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Experience_the_Peace_of_Jesus_Above_Everything_as_You_Sleep_Tonight · Abide Meditation App

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to this sleep story from Abide.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: I'm James.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: I am so glad you've chosen to join me in
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: hearing this story titled Jesus Above Everything. In tonight's meditation,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: based on Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and twenty six,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: we will be exploring what it means for us to
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: place Jesus above everything, that he may be our greatest desire,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: the one who is first and foremost in our lives,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the one who we run to when we are low,
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  Speaker 1: the one we praise when we have joy, our first
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  Speaker 1: recourse instead of our last resort. We will be discovering
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: how it is possible to desire Him over all other loves.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: The scripture that will be guiding us tonight is from
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and twenty six, written
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: by Asaph. Whom have I in heaven but You? And
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: the strength of my heart and my portion.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: Forever.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: We are made in His image, and we are made
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  Speaker 1: for union with him. We were made to walk in
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  Speaker 1: the garden with him, and He has created us with
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  Speaker 1: many valid needs as humans, but He is above all.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: We will be experiencing this theme to night through dwelling
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: on certain psalms and the words of Jesus himself. We
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: will be letting Him touch our hearts and reveal his
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: truth to us, so we can journey through this life
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: relying on Him most of all, and having our needs
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: met in the ways He has designed. First of all,
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: I invite you to make yourself comfortable and cozy under
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  Speaker 1: the covers. Let your head and neck grow heavy and
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  Speaker 1: sink into the soft pillows. Release the stresses and worries
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  Speaker 1: of the day, and let go of any tension that
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  Speaker 1: has collected your face and jawn. Breathe gently and deeply
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: as you let the peace of God enfold you Inhale
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: and hold, Exhale and release. Take a few more breaths
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: like this, and feel yourself surrendering your cares to Him,
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: knowing he cares deeply for you. Everything that matters to
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: you matters to your Father and Heaven. Still your mind
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: by bringing your attention to your breathing rhythm. Often, when
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: our minds are busy and going to and fro, bringing
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  Speaker 1: your focus to something very simple like the wind, gently
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: moving a tree branch outside your window, or the soothing
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  Speaker 1: pattern of your breathing can start to calm your mind
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: for the next few moments. Simply listen to your own
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  Speaker 1: natural inhalations and exhalations, like the tidal waves at the
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  Speaker 1: ocean shore, in and out, in and out, in and out.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: Feel your belly rise and fall, feel your mind calming
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: down and your body entering into deep rest. Your attention
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: on this for as long as you want. I also
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  Speaker 1: invite you to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: He has given you the breath and your lungs, and
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  Speaker 1: he sustains your very being by his power and grace.
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  Speaker 1: Fresh oxygen is nourishing your body because He is making it.
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  Speaker 1: Do so, breathe out your thanks to Him for such
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  Speaker 1: love and mercy. He doesn't leave you to breathe on
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  Speaker 1: your own. He is completely invested in doing even the
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: most basic parts of life with you. What a marvelous
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: and loving creator we have. Let me ask God to
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: bless and guide our time together. Dear Heavenly Father, there
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: is no one like you, none in all the heavens
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: are on the earth. There is no one more glorious
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  Speaker 1: or more wonderful. More kind or more gentle, more caring,
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  Speaker 1: or more powerful than you. I pray that you would
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  Speaker 1: gently draw this listener's full attention and affection toward you
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  Speaker 1: to night, lead their focus away from the troubles that
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  Speaker 1: might seem insurmountable and toward you. They are all sufficient,
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  Speaker 1: Lord and Savior and friend, Holy Spirit. I ask that
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  Speaker 1: you would show yourself to them tonight and reveal Jesus
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: as everything they need. Yes, they have other needs and
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  Speaker 1: desires that are totally designed by You, but show them
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  Speaker 1: where they need You and not other forms of comfort
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  Speaker 1: and strength. You are our main source of strength and stability.
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  Speaker 1: You give us the answers that we can't find in
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  Speaker 1: the world, and in seeking You, we are able to
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  Speaker 1: genuinely live in community the way we are created to.
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  Speaker 1: In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen, allow me
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  Speaker 1: to read our base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit
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  Speaker 1: inspired words that have stood the test of thousands of
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  Speaker 1: years for millions of men and women, and they stand
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  Speaker 1: true for us to day. May this truth sink deeply
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  Speaker 1: into our souls. Whom have I in heaven but You,
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  Speaker 1: And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You,
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  Speaker 1: My flesh and my heart may fail. But God is
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  Speaker 1: the strength of my heart and my portion forever. God
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  Speaker 1: wants to be your first and last desire and your
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: strength when all other things fail. At some point in
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  Speaker 1: our lives, our strength will let us down. Our hearts
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  Speaker 1: may fail, our flesh may weaken, our minds may falter.
