Back in Psalm 121, here you have
an affirmation of what we just sang. God's faithfulness. Great
is God's faith and His mercies. One commentator that I read said
that this psalm, and the psalms were psalms, they were sung in
the worship of God, but he said that this particular psalm was
sung when pilgrims were making their way back to Jerusalem.
They'd been gone on a journey and they're traveling back to
Jerusalem and when the mountains that surrounded Jerusalem would
come in view from a distance they would break in to the singing
of this song. Now whether that's true or not
I don't know. I have no way of confirming that
but the reason I mention it whether that's so or not It has a particular
application to God's people today, does it not? It's appropriate. This psalm would be appropriate
to sing for God's pilgrims today, all believers, as they travel
through this world to that city, that city, that celestial city,
Zion, the city of the living God, that we read of in Revelation,
And we're told that that city has no need of the sun, neither
of the moon to shine in it. For the glory of God did lighten
it, and the Lamb, the Lamb is the light thereof. No need of
sun or moon. Because the glory of God and
the Lamb are the light thereof. That being the case, there'll
be no dark valley there, will there, Lord? No dark valley. Never an eclipse of our souls. Never a time of perplexity. No regrets. No regrets. Think about that. Can't say that
now. Can't say that now. Oh, but then
No regrets. How could there be? If every
tear is wiped away by the hand of our omnipotent God, if he
wipes away all reason to cry, there'll be no dark valley once
the pilgrims enter that celestial city. This morning I was listening
to the CD that Judy Estes made before she died. One of the songs
she sings on there is, it's also in our hymn book, an old hymn.
He leads his dear children along. And so he does. He leads his
dear children along, always. Through every storm, through
every trial, He leads us along. He leads them out, brings them
through. The only explanation for that
is His faithfulness. It's not ours. It's not our strength. It's not our ability. No, but
the reason lies here. It's because He giveth and He
giveth and He giveth more grace. That's the only reason. That's
the only explanation. And thank God for such sustaining
grace. What other reason could there
be? And in the valley that He sends us through, They're not
accidents. When he takes us into the valley,
it's to prove himself to us. We learn in the valley things
that we can't learn any other time. Things that we can't learn
anyplace else. In the valley, he proves himself
to our souls, to our hearts. He reveals himself as being the
lily of the valley. Then we can sing. Then we can
sing in a way that we couldn't have otherwise. He's the lily
of the valley. He's the bright and the morning
star. And on those occasions, when
we're in the fiery furnace, he's there too, is he not? In the
furnace, oh, we feel the heat. It's not pretend. Real trials. We hurt. We shed tears. We're not immune from that. My
soul, of course not. But we learned in the fiery furnace,
like Meshach and Shadrach and Abednego, there was a fourth
man in there. Is that not what the king said?
He asked his servants who stood by, did we not throw three men
in the furnace? I see a fourth man. And he's
likened to the Son of God. He says to all of his own. He
says to his church. And remember, his church is made
up of individuals. So he speaks this to you, Louis,
especially. He does that in a way that only
he can, as though it was only to you. His church, all individuals,
he says, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. On the
stormy seas, and we experience those too, he comes to us. He comes to us. I have to confess, there's been
times too often I've wondered and I've doubted, why? Why? What's the purpose? What's the good? All I seem to
be experiencing is pain and heartache and hurt and sorrow. Oh, but
then, then here he comes walking on the troubled storms of my
life. And He speaks. He speaks. And when He does, when He does,
by His grace, I think, I'm glad I passed through this. Because
He has revealed Himself to me. He has proven to me the sufficiency
of His grace. He comes walking upon the troubled
sea and He speaks to my soul, peace, be still. It's I. You don't need to be afraid.
