Now, turn in your Bibles back to Psalm 119. Psalm 119.
We will be studying verses 49 through 56. This is the seventh part in this. Study of Psalm 119. I once heard a man. After reading through the Psalms
for his daily reading, I once heard a man say. That he found. The Psalms to be boring. Now that's clearly the comment
of an unsaved man, an unregenerate, an unconverted man, because the
true believer finds his greatest joy and comfort perhaps from
the Psalms and resorts to the Psalms perhaps more than any
other portion of God's Word. And oftentimes we go to the same
Psalms over and over again, Psalms like Psalm 37, Psalm 51, psalms
like that, Psalm 119. I know I do. I continually resort
to different psalms over and over again. Psalm 38. Why is
that? Why do we resort? Why does a believer go to this
book of the psalms? Because the man after God's own
heart, David, wrote most of the songs David Moses wrote some
and another fellow wrote some other. But because the man after
God's own heart principally David. Through the songs he reveals
the very feelings of our heart it seems as if he knows well
he does the Holy Spirit. Has led him to write. Of the
feelings of our own heart and you know what David I speak of
David because it's his Psalms primarily that I am mindful of. You know what he appeals to more
than anything to me when I read the Psalms? What appeals to me
more than anything about the Psalms are how that he deals
with my doubts and my fears and my worries and my desires and
my unbelief, all of this This turmoil within me. The Scripture
says in another favorite song, Psalm 103, some of our favorite. Psalm 113. God knows our frame. He remembers that we're just
dust, he knows that we're just weak and frail and helpless creatures
and easily beset with this thing, this sin called unbelief. It's
the root of it all and the Lord knows that we are easily beset
with this thing called unbelief because. We're flesh. We're flesh and God now this
this message will be a comfort to you if you'll give me your
undivided attention give the word. God knows that we're flesh
and God knows that he spirit. And that which is flesh is always
going to be flesh. And that which is spirit is spirit.
And God, we can't see God. He knows that. He knows that. We can't see him. We can't hear
his voice either. He knows that. And he knows how
difficult, how hard, how impossible it is to the flesh to believe
what you don't see and believe what you don't hear. That's the
reason he said the most blessed people are those ears, are those
eyes who have not seen Christ. are those ears who have not actually
heard his human voice. They are blessed with a supernatural,
divine gift. And God directed the Holy Spirit
to inspire David to write verse after verse of these cryings,
and Paul calls them groanings, which we cannot utter. The groanings,
the very innermost feelings that we cannot put into words. He
puts them into words for us. God directed the Holy Spirit
to do that, to put our innermost feelings into words for us, because
we don't even know how to, what to say. Sometimes we're at such
a loss. And it is not as the super religious
and ultra pious people would make us to think. The life of
a believer is not all victory. On the contrary, it's more trial
than it is victory. I know we, thanks be unto God,
who always causes us to triumph in Christ. We always have the
victory over sin, hell, and death in Christ. But over this world,
I mean, over our sin, over the flesh, over this sin which does
so easily beset us, unbelief, over our worries and fears and
doubts and trials and struggles, no. We we we struggle more than
we have the victory. We are in more trials and afflictions
and failings and sorrow than victory. You can just see now
turn back with me to Psalm one turn back to the very start of
the song if you'll just look casually. Casually through the
song. Just the very beginning of so
many songs just casually looking through there you'll see the
tenor of the song, turn anywhere and you'll find David doing more
pleading and crying and begging. And groaning. And complaining
than praising, it's just so. Look at Psalm 2 Psalm 2 one,
why did the heathen rage Psalm 3 verse one Lord, how are they
increased that trouble me? Psalm 5 verse one give ear to
my words, oh Lord, consider my voice. Consider my meditation
verse some six verse one oh Lord rebuke me not in your anger.
Neither chasing me in that hot displeasure. Some eight or some. Ten verse one why stand this
down far off or lower why hide is that self in times of trouble.
