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God Will Never Let Go · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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  many are rising against me many are saying of my soul there is no salvation for him in God and so on
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  I think one of the most painful experiences that any family can go through is where there
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  becomes division and where there was deep love it now has turned to to hatred and that's what we find
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  in in the the experience of David where we read there in second Samuel and also what this psalm is
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  about and that has been an incredibly difficult experience for David where within his own family
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  and here's this son a son whom he loved and we do know that if we were to carry on reading through
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  in second Samuel and eventually see how Absalom is killed the incredible grief the fearful display
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  of anguish and brokenness in the heart of David even though Absalom was trying to kill him kill David
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  yet when Absalom is killed David is absolutely devastated and broken-hearted
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  so we can see that Absalom was a son that that David loved but we know that Absalom was a schemer we
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  read about that he was the most two-faced person on the that we could ever meet he pretended to his
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  father that he was a loving loyal son and yet on the other hand he was working behind his father's back
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  all the time for years he was scheming and he was trying to win the hearts of the people which he
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  was doing and in fact it tells us that he stole the hearts of the people we read there of how he would
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  when any person came and had a dispute he would meet him and say if I was in charge I would sort this
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  dispute there's nobody ready to listen and when people are going to bow to him to salute him because
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  he was a royal prince he would take them by the hand and he would kiss them and people would say we've
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  never seen the like of this and so Absalom by deceit he had no interest in these people all he was doing
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  was trying to take the hearts of the people away from his father so that they would eventually when
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  that's right when he felt the time was ripe that they would come and they would follow him
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  and so we find that this is the background to what has taken place here but we know that
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  Absalom's scheming and his deceitfulness is never ultimately going to win it never does it cannot
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  because God sees everything God knows everything and these are the injustice and the deceitfulness that
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  is so often and we see it at all levels even in our own society today and people think they're going
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  to get away with it people think that they can what God is not mocked and there will always come a time
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  when there is a when God will will deal with this and so often in life we have seen this happening well
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  it was going to be so for Absalom as well so Absalom leads this revolution against his father
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  and what is incredible really to to read is that here is this king king David a man that the that Israel
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  really as a as a nation they loved him as a king and yet Absalom manages to take their hearts
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  after himself and turn their hearts against his father and well let us be quite clear this was not going
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  to be a bloodless revolution because Absalom was David knew that that's why David says we've got to
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  get out of Jerusalem as fast as we can because everybody will die by the edge of the sword if we
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  stay here he knew that Absalom wasn't going to just say well we've got the numbers we've got the people
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  it's up it's over he knew that Absalom wouldn't rest till he had killed all the opposition
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  and so these were these were dangerous these were were were frightening times and we see how quickly
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  the people switched loyalty and you know that happens so often in life I suppose the great example
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  the greatest example of all is in the time of Christ because remember when Jesus rode into Jerusalem
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  the crowds were crying Hosanna Hosanna and they were throwing the palm branches down and there were
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  there was this great sense of adoration and adulation of King Jesus and yet in a matter of days
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  the crowd are no longer shouting Hosanna they're crying crucify her crucify her that's where the mob were
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  and that's the clearest picture I think we've ever seen of the fickleness and the changeableness
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  of human nature of how one moment they can be going this way another moment going that way we see it in
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  John's gospel they were going to in John chapter 6 they were going to make Jesus king there was nobody
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  like Jesus by the end of the chapter they're leaving him in droves to the point where Jesus turns and he
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  says to his own are you going away as well and that just shows us how fickle human nature really is
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  now this must have been an excruciating painful experience David went through highs and lows in his
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  life but I reckon this must have been one of the most painful of all because David knew
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  you see deep down that he in many ways had brought this upon himself you see on in a previous occasion
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  when David was on the run and he was on the run for years David was on the run purely because of the
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  jealousy of Saul Saul was determined to get him but at that time we could almost say that the slate was
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  clean and in David's life of course he was a sinner in such life but this what has happened here has
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  come on the back if we had gone a wee bit further back we were reading in chapter 15 of 2nd Samuel but if
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  we had gone to 2nd Samuel chapter 12 after David sinned with Bathsheba and then subsequently what he
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  did what he murdered had Bathsheba's husband murdered Uriah we find the prophet Nathan saying this to David
