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God the Ultimate Carer · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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  to psalm 34 we're going to look at verses 15 to 22 for a short time this evening psalm 34 in the
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  book of psalms and at verse 15 the verses down to the end of the psalm the eyes of the lord are
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  towards the righteous and his ears towards their cry the face of the lord is against those who do
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  evil to cut off the memory of them from the earth and so on through to the end of the psalm now if
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  you look at the number of verses in the psalm you'll see that there are 22 and that's exactly the
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  number of letters in the hebrew alphabet hebrew of course being the language in which the old testament
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  was written and this kind of device in hebrew is called an acrostic this is an acrostic psalm
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  because it's got these verses 22 now each of these verses begins in turn with the letters of the
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  hebrew alphabet from beginning through to the final letter and you'll find that in other psalms as
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  well you'll actually find it in certain books of the old testament if you think about they don't have
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  to look it up just now but the book of the lamentations of jeremiah there are five chapters
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  in it the first two chapters have 22 verses each chapters four and five have 22 verses each
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  and chapter three in the middle has 66 verses three times 22 so you'll find that that pattern
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  is found in the psalms and passages and the question is well why is that we can't be absolutely certain
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  about it but it appears that one of the best ways of looking at it is that this was an aid to memory
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  an aid to learning and especially useful especially for young people coming through in the hebrew homes
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  that they would actually have a mechanism by which they learned the psalms and actually could then
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  think of the hebrew alphabet and trigger their memory for these verses that's a very good way of looking at
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  it i think in any case you have that in psalm 34 here each of these verses begins in turn
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  with the letters of the hebrew alphabet and you do see in it an invitation to actually come and learn
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  which fits in with the idea that the acrostic is actually a mechanism for learning the things of god
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  and what the psalm especially sets out is the lord's care his pastoral care his wonderful care
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  not just for his people but for his suffering people and the care of the lord for his suffering people
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  is a care that's in this psalm particularly it's directed to them in their suffering while they're
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  suffering in respect to their sufferings different kinds of sufferings but as they as they go through
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  this psalm as we go through it ourselves in relation to whatever sufferings afflictions difficulties
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  challenges we may have here is a passage of the bible that really in the complete sense of the whole
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  hebrew alphabet brings us a counter to thinking that some or other things would be better outside the
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  will of god or that if god's will were different for us to what it actually has has shown itself to be
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  we actually have of course that temptation to think that things would be better if god had not willed this
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  or that for us well that goes all the way back to eden doesn't it it goes all the way back to the
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  tempter coming in before eve first of all and then she took it to adam where the tempter said regarding
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  god has god really said this in other words he was really saying would it not have been better for you
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  if god had given you all the trees of the garden including the three of the knowledge of good and evil
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  and of course in the mystery of that situation uh adam and eve capitulated to the suggestions
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  of the devil and all the way through from then as human beings we always have to remind ourselves
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  whatever is in god's will for us even the difficult bits the challenging bits he has planned that in his
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  wisdom for us and therefore there must be a benefit for us somewhere in that as god takes us through
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  now we imbibe this sort of wisdom this sort of teaching as we sing the psalms one of the great
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  points of singing the psalms one of the great benefits of singing the psalms is that we actually
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  imbibe this teaching almost unnoticed in some ways as far as the singing of the psalm although of course
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  we have to always try and understand and follow the meaning of the words that we're singing that's a
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  very important thing but as you sing your way through the psalms you actually are getting this
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  teaching flooding into your mind informing your heart coming to actually add to what you already
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  know about god and his ways of dealing with you and so here in the psalm we have psalm 34 the lord's
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  care for his own suffering people i'm just taking verses 15 to 7 to 15 to 22 just as as a section to
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  look at in itself two things from that first of all in terms of god's care and he is the ultimate