Some twelve verse one help Lord help some thirteen verse one
how long without forget me oh Lord. How long, Psalm sixteen
one, preserve me, O God. Psalm seventeen one, hear the
right, O Lord, attend to my cry. Just keep going, keep going. All through the Psalms, you'll
find more pleading, strong cryings and groanings before God, cryings
of the feelings of his heart, of trouble, trouble. Now don't get me wrong though,
we have more reason for joy and for praise than we do for complaining,
for crying. Many more reasons for joy and
for praise, but such is our real life. Such is life on the earth
for an up and down, sin laden son of Adam. More down than up,
right? Is that not so? Sure it is. Now, I read the I love to read
biographies of men. And the biographies of men that
I read, especially these some of these old Puritans and preachers,
I prefer to read the biographies of men that God, men of God,
men who God have used. And the biographies of these
men are greatly exaggerated and embellished, and they gloss over
their faults and so forth. And they're so exaggerated to
the point that these men seem to be without fault. They seem
to be super pious and seems like they're wholly given 24 hours
a day to prayer and study. An unceasing communion with God
and I can't relate to that, but I try, I strive to attain under
that, but I quickly fail one hour later, much less 24. But it's not so with the biographies
of God in the scriptures, the biographies of men that God has
written in the scriptures. If you go through the lives of
men in the scriptures like David, like David, for example, you'll
find men and women beset with troubles, trials, pain, and sorrow. A man like David, as great As
he was as strong a believer as he was yet there were times when
he was so full of doubts and fears and unbelief going through
long periods of spiritual decline and degeneration. There were
times long periods of times yet even months that David appeared
not to even be a believer at all. Living amongst unbelieving
unregenerate people and seeming to be unmoved or unfeeling about
it. After his sin with Bathsheba,
he went nine months, apparently, without really repenting of what
happened. Now, I can relate to that. That
helps me. I'm glad God writes the biographies
of these men. And while the Spirit is willing,
the Scripture, Christ said this, the Spirit is willing. He said
that when he came back from praying in the garden and found them
asleep. Instead of railing on him, he
said, well, the Spirit is willing. Why is it willing, Charles? Because
we're made willing in the day of his power, not our will, not
by the will of the flesh or the will of man, but by his will.
We're made willing in the day of his power, and whatever we
do or whatever we will, it's God that has to work in us, both
to do and to will of any of his good pleasure. And Christ said,
though the Spirit is willing, If so, be that the Spirit of
Christ dwells in you. But the flesh, he said, I'm glad
he added this. He's so weak. So weak. But I remind you, he said that
as just a matter of fact, not as an excuse for us. We're not
to use that as an excuse, but he said that anyway for our comfort,
as a matter of fact. And. Probably our greatest weakness
in the flesh is. Our memory. Right. Particularly old folks. My dad
used to say that two marks of growing old he said one was forgetfulness
and he said he forgot what the other one was. But you some of
you folks can enter into that. But. Perhaps one of our greatest
fleshly afflictions or weaknesses is our shortness of memory. How
quickly we forget things that we hear, especially this right
here, especially things that are needful. How quickly we forget
all that we hear, all that we learn, we even forget The miraculous. Deliverance is of God, don't
we? God can miraculously provide for us or deliver us or do something
for us. And how quickly we forget and
we're back into murmuring and complaining again. Like David,
how long will you forget me, O Lord? And God has to tell us over and
over and over and over again, like little children. the same
things or else we will break down with despair. I also like in the life of a
believer and I'll get to the first version a moment. I'm going
to tell on you mean she said that is this going to be a long
one tonight or a short one. Preachers why you say that's
the flesh. We're all prone to it, she's
not ultra-pious like you ladies think she is. No, she's my best listener. I'm trying to make it short,
honey. But the life of a believer, the life of a believer is like
marriage. The scriptures likens a believer
to be in the bride and Christ the bridegroom. But like marriage,