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  now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me and I've taken the
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  wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife thus says the Lord behold I will raise up evil against you
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  out of your own house and David knows full well as he's on the run that this is part of God's judgment
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  on him God told him at the time that he was going to forgive him his sin because David repented we see of
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  that in Psalm 51 and probably part of Psalm 32 as well we see that God forgave him the sin but God
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  said because of what he had done how he had so dishonored his name before him and the people that
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  that this is what was going to happen so here we have David and you can imagine the fear and the pain
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  that's in his heart as he's as he's on the run and thousands have joined up with him that's what it
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  says at the beginning oh Lord how many are my foes many are rising against me and then when we go to
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  verse 6 it tells us I will not be afraid of many thousands of people so at this point in time there are
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  thousands and thousands and thousands that are up against David now you and I know that the moment
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  that we become Christians straight away we face enemies it is impossible to be a Christian and not
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  to face opposition in this world one way or another sometimes our enemies are external in the face of by
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  that I mean the world other times the enemies are internal by the flesh by what is within us and then
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  we have one that is external but works internally within us the devil so the world the flesh and the
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  devil the moment you become a Christian these forces are against you and you have all experienced
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  these things at different levels different degrees but you all have one way or another sometimes you
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  feel flattened by them sometimes you feel overcome by them but still you go on but they are powerful
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  enemies so Satan is of no doubt he is speaking through David's enemies trying to undermine David's faith
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  because that's what he's saying what are the enemies saying many are saying of my soul there is no salvation
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  salvation for him in God now that's what they were saying that was a word that's a word that that's a
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  temptation that's what they were saying of David David you're finished you're washed up you're a has-been
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  your history yes you were God's man once but you're no longer you're you're you're a finished man
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  your end is here and God is not there for you anymore you have dishonored God can you imagine
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  the field day Satan is having with David at this moment if you had been can you put yourself in
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  David's shoes and what you've done and you've heard God's word against you it would be very easy to
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  say and agree with what's being said and say I'm finished there's no way back I've had it
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  that this is it and what an awful way for me to end my life being put to death by my own son
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  and that there we are it'd be a fearful the temptations would be powerful
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  but you know the wonderful thing is that David actually didn't sink as low as that
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  he knew that what was happening was as a result of what God had said but he didn't for one moment
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  really believe that God was finished with him he exercised hope that one day he'd be back in
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  Jerusalem to see the ark and to see the God's dwelling place but if not but I know that David
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  from this psalm that he believed God was not done with him that God hadn't washed his hands of him
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  and you know it's the same for you and me tonight and I'll tell you something you have not gone as low
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  as David you have not been you may have done many things wrong in your life but I'm all I can say
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  you have not been where David was what David did is really quite extraordinary how he murdered that man
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  in order to try and cover his guilt and we find that God God spoke so powerfully against him for that
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  that that added which was which made the whole thing 10 times worse
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  and yet David knew God wasn't finished with him and wherever you've been and whatever you've done
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  and however low you sometimes feel and however much you might be battered by that by Satan
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  God isn't finished with you either tonight and he is still with you he's still for you he's still
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  upholding you and I'm sure enemies often come and say the very same thing to you many are saying of my
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  soul there's no salvation for him or for her now you and I know it would be the most awful thing
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  that could happen to us if we really felt that God was finished with us can you imagine if a messenger
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  came from an angel came from heaven and said by the way I know it says in the words all that it does
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  say but here's a message from God he's given up on you how would you feel you'd be distraught
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  you would be on you you feel you would feel your life was over why this is a mark of grace because
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  you know you say to yourself to whom else can we go because you have the words of eternal life
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  whom have I in the heavens I but the O Lord alone and in the earth whom I desire besides thee there is
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  none that's where you've come to as a Christian and that's why there is nobody when push comes to shove
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  you know that there is nobody who fills your heart like the Lord and so here is David and
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  the the great thing with David as he has shown over and over and over again irrespective of how low the
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  situation appears to be David always turns eventually to the Lord and that's a lesson to us we're hearing
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  about that on on Sunday of just how important it is to have the Lord as our focus so often we're not