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  carer of course god's care for his suffering people is first of all god has them in his mind
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  always god has them in mind all the time and secondly god helps them in his might he has them
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  in mind and he helps them in his might and these two points really summarize for us the teaching
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  of those verses indeed you could say the teaching of the whole psalm and when you think of god having
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  his people in his mind there are two things that come into that as well god looks out to them
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  wherever they are found whatever their circumstances are god is looking out to them looking out specifically
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  not just for them but to them with a particular regard for them in mind and secondly he listens
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  out for them too because the psalm talks about how how david actually cried to the lord and he's thankful
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  for the lord heard him god has them in mind as he looks out to his people he's directed towards them
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  in his own mind because you'll find for example this elsewhere think of exodus chapter 2 for example just
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  to pick one incident where this is also very much mentioned there exodus chapter 2 verses 24 to 25
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  where you find um god heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with abraham with isaac
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  and with jacob god saw the people of israel and god knew and of course then he later told moses
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  i have heard the groanings of the people of israel and i am come down to rescue them to deliver them
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  so he has them in mind he he views them he sees them all the time and it's not just that god knows
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  everything that's taking place in your life as he sees you in your circumstances as he sees you in
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  your challenges and your sufferings it's not just his mere sight the psalmist is saying this is the favor
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  of the lord that i'm experiencing it's one thing to actually know that god is seeing you
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  you can have that with a fear and a trepidation but it's another thing to know that god's sight of
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  you is a sight that's filled with favor filled with blessing and good intentions toward you and
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  that's what the psalm is really saying about god's care for his people in their sufferings towards them
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  in their sufferings god views them god god looks out for them you see the contrast there verse 15 is
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  saying that the eyes of the lord are towards the righteous he's drawn towards them he's locked into
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  them and onto them and the contrast then follows in verse 16 the face of the lord is against those
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  who do evil to cut off the memory of them from the heart the psalmist often does this puts two
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  contrasts it puts a contrast between two opposites within the one verse or within two verses
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  and he's saying here is the favor of the lord toward the righteous here is the frown of the lord
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  towards the wicked and there is a god's loving care of his people first of all in the sight that he has
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  of them they are in his sight in the way of his favor as in grace he looks out toward them but also he has
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  them in mind in terms of listening out for them we've got verse 15 here and then verse 17 as well
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  now the eyes of the lord are towards the righteous and his ears towards their cry when the righteous
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  cry for help the lord hears and delivers them out of all their trouble of course that's part of
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  god's perfect ability to know everything that's going on all at once in the lives of everybody
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  and especially the lives of his people but it isn't just simply in a general way just as the sight of god
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  is very much focused in terms of his favor so the hearing of god is very much to do with his intensity
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  of listening because you have an image here really as you see sometimes although of course now with
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  advancements and in hearing aids and so on that maybe isn't quite as regularly the case that you
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  would see somebody like this when you're talking to them or even like this if they're deaf in both ears
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  but your cup your hand your cup your palm so the sound is directed more uh more easily towards your
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  your hearing and that's the kind of imagery that you find here in the psalmist where it says that
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  the lord actually hears his ears are towards their cry you might say he's cupping his ear of course he
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  doesn't have physical properties the lord are from the humanity of jesus but the lord this is an image of
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  just demonstrating for us how intensely interested the lord is in our cry to him you know sometimes
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  if you're like me sometimes you get above your knees when you're praying and you say that was a
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  pathetic effort at prayer you say am i not learning anything at all as i go along as a christian
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  or why did i have to actually ask the lord to forgive this sin yet again that i'm conscious of in my life
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  and you may be feeling quite downcast over that and i'm not maybe something in your life that you're not
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  simply getting over as far as you're concerned and you're still struggling with it and you're crying