the honeymoon. And the first year or so of marriage
is all grand and glorious. But as the years go by and the
responsibilities multiply, and the problems arise, and the problems
multiply, then it becomes a day-to-day struggle, doesn't it? When you're
first married, every morning is like, it's wonderful, you
know. It's wonderful, but as the years
go by and the problems and responsibilities arise, it becomes a day-to-day
struggle. It really does. It's a deep,
abiding love. Somebody asked me that about,
you say, well, is the honeymoon over? Talking about the pastor
in the church. Preachers like to call it, when
you first go someplace, a honeymoon. Everybody loves you and thinks
you're the greatest thing there ever was. And I said, in all honesty,
I said, well, yeah, honeymoon's over. They woke up one morning
and looked at me, and I woke up and looked at them. But I said, now the deep abiding
love and marital relationship is set in, and I wouldn't be
anywhere else. Yet there are many problems,
many problems, and the believer, the believer Upon first hearing and believing
the gospel, he's full of joy and happiness, just unbridled
enthusiasm and zeal. Every message seems to be the
best. You don't hear a message without a tear in your eye when
the Lord first deals with you. Because all things have become
new and wonderful. I remember reading through Spurgeon
and just underlining every single line. Just weeping uncontrollably,
reading message after message. Well, in time, though, the trials
and afflictions come in the life of a believer. Sin becomes more
exceedingly sinful. You wake up and take a look at
yourself. God shows you yourself more clearly in light of what
you see and what you hear from the Scripture. And as time wears
on and the Lord carries his coming. It's a day to day struggle. And
sometimes it's a day to day struggle just to believe it all. Right. Am I right? Now, this is what
David is, I believe, David, the heart of what David is saying
here in this portion here. Look at it with me. This is what
David, I believe, is saying in this part of our study. Verse
49, he says, Lord, remember the word under thy service. Remember
thy word unto me. He's not saying, Lord, you remember
your word. Oh, no, he is the word. He's
saying, Lord, remind me of your word, remember it to me. You
see, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men are,
as some men count slackness. The Lord doesn't forget his promises. The Lord doesn't renege upon
his promises. He doesn't forget anything, but
we sure do. We forget very quickly, and we
need constant reminding. We need to be constantly reminded
of God's everlasting covenant that's ordered in all things
and sure. That is the gospel. We need to be constantly reminded
that what God has promised, God is faithful to perform. He's
not only able, but he is faithful and he will perform it in his
good time. We need to be reminded constantly
that Christ did come, that Christ did come to save sinners, and
he did just that, and he did it for me. Like the psalmist
says in one place, Lord, say unto me that I am thy salvation. Say that you did it for me. We
need to be reminded that he's coming back again in due time,
though he tarries. Oftentimes, I've used the parable
of the ten virgins. Parable of the ten virgins to
to warn us and to rebuke us, because here you have this story
of ten virgins waiting on the bridegroom to come back to take
them to the marriage. And there were ten virgins and
five of them were without oil. for their lamps they were to
leave their lamps burning so that the bridegroom could see
them and they could see him which is a picture of the understanding
the illumination and looking in the God's Word which is a
lamp under our feet and a light under our path. But anyway. Five
of them didn't have oil, they weren't true brides. They represent just professors,
nominal professors of religion without any, without the Holy
Spirit, without a true knowledge of Christ. Then there were five
who had oil in their lamps, they were true believers. But, and
five of them were left out of the marriage, but five went in.
I often use that parable as a rebuke and a warning to us, to mere
professors and not possessors. But there's comfort to be had
there because you know what all ten were doing? Sleeping. All ten of them were sleeping.
The real ones and the fake ones. But five of them went in anyway.
I'm glad about that. Often I get on to us, I talk
much about our sleeping. But right there is a comfort. Christ comforted his disciples,
didn't he? He came on. He came to them when they were
sleeping and said, what could you not watch with me one hour?