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  our focus is shifted off the Lord and that's why it is that's what David does here he he turns his
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  focus upon the Lord and that's what he says but you oh Lord are a shield about me my glory and the
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  lifted up of my head and then he says I cried aloud to the Lord and he answered me from his holy hill
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  it's not wonderful that's what the Lord did he answered him David cried aloud to the Lord and he
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  answered and I am sure all of you here could could tell about times when you cried to the Lord cried
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  aloud I don't know how good we are at actually crying aloud it's interesting how often in the Psalms
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  and the Word of God we find this that both praising and prayer it's often loud that there is a loud cry
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  given well David David cried aloud to the Lord and you know God hears and answers prayer
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  and God was in control of David's life and David knew that in fact very interestingly David says
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  but you oh Lord are a shield about me and my glory and the lifted up of my head a shield
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  the idea here is one who covers and that's what the Lord does as we sang in Psalm 91 that they are about
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  how he is a shield and how he is a shield and he covers us with faithfulness covers us like like a hen
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  gathers her brood and there's the warmth of the love there's the protection the tenderness of the wing
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  and yet the strength in it and so the Lord the Lord covers us and he covers us in different ways because
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  there's a triune covering by God to every believer we're covered by God the Father's decrees God is a decree
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  there's an eternal decree for your life and mine and we mustn't lose sight of that God has a purpose for
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  your life and he's going to fulfill his purposes through you there is a decree governing your life
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  and you're also covered by the imputed righteousness of Christ that cannot be taken from you and sometimes
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  we forget what an absolutely incredible covering that is that Christ's righteousness is covering us
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  all the time wherever we go day or night as long as we live all our lives into death and beyond
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  covered by Christ and we're covered by the Holy Spirit who is ministering within us working within us
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  so we have the triune God covering us and David is aware of this and so David cries to the Lord
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  because he knows the Lord is the deliverer and protector I read of a man in America John Bethune
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  and he stayed in Buffalo this was a long long time ago he was a sailor and he was on the boats on the lakes
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  see long long long time ago and he was a really fine Christian and he lived amongst a crew who were
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  anything but they were hard very very religious men but he did over the period lead two or three of them
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  to Christ because he lived in such a wonderful Christ like way and although there were many of
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  the sailors despised him because he was a Christian every single one of them respected him
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  and the captain was amongst those captain was a very religious man and he kind of despised John but he also
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  hugely respected him because they knew that there was something about him and they were traveling
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  in the winter and the ice the wind had dropped it was a day of sails the wind had dropped
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  and the ice was beginning to come around the boat and they knew that if they got trapped by the ice the ice
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  would crush them and they would be they'd be lost that would be it and so the the the were the the there
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  was a narrow straight going through but it was getting less and less as if the ice was closing in
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  and John said to the captain could I get permission to go down to my cabin to pray
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  and the captain said all right because he knew the kind of man John was
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  so John went to his cabin and a few people joined him including the captain who was still an
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  irreligious man and John prayed and John pleaded and he said to the Lord Lord we're in a terrible
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  situation and we're all going to die but I'm asking you Lord that you will change that you will bring a
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  wind that you will bring even a warm wind a wind that will enable us to catch the sail and that we'll be
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  able to make our way through that the ice will begin to part for us and he prayed and prayed like
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  that and they went back and as they went out on the boat they could all of a sudden out from the cabin
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  they could feel that the wind had started up and when they got to the wheel the man said at the wheel
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  boy I said don't know what's happened here but there's a warm wind has come and he said we're going
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  to make it and he said will I order that more canvas will go out so the sails will be inferred more and
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  the captain said no he said for the first time ever I realize I'm not in control someone else is in
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  control and we'll leave it to him because he's going to take this ship through of course that was the Lord
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  and that's these stories are multiplied over and over and over again God hears and God answers prayer
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  and David's life was a constant reminder to us of that very thing and so we find that David is here
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  saying but you oh Lord are a shield about me my glory and the lifter up of my head and David knew by saying
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  that the Lord was that David was a servant of the Lord he was king but he was a servant king
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  and David was always conscious that he was serving the Lord here on earth wish that all our leaders
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  would think likewise but he knew that he was serving the Lord and he knew that while he was still on the
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  run he believed that he was serving the Lord and so we find David it also says that he is the lifter up