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  Speaker 1: What we trusted in when we were youthful and full
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  Speaker 1: of vitality can't be relied upon forever. Health and property, money, friends,
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  Speaker 1: and spouse may all fail us at some point in life,
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  Speaker 1: but that does not need to cause us disturbance because
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  Speaker 1: we have something unfailing, or rather some one that is
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. We are designed for relationship with him first
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  Speaker 1: and foremost, and he wants to be our first desire.
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  Speaker 1: We read in Psalm eighty four, My soul longs, yes faints.
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  Speaker 2: For the courts of the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: My heart and flesh sing for joy to the Living God.
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  Speaker 1: Something we realize as we grow older and as we
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  Speaker 1: get many of our needs met in many ways, is
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  Speaker 1: that this earthly life is short and our lives are fragile.
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  Speaker 1: Renowned British poet John Keats, who was very sickly from
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  Speaker 1: his youth and passed away. As a young man at
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  Speaker 1: the age of twenty five, wrote the following lyrics from
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  Speaker 1: his poem Owe to a Nightingale, as he was contemplating
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  Speaker 1: the fragility of human existence. Fade far away, dissolve and
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  Speaker 1: quite forget what thou among the leaves hast never known,
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  Speaker 1: the weariness, the fever, and the fret. Here where men
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  Speaker 1: sit and hear each other grow, where palsy shakes, a
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  Speaker 1: few sad last gray hairs, where youth grows pale and specter,
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  Speaker 1: thin and dies, Where but to think is to be
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  Speaker 1: full of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs, where beauty cannot
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  Speaker 1: keep her lustrous eyes, or new love pine at them
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  Speaker 1: beyond to morrow. Similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older,
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  Speaker 1: we know that even beauty and energy and youth will
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  Speaker 1: all fade away one day, but the Lord never will.
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  Speaker 1: He is our portion and our strength in this life
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  Speaker 1: and for eternity. Psalm twenty eight seven says the Lord
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  Speaker 1: is my strength and my shield.
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  Speaker 2: In him.
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  Speaker 1: My heart trusts, and I am helped. My heart exults,
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  Speaker 1: and with my song I give thanks to him. The
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  Speaker 1: Voice translation puts it like this, The eternal is the
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  Speaker 1: source of my strength and the shield that guards me.
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  Speaker 1: When I learn to rest and truly trust him, he
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  Speaker 1: sends his help.
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  Speaker 2: This is why my heart is singing.
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  Speaker 1: I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises.
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  Speaker 1: As so the Lord cannot fail us. Listen again as
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  Speaker 1: I read from Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and
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  Speaker 1: twenty six, this time from the easy to read.
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  Speaker 2: Version in Heaven.
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  Speaker 1: God, I have only you, and if I am with you,
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  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
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  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
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  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
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  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
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  Speaker 1: with Him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
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  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
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  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
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  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
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  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
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  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all.
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  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us,
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  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
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  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met,
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  Speaker 1: but he wants us to ask him to lead that
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  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
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  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you always be first in
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  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful, You are so worthy
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  Speaker 1: of our first love. You are the creator of heaven
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  Speaker 1: and earth. You are the beginning and the end of
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  Speaker 1: all things. You are our bread of life. You are
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  Speaker 1: our living water. You are our covering. You are our
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  Speaker 1: friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are our
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  Speaker 1: spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
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  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave us empty.
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  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
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  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
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  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, Amen, if you have ever
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  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
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  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his present and nearness more than ever.
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  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than
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  Speaker 1: those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times
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  Speaker 1: lead us to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: you heard him saying, to you, seek my face like so,
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  Speaker 1: I'm twenty seven eight which reads you have said, seek
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  Speaker 1: my face. My heart says to you your face, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
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  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world where we see
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  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
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  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
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  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image, and we
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  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
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  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and
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  Speaker 1: purpose and even a spouse. Though he just loves to
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  Speaker 1: give us all these good gifts, these things can't deeply
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  Speaker 1: fulfill us. They are the icing, and he is the cake.
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  Speaker 1: As we become content with him and make him our
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  Speaker 1: first love, we usually find that all of these other
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  Speaker 1: things fall into their rightful place. As we know from
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  Speaker 1: Matthew six, Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
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  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
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  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
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  Speaker 1: his kingdom and fullness.