And then he turned right around, said, oh, sleep on. Go ahead
and sleep, I know you're weak, the spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak. And David must have gone through a long period
of trials or perhaps a period of feeling alienated from God,
separated from God. Maybe he'd been out in the world
too long. working a nine-to-five job too long, and he felt just
like everybody else. And he says here, Lord, bring
your gospel back to mine. Make it fresh in my memory, would
you? Bring it back to remembrance. Why? Because it's my hope. Because
it's upon that which thou hast caused me to hope. It's my only
hope. You're the one that called me
at first. Would you call me again? You're the one that came and
found me when I wasn't looking for you in the first place. Would
you come find me again? I've seemed to have wandered
off again. Just like sheep are prone to wander. Lord, I feel
it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, oh Lord, take
and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. Come and find me. Call upon me. Do it again and
again and again. Would you please? I believe that's
what he's saying there. And in the light of Christ the
Word, the incarnate Word. Look at this. He says, Remember
the Word unto thy servant. I seem to remember another man
asking the Lord to remember something. That thief on the cross, when
he was hanging there, he said, Lord, remember me when you come
into your kingdom. And we say the same thing, don't
we? Lord, remember me. When you come for your kingdom,
for your people, when you come in that final day, would you
remember me? Would you remember me by remembering what you've
done for sinners? Lord God, when you think of me,
would you think of Christ? Remember me as in Christ? Would you let the blood of Christ
be propitiation for my sinful soul upon the mercy seat? Would
you cover me with the blood of Christ? Would you cover me with
his righteousness? Lord, remember Christ. Remember
Christ. upon whom you've caused me to
hope." Verse 50, this is my comfort in my affliction. The only comfort
that can be found for a guilt-ridden soul, an afflicted conscience,
is the blood on the conscience. The sacrifice of Christ is the
only comfort for a sin-laden and guilty soul. The only thing
that will purge a guilty conscience is the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Lord, it's my only hope. It's my comfort when sin afflicts
me, and it does daily. And that's how we mortify. John,
that's how we mortify, remember, by seeing ourselves killed, crucified
with Christ. That's how we mortify. And in
a practical sense, the only place I can find help in time of need
is right here, the written word. My only source of comfort in
the midst of daily trials and troubles." Verse 50 again, he
says, "...your word hath quickened me." This is my comfort in affliction
because your word hath quickened me. He quickened me together
with Christ, quickened me with Christ by grace I'm saved. I
am dead. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. I'm alive.
I'm alive. toward God in Christ. I was once
was dead in trespasses and sin, but you quicken me. Quicken me. Your word, Christ has quickened
me. I've been raised up together
with him to be seated in heavenly places and in a practical sense,
the word of God quickens us like right now. Right now, after a
week of contamination, in that sinful world out there, a feeling
going for several days, a feeling spiritually dead, the spoken
word, the written word comes again with power and quickens
us again, enlivens us toward God. We start thinking we may
have gone, God forbid, but it happens, that we go for a day
hours a day, even several days, without thinking upon God. God
forbid, but it happens. It happens, doesn't it? And when
we come and hear the Word again, it enlivens us, it sets our affection
once again on things above. The Word of God quickens us.
Now, it's a shame, it's a shame that many have to go several
days, even a week, without this quickening without some help,
when there's help every morning as close as this book right here.
And there's help as close as your voice is to calling upon
God. It's a shame that people have
to go so long, but they do. We do. Verse 51, he says, The
proud have had me greatly in derision. The proud have had
me greatly in derision, yet Have I not declined from thy law?"
Now, this certainly speaks of Christ here, no doubt about it,
who was mocked and ridiculed by wicked sinners and proud Pharisees
alike, yet he was undiscouraged and undeterred in his love to
God, in his obedience to God's command to fulfill every jot
and tittle, all righteousness of God's law. That certainly
speaks of Christ, doesn't it? And they mocked him and derided
him greatly, yet he did not decline from his appointed tasks, from
fulfilling God's law for us. No doubt that speaks of our Savior,
our representative. And it says he didn't decline
from the law because there was no sin in him. No sin in him. When he was reviled, he reviled
not again. Even though he could have, even
though he could have spoken up in his own defense, he did not
for our sake. He opened not his mouth because
he was taking our place. Because when we stand before
God, when we stand before God, we will stand guilty unless he
stands for us. And we'll have to keep our mouths
shut to God's holy law. But Christ loved his enemy, as
the commandment says, and though we are mocked and made fun of
by the world. In a more personal sense here,
David is talking about the persecution of the world against believers,
and it happens. Yet we remain unmoved, grounded,
and settled in the truth as it is in Christ. And I thought about
this too. Even though the proud have us
in derision, the proud, the worldly wise, the skeptics, the agnostics,
and we're living in a modern-day Athens, Greece today, a modern-day
Corinth, a modern-day Athens or Greece where they love
nothing more than the telling and the hearing of some new thing.