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  out to the lord and you're saying lord i'm sorry but again i have to come to you with this well just
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  look at what the lord is saying the lord is saying i hear you and i hear you with my interest in you
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  and i hear you as nobody else is hearing you and i'm listening as nobody else is capable of listening
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  and when in this world we know how difficult it is for people just to listen for a few moments
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  intently to what people are saying because we're so used to noise we're so used to having the
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  television or the radio or social media or something and it's just flitting in and out very
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  often into our brains and to actually sit down and have a studied time of listening so difficult to
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  fit into the ways of the world but this is so different this is god on his throne the almighty
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  the great god the majestic god the creating god the redeeming god what is he saying to us he's saying
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  i am listening intently to your cry cry to me and i assure you it will not pass my ears
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  it will be something i give my earnest attention to you
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  and many millions of people the lord is listening to tonight throughout the world billions of his people
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  crying out to him and yet you and i can say that the intense listening of god the intent listening of
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  god to our cry to my cry to your cry is as if we were the only ones crying out to him the only ones
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  needing attention he is just that concentrated on your life and what an encouragement that is we're
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  we're looking at this passage tonight hopefully um as it will encourage us as believers in the lord
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  as we see the difficulties of life sometimes uh really challenging our progress and here is god
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  having them in his mind god's pastoral care for his suffering people for his people in regard to their
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  suffering and he has them in his mind as he looks out to them and as he actually listens out for them
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  and it's not without good reason that the apostle peter when he wrote his first epistle
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  took these these words of of the psalm and quoted them specifically you have them in first peter chapter
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  three and verse 12 um we began that passage it's in the esv where you have section headings
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  there just to help us through uh with uh what the what the words are actually saying what the passages
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  are actually saying that heading is suffering for righteousness sake finally all of you have unity of
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  mind sympathy brotherly love etc do not repay evil for evil reviling for revival but on reviling but on
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  the contrary bless for to this you were called he's saying you were called to the kind of suffering that's
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  particular for christian people and so that in those sufferings you would be conscious of the fact
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  that god never loses sight of you and god is never out of out of your uh out of hearing of your voice
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  and that's he goes on to say for the eyes of the lord are on the righteous and his ears are open
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  to their prayer but the face of the lord is against those who do evil now peter was writing to people
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  who are being persecuted who are suffering grievously for their faith and he finds the words of psalm 34
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  so applicable so relevant so up to date for him and so they are for you and for me too they're never out
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  of date they're always a benefit to us as we look at them though god has them in his mind moving on
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  secondly god helps them in his might and there are three elements from verse 15 to 22 that come into
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  god helping his people in his might there's first of all his nearness and then secondly there's his
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  keeping of them and thirdly his deliverance there's firstly his nearness look at verse 18 the lord is near
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  to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit look at verse 7 the angel of the lord encamps
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  round those who fear him and he delivers them the angel of the lord in the old testament sometimes
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  speaks as god so it's a um it's a bit too far to say going too far to say that it's actually the lord
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  present in a human actual human nature but it's an anticipation of the angel of the lord as you know
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  in passages in the old testament appears at people like joshua and others and speaks to them but he speaks
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  as god and so it's an anticipation it's a foresight or a foretaste if you like of the coming of jesus
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  himself the coming of the son of god in then taking our nature to himself permanently and that's
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  anticipated here in the angel of the lord what does he say he encamps around those who fear him
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  and delivers them and when you take that with you into the new testament and into its absolute
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  fulfillment in the lord jesus christ himself what do you then find well you find that jesus comes
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  alongside of us through his own sufferings through not just taking our nature but taking all that was
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  thrown at him by way of temptation and suffering as he represented his people as he stood in their place
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  and in the great book of hebrews as you well know let us come he says therefore boldly to the throne of grace