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  Speaker 2: Breathe deeply and drink in this love.
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  Speaker 1: Precious child, Father, God is grinning widely over you. See
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  Speaker 1: his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you. They hold
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  Speaker 1: no shame no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love, love that
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  Speaker 1: not even the kindest human could give you.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus is so gracious.
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  Speaker 1: Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews ten twenty
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  Speaker 1: two tells us, let us draw near with the true
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  Speaker 1: heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled
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  Speaker 1: clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies watched with
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  Speaker 1: pure water. Maybe he is waiting right now for you
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  Speaker 1: to come to him and fall into his arms. You
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  Speaker 1: don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere.
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  Speaker 1: Come to him, and he will put everything in its
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  Speaker 1: proper place. He knows what you need far better than
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  Speaker 1: you ever will. Listen as I read down to verse ten,
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  Speaker 1: and our foundation saw in the voice translation. When the
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  Speaker 1: armies of the enemy surround me, I will not be
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  Speaker 1: afraid when death calls for me in the midst of war.
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  Speaker 1: My soul is confident and unmoved. I am pleading with
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  Speaker 1: the eternal for this one thing, my soul's desire to
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  Speaker 1: live with him all of my days in the shadow
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  Speaker 1: of his temple, to behold his beauty and ponder his
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  Speaker 1: ways in the company of his people. His house is
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  Speaker 1: my shelter and secret retreat. It is there I find
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  Speaker 1: peace in the midst of storm and turmoil. Safety sits
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  Speaker 1: with me in the hiding place of God. He will
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  Speaker 1: set me on a rock high above the fray. God
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  Speaker 1: lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and
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  Speaker 1: deceit that call for my life. I will enter his presence,
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  Speaker 1: offering sacrifices and praise in his house. I am overcome
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  Speaker 1: with joy as I sing yes and play music for
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  Speaker 1: the eternal alone. I cannot shout any louder. Eternal One,
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  Speaker 1: hear my cry and respond with your grace. The priding
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  Speaker 1: of my heart leads me to chase after you. I
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  Speaker 1: am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me. You
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  Speaker 1: have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
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  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
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  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
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  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me my God and only salvation.
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  Speaker 1: My father and mother have deserted me. Yet the eternal
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  Speaker 1: will take me in. Oh Eternal show me your way.
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  Speaker 1: Shine your light brightly on this path and make it
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  Speaker 1: level for me. Let us behold his beauty in our hearts.
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  Speaker 1: Now there is nothing else like it. Often we realize
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  Speaker 1: we have nurture to substitute God in our hearts when
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  Speaker 1: we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves
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  Speaker 1: searching and searching for a sense of soul satisfaction in
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  Speaker 1: other places. In these times, Jesus is inviting us again
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  Speaker 1: to make him the king of our hearts. Saint Augustine
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  Speaker 1: of Hippo felt it. He wrote about the void that
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  Speaker 1: is every one's heart that can only be filled by God.
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  Speaker 1: God is so good and gracious that he knows we
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  Speaker 1: can't invite him as king without his help. We can't
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  Speaker 1: do it in our strength. He wants us to ask
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  Speaker 1: for his help. He is our strength, and he is
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  Speaker 1: our help. How wonderful he is. There is never any
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  Speaker 1: condemnation from him. He is so ready and willing to
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  Speaker 1: help us put him first in our hearts. Pray with me,
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  Speaker 1: Dear King Jesus, thank you for so gently and kindly
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  Speaker 1: revealing yourself to us. More, thank you that it's such
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  Speaker 1: a freeing truth to know that you are above all
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  Speaker 1: else in our lives. You love meeting our needs as humans,
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  Speaker 1: and you love being the fulfillment of our deepest desires.
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  Speaker 1: Let us want you above all other wants. May you
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  Speaker 1: be first and foremost in our hearts. May you always
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  Speaker 1: be front and center, not just in word, but indeed
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  Speaker 1: and in truth. Would you show us that you are
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  Speaker 1: more necessary than comforts and possessions or even companionship, although
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  Speaker 1: those are blessings you.
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  Speaker 2: Want to give us.
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  Speaker 1: You are our true of life and our real living water.
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  Speaker 1: We were created for you to bring you glory and
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  Speaker 1: enjoy you forever. Thank you that you know all our
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  Speaker 1: physical needs, and you feed even the little sparrows. So
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  Speaker 1: how much more will you feed us, your beloved children,
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  Speaker 1: and your name Jesus, We pray Amen. Listen again to
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  Speaker 1: the words of Psalm seventy three. For all my wanting.