That's the reason there's news on every other channel, news,
some new thing. We love it, and in spite of worldly
wisdom and skepticism and agnosticism, and even all this sacrilegious,
religious sacrilege, the gospel's still true. Christ still reigns,
and I still need him, and he's still coming again in spite of
a long absence. And by his grace, I'm going to
still be waiting on him. How about you? Even though the
proud have me greatly in derision and the worldly wise, they scoff
and mock at us as being old-fashioned, ignorant, using religion as a
crutch, I don't care. I do use it as a crutch. I lean
wholly and completely on Christ. I sure do. He's my crutch. He's
more than that. He's more than that. He's my
father who must take me all the way, all the way home. And yet
I have not declined from this gospel, and by his grace I won't
either. I won't leave it. It's my only hope. Verse 52,
I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord. I remembered your
judgments of old, and I comforted myself. David looks back upon
God's dealings with the children of Israel, as we do when we read
back through the life or the journeys of the children of Israel
through the wilderness and so forth. It encourages us. When we read of God's dealings
with those children and with their enemies, it encourages
us, it comforts us like no other. And I advise you to go back and
read some of these things. We look back on a people laden
with sin and unbelief. The children of Israel who were
supposed to be God's people, yet they were laden, they were
altogether full of unbelief. In spite of God's wonderful dealings
with them and miraculous deliverances, they were full of unbelief daily
and rebellion. And when we see that, when I
look back over the way God dealt with those people, I see a long-suffering,
forgiving, forbearing, loving God who keeps picking them up
every time they fall. They fall daily, and he picks
them right back up again. And he keeps forgiving and forbearing
with them. Sin after awful sin, after awful
sin, after awful sin, he keeps on forgiving them. And that comforts
me. Why? Because I see I'm no different
than they are. Now, too often we look, we give
these Israelites a hard time. When we look and see what miracles
that God performed in their life, and we think, what's the matter
with them? Can't they see? That God reigns and rules and
He's been doing all these things for them? It seems like they
forgot what He'd done just right after He did it. Well, I remind
us that it was 40 years that they wandered in the... I've lived 40 years, many of
you anyway, have lived 40 years. And if you would look back and
look at some of the miraculous dealings of the Lord in your
life, you'd wonder how in the world did I forget that? Why
am I so full of unbelief? It's no different. We're no different
than the children of Israel. No different. And when I see
that I'm no different than they are, I'm encouraged to think
that God will show me mercy, too, because he showed them mercy.
I didn't deserve it. If I was God, I'd have wiped
them all out right there. In several places, you know. All right. That's it. I'm tired
of you all. Right? Well, if I was God, I
believe I'd do the same thing about me. I'd have wiped me out
a long time ago. Been done with me. But I'm encouraged
to think that since God showed them more mercy, he'll show me
more mercy. There's yet more mercy to be
had. Let his mercy endure us forever.
And that he gives more grace. He's been so gracious to me,
and sometimes I think, well, it's going to run out. No, the
scripture says he'd give us more grace. And God will continue
to pick me up when I fall, continue to pick me up, and that's, that
comforts me. And when I see a God provide
for their every need miraculously, then I, Then I shouldn't mind
my complaint. When God would drop bread from
the sky, I shouldn't worry about a thing, should I? When Christ said it about the
sparrows, they neither sow nor reap, but God feeds them, right? And the lilies, they don't toil,
they don't weave or spin, but God clothes them. Are you not
worth much more than many sparrows? And that comforts me to think
of that. And when I see God deal with all of the children of Israel's
enemies and avenge them on every hand, and then when I get all
upset about all my problems, I'm comforted. I'm comforted
in thinking that God wiped out everybody in their path, even
though they were no better than their enemies. As a matter of
fact, at times they were worse. They had more light. They were
sinning against love. They were sinning against light.
That's what we do, don't we? Yet God used these people and
saved the Israelites. But at times, look at verse 53,
at times I'm horror stricken though. At times I'm afraid and
horror stricken. Verse 53, horror hath taken hold
upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. I'm horrified
at the sin and the wickedness that goes on in this world. I'm
horrified at the sin and wickedness that goes on within me, too.
Horrified. Sometimes it scares me to death
what crops up out of this heart of mine. And I think, you're
a child of Satan. What makes you think you're a
son of God? How could you possibly think that you're a child of
God and think thoughts like that? How could you possibly? Isn't
that the worst presumption on your part to think things like
that? But I listened to a message today
by a man from Romans 5, how Christ died for the ungodly. And he went into great description
about what it is to be ungodly. And it wasn't a pretty picture.
But he said Christ died for him. And we're justified because Christ
died. I can take my place right there with the ungodly, Charles.