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  so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need because we don't have
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  a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us or empathize with us in our sufferings that's the
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  argument that jesus who comes to surround his people he encamps around them and delivers them
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  and of course as we think about jesus as we think about all that it took to rescue us
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  all that it took to provide for our sufferings the very presence of god the nearness of god
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  just think of that cry from the cross it's not a cry of nearness is it my god my god why have you
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  forsaken me it's the very opposite of nearness it's jesus in the depths of experiencing the
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  curse of god that was due to us for our sin that's the way that jesus actually took to open up a way
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  for us to have the presence of god come to minister to us in our need and our sufferings in our
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  difficulties and the presence of god in this sense that you find it here and the lord is near to the
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  brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit it's not the presence of god as theologians call his
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  omnipresence in other words that god is present everywhere there is no place where he is not
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  but his presence is absent
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  but this is a specific redemptive presence it's a presence that is allocated to his own special people
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  to his believing people to his saved people especially as they are at times brokenhearted and crushed in spirit
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  he brings that presence through the holy spirit into their experience to bless them
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  his nearness his nearness to the brokenhearted
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  whatever it is
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  whatever it is
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  whatever it is
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  tonight that sometimes
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  breaks your heart
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  as you reflect on it or maybe even
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  in the current
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  moment of your life
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  whenever
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  we have a broken heart
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  sometimes we do
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  but we are never out of
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  god's view of us
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  and god drawing near to us
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  he has a special regard
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  for the brokenhearted
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  he understands what a broken heart is
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  because jesus experienced it
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  in the sufferings of the cross
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  and so his nearness is the first item in
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  helping them in his might
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  the second one is his keeping of them
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  now they're not kept from suffering
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  but they're certainly kept in or during their sufferings
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  so they're not overwhelmed
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  by their sufferings
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  look at verse 20 here
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  he keeps all his bones
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  not one of them is broken
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  whereas in contrast
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  affliction will slay the wicked
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  those who hate the righteous will be condemned
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  one of the brethren mentioned tonight in prayer
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  isaiah 43
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  and that's
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  something i noted down here in my notes for
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  the sermon tonight too
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  in regard to this very point
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  where
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  isaiah was
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  being informed or used by the lord
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  to convey
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  this message of encouragement to
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  the people of god in his time
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  who were suffering a lot for
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  their
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  attachment and faithfulness to god
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  now thus says the lord who created you
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  oh jacob
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  he who formed you oh israel
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  fear not i have redeemed you
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  i have called you by name you are mine
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  when you pass through the waters
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  i will be with you
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  and through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you
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  when you walk through the fire you will not be burned
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  and the flame shall not consume me
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  consume you
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  there's nothing in these verses that says
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  you will never experience what it's like to be burnt