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  Speaker 1: I don't have anyone but You in heaven. There is
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  Speaker 1: nothing on earth that I desire other than you. I
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  Speaker 1: admit how broken I am in body and spirit. But
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  Speaker 1: God is my strength and he will be mine forever.
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  Speaker 1: Every time someone or something fails you, God is there
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  Speaker 1: to catch you. Even the gifts he gives us and
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  Speaker 1: the companions he blesses us with may let us down,
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  Speaker 1: but God himself will never let us down. When people
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  Speaker 1: disappoint us or flake out on us when we need
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  Speaker 1: the most, it can be a crushing blow, but the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is always right there to hold you and
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  Speaker 1: comfort you. He is not flaky. He will never fail
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  Speaker 1: you or forsake you. That's his promise, and it's impossible
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  Speaker 1: for him to break his promise. When others fail or
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  Speaker 1: forsake you. God is guiding you and providing for you.
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  Speaker 1: He is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful. Even
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  Speaker 1: in your moments of weakness, he will prove to you
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  Speaker 1: that he is strong. He is unfailing, even when you
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  Speaker 1: or others fail. I pray that you will see his
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  Speaker 1: goodness and that you will be able to echo the
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  Speaker 1: words of the Psalmist and word, deed and truth. There
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  Speaker 1: is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Keep
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  Speaker 1: breathing gently, Let the peace of deep sleep continue to
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  Speaker 1: enfold you. God is taking his place in your heart,
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  Speaker 1: and he is making all things right. He is shouldering
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  Speaker 1: your burdens. He is supplying you with everything you need.
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  Speaker 1: Precious One, you can trust him first and foremost to
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  Speaker 1: provide for you, just like a good father for their child.
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  Speaker 1: Listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from
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  Speaker 1: Matthew six, Verses twenty six to thirty four. Look at
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  Speaker 1: the birds in the sky. They do not store food
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  Speaker 1: for winter. They don't plan gardens, they do not sow
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  Speaker 1: or reap, and yet they are always fed because your
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  Speaker 1: heavenly Father feeds them.
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  Speaker 2: And you are even more.
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  Speaker 1: Precious to him than a beautiful bird. If he looks
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  Speaker 1: after them, of course he will look after you. Worrying
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  Speaker 1: does not do any good. Who here can claim to
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  Speaker 1: add even an hour to his life by worrying? Nor
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  Speaker 1: should you worry about clothes. Consider the lilies of the
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  Speaker 1: field and how they grow. They do not work, or
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  Speaker 1: weave or so, and yet their garments are studying. Even
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  Speaker 1: King Solomon, dressed in his most regal garb, was not
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  Speaker 1: as lovely as these lilies. And think about grassy fields.
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  Speaker 1: The grasses are here now, but they will be dead
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  Speaker 1: by winter, and yet God adorns them so radiantly. How
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  Speaker 1: much more will he clothe you, you of little faith,
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  Speaker 1: you who have no trust. So do not consume yourselves
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  Speaker 1: with questions what will we eat?
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  Speaker 2: What will we drink? What will we wear?
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  Speaker 1: Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions. They don't realize
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  Speaker 1: that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. Seek first,
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, And then all
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  Speaker 1: these things will be given to you too. Our father
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  Speaker 1: God knows all our needs. He created us with those needs.
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  Speaker 1: He has given us everything in this life to meet
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  Speaker 1: those needs. But most of all, he has given us
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  Speaker 1: the greatest gift of his son, Jesus. We are first
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  Speaker 1: and foremost created for deep relationship and union with His Son.
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  Speaker 1: Still your mind and is your attention on Jesus. His
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is given to you to make the presence
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  Speaker 1: and person of Jesus real and tangible to you. Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: you can sense him. Perhaps he is whispering softly to
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  Speaker 1: your heart. Perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps he is filling you with peace. Allow him to
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  Speaker 1: show himself to you in whatever way he wants. He
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: is fulfilling your needs right now, maybe needs you didn't
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: know you had. He created you, so he knows you
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: better than you know yourself. In Philippians three eight and nine,
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ in his life. Indeed,
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: I count everything as lost because of the surpassing worth
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: have suffered the loss of all things and count them
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: own that comes from the law, but that which comes
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: on faith. Join me as we close in prayer. Dear
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Father God, thank you for being our sustenance and strength,
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: our refuge and rest, the only one who truly provides
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: and guides us. Would you help us to continue to
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: experience You as our all sufficient Lord.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: You know what we need before we even ask for it.
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: Bless this child's sleep tonight. May they dreams sweet dreams
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: in your presence, and wake up refreshed in Jesus.
