Psalm 119, 73 through 80. I was
going to get there. I'm just a little slow thinking
tonight. I had actually had a thought
of my mind and it's one of those things you get a thought on your
mind. You kind of get like somebody throwing a monkey wrench in the
gear for me. I titled this message tonight. I am yours. Give me understanding. There's no more comforting thought
than to know that I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. There's
no more comforting thought than to know I'm his. When I come up to die, Believe
that'll be the, unless I just die suddenly, I think that'll
be the most comforting thought. I am his and he is mine. That being so, all is well. All is well. I'm yours, give
me understanding. Billions of people live out their
lives with no understanding. No understanding of who God is. No understanding of what they
really are, by nature, what they really are. No understanding of why and how
that sun comes up every day, by God's word and God's faithfulness. The seasons come and the seasons
go. They change right on time, don't
they? and billions have no understanding
of that. They pay no attention, zero attention
to the sun that goes across the sky, the clouds, the rain, and
all of this. They have no understanding. It
says in Ephesians 4 that their understanding is darkened by
the ignorance that is in them, alienated from the life of God.
Their understanding is darkness. But God's given us an understanding.
God's given us an understanding. There's not a day goes by. And
I'm sure this is the same with you who believe there's not a
day goes by that you do not think upon the Lord. Not a day you
think upon him. God's given you an understanding.
You'll look at a cloud and you'll think of him. You look at a tree,
the wind, and you'll think of him. You'll think of the Holy
Spirit as the wind bloweth, as it listeth. You hear the sound
of it, but you can't see it. Such is the Spirit of God. God's
given you that understanding. And for us who have been given
this understanding, it is good to acknowledge God in all things. it's good for us when we're here
and when we are out there to acknowledge God in all his works
especially in salvation when he gives us the opportunity to
be a witness to acknowledge God in all his works look over in
revelations chapter 4 In Revelation 4, look in verse
11. This is their worship in heaven, their
song in heaven. This is their song, their worship,
their praise in heaven. And we ought to have the same
here. Let us imitate them. Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive
glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things,
and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Now turn over
to chapter 5, look in verse 12. 11 conversion 11 and I beheld and
I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the
beast and the elders and the number of them was 10,000 times
10,000 and thousands of thousands a definite number for an indefinite
number Same with a loud voice Worthy is the land that was slain
to receive power and glory riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory,
and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, as such as are
in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I say, blessing,
and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever. Oh, let us give unto God the
glory due unto his name in creation, in salvation, in providence.
Let us never say, and I know you don't say this, you don't
say that was mother nature, that hurricane was God's hurricane.
He hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm. If he kills
anybody in it, he's the one who does it. I'm serious. This world does not want a God
like that, but that's who God is. That's who He is. And we
rejoice in Him. Now, verse 73, that word, Jod
means 10. That's the number 10, 10th Psalm
here in the Hebrew. Thy hands have made me so much for God has no hands,
but your hands. Thy hands have made me. Job said
the very same thing in Job chapter 10 verse 8. We looked at here
a few weeks ago. He said the same thing. Thy hands
have made me. You created me. I have my existence
from you. You are the reason I exist. You're
the only reason I exist. The only reason every person
on this earth exists is Jesus Christ. All things were created
by Him and for Him. All things, every thing, every
person. Principalities and powers, it
says, were all created by Him and for Him. He created it all. And you fashioned me, that word
means to stand upright, to stand erect. You not only created me
as the potter, makes something out of the clay, makes a vessel
out of the clay, but you have fashioned me into who I am. Paul
says, I am what I am, what I am by what? The grace of God. You have fashioned me by your
grace. You have fashioned me into a
believer. You have fashioned me, you have
taken this clay pot and fashioned me into a vessel of honor. You have made me a son. God took
this cracked clay pot and made me a son. He's made you a son
and daughters. God did that. He fashioned you
just like, you know, I think of, I think of whenever God created
Eve, he put Adam into a deep sleep, which is a representation
of Christ being put to death on the cross. And he took out
of Adam a rib from his side. And He closed up, it says, the
place thereof. Instead thereof, He closed that
up. Christ, He didn't close it up. He said, Thomas, put your
finger in here. He said, put your hand in here. But He has taken us out of Christ
and fashioned us into sons and daughters of God. He's fashioned
us. Just like He did Eve. When He
took her out of Adam, He made a woman. Woman the first woman
came out of a man and God brought her to Adam This is your wife
and Adam said and Adam named her Adam says she shall be called
woman Adam gave her a name. She's a woman taken out of a
man. That's why she's called woman
thy hands have Created you've made me you created me and you
fashioned me now now give me understanding Give me you understand
you've made me now. Let me go back here for a minute
Because I want to make a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ here
in this thy hands have made me and fashioned me My first thought
when I read this was of Christ as a man where it's said in Hebrews 10,
5-7, listen to this, Wherefore when he cometh into the world,
he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wiltest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me, fashioned me, made me. And burnt offerings
and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I,
Lo, I come, and the volume of the book it's written of me to
do thy will. O God, but you have fashioned, you've made me. The
first reference here is to the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to
Psalm 139, 14, and 16. I will praise thee for I have
fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are thy works and that
my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth. You know what he's talking about
there, the lowest parts of the earth? Mary's womb. That's what he's
talking about, Mary's womb. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being unperfect, and in thy book all my members were written."