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  of my head isn't that wonderful you see God God lifts us up again and then we find that David
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  he says my glory lift it up of my head because when you think about it David is looking there's a lot
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  of faith in this psalm because remember how David we read about how David left and he's going up the
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  Mount of Olives and he's crying and his head is covered he's barefoot
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  that that doesn't count the Lord is going to lift him up and then we see in verse five
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  I lay down and slept I woke again for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraid of many thousands
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  of people who have set themselves against me all around you know sleep is one of the great blessings
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  that's given to us and so often we we're at no more that's the most helpless moment in our experience
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  is when we're asleep every night we go to sleep and we're utterly helpless in these hours while
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  we're asleep because we can't do in these moments as we're out of it we can't do anything for
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  ourselves we are utterly vulnerable and there's so often we remember us as a child being who and I'm
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  sure so many of you but as I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep if I should die
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  before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take we used to pray used to pray that as a as a little
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  child and I'm sure a lot of you have done done the same because you knew that in sleep you're out of
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  control and you know sleep of course as we know is so therapeutic but the one thing that we find
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  difficult to do is to sleep when we're absolutely beside ourselves with worry well here's David thousands
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  thousands chasing him to put him to death what does he do he lies down and he goes to sleep
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  why because it says in scripture so he gives his beloved sleep what a token for good that must have
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  been to David to to find that that he was able to able to sleep that's what he says in verse 8 of of
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  of the next psalm in peace I will both lie down and sleep for you alone oh Lord make me dwell in safety
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  and so David here he's surrounded by the thousands but he's in perfect peace why because his focus
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  is back on the Lord and that's what the Lord says those who have their minds stayed upon the Lord will
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  experience perfect peace I will not be afraid though of many thousands of people it's like Elisha
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  remember when he Elisha and the city was surrounded and the servant was so anxious and oh he says
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  master we're done look look at the huge army all around us and Elisha says oh it's okay there's more
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  with us than with them and probably at that moment the servant thought oh Elisha's losing it here but
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  Elisha said Lord open the young man's eyes that he may see and he prayed that's what he prayed and the
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  servant's eyes were open to see that the whole hillside was covered was surrounded by horses chariots
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  there was a fire there was a huge angelic presence all around them that's why we need not be afraid
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  even though the though there are forces of thousands against you as has often been said one with the Lord
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  if you have the Lord on your side you have a majority even supposing the whole world is against you
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  if you have the Lord you're in a majority arise oh Lord says David verse 7 save me oh my God for
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  you strike all my enemies on the cheek and break the teeth of the wicked David often looks on his
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  enemies like animals and I think this is kind of that idea because if you're a wild animal and you
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  get hold of it and break its cheek and break its teeth you're more or less taking away what's going to
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  do you the damage because you you you take it take the whether it's a lion or a tiger or whatever
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  whatever you take out the teeth break the teeth and break the cheek and all of a sudden they won't
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  pose the same threat and I think this is what the idea that David has in in his thinking and then
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  finally he says salvation belongs to the Lord your people your blessing be on your people David moves
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  all the time it's personal it's me it's my but then he goes beyond as he so often does Lord
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  all your people not just me but all your people your blessing the blessing of privilege you know
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  this you and I tonight are the most privileged people in the world to have the Lord sometimes we
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  look around and say oh I wish I had this wish I had that we have the Lord we have we have all we
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  really need we have protection that you read this psalm again and again sometimes it's good when the
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  when things come on top of you and you're under the cosh and the pressures grow and things because
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  life life is so uncertain sometimes sometimes all kinds of difficulties coming away that's why I keep
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  going back and I love the psalms because it doesn't matter where you are you find something there well
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  here's David and what a predicament and yet his faith shines through we pray that this will be an
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  encouragement to ourselves as well let us pray Lord our God we give thanks for reflecting just for a few
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  moments in your word we pray that that word will be a blessing to us we all have our own issues and
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  needs and worries whether they're within the family whether they're with regard to financial things but
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  whatever it is whether it's illnesses the salvation of people's souls there's a thousand and one things
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  that can weigh down upon us oh Lord be near to us Lord help us Lord do us good part us with your
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  blessing we pray for giving your sin in Jesus name amen we conclude singing in this actual psalm itself
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  you