You don't need to be afraid. Oh, what a redeemer. What a captain. The glorious captain of our salvation. Has he not proven his faithfulness? His power, His grace, His love. Has He not proven them to us
time and time and time again? Has He not confirmed to our hearts
time and time again? I'm with you always. You can count on me. I'll never leave you to yourself. The Shepherd will bring all of
His sheep home. They're His responsibility. I
found great comfort in that. Don't you? I've been told by
people who didn't know any better that the Christian during times
of trial and difficulty needs to just reach down, just reach
down, just man up. Oh, I bet the devil loves to
hear that. Oh, that he could convince us
to man up, to take our eyes off Christ, but to reach down. Man
up! Reach down and pull yourself
up by your own bootstraps. And I looked down and didn't
even see any bootstraps. Oh, no, no. What does the psalmist
say? I will lift up mine eyes, not
to myself, not to my bootstraps, but oh, I will lift up my eyes
into the hills from whence cometh my help. The helper of God's
people comes only from above. God give me grace to look away
from myself, to look away from this weak arm of flesh, to look
not within myself. No hope there. Nothing there
to encourage me. or to look for help around me
or within me. Oh, but as the psalmist directs
our gaze to look above, to look above ourselves, to that one
who is high and lifted up, above us, greater than all our fears,
greater than all of our sins, setting up on his throne. of
glory, of supreme sovereign majesty and in sweet composed complacency
ruling everything, everything for his own glory and the eternal
salvation of all of his people. Oh yes, God give me grace to
lift up my eyes to see that one. to whom I first looked to, when
he said, Look unto me, and be ye saved. When I was saved, I
wasn't looking to self. If that were the case, I'd still
be in sin and darkness. I'd still be lost. Oh, but he
said, Left up your eyes, and look unto me, and be ye saved. And He gave me grace to do that. He opened my blinded eyes and
directed my gaze to Him. And He said, if you do that,
if you look unto Me, you'll be saved. And bless His holy name,
He enabled me to do that, and I was saved. By looking unto
Jesus, God gave me grace to continue to do that. Is there a more glorious
sight? Is there a more comforting sight?
Then looking unto him, no wonder the psalmist says, let's lift
up our eyes. Let's lift up our eyes unto the
hills from which cometh our help. In verse 2, he tells us what
he means. My help cometh from the Lord. From the Lord which made heaven
and earth. Yes, look up. Look up. I need help. Don't you? This sinner needs help. A lot
of help. A lot of grace, a lot of power. Donnie Bell and I exchanged emails
a week or so ago and I said, Donnie isn't it comforting to
know that he that sits upon the throne of grace and bids us to
come to Him constantly. That we might obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need. Isn't it comforting to
know that our need will never outnumber His grace? Our need will never be greater
than the grace He has to supply it? Isn't that comforting? That
His grace is greater than my sin? My, that must be great grace. That must be great grace. Grace
that's greater than all my sin. Hear him speak. Hear him speak. All power is given unto me. Is that the one in whose hand
I am? He has all power. All power? That means it's all His. No wonder
He added, none can pluck you out of My hand. In Him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bottle that. It's all in Him. And this needy sinner finds completeness. Completeness. That's a nice word. That's a good word. Completeness. Complete. satisfaction, complete
acceptance, complete hope before the throne of God, completeness
of those things not in self but in Him. In Him I am complete. In Him, my what a blessed Expression
that is. In Him. In Him. Always, forever in Him. Oh, that's good news for this
needy sinner. Look up. Look up to Him. My help cometh from the Lord
which made heaven and earth. Look unto Me, He says, in mercy
and grace. And be ye saved today, tomorrow,
and forever. Look unto me and be saved to
the uttermost. Look unto me. Just keep looking
unto me. As you travel life's journey,
keep your eyes fixed on me. As you walk through valleys,
fire, water, wind, rain, storms, keep your eyes fixed upon me
and you're going to walk right up. to where I am. Your path, your path. God leads his dear children along
and that path we take will lead us right up to the throne of
God himself. Look unto me. Lift up your eyes. We're told Lift up your eyes,
and if you do, if you lift up your eyes to him that setteth
upon the throne, if you lift up your eyes to the Lord from
whence cometh our help, lift up your eyes and your heart will
soon follow. Lift up your eyes and your heart
will soon be lifted up too, will it not? Look up to that one who
setteth above the flood. Above the flood who saideth King
forever and your heart will be lifted up Look to the purpose
of our great God who says for I have purposed and shall I not
bring it to pass He speaks that to you and I Forget not your
God. He says, have I not purposed
and will I not bring it to pass? Hear our great God. As you lift
up your eyes, hear Him say, all that I will, all that I'm pleased
to do shall be done. My will to do so is sufficient
to bring it to pass. Look to that one who cannot lie.