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: Nay Amen.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Continue to let the truths of this story again. He
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory.
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: everything else in your life. Allow me to read our
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit inspired words that
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: have stood the test of thousands of years for millions
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: of men and women, and they stand true for us today.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: May this truth sink deeply into our souls. Whom have
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: I in heaven but You, and there is nothing on
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: heart and my portion forever. God wants to be your
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: first and last desire and your strength when all other
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: things fail. At some point in our lives, our strength
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: will let us down. Our hearts may fail, our flesh
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: may weaken, our minds may falter. What we trusted in
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: when we were youthful and full of vitality can't be
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: relied upon forever. Health and property, money, friends, and spouse
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: may all fail us at some point in life, but
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: that does not need to cause us disturbance because we
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: have something unfailing, or rather someone.
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: That is Jesus Christ.
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: We are designed for relationship with him first and foremost,
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: and he wants to be our first desire. We read
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: in Psalm eighty four. My soul longs, yes, faiths for
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: for joy to the Living God. Something we realize as
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: we grow older and as we get many of our
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: needs met in many ways.
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: Is that this earthly.
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: Life is short and our lives are fragile. Renowned British
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: poet John Keats, who was very sickly from his youth
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: and passed away.
• 29:28
  Speaker 2: As a young man.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: At the age of twenty five, wrote the following lyrics
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: from his poem Ode to a Nightingale, as he was
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: contemplating the fragility of human existence. Fade far away, dissolve,
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: and quite forget what thou among the leaves hast never
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: known the weariness, the fever, and the fret. Here where
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: men sit and hear each other groan, where palsy shakes,
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: a few sad last gray hairs, where youth grows pale
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: and specter thin and dies. Where but to think is
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: to be full of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs where
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, or new love pine
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: at them beyond tomorrow. Similar to Solomon's understanding as he
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: grew older, We know that even beauty and energy and
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: youth will all fade away one day, but the Lord
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: never will. He is our portion and our strength in
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: this life and for eternity. Psalm twenty eight seven says
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: the Lord is my strength and my shield. In him,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: my heart trusts, and I am helped. My heart exults,
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: and with my song I give thanks to him. The
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: voice translation puts it like this. The Eternal is the
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: source of my strength and the shield that guards me.
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: When I learn to rest and truly trust him, he
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: sends his help. This is why my heart is singing.
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: as soul. The Lord cannot fail us. Listen again as
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: I read from Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: twenty six, this time from the easy to read version.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: In Heaven.
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: God, I have only you, and if I am with you,
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: with Him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all.
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us,
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: But he wants us to ask him to lead that
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you all be first in
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful. You are so worthy
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: of our first love. You are the creator of heaven
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: and earth. You are the beginning and the end of
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: all things. You are our bread of life. You are
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: our living water. You are our covering.
• 33:23
  Speaker 2: You are our.
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: Friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are our
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave us empty.
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, Amen, if you have ever
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever.
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: lead us to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: you heard him saying to you seek my face likes
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: I'm twenty seven to eight, which reads you have said,
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: seek my face, My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: days of our lives.
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: In this world, where.
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: We see many people lost and running to other things
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: to fulfill them, it's easy to forget how much we
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: need him. We forget that we are made in His image,
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: and we need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: mortal bodies, and so we do need Jesus more than
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: comforts and purpose and even a spouse. Though he just
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: loves to give us all these good gifts, these things
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: can't deeply fulfill us. They are the icing, and he
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: is the cake. As we become content with him and
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: make him our first love, we usually find that all
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: of these other things fall into their rightful place.
• 35:25
  Speaker 2: As we know from.
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: Matthew six, Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: his kingdom in fullness. Breathe deeply and drink in this love.
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: Precious child, Father, God is grinning widely over you. See
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: his eyes brimming with kindness. Looking at you, they hold
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: no shame, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love, love that
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: not even the kindest human could give you. Jesus is
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: so gracious. Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: ten twenty two tells us, let us draw near with
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: the true heart and full assurance of faith, with our
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies.
• 36:29
  Speaker 2: Watched with pure water.
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: Maybe he is waiting right now for you to come
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: to him and fall into his arms. You don't need
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: to run around getting your needs met elsewhere. Come to him,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: and he will put everything in its proper place. He
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: knows what you need far better than you ever will.