Boy, it just hit me today. This applies to Christ. We know
this. This applies to Christ. And when
he said, all my members, he's not just talking about his body,
physical body, his mystical body. All my members are written. Are not all the names of the
elect of God written in the book of life? He said they're written
in the book. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being imperfect, and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of
them. But isn't that what's going on right now? Isn't His body
being put together? Is it not being fashioned? When
that last sheep is put into the body of Christ, the last member
is brought into the body of Christ, his body will be complete. It'll
be fashioned. It'll be complete. Just as Eve
was complete when God brought her to Adam, God brought a perfect
woman to him. Luke 1 35 and the angel answered
and said unto her the Holy Ghost shall come up on thee and the
power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy
thing oh he said you've made me a body has now made me and
that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God now in reference to the believer
As I said, all owe their existence on this earth to God. He's made
all things. He's made all people, the Lord
Jesus Christ. All people owe their existence
to God as creator. He's the potter and the whole
of humanity. They are the clay. He said in
Isaiah 45, 12, I have made the earth and created man upon it. I, even my hands, You notice
how God presents himself here as a person? You know why? He is. Because he is. He's not a phantom. He's a person. My hands, you remember over in
the Psalms, he says they have hands, but they, you know, they
touch not, they feel not, noses, they smell not, eyes they see
not. But he says my hands have stretched out the heavens and all their hosts have I commanded. However, believers owe their
existence to God in a special way. Not just as Creator have
given us our physical existence here, but in a spiritual way. We have a spiritual existence
now. We have spiritual life. We have
the life of God. We have existence in a special
way. Listen to this in Psalm 100 verse
3. Know ye that the Lord, he is
God, the Lord, capital L-O-R-D, the self-existing one, he's God
and he's the only God there is. It is he that hath made us and
not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep
of his pasture. We didn't make ourselves. We
didn't give ourselves existence, and we did not make ourselves
believers. We did not make ourselves sons and daughters of God. He
did that. Isaiah 43.1, But now thus saith
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy
name. Thou art mine. Thou art mine. Isaiah 43.7, Even
everyone that is called by my name for I have created him for
my glory you God not only created you The physical existence we
have here, but he's created us in Christ for his glory We are
to the praise and glory of God. So it says in Ephesians 2 He's we've been created for his
glory I have formed him. Yeah, I made him That's pretty
clear, isn't it? Now, that being so, that being
so, you've created me, I'm yours. Give me understanding. Give me
understanding. I looked that understanding up
and the archaic meaning is intelligent knowing. Give me spiritual intelligence
to know you, to know you. When we read the scriptures,
always ask God to give you an understanding to open the scriptures.
If he said, he that seeks me with all his heart will find
me. And of course, seeking him, you have to seek him in his word.