I'm not proud of it, but it sure comforts me to think that Christ
died for ungodly, ungodly. And I'm aghast at times at the
evil in this world, at man's total disregard for The laws
of God and mockery at God's law? I'm waiting any time for God
to destroy, drop San Francisco into the ocean. I'm waiting any
time for that to happen. He didn't put up with Sodom and
Gomorrah long, and they're worse. But it permeates all of society,
doesn't it? And I'm waiting any time for
the Lord to return. Any time now. Any time. I can't understand how He's waited
this long. And I'm aghast at especially
horror stricken at all the sacrilege and the blasphemy that abounds
in the name of religion, in the name of God and Christ. And that
makes me think more than ever that God's going to come soon.
He's going to wipe this mess out. How in the world, why in
the world does he put up with this? Lying on God. The prophets, I've heard what
the prophets, God said to Jeremiah, I've heard what the prophets
are saying that speak in my name that prophesy lies. He says,
I hear what they're saying. Robert Tilton, have you seen
that guy prophesying? He prophesied. Wait a minute,
I've got a word from God. Goodness! Can you imagine the pump and
the pride of that man's heart, the wickedness, and to say he's
talking for God a flat-out lie. And it strikes me with horror. And I say with Isaiah, oh, that
God would rend the heavens and come down and make known his
name to his adversaries, that the nations would tremble at
his presence. I want him to come back with
fire, like the disciples. Lord, let us call down fire from
heaven. But by God's grace, verse 54,
God's keeping power. His statues, in spite of all
this sin and unbelief and sacrilege, his statues have been my songs.
Even though Christ was the song of the drunkard and had indurision,
he's my heart's song of praise and joy. And I was once a drunkard. God's song, God's statutes have
been my song. He says, in the house of my pilgrimage,
yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I'll fear no evil. And I've got a song. I've got
a song in my heart. Though lonely, I can sing what
a friend I have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Though sick, I can sing
of the great physician. Though sinful, I can sing that
chorus Did you hear what Jesus said to me? They're all taken
away. And while traveling through this
world, that's what he says, here we are, we're pilgrims, travelers,
sojourners, traveling through this world of sin and trouble
and sickness and sorrow, I can sing this, that there's a land
that is fairer than day. And by faith, I can see it afar.
And the Father waits over the way to prepare us a heavenly
place there. He said, Be of good cheer, be
of good comfort. I go to prepare a place for you.
Fear not. And verse 55, he says, It's like
David wakes up out of his sleep or something. Would that God would wake us
up at times like this. He said, I remember. Suddenly,
I've remembered your name. I've remembered thy name, O Lord,
in the night. Have you ever been awakened in
the middle of the night? or thinking, oh my, that's the
blessing of all blessings now, I'm telling you. In the middle
of the night, David says, I'll arise at midnight to give you,
to sing praise to you. He said, I remembered like a,
sleeping, and I was suddenly awakened. I remembered thy name,
O Lord, in the night, in the night. I remembered your name.
What was it? What was he talking about, thy
name? I remembered that you're Lord.
I remember that you're the sovereign Lord, that you're my master,
that you're my king, you're my savior, you're my provider, you're
my friend. I remember that you're Jehovah-Jireh,
that you'll provide for me. I remember that you're Jehovah-Rabbi,
you're the Lord that will heal me. I remember that you're Jehovah-Nissi,
you're my banner, you're my gospel. I remember that you're Jehovah
Shalom, all my peace and comfort. I remember that you're Jehovah
Raya, my shepherd, and I shall not want. I remember that you're
Jehovah Sid Kennedy, my righteousness before a holy God. I remember
that you're Jehovah Shema, ever present, like we read in Psalm
139. I remember at times, so often
I forget. And he says, Lord, remember,
make me remember. And all of a sudden, he says,
hey, I do remember. Come Wednesday night, hey, I remember. All of
a sudden, on Wednesday night, you remember who you are. You've
forgotten all week long, but you remember. You remember. And whatever comes to pass, whatever
good or ill befalls us, remember it's the Lord. It's the Lord. And here's the summary. He said,
going down through here, he said in verse 50, he said, Lord, even
though I'm afflicted, you're my comfort. Even though I'm persecuted
in verse 51, I'm comforted. Even though I get horrified and
scared at times, you're my comfort. Even though I wander far off,
I'm comforted in thinking you're going to bring me back. Even
though I wander through this world of sin and sorrow, verse
54, you're my comfort. I'm comforted. and realizing
that you prepared me a place, and that's where I'm headed.