who cannot lie and hear him say to you, you're mine. You're mine. You've been bought
with a price. I've redeemed you. You're engraven
on the palms of my hands. I'll not forget you. I'll not
leave you. You'll not be forgotten of me. Look to that one. who according
to his everlasting covenant of grace sealed that covenant with
his very own blood. He ratified that covenant with
his very own blood. And hear him say, I've redeemed
you. I've shed my own precious blood
for you. You'll not be forgotten of me.
The price I paid purchased you. You're mine. Look what it says
in verse 4. Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep, shall neither slumber nor sleep. The sheep, the sheep sometimes
sleep when they shouldn't. There are times they should.
He giveth his beloved sleep. But there are times they grow
careless, weary, and the sheep go to sleep. But the shepherd,
he never does. The shepherd never sleeps. He's always watching as the good
shepherd that he is. He's always watching over the
sheep. He's always protecting the sheep. He's always preserving
His sheep. He's always keeping His sheep.
Verse 5, the Lord, my shepherd as well, that never sleeps, He's
my keeper. With such a shepherd as that,
the sheep shall never perish. They shall endure to the end
and all be brought home to glory. That's what He taught in that
parable in Luke 15. That was the purpose to comfort
his people. Oh, I know he was answering the
sneer of his enemies when they said, this man receiveth sinners.
Your master eateth with publicans and sinners. And he said, you've
got that right. I go out looking for them. And
when I find them, when I find them, I gather them up. I pick
them up in the arms of my omnipotent grace. I go out and find them,
lost, weak, wandering, helpless, and I do for them what they can't
do for themselves. I pick them up. Can you picture
him? Can you picture that shepherd?
He puts that sheep on his shoulders. Has his legs, two legs in each
hand. On his shoulders. Bearing all
the weight of the sheep. All the responsibility for the
sheep. All the care for the sheep. And he says, he brings it home. Glory to his name. He doesn't
go halfway and say, well, I've had a change of mind. I think
I'll put you down. You're not worth the trouble.
You're not worth the effort. Oh no, I've loved you with an
everlasting love." And it says he brings his sheep all the way
home and he calls his neighbors and says, rejoice with me. I
found my sheep. Rejoice with me. And he said,
likewise, likewise, there's rejoicing in heaven over one sinner. One sinner that repenteth. Oh, bless God for that great
shepherd and that savior, that prince of life that grants salvation
to his people. He watches over his own. Our
faithful shepherd, keeper, watchman, the psalmist tells us, he never
closes his eyes. He never closes his eyes. He
never gets tired. He's never weary. Aren't you
thankful for that? Because remember, our enemy,
the devil, he doesn't sleep either. Peter says, you have an adversary,
the devil. He's like a roaring lion. He's
not sleeping. He's walking about seeking whom
he may devour. Oh, but the great shepherd, he's
aware of that. The Great Shepherd never sleeps
either. We're in His hands. And Peter, who exhorted us to
be on our guard, he learned that by experience, didn't he? Because
the keeper of his soul the shepherd of the sheep that never sleeps. He said to Peter that night,
the devil, Satan has desired to have you, Peter. I'm aware
of it. He knew it. Peter wasn't. But
the keeper of Peter's soul was. And remember what he said. Peter,
it's all up to you. Better watch out, Peter. Watch
and pray, Peter. And Peter didn't, did he? Peter
went to sleep. Oh, but Christ didn't sleep.