You can't seek him anywhere else. He only reveals himself out of
his word. Give me understanding. I need
understanding. I need understanding of who God
is. You know this book's a closed book. Unless God gives us an
understanding. Unless he opens our hearts, our
minds, and reveals himself to us, reveals the truth to us out
of his book. You remember over in the Revelation
when John wept because it was not worthy to open the book. and the lucid seals thereof,
and then one step forth that's worthy. And I ask him, Lord,
give me understanding of your word. You have the power and
the right to open the book to me and to my understanding. You
know, we can learn many things natural, but concerning things
spiritual, we need God to give us understanding. Look over in
1 Corinthians chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, let me just read this
down through here without making any real comments. Verse 6, in
1 Corinthians chapter 2, Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that
are perfect, Yet not the wisdom of this world, nor the princes
of this world, that come to naught. But we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before
the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world
knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath
not seen nor ear heard. Neither have entered into the
heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him, but God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit. For
the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, say the Spirit of man
which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth
no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the
Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man, he receives
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him. Neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges
all things, he discerns all things. Yet he himself is judged of no
man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? But we have the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ. We have been given an understanding,
spiritual understanding of God, of Christ, of ourselves and our
need of Christ. How God can be a just God and
a Savior. How God can bring us to glory
and to His holy presence. God's given us an understanding. You know, we have to be given
a spiritual understanding so that we may be able to walk with
God. It's the light by which we walk with God, the understanding
He gives us. Listen to Colossians 1, 9 through
10. This calls we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease
to pray for you. and to desire that ye might be
filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding, that ye might walk worthy of the Lord." Without
that understanding, you don't know how to walk. You don't know
how to walk. "...that ye might walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good
work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." You cannot, I cannot exhaust
a knowledge of God. God is infinite. God is infinite
and everything about God is infinite. And it cannot be exhausted. Are
you satisfied with your knowledge of God? I want to know more. Paul said, Oh, that I might know
him. Paul knew him. He was taught by him. The Lord
taught Paul the gospel personally. He said, Oh, there's so much
more to know. That's one thing about relationship. When there's
a true relationship, you can never exhaust that relationship.
It grows and it grows and it grows. Jeremiah, it said in, it is written
in Jeremiah 9, 24, but let him that glory, glory in this, that
he understandeth and knoweth me. He knoweth me, that I'm the
Lord, which exercise loving kindness, judgment, righteousness in the
earth. For in these things I delight, saith the Lord. And you understand
that. You understand it. And here's another reason why
he asked this. Here's the reason why he asked, that I may learn
thy commandments. not memorize i told you that
last week not memorize learn god's commandments god's laws
god's word all this that all go together god's word they reflect
him you know to learn god's commandments is to know god it's to know god in verse 74 i'm gonna apply this
to christ first THEY THAT FEAR THEE WILL BE GLAD
WHEN THEY SEE ME. The literal reading of that is
this, THEY WILL SEE ME AND BE GLAD. THEY'LL BE GLAD. THE SINNER IS GLAD WHEN HE SEES
THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST. THE SINNER IS GLAD WHEN HE SEES
IN CHRIST HIS FULL SALVATION. when he sees his acceptance,
when he sees his righteousness, when he sees his atonement for
our sins, when he sees his completeness, in him you are complete, they
that fear thee, now nobody else will, this is not going to make
anybody else glad. The Pharisees weren't glad to see him. Sinners
were. Publicans and sinners were glad
to see him. They welcomed him. They welcomed him into their
home. They were glad. Only sinners are glad to see
the Lord Jesus Christ. But now, as it applies to believers,
it's a great blessing to be in the company of those who truly
fear God. There's no better company than
God's people. I'm glad. I'm serious. I'm glad to see you this evening.
I'm glad. Are you glad to be here? You
glad to see one another? I'm glad to see you. They'll
be glad. Those that fear the Lord were
glad to see me. And those who fear the Lord are
glad to see one another. We have much in common. You know,
I have nothing in common anymore with the world. I have nothing
in common with old friends that I ran with in the world. I have
nothing in common. I have nothing in common with
them. I'm not saying that to be mean. I have nothing in common. We don't love the same thing.
We don't love the same Lord. We don't love going to the same
place. We don't have anything in common. The weather, I guess.
You talk about the weather, but how long can you talk about that?
And if you actually talk about it the way you ought to talk
about it, they don't want to hear about it. Didn't the Lord
give us a beautiful day today? Didn't he though? And he says here, and here's
the reason, here's another reason. Let me get back here to where
I was at. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me.
And we're glad to see one another. And here's the reason, because
I have hoped in thy word. You know, not only did Jesus
Christ hope in God's word, but he kept God's word perfectly.
And that's our righteousness. And I tell you this, one day,
when we're about to leave this world, I can't even grasp what
that's going to be like. We're about to just let go. And we're going to actually see
Jesus Christ. I stand here every week talking to you about Jesus
Christ. And one day, I'm going to look him right in the face. And you know what? I will be
glad to see. I'm going to be glad. There are going to be some
who are going to cry for the rocks in the mountains to cover
them, to fall on them, and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb.
