with me? Like, why am I anxious, even 206 00:18:11.950 --> 00:18:17.190 in hearing a sermon about not being anxious, or even in giving a sermon 207 00:18:17.269 --> 00:18:22.069 about not being anxious, remember that God provides even for that. God doesn't 208 00:18:22.349 --> 00:18:27.339 expect us to get our inward lives all perfectly in order before we can come 209 00:18:27.460 --> 00:18:33.980 to him and trust him. Trust me now. Trust me in your sin, 210 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:38.099 trust me in your anxiety. Trust me while you are worrying. It's 211 00:18:38.180 --> 00:18:41.650 not about getting to you know, this is zen moment and then saying all 212 00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:47.009 right now, I will trust in the Lord. Right, it's right now. 213 00:18:47.490 --> 00:18:51.769 In this moment, in this in this way, Psalm one hundred forty 214 00:18:51.769 --> 00:18:56.400 five says, the eyes of all look to you and you give them food 215 00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:00.160 in their due seas, and you open your hand and you satisfy the desire 216 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:08.880 of every living of every living thing. So why is this so difficult for 217 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:18.309 us when the Scriptures so plainly black and white, say God will provide? 218 00:19:18.710 --> 00:19:25.259 Why do we struggle so much? Well, there's different reasons. I think 219 00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:30.099 some of them are these. One is that we don't know when or how 220 00:19:30.259 --> 00:19:37.019 God will provide, and that can be difficult. Another is that we don't 221 00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:40.410 sometimes, I think, we wonder if God really wants to care for us. 222 00:19:41.690 --> 00:19:45.250 Do we do doubt the black and white kind of promises? God says 223 00:19:45.369 --> 00:19:48.970 this and we say I don't know. Right, and if you doubt that 224 00:19:48.089 --> 00:19:52.200 God will provide, well then you will be anxious that he won't provide. 225 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:59.200 This is pretty simple. I wish I could come to you and say that 226 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:03.960 now here's a bunch of arguments that will sort of flip the switch in you, 227 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:10.190 and now you're going to be set and and and now you you can 228 00:20:10.470 --> 00:20:11.990 you can know and have certainty that God I will always provide for you. 229 00:20:12.069 --> 00:20:18.150 And you're going to be sort of internally okay and externally to but the thing 230 00:20:18.230 --> 00:20:22.299 is, like, I can't just convince you of that. I can't rationalize 231 00:20:22.339 --> 00:20:25.900 the way to this. I mean we can point to examples, like scripture 232 00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:27.059 does. Right, let me say, look at the lilies, look at 233 00:20:27.059 --> 00:20:30.740 the Ravens, right, and that's helpful to us. But ultimately it is 234 00:20:30.819 --> 00:20:34.970 a question of what we're talked about earlier, faith. Will we believe what 235 00:20:36.130 --> 00:20:40.930 God says or not? It's really that simple. If we believe and we 236 00:20:41.089 --> 00:20:47.849 trust in him, then that is that is the answer. So then, 237 00:20:47.930 --> 00:20:51.039 going back to the question, why is this so hard? The answer to 238 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:56.079 that is, of course sin. Right, sin does not trust the word 239 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:00.960 of the Lord. It's not merely that there's a feeling and emotion inside of 240 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:04.069 us, a great shaking that is there. That is a problem and it's 241 00:21:04.069 --> 00:21:08.470 uncomfortable, but the deeper problem is, of course, Sin. It's lack 242 00:21:08.509 --> 00:21:12.829 of trust in the word of God, and that's all of us. Every 243 00:21:12.869 --> 00:21:18.220 single one of US struggle with this. And as long as we want control, 244 00:21:18.259 --> 00:21:23.259 as long as we want to know what's going to happen next and when 245 00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:26.819 it's going to happen and how it's going to happen. As long as we're 246 00:21:26.859 --> 00:21:33.210 striving after finding our solutions in our minds, in our strength, in our 247 00:21:33.529 --> 00:21:37.730 in our hearts and the world, then we're not looking to the Lord it. 248 00:21:38.289 --> 00:21:41.130 And that's why David, I think, is so clear and he repeats 249 00:21:41.170 --> 00:21:45.130 it over and over again, not only in Psalm Sixty two, but why 250 00:21:45.210 --> 00:21:48.799 the Lord repeats it over it over again for us. I am your refuge 251 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:56.240 because we need to hear it, because we doubt it. But I will 252 00:21:56.319 --> 00:22:02.069 say this simply to proclaim God's promise to you. These