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: Listen as I read down to verse ten in Our
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: Foundation's Psalm Voice translation. When the armies of the enemy
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: surround me, I will not be afraid when death calls
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: for me in the midst of war. My soul is
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: confident and unmoved. I am pleading with the eternal for
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: this one thing, my soul's desire to live with him
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: all of my days in the shadow of his temple,
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: to behold his beauty and ponder his ways in the
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: company of his people. His house is my shelter and
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: secret retreat. It is there I find peace in the
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: midst of storm and turmoil. Safety sits with me in
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: the hiding place of God. He will set me on
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: a rock high above the frame. God lives me, high
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: above those with thoughts of death and deceit that call
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: for my life. I will enter his presence, offering sacrifices
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: and praise in his house. I am overcome with joy
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: as I sing yes and play music for the eternal alone,
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: I cannot shout any louder. Eternal One, hear my cry
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: and respond with your grace. The priding of my heart
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: leads me to chase after you. I am seeking you,
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: Eternal One. Don't retreat from me. You have always answered
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: my call. Don't hide from me now. Don't give up
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: on me in anger at your servant. You have always
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: been there for me. Don't throw me to the side
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: and forget me my God and only salvation. My father
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: and mother have deserted me, Yet the eternal will take
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: me in. Oh Eternal show me your way. Shine your
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: light brightly on this path and make it level for me.
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: Let us behold his beauty in our hearts now there
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: is nothing else like it. Often we realize we have
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: nurture to substitute God in our hearts when we sense
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: searching for a sense of soul satisfaction in other places.
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: In these times, Jesus is inviting us again to make
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: him the king of our hearts. Saint Augustine of Hippo
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: felt it. He wrote about the void that is every
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: one's heart that can only be filled by God. God
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: is so good and gracious that he knows we can't
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: invite him as king without his help. We can't do
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: it in our strength. He wants us to ask for
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: his help. He is our strength, and he is our help.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: How wonderful he is. There is never any condemnation from him.
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: He is so ready and willing to help us put
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: him first in our hearts. Pray with me, Dear King Jesus,
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More,
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: that you are above all else in our lives. You
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: love meeting our needs as humans, and you love being
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: the fulfillment of our deepest desires. Let us want you
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: above all other wants. May you be first and foremost
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. May you always be front and center,
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: not just in word, but indeed and in truth. Would
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: you show us that you are more necessary than comforts
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: and possessions or even companionship, although those are blessings you
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: want to give us. You are our true bread of life,
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: life and our real living water. We were created for
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever. Thank
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: you that you know all our physical needs, and you
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: feed even the little sparrows. So how much more will
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: you feed us, your beloved children, and your name Jesus,
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: We pray Amen. Listen again to the words of Psalm
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: seventy three. For all my wanting, I don't have any
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: one but You in heaven. There is nothing on earth
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: that I desire other than you. I admit how broken
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: I am in body and spirit. But God is my
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: strength and he will be mine forever. Every time someone
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: or something fails you, God is there to catch you.
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: Even the gifts He gives us and the companions he
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: blesses us with may let us down, but God himself
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: will never let us down. When people disappoint us or
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: flake out on us when we need the most. It
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: can be a crushing blow, but the Holy Spirit is
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: always right there to hold you and comfort you. He
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: is not flaky. He will never fail you or forsake you.
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: That's his promise, and it's impossible for him to break
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: his promise. When others fail or forsake you, God is
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: guiding you and providing for you. He is proving his
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: faithfulness when others are unfaithful. Even in your moments of weakness,
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: he will prove to you that he is strong. He
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: is unfailing even when you or others fail. I pray
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: that you will see his goodness and that you will
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: be able to echo the words of the Psalmist and word,
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: deed and truth. There is nothing on earth that I
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: desire besides you. Keep breathing gently, Let the peace of
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: deep sleep continue to enfold you. God is taking his
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: place in your heart, and he is making all things right.
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: He is shouldering your burdens. He is supplying you with
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: everything you need. Precious One, you can trust him first
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: and foremost to provide for you, just like a good
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: father for their child. Listen as I read the words
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: from Jesus himself from Matthew six, verses twenty six to
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: thirty four. Look at the birds in the sky. They
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: do not store food for winter. They don't plant gardens,
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: they do not sow or reap, and yet they are
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird.
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: If he looks after them, of course he will look
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: after you. Worrying does not do any good. Who here
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: can claim to add even an hour to his life
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: by worrying? Nor should you worry about clothes. Consider the
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: lilies of the field and how they grow. They do
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: not work, or weave or sow, and yet their garments
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: are studying. Even King Solomon, dressed in his most regal garb,
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: was not as lovely as these lilies. And think about
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: grassy fields. The grasses are here now, but they will
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: be dead by winter, and yet God adorns them so radiantly.