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  you will never experience what it's like to go through a flood
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  in your emotional or spiritual experience
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  it's not saying that to us
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  but it's saying to us
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  when that happens
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  when you do have pain and suffering
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  to engage with and to go through
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  and to overcome
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  they're not going to overwhelm you
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  it may at times feel
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  the flame very hot
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  the waters rising fast
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  but what he's saying here is
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  i assure you
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  i will be with you
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  and so they will not overwhelm you
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  and the flame shall not consume you
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  how precious that is
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  how very precious
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  that is to us tonight
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  because whatever it is you're suffering and your sufferings
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  your afflictions tonight
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  perhaps only known to yourself and to god
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  maybe you just simply cannot share them with anyone else
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  maybe they're just the burden of your heart
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  and the pain of your heart
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  whether it's through the loss of loved ones
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  or something else in your life
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  or in your community
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  or in your family
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  but here is god saying to you
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  it doesn't matter
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  how much you may feel the waters rising
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  or the flame intensely hot
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  they're not going to take hold
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  and crush you
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  and overcome you
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  because i am with you
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  i in my nearness
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  is key
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  i am keeping you
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  and um
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  the puritan theologian
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  john owen once had a wonderful
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  illustration
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  of the difference between
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  a believer
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  and an unbeliever
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  or an atheist
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  both experiencing exactly the same type of suffering
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  let's say they're both
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  in exactly the same situation
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  where they are suffering
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  in in their lot
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  in the providence of god
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  and he's asking the question
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  what's the difference between them
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  and what difference is there between the suffering
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  in the case of the believer
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  and the suffering in the case
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  of the atheist
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  or the unbeliever
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  well he said
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  it's a bit like this
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  the sufferings
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  that the believer experiences
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  can be pictured as a surgeon
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  binding up the wounds of the patient
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  because that suffering
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  is going to
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  one day just
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  issue into
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  eternal glory
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  it's preparing
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  as paul said
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  the sufferings of this present time
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  it's preparing for us
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  a far more exceeding
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  and eternal weight
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  of glory
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  the sufferings
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  in the believer's life
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  are really
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  a preparatory
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  method of god
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  to cleanse
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  to further purify
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  to prepare for heaven
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  when the sufferings will be gone
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  now contrast that
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  Owen is saying
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  with the same sufferings
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  in the atheist
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  or unbeliever