He said, Peter, but. But. There's another but, Lester. There's another but. Followed
with all grace. All the grace this sinner needs.
This careless, sleeping sinner. The high priest of our profession
says, Peter, I've prayed for you. I'm watching over you. I'm interceding for you that
your faith fail not. And it didn't. And the reason
it didn't because the great high priest of Peter's was interceding
for him. Isn't that comforting? He prays
for me. The Lord of glory prays for this
sinner. He intercedes for me. He watches
over his own. Yes, Peter went to sleep, but
the great shepherd didn't. He never does. Peter watched
and prayed. Peter went to sleep. The shepherd
came back. Came back momentarily from that
place where he was anticipating feeling somewhat of the agony
of being forsaken by His everlasting Father, where He would sweat
great drops of blood. And He arises from that. And
as the psalmist in Psalm 69, I looked for comforters, but
I found none. I looked for some man, but there
was none. And He comes back. and looks
to those three and they're sleeping. Could you not watch with me just
one hour? Arise. Pray that you'd enter
not into temptation. And he goes back and prays again
until the blood gushes from his brow. And Peter sleeps. And the great shepherd comes
back and he sets down and he says, sleep on now. Oh, faithful
shepherd, faithful shepherd. He says, sleep on now and take
your rest. Behold, he is at hand that doth
betray me. And no sooner had he spoken those
words than Judas comes with that bloodthirsty mob to take the
Son of God. And remember what he did, take
me. But the sheep go free. Oh, how he loved them. They slept
while he prayed. They leaned on the arm of flesh.
Peter drew the sword. The Lord said, put it up. Take
me. But the sheep go free. Oh, faithful
shepherd, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper, verse
5. The Lord is thy shade upon thy
right hand. I perhaps have told you this
story before but I'm at the age now that maybe you'll excuse
me for repeating myself there was a man who was the captain
of a passenger ship this is supposedly a true story and he had his family
on board as they set sail from England. Had a daughter on board
too. They were asleep in their cabins.
And a sudden storm came up. The ship was being tossed. And first mates were running, warning
people, knocking on the doors to those who weren't already
awake, frightened. They opened the door of the cabin,
the little girl, the captain's daughter was asleep in. Wake
up, wake up. She said, what's wrong? Oh, there's
a terrible storm. Come, come, come out, come out. She said,
well, is my father still on board? And they said, yes. She laid
back down and went to sleep. Is the captain of our salvation
still on board? Oh, then God help us to rest
and to trust Him. Look what the psalmist says in
verse 7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall. He shall. He always does His
shalls, doesn't He? He shall preserve thy soul. He keeps His church. Individually. He says of you, child of God,
you're the apple of my eye. The apple of my eye. You're my
treasure. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. Will he not do exactly what's
best for us all the time? With so many mercies passed,
will he let us sink at last? Yes, he himself never sleeps,
but he gives his beloved sleep, doesn't he? Turn a few pages
over to Psalm 127. This is what we're told here. Psalm 127, verse 2. It is vain, futile, a waste of
time. as the Lord said in his sermon
on the mount. Well I take you thought what
you gonna eat, what you gonna drink, and what you gonna wear.
It is vain for you to rise up early and to set up late, to
weary, to fret, to pace, and to eat the bread of sorrows.