That's what the Bible says. But you who believe, you're going
to be thrilled to death to see Him. You're going to be glad
to see Him, whether it be now or a few years from now. It won't
be long. I guess that's why it comes with
aging. I think of that a lot. I think a lot of what it's going
to be like to see him. What it's going to be like to
be on that new earth and to walk on it where in dwells righteousness
and there's no hard feelings and there's no heartaches and
there's no headaches and there's no death and I don't have to
bury nobody anymore. I'm tired of doing funerals.
I'll do your funeral, but I'm tired of it. I tell you, it's a sorrowful
time and it's a happy time. I'm expecting to do Johnny Tyndall's
here probably in any time. It's an honor to do it, but I'll
be glad when I don't do another death. I'll be glad when we quit,
as Henry said to me one time, he and I walking away from the
grave of a friend, He said, I'll be glad when we quit dying. I'll
be glad. I will. Oh, I've hoped in our word, and
here's one of the blessings of the brethren when we come to
see one another. Because I've hoped in thy word,
they hope in God's word and cheer others with that hope. Boy, don't
you like to be around somebody that's got hope? I hate being
around a bunch of morbid people. What do I have to be morbid about?
Why do I have to be cast down about it? David said, why art
thou cast down, O my soul? What in the world you got to
be cast down about? Has God saved you? My soul, we have a great
future coming. And then he's in verse 75. I
know by your word and by experience, O Lord, that thy judgments are
right, and that thou unfaithfulness hast afflicted me. You know, Calvary was and is
right. The just suffered for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, and there was no injustice done
at Calvary. Justice was actually executed
and honored. Thy judgments are right. I can
hear the Lord Jesus Christ saying to his father, thy judgments
that have fallen on me, thy wrath that has fallen on me is right. I have no complaints. I have
no complaints. Thou and that thou in faithfulness
has afflicted me. You know, God afflicts us because
he's faithful. He's faithful to discipline us.
All of us parents can't say that. Man, a parent on this earth that
can say that. We get slack in it because we
don't want to deal with it. We don't want to hear him cry. My mother said to me, I told
her here not too long ago, I said, I thank you for it. You disciplined
us. I thank you for it. She goes, that was hard. She goes, I hated doing that.
I said, well, I'm glad you did. I'd hate to think you enjoyed
it. I'm glad you didn't enjoy it,
because I didn't either. But in faithfulness, but still
yet, there are many times that we got away with things, several
times. There's no injustice in God's
afflicting us or what he did to Christ on Calvary. God's judgments
I tell you this, God's judgments on the unbelieving world are
right. They're right. When God casts the unbelieving
world into hell, he's right. No wrong in it. It's an act of
justice, just as it was at Calvary. And he says here, I have no complaints
that thou faithfulness has afflicted me. I have no complaints. It
was God's faithfulness that brought Jesus Christ into the world to
suffer for our sins on Calvary's tree. That's the faithfulness
to God's covenant that he made with his son. Christ upheld that
covenant and God faithfully afflicted it, tormented him for our sins,
put them away. And it's God's faithfulness to
afflict us when needed. Charles Spurgeon said, we cannot
sin without rebuke. However, when you afflict me,
now listen, when you afflict me, send your mercy for my comfort. While under affliction, Lord,
make your mercy known to me. Let me taste of your mercy, even
under heavy trials. God's mercy makes afflictions
bearable. You know, I have to say this,
though. When our Lord was on Calvary's
tree, there was no mercy. When you and I are under affliction,
God's still having mercy on us. In Christ, there was no mercy.