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  and the picture he makes there
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  is not of a surgeon
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  binding up wounds
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  with a view
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  to complete healing
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  no he says
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  it's an executioner
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  putting a bandage
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  on the eyes
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  of the victim
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  before he
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  takes his life
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  because for the wicked
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  the sufferings
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  of this present life
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  are just a preparation
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  for the eternal sufferings
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  of the next
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  that's the difference
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  that's the difference
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  the same sufferings
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  can be in the life
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  of two people
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  one a believer
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  one an atheist
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  or unbeliever
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  and when you look
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  at the end in view
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  these are the two images
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  Owen makes
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  now aren't you thankful
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  tonight that
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  as you trust us
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  in the lord
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  so you regard
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  the sufferings
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  of the christian life
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  the very same way
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  as the psalmist here
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  and throughout scripture
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  god's way
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  of carrying out
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  his program
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  of sanctification
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  or an element
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  in that
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  I know it's very difficult
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  sometimes
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  just to get your
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  your thinking
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  clear enough
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  to think that way
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  when you're in
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  the sufferings
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  that sometimes
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  occur in your life
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  but we have to go
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  by what the word
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  of god assures us
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  of
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  and this is what
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  it's saying
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  that god keeps us
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  even through
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  the most intense
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  sufferings
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  when our trust
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  is in him
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  not because
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  of our trust
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  not because
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  the the level
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  of our trust
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  guarantees his
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  keeping
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  it's not based
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  on anything
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  in us
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  or done by us
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  we are assured
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  of his keeping
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  because he is faithful
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  because he's faithful
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  to his covenant
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  and he will not
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  actually be
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  any way short
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  of that
• 26:34
  at any step
• 26:35
  of your life
• 26:36
  so he helps
• 26:38
  him in his
• 26:39
  might
• 26:39
  through his
• 26:40
  nearness
• 26:40
  through his
• 26:41
  keeping
• 26:41
  and finally
• 26:42
  through his
• 26:43
  deliverance
• 26:43
  verses 19
• 26:44
  to 22
• 26:45
  there many
• 26:46
  are the afflictions
• 26:46
  of the righteous
• 26:47
  but the lord
• 26:48
  delivers him
• 26:49
  out of them
• 26:49
  all
• 26:49
  he keeps
• 26:50
  all his bones
• 26:51
  not one of
• 26:52
  them is broken
• 26:53
  there again
• 26:53
  you have the
• 26:54
  contrast
• 26:54
  affliction
• 26:55
  will slay
• 26:56
  the wicked
• 26:56
  those who
• 26:57
  hate the
• 26:58
  righteous
• 26:58
  will be
• 26:58
  condemned
• 26:59
  but the lord
• 27:00
  redeems
• 27:00
  the life
• 27:01
  of his servants
• 27:02
  none of those
• 27:03
  who take
• 27:03
  refuge in him
• 27:04
  will be
• 27:05
  condemned
• 27:05
  well he says
• 27:06
  many are the
• 27:07
  afflictions
• 27:08
  of the righteous
• 27:09
  many in number
• 27:12
  many in kind
• 27:15
  he's just
• 27:16
  stating that
• 27:17
  very matter of
• 27:18
  fact like
• 27:19