things. I will 253 00:22:02.109 --> 00:22:07.309 finish with this. Number One, God provides for us in this life. 254 00:22:07.309 --> 00:22:12.109 It's true. He provides for us in this life. You can look at 255 00:22:12.190 --> 00:22:18.819 today. Did you eat today? Are you wearing clothes? Did you have 256 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:22.660 a how house, a place over your head, a place to go, 257 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:29.380 air conditioning, lights? Did you drive a car? I fancy eyeglasses, 258 00:22:30.369 --> 00:22:33.170 all kinds of things. Does God provide for us? Yes, He provides 259 00:22:33.210 --> 00:22:36.970 for us. Number One, he provides for us in this life. Number 260 00:22:37.049 --> 00:22:41.890 two, he provides for us in the next life. Remember that bit about 261 00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:47.079 the reward. God will give the reward. Think about it. This from 262 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:49.200 Roman six, the wages of sin. You, hopefully you to know this 263 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:53.200 verse. The wages of sin is death. Right, the wages of sin 264 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:59.589 is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. What is 265 00:22:59.670 --> 00:23:02.710 God? Does God provide for us in this life? Yes, does he 266 00:23:02.829 --> 00:23:10.869 provide for US eternal life, blessed, heavenly, glorious life forever? Yes, 267 00:23:10.910 --> 00:23:18.380 yes, he does. Does God Prom a number three? Does God 268 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:22.099 provide for us, not only in this life and in the next, but 269 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:26.730 also for our doubt here and now? Are struggles here and now, our 270 00:23:26.769 --> 00:23:33.849 anxieties here now? Yeah, he provides for that too. He gives us 271 00:23:33.890 --> 00:23:37.569 his scriptures, he gives us our words, he gives us this truth over 272 00:23:37.809 --> 00:23:42.920 and over again. He creates a whole institution called the church and puts officers 273 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:48.000 in it and fills it with people so that we can be constantly reminded over 274 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:55.119 and over and over again that God provides for us. Thousands of years God 275 00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:59.589 has been doing this, week after week after week. I will provide, 276 00:23:59.630 --> 00:24:02.950 I will provide. The Lord's Supper, which will partake of in a little 277 00:24:02.990 --> 00:24:07.990 bit, is yet another way that God does this. He preaches this promise 278 00:24:07.109 --> 00:24:11.660 from his word, he gives to us these promises and then he says. 279 00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:14.779 You know what, on top of that, now I'm going to give you 280 00:24:14.819 --> 00:24:18.940 a visible sign and seal that what I'm saying is true. Just like God 281 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:23.769 provided the Manna for the Israelites on the Wilderness, I'm going to provide for 282 00:24:23.890 --> 00:24:26.529 you bread now, and more than bread and water, I'm going to give 283 00:24:26.529 --> 00:24:30.970 you bread and wine, so you might celebrate and rejoice in my provision and 284 00:24:32.089 --> 00:24:37.880 for you, all of it pointing to Christ, Christ who is our reward, 285 00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:44.160 Christ who puts aside the wages of sin, Christ who die so that 286 00:24:44.279 --> 00:24:48.720 there's no more enmity between us and God, constant relational conflict between us and 287 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:55.630 God. But what the Roman says is peace. There's therefore now no condemnation 288 00:24:55.910 --> 00:25:02.309 for those who are in Christ Jesus, but instead justification. Peace with God, 289 00:25:02.589 --> 00:25:07.980 with one another, with our world. We're gonna be okay. We 290 00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:11.980 might feel like a tottering fence, but we're in the hands of the Lord, 291 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:18.579 God Almighty. He gave his own son to die for us and establish 292 00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:22.490 these things that he might be, as effusion says, lavish us with His 293 00:25:22.650 --> 00:25:26.970 grace, not just, you know, throwing us a bone every now and 294 00:25:27.009 --> 00:25:33.009 then, but just filling us with things. And this brings me to my 295 00:25:33.130 --> 00:25:36.200 last point. If God provides us for in this so for us in this 296 00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:38.960 life and he provides for us in the next life, and the scriptures say 297 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:45.559 he also provides for our doubt and our weakness as well. Here's the last 298 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:52.470 