And verse 56, and he said, and this is what I have. This is
my portion. This is my, this is all my help. This is all my strength. This
is all my encouragement. This is my comfort. This I had
from the Lord. And only he can give what I've
been talking about, what David's been writing about, this comfort,
this peace that no man can take away from me. Christ said, my
peace I give unto you. And he said, David said, this
I had because I kept thy precepts. Back again we go, don't we? This
is the way he ended up our last study. He says, the thing to
do is I'll meditate in thy statute, verse 48. And now he says in
verse 56, this comfort is to be had by keeping thy word. It
didn't Christ say that in John, was it? Fifteen or sixteen, he
said to his disciples, he said, Thomas, how Judas said, Lord,
how are you going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world? And
he said, this is how I'm going to reveal myself to you by making
know my word to you. My word to you, the preaching,
the gospel, the reading, the study of the word, you're going
to understand my word, you're going to hear me speak through
that word, through my word. And because by God's grace, he
says, I've kept thy precepts, because God's Holy Spirit brings
all things back to remembrance that Christ has said. You know
what Christ said about the Comforter? He'll come, and although you're
so forgetful, Even though your mind's really slipping, he'll
bring to remembrance every Wednesday night, every Sunday morning,
Sunday night, and maybe during the week, if you'll peruse or
look into his precepts, he'll bring back to remembrance everything
that Christ said and give you some comfort. And give you some
comfort. And David says, because thy word
have I hid or kept in my heart, because by your grace you've
kept me by your power. I do believe the record, even
though at times I'm so unbelieving, I do believe the record. Lord,
I believe, help my unbelief. I do believe that Jesus is the
Christ, even though I've never seen him. I do believe. Do you? Huh? This is eternal life. You're born of God when you believe
that Jesus is the Christ, do you? That Jesus Christ came into
flesh, that Christ came into flesh, it was a man sent from
God. Can you believe that? You've never seen him. You've
never seen him. You're going to put all your
hope and trust in a man you've never seen? Huh? Good. In a man you're going to
put all of your faith and comfort and devote and put all of your life into somebody you've never heard
before, into an old book that was written the last time anything
was written, and it was 1,500 years ago or more. Huh? How are
you? Good. Good. That's a miracle. That's a miracle. And I do believe the gospel,
and I love God's truth, and I intend to keep holding on to Christ
and resorting back to his word, and I get comfort. And you will,
too, if you keep hold of Christ. I'm reminded of over there in
Proverbs 4 where he says, I've kept hold of him and he's kept
hold of me. It's like old Jacob and the angel. They wrestled together. The angel
came to him and wrestled with him first. We loved him because
he first loved us. I am holding. And I'm bragging
about that. I'm just saying, I'm going to
keep holding by his grace. I sure am. You can sit around
and sit back and wait or whatever. I'm going to seek and look and
strive and wrestle. That's what the kingdom of God
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. There's a wrestling
to be had with God. And I'm going to keep on keeping
on by his grace. by his power, kept by his power. All right, I hope that's been
some help to you. You can see with me clearly that these psalms
are far from being repetitious, aren't they? If you just glance
through, go through them real quickly, you think, oh, he's
saying the same thing over and over again. Oh, my. We're just skirting
just the hem of the garment, just wading ankle deep in the
ocean. But I hope this has been a blessing to you. Stand with
me and we'll ask God's blessing on the world. Dear Lord, we stand amazed, we
marvel at your book, your holy word. It's so wonderful, so miraculous. It speaks such glorious things
of God our Savior. and of Christ, our Redeemer. How we thank you for it. And
we ask that you would make it effectual, Lord. You've promised.
We plead you promise it. You've promised that your Word
would not return void. It would accomplish exactly what
you sent it to. That it would either be a savor
of life unto life or death unto death. Lord, make it, if we be
your children, make it a savor of life to us. Adorn our lives
with it. and touch our hearts with it. Relieve us from doubts and fears
that assail us and from this unbelief that so easily, so quickly
besets us. Bring to remembrance all the
things that we've heard this evening. In Christ's blessed
name we pray. Amen. You're dismissed. Thanks.