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: How much more will he clothe you? Faith, you who
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: have no trust, So do not consume yourselves with questions
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: what will we eat.
• 45:09
  Speaker 2: What will we drink? What will we wear?
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions. They don't realize
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: that your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. Seek
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: all these things will be given to you too. Our
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: Father God knows all our needs. He created us with
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: those needs. He has given us everything in this life
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: to meet those needs. But most of all, he has
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: given us the greatest gift of his son, Jesus. We
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: are first and foremost created for deep relationship and union
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: with his Son. Still your mind and focus your tear
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: on Jesus. His holy spirit is given to you to
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: to you. Perhaps you can sense him. Perhaps he is
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: whispering softly to your heart. Perhaps he is surrounding you
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: with a warm glow. Perhaps he is filling you with peace.
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: Allow him to show himself to you in whatever way
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: he wants. He is fulfilling your needs right now, maybe
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: needs you didn't know you had. He created you, so
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: he knows you better than you know yourself. In Philippians
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: three eight and nine, Paul expresses the all sufficiency of
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: Christ in his life. Indeed, I count everything as loss
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus, my Lord.
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: things and count them as rubbish in order that I
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: may gain Christ and be found in Him. Not having
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: from God that depends on faith. Join me as we
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: close in prayer. Dear Father God, thank you for being
• 47:25
  Speaker 1: our sustenance and strength, our refuge and rest, the only
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: one who truly provides and guides us. Would you help
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: us to continue to experience You as our all sufficient Lord.
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: You know what we need before we even ask for it.
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: Bless this child's salute tonight. May they dream sweet dreams
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus.
• 47:53
  Speaker 2: Nay amen.
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: Continuing to let the truths of this story sinkain, He
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory.
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: Listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: everything else in your life. Allow me to read our
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit inspired words that
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: have stood the test of thousands of years for millions
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: of men and women, and they stand true for us
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: to day. May this truth sink deeply into our souls,
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: whom have I in heaven but You, And there is
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: and my heart may fail, but God is the strength
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: of my heart and my portion forever. God wants to
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: be your first and last desire and your strength when
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: all other things fail. At some point in our lives,
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: our strength will let us down. Our hearts may fail,
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: our flesh may weaken, our minds may falter. What we
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: trusted in when we were youthful and full of vitality
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: can't be relied upon forever. Health and property, money, friends,
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: and spouse may all fail us at some point in life,
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: but that does not need to cause us disturbance because
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: we have something unfailing, or rather someone that is Jesus Christ.
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: We are designed for relationship with him first and foremost,
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: and he wants to be our first desire. We read
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: in Psalm eighty four. My soul longs, yes, faiths for
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: the court of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: for joy to the Living God. Something we realize as
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: we grow older and as we get many of our
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: needs met in many ways, is that this earthly life
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: is short, and our lives are fragile. Renowned British poet
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: John Keats, who was very sickly from his youth and
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: passed away as a young man at the age of
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: twenty five, wrote the following lyrics from his poem Owe
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: to a Nightingale, as he was contemplating the fragility of
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: human existence. Fade far away, dissolve and quite forget what
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: thou among the leaves hast never known, the weariness, the fever,
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: and the fret. Here where men sit and hear each
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: other grow, where palsy shakes, a few sad last gray hairs,
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: where youth grows pale and specter thin and dies. Where
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: but to think is to be full of sorrow and
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: leaden eyed despairs, where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes,
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: or new love pine at them beyond tomorrow. Similar to
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: Solomon's understanding as he grew older, we know that even
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: beauty and energy and youth will all fade away one day,
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: but the Lord never will. He is our portion and
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: our strength in this life and for eternity. Psalm twenty
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: eight seven says the Lord is my strength and my shield.
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: In him, my heart trusts, and I am helped. My
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: The voice translation puts it like this, The Eternal is
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: the source of my strength and the shield that guards me.
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: When I learn to rest and truly trust him, he
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: sends his help.
• 52:14
  Speaker 2: This is why my heart is singing.
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: as soul. The Lord cannot fail us. Listen again as
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: I read from Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: twenty six, this time from the easy to read.
• 52:34
  Speaker 2: Version in Heaven.
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: God, I have only you, and if I am with you,
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: with Him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all.
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met,
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: But he wants us to ask him to lead that
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you all always be first
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. You are so wonderful, You are so
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: worthy of our first love. You are the creator of
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: heaven and earth. You are the beginning and the end
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: of all things. You are our bread of life. You
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: are our living water. You are our covering. You are
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: our friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: our spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave us empty.