Spurgeon said this, Righteousness and faithfulness afford us no
consolation if we cannot also taste of mercy. And blessed be
God, this is promised to us in the word, and therefore we may
expect it, to have mercy in affliction. And let Thy tender mercies, compassion
come unto me, come to me where I am in my affliction, that I
may live or revive, that's the reason I want to sing out, revive
me, that I may live and not fall apart in this affliction. We
are so apt to fall apart and just go into despair when we
are in affliction. But let your tender mercies come
to me and revive me, for thy law is my delight, even in affliction. You know the Lord Jesus Christ,
now listen to this, Christ delighted in God's law, though he suffered
under it. The very law he was suffering
under, the penalty of it, he also delighted in it at the same
time. Can we not delight in God's Word
even under affliction? Can we not find some comfort
in His Word? I want you to notice in verse 76, it is merciful kindness. In this verse 77, it's tender
mercies. We need God's tender love. That's
what it means, what it means. And we need His tender love and
we need His compassion. Love and compassion is what a
sinner needs under affliction. I need his tender love and compassion
when he puts me under the yoke and it hurts. Yet he makes me
to understand and know something of his tender love and compassion. Every son, he chastens every
son whom he receiveth, whom the Lord chastened, he says he loves. He loves it. And let the proud
be ashamed, for they have dealt perversely with me without a
cause, and no reason for what they are doing. But as for me,
I will meditate in thy precepts. You know, some say, some said
that he was praying for the proud that they would be ashamed to
come to repentance. But most don't believe that. But here's
what the first thing, I usually just look at these and read the
Scripture, and the first things that start coming to my mind,
I start writing down. Then I start putting it all together. But
in John 17, our Lord did not pray for the world. He did not
pray for the world. I pray not for the world. I pray
for them, which I was given me. Let the proud be brought to shame. Let it be brought to shame. Who
have dealt with me perversely without a cause, but I meditate
in your word. I'm not going to leave you word.
It's the only place I have cover. It's the only place I find understanding,
direction, calmness in the storm. You know, it says in the scripture
that our Lord was hated without a cause and his disciples which you are,
you who believe, you're his disciples, they and us will be hated without
a cause. They were hated without a cause,
we'll be hated without a cause. John 15, 18, 19, if the world
hate you, just get on television and tell
the truth and you'll find out why the world hates you. They
will rock you off stage. They'd stone you if they could. If the world hate you, you know
that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world,
the world would love his own. They'd be ringing your phone.
But because you're not of the world, no more. You're not of
the world. But I have chosen you out of the world. You're
not of the world. I've chosen you out of the world. Therefore,
the world hateth you, and it always will. It's not your friend. But here's our comfort. amidst
all the hate that goes on in this world against God's people.
You know, everything in this world is said against you. It's
said against you. God overturns it for our good. He makes, he overrules things
for our good, but I'm telling you what, if the Lord did not
overrule things for our good, you and I'd be goners. You know,
it's the world hates you. It hates you. here's our comfort i'll meditate
in thy precepts i find my comfort in the word of god and he says
in verse 14 79 i gotta close this let those that fear thee
turn to me oh can you not hear christ here in this verse let
those that fear thee god oh lord let him turn to me let him turn
to me for forgiveness Let it turn to me for mercy. Let them
turn to me for acceptance. Let them turn to me for understanding.
Go to Christ. Go to Christ. Turn to him. But David is saying this as David,
let those that fear they turn to me, be my companions. I want
God's people as my companions. I want them to come to me. I
want them to be with me. I want to be my companions. And
those that have known thy testimonies, the gospel, thy word, you know,
God's testimonies lead to Christ. If you read the word of God and
it does not lead you to Christ, you've missed it. His testimonies
lead to his son. That's where they lead us to.
And last of all, last of all, verse 80, let my heart be sound. upright, sincere. Another rendering is perfect. Let my heart be sound in thy
statutes, established in the word of God, that I be not ashamed. Here's how you're not ashamed.
Your heart is sound in the word of God, in the gospel. To be
right in the heart is to be right with God. At the end of the day or at the
end of life, that's all that matters, isn't it? Isn't that
all that matters? It does not matter as a believer. It does not matter whether I
had a great career and made a lot of money or if I was poor. It
doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. What matters
is this, that my heart's right with God. My heart's right with
God. That's all that matters. At the
end of the day, when they close that lid on that casket, the
only thing that matters is that my heart is sound in the gospel,
in Christ, it's right with God Almighty. That's all that matters. If our hearts are sound in the
Word of God, we will not be ashamed when we leave this life and wake
up in His presence. Everybody that dies, that I hear
of, when I hear someone dies, my first thought is always, they
have now met God. They have now met God. You know what Solomon said? And
as the tree falls, so shall it lie. There'll be no change. There'll
be no change. Lord, you've made me. I'm yours. Give me understanding, spiritual
understanding. Spiritual. I might be dumb as
a bank mule and everything else, but give me spiritual understanding.