thing that I want you to remember is that the provisions that he gives to 299 00:25:52.509 --> 00:26:00.549 us now are preparing us for what's to come, and that's important because a 300 00:26:00.630 --> 00:26:03.940 lot of times we can, I think as Christians, we can accept, 301 00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:07.859 okay, God will provide for me now. Okay, God will pro yes, 302 00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:11.220 God's really going to provide for me after I die and I go to 303 00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:17.740 heaven. But then again, what about right now? Because I know that 304 00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:26.410 sometimes he doesn't provide right. Isn't that true that sometimes we need to pay 305 00:26:26.410 --> 00:26:30.769 a bill in the money? Isn't there? has anyone known a Christian who 306 00:26:30.769 --> 00:26:44.200 has died right? Sometimes God says No. Sometimes God says no so strongly 307 00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:51.109 that a person actually dies. No more earthly provision for you. Now. 308 00:26:51.349 --> 00:26:55.789 Why? My question here is, did God fail that person? Did God 309 00:26:56.150 --> 00:27:02.500 stop providing right? The answer is no. And why why is it no? 310 00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:07.539 It's no because the provisions God gives to us in this life are exactly 311 00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:15.500 what we need to prepare us for the next so when we die, it's 312 00:27:15.539 --> 00:27:21.569 because we don't need anything else. Imagine you were going on a camping trip 313 00:27:21.730 --> 00:27:23.730 and you had a buddy who you know want, had a bunch of gear. 314 00:27:25.009 --> 00:27:27.369 You know he's gonna help you out and he gives you a tent like 315 00:27:27.490 --> 00:27:30.680 thanks, or really appreciate it. Brings another tenth the next day and another 316 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:33.839 tent the next day. Next thing you know, you gotta you know, 317 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.960 yard full of a thousand tents. Right, this is not a blessing anymore, 318 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:41.240 is it? Right? You only need what you need and once you 319 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:49.829 have it, you're good rate. To have extra provisions when you don't need 320 00:27:51.069 --> 00:27:56.750 them becomes only a burden. And the thing is is that God knows exactly 321 00:27:57.029 --> 00:28:03.980 what we need, exactly down to the last calorie, down to the last 322 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:10.539 penny, the last thread of cloth. He knows what you need. And 323 00:28:10.660 --> 00:28:15.490 then one day he'll say, and now you have all you need, come 324 00:28:15.529 --> 00:28:21.970 and join me and have everything that you could ever desire from a holy heart. 325 00:28:25.210 --> 00:28:29.319 We don't need to worry about the things in this life because God will 326 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:33.119 provide them. He will provide them abundantly and when he says, no, 327 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:40.920 it's because we don't need them. He's preparing us, he and he uses 328 00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:48.789 even sometimes our lack to provide for us the greater things of himself, of 329 00:28:49.230 --> 00:28:56.299 giving US himself in his faithfulness, his steadfast love and and all the rest. 330 00:28:57.339 --> 00:29:00.299 So, if God provides for everything we need in this life and he 331 00:29:00.380 --> 00:29:04.660 provides for our times of doubting and he provides for us in the life to 332 00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:10.849 come, know that you can trust him. This is what his word says 333 00:29:10.930 --> 00:29:14.210 to us. He says, he says to us that we are sons and 334 00:29:14.289 --> 00:29:18.650 daughters of God and he loves to provide for us. God is not a 335 00:29:18.730 --> 00:29:26.960 begrudging father. He gives to us out of love. And so, the 336 00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:34.319 next time you feel your mind racing, your heart shaking, tightness in your 337 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:41.670 chest and you're worried, I'm not going to be okay, say to your 338 00:29:41.789 --> 00:29:49.549 soul, wait, be silent, trust in the Lord. I will not 339 00:29:49.789 --> 00:29:55.299 be greatly shaken because God is my refuge. God alone is my salvation. 340 00:29:56.019 --> 00:30:00.140 He will take care of me. And maybe you won't instantly feel better, 341 00:30:02.299 --> 00:30:06.460 but that's not the goal. Remember, the goal is to trust in God, 342 00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:10.329 trust in the Lord and know that even in our weakness, even in 343 00:30:10.450 --> 00:30:17.210 our most difficult spots, he is taking care of you. Praise be to 344 00:30:17.289 --> God.