  but it's
• 27:20
  something
• 27:20
  that obviously
• 27:22
  he knows
• 27:22
  is a reality
• 27:23
  but out of
• 27:25
  them all
• 27:25
  the lord
• 27:26
  delivers them
• 27:27
  not necessarily
• 27:29
  while they're
• 27:30
  in this life
• 27:30
  entirely
• 27:31
  but the lord
• 27:32
  will deliver
• 27:33
  them out of
• 27:33
  all of
• 27:34
  these
• 27:34
  afflictions
• 27:35
  ultimately
• 27:36
  and especially
• 27:37
  when the
• 27:39
  afflictions
• 27:39
  are left
• 27:39
  behind
• 27:40
  as we
• 27:41
  leave this
• 27:42
  life
• 27:42
  behind
• 27:42
  let's
• 27:44
  think about
• 27:45
  the contrast
• 27:45
  then
• 27:46
  not only
• 27:47
  with the
• 27:47
  wicked
• 27:47
  but contrast
• 27:48
  how things
• 27:48
  are with
• 27:49
  you
• 27:49
  in terms
• 27:50
  of your
• 27:50
  need
• 27:51
  presently
• 27:51
  in this
• 27:52
  life
• 27:52
  look at
• 27:53
  all the
• 27:54
  different
• 27:54
  kinds
• 27:54
  of people
• 27:55
  of experts
• 27:56
  that you
• 27:56
  need
• 27:56
  in order
• 27:57
  to help
• 27:58
  you through
• 27:58
  various
• 27:58
  things
• 27:59
  that you
• 27:59
  need to
• 28:00
  deal with
• 28:00
  in the
• 28:00
  course of
• 28:00
  your life
• 28:01
  if you're
• 28:02
  something
• 28:02
  legal
• 28:03
  that you
• 28:03
  need to
• 28:04
  attend
• 28:04
  to
• 28:04
  you need
• 28:04
  a lawyer
• 28:05
  who's
• 28:05
  qualified
• 28:06
  solicitor
• 28:07
  if it's
• 28:08
  a health
• 28:09
  matter
• 28:09
  a physical
• 28:10
  health
• 28:10
  matter
• 28:11
  you need
• 28:11
  to go
• 28:11
  to a doctor
• 28:12
  you might
• 28:12
  have to
• 28:13
  consult a
• 28:13
  surgeon
• 28:14
  somebody who's
• 28:14
  expert in
• 28:15
  that field
• 28:16
  if it's a
• 28:16
  mental health
• 28:17
  issues
• 28:17
  you go to
• 28:18
  someone
• 28:18
  who can
• 28:19
  hopefully
• 28:20
  help you
• 28:20
  with that
• 28:21
  as well
• 28:21
  and give
• 28:21
  you some
• 28:23
  support
• 28:23
  all the way
• 28:24
  through it
• 28:24
  if it's a
• 28:25
  spiritual issue
• 28:26
  well we hope
• 28:27
  that although
• 28:28
  it's not very
• 28:28
  common in this
• 28:29
  world we hope
• 28:29
  that as
• 28:30
  ministers of the
• 28:31
  gospel people
• 28:32
  would ask
• 28:32
  us look I've
• 28:33
  got this
• 28:33
  spiritual
• 28:34
  problem can
• 28:34
  you help
• 28:35
  me with
• 28:35
  it
• 28:35
  all of
• 28:38
  these different
• 28:39
  people and
• 28:40
  there are many
• 28:40
  more each
• 28:42
  of them with a
• 28:42
  specific area of
• 28:44
  expertise that
• 28:45
  can hopefully
• 28:45
  help hopefully
• 28:46
  help us but
• 28:48
  when you go to
• 28:48
  Jesus and to
• 28:50
  the Lord the
• 28:52
  Lord of your
• 28:53
  life all of
• 28:55
  the expertise is
• 28:56
  packed into the
• 28:57
  one person
• 28:57
  many are the
• 29:00
  afflictions of
• 29:01
  the righteous
• 29:02
  but the Lord
• 29:03
  delivers him
• 29:04
  out of them
• 29:05
  all you only
• 29:07
  need the one
• 29:07
  expert this
• 29:09
  Christ this
• 29:10
  Lord he has
• 29:12
  everything in
• 29:13
  himself for
• 29:15
  you to appeal
• 29:15
  to for you to
• 29:17
  apply to
• 29:17
  whatever kind
• 29:19
  of need
• 29:20
  arises and
• 29:22
  of course
• 29:23
  that's something
• 29:24
  that carries
• 29:25
  through into
• 29:25
  the very end
• 29:27
  of your life
• 29:27
  and on into
• 29:28
  eternity
• 29:29
  itself
• 29:30
  now that
• 29:31
  David doesn't
• 29:32
  merely list
• 29:33
  these as
• 29:34
  truths for us
• 29:35
  that God
• 29:36
  has his people
• 29:37
  in mind that
• 29:38
  God helps
• 29:38
  them in his
• 29:39
  might and the
• 29:40
  various points
• 29:41
  we've looked at
• 29:41
  under each of
• 29:42
  these headings
• 29:43
  he's not content
• 29:44
  simply to
• 29:45
  specify these
• 29:46
  he's actually
• 29:47
  inviting those
• 29:48
  that are going
• 29:49
  to be reading
• 29:49
  the psalm
• 29:50
  those that are
• 29:51
  going to be
• 29:51
  listening to
• 29:52
  what he's saying
• 29:52
  here he's
• 29:53
  inviting them to
• 29:54
  come and prove
• 29:55
  this put it to
• 29:56
  the test
• 29:56
  experience it
• 29:57
  for themselves
• 29:58
  look at what
• 29:59
  he says there
• 30:00
  verse 3
• 30:00
  oh magnify
• 30:03
  the Lord
• 30:04
  with me
• 30:04
  let us
• 30:05
  exalt his
• 30:06
  name
• 30:06
  look at
• 30:07
  verse 8
• 30:07
  oh taste
• 30:09
  and see
• 30:09
  that the
• 30:10
  Lord is
• 30:10
  good
• 30:10
  look at
• 30:11
  verse 9
• 30:11
  oh fear
• 30:12
  the Lord
• 30:13
  you his
• 30:13
  sins
• 30:13
  for those
• 30:14
  who fear
• 30:15
  him have
• 30:16
  no lack
• 30:16
  and then
• 30:17
  verse 11
• 30:18
  come oh
• 30:19
  children listen
• 30:20
  to me
• 30:20
  I will teach
• 30:21
  you the
• 30:22
  fear of
• 30:24
  the Lord
• 30:24
  and so
• 30:26
  as he
• 30:27
  makes his
• 30:28
  appeals
• 30:28
  so we
• 30:30
  tonight
• 30:30
  are the
• 30:31
  beneficiaries
• 30:31
  of this
• 30:33
  great psalm
• 30:34
  this portion
• 30:35
  of God's
• 30:36
  word
• 30:36
  and where
• 30:39
  tonight
• 30:39
  God has
• 30:41
  laid out
• 30:41
  these great
• 30:42
  truths for
• 30:42
  us
• 30:43
  he's also
• 30:44
  saying to
• 30:45
  you and
• 30:45
  he's saying
• 30:45
  to me
• 30:46
  come and
• 30:47
  see and
• 30:48
  taste
• 30:49
  that the
• 30:50
  Lord is
• 30:50
  good
• 30:51
  come and
• 30:52
  fear him
• 30:53
  oh you
• 30:54
  saints
• 30:54
  come God
• 30:56
  is saying
• 30:56
  to you
• 30:56
  come oh
• 30:57
  my children
• 30:57
  listen to
• 30:59
  me
• 30:59
  put into
• 31:01
  practice
• 31:01
  the wisdom
• 31:03
  that I'm
• 31:04
  setting out
• 31:05
  for you
• 31:05
  Lord our
• 31:07
  God we
• 31:08
  thank you
• 31:08
  that we
• 31:10
  have such
• 31:10
  such great
• 31:13
  words as
• 31:13
  these to
• 31:14
  console our
• 31:15
  hearts and
• 31:15
  to guide us
• 31:16
  we thank you
• 31:18
  tonight for
• 31:18
  the way that
• 31:19
  your regard
• 31:19
  for your
• 31:20
  people is
• 31:20
  constant
• 31:21
  unfailing
• 31:22
  and true
• 31:23
  we thank
• 31:24
  you oh
• 31:24
  Lord that
• 31:25
  even such
• 31:26
  as we
• 31:26
  are can
• 31:27
  actually say
• 31:28
  these things
• 31:29
  of ourselves
• 31:29
  oh Lord
• 31:31
  help us we
• 31:32
  pray in
• 31:32
  the confidence
• 31:33
  that we must
• 31:34
  have in the
• 31:34
  Lord help
• 31:36
  us never to
• 31:36
  doubt you or
• 31:37
  to doubt your
• 31:37
  wisdom give
• 31:39
  us to
• 31:40
  progress in
• 31:41
  our Christian
• 31:42
  lives in
• 31:42
  our walk in
• 31:44
  such a way
• 31:44
  oh Lord as
• 31:45
  would seek to
• 31:46
  draw our
• 31:47
  encouragement
• 31:47
  and our
• 31:48
  strength from
• 31:50
  these great
• 31:50
  truths that
• 31:51
  you have
• 31:51
  given us
• 31:51
  grant his
• 31:53
  mercies to
• 31:53
  us we
• 31:53
  pray now
• 31:54
  accept our
• 31:55
  worship and
• 31:56
  cleanse us from
• 31:56
  all our sin
• 31:57
  for Jesus
• 31:58
  sake amen
• 31:59
  and we're going
• 32:02
  to conclude
• 32:02
  from Psalm 34
• 32:03
  robert
• 32:05
  on the
• 32:18
  of
• 32:19
  the
• 32:19
  of
• 32:21
  the
• 32:21
  the
• 32:21
  the
• 32:21
  the