So he giveth his beloved sleep. Is there anything more peaceful
than a good night's sleep? It's the rest and the sleep. Turn back, if you will, to Psalm
4. Psalm 4. Look what we read here concerning
this very thing. Verse 8 of Psalm 4. I will both
lay me down in peace and sleep. You see the picture? For thou,
Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety. He giveth It's another
gift of His grace. Something we can't earn. Oh,
but He gives His beloved sleep. The sweet rest. The sweet rest
of having peace with God. More than all this world's goal
of entering into that rest and ceasing from our own labor. Ceasing from attempting to establish
our own righteousness before God. Oh, man, that wore me out. and it didn't produce any peace
whatsoever. All of my works, all of my striving,
all of my doings never gave me a good night's sleep. I still
tossed in my bed from daylight to dark. I still cried out, how
can I have peace with God until, until he who is my peace, The
Prince of Peace, He who Himself made peace with God on my behalf
came to me and spoke peace to my heart. Oh, the sweet rest
of just falling into His arms. Falling into His everlasting
arms and ceasing from our own labor. He made our peace with
God. That's what Paul says in Ephesians
chapter 2. He is our peace. He said, when
he arose from the dead, he told his disciples, I ascend unto
my Father and your Father, and my God and your God. Prior to that, he said, your
Father is greater than all. Another time your father, your
father, knows that he had need of all these things. That produces
rest. The God of all glory, of all
power, he's my father. Most of you know my son, week
before last, was vacationing with his wife and two daughters
down in Gulf Shores. On Thursday, on their way back
home, he came through here, spent Thursday night and Friday night
with me. Louie and Debbie invited us over for lunch. Well, I invited
myself and they were gracious enough not to turn me down. So we went over to their house
and went out on the boat. Larry's youngest one is five
years old. Louie's got a big inflatable
raft like thing. Threw it out in the water behind
the pontoon. And of course Larry Dell was
on it. And that little five-year-old crawled up on it as well. And
I looked back at him. Could barely see her chubby little
face. But she wasn't one bit afraid.
She looked so small on that lake. on that raft, so much bigger
than her. But she wasn't worried at all.
You know why? Because her daddy, her daddy,
my son Larry Dale, she was cuddled up under his chest with his arms
around her. You could just see her face sticking
out. She wasn't worried. She felt safe, snuggled up to
him. Heavenly Father says, snuggle
up to me, my child. Snuggle up to me. Listen to this
word. The eternal God is thy refuge
and underneath are the everlasting arms. Just snuggle up. and sleep the sleep of the beloved
that he gives to his own. Fear not the windy tempest wild,
thy ship they shall not wreck. Lie down and sleep, thy helpless
child, thy father's on the deck. You remember when your children
were still young at home, especially when they were infants. Oh, they're
sweet then before they can talk back. And I know you've done
it. Many a night, mom, dad, you would
go stand at their crib and look down at them. And as they grew
older, outgrew the crib and it was in their bed, you'd go in,
stand beside the bed and look at them. And they were just sleeping
away. They weren't worried. They weren't
concerned about where their next meal was coming from. They weren't
concerned about where would they have clothes to put on the next
morning. No. Dad and Mom would take care of
all that. They weren't worried about that. And our Lord said
again, Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these
things. Sleep on, child of God. Sleep
on. knowing that nothing will ever
separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Sleep in His blessed, eternal,
everlasting arms. Another verse in Proverbs. Listen to this. When thou liest
down, this is Proverbs 3 verse 24. When thou liest down, thou
shalt not be afraid, yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep
shall be sweet. For so he giveth his beloved's
sleep. What is sweeter than peace with
God? What is sweeter than acceptance
in the beloved? What's sweeter than that? Rest
well, O child of God. Look at verse 8 of Psalm 121
and we'll close. Look how it ends. The Lord shall
preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth. He's your keeper. He's your shepherd.
He shall preserve you even forevermore. Going out. Perhaps that has allusion
to the springtime of life. when we're young and strong.
Robust. Louis sent me an email not long
ago. That doesn't last very long,
does it, Louis? Springtime doesn't last long.
I've entered the wintertime now. I'm going out. Springtime coming
in. Or going out, rather. Wintertime
coming in. But he shall preserve me. Going out or coming in, even
forever more. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want. Surely, goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life. Going out, coming in, and
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Forever. Amen. Amen.