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, Amen, if you have ever
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever.
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: lead us to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: you heard him saying to you, seek my face. Like
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: so I'm twenty seven to eight, which reads you have said,
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: seek my face. My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world, where we see
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image, and we
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: purpose and even a spouse. Though he just loves to
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: give us all these good gifts, these things can't deeply
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: fulfill us. They are the icing, and he is the cake.
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: As we become content with him and make him our
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: first love, we usually find that all of these other
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: things fall into their rightful place.
• 56:26
  Speaker 2: As we know from Matthew.
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: Six, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: his kingdom and fullness.
• 56:44
  Speaker 2: Breathe deeply and.
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: Drink in this love, precious child, Father, God is grinning
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: widely over you. See his eyes brimming with kindness looking
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: at you. They hold no shame, no judgment, just pure,
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: unadulterated love, Love that not even the kindest human could
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: give you. Jesus is so gracious. Let us draw near
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: to him unashamed. Hebrews ten twenty two tells us, let
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: us draw near with the true heart and full assurance
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience,
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: and our bodies washed with pure water. Maybe He is
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: waiting right now for you to come to him and
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: fall into his arms. You don't need to run around
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: getting your needs met elsewhere. Come to him, and he
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: will put everything in its proper place. He knows what
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: you need far better than you ever will. Listen as
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: I read down to verse ten in Our Foundation's Psalm,
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: the Voice translation, when the armies of the enemy surround me,
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: I will not be afraid when death calls for me
• 58:08
  Speaker 1: in the midst of war. My soul is confident and unmoved.
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: I am pleading with the eternal for this one thing,
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: my soul's desire to live with him all of my
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: days in the shadow of his temple, to behold his
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: beauty and ponder his ways in the company of his people.
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: His house is my shelter and secret retreat. It is
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: there I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil.
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: Safety sits with me in the hiding place of God.
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: He will set me on a rock high above the fray.
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: and deceit that call for my life. I will enter
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: his presence, offering sacrifices and praise in his house. I
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: am overco with joy. As I say yes and play
• 59:04
  Speaker 1: music for the eternal alone, I cannot shout any louder.
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: Eternal One, hear my cry and respond with your grace.
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: The priding of my heart leads me to chase after you.
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: I am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me.
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: You have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me my God and only salvation.
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: My father and mother have deserted me. Yet the eternal
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: will take me in. Oh Eternal, show me your way,
• 59:49
  Speaker 1: Shine your light brightly on this path and make it
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: level for me. Let us behold His beauty in our hearts.
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: Now there is nothing else like it. Often we realize
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: we have nurture to substitute God in our hearts when
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: searching and searching for a sense of soul satisfaction in
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: other places. In these times, Jesus is inviting us again
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: to make him the king of our hearts. Saint Augustine
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: of Hippo felt it. He wrote about the void that
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: is every one's heart that can only be filled by God.
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: God is so good and gracious that he knows we
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: can't invite him as king without his help. We can't
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: do it in our strength. He wants us to ask
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: for his help. He is our strength, and he is
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: our help. How wonderful he is. There is never any
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: condemnation from him. He is so ready and willing to
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: help us put him first.
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 2: In our hearts.
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: Pray with me, Dear King Jesus, thank you for so
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More, thank you
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: that it's such a freeing truth to know that you
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: are above all else in our lives. You love meeting
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: our needs as humans, and you love being the fulfillment
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: of our deepest desires. Let us want you above all
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: other wants. May you be first and foremost in our hearts.
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: May you always be front and center, not just in word,
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: but indeed and in truth. Would you show us that
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: you are more necessary than comforts and possessions or even companionship,
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: although those are blessings you want to give us. You
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: are our true bread, life, and our real living water.
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: We were created for you to bring you glory and
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: enjoy you forever. Thank you that you know all our
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: physical needs, and you feed even the little sparrows. So
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: how much more will you feed us, your beloved children,
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: and your name Jesus, We pray Amen. Listen again to
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: the words of Psalm seventy three. For all my wanting,
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: I don't have any one but You in heaven. There
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: I admit how broken I am in body and spirit.
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: But God is my strength and he will be mine forever.
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: Every time someone or something fails you, God is there
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 1: to catch you. Even the gifts He gives us and
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: the companions he blesses us with. May let us down
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: but God himself will never let us down. When people
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: disappoint us or flake out on us when we need
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: the most, it can be a crushing blow, but the
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is always right there to hold you and
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: comfort you. He is not flaky. He will never fail
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: you or forsake you. That's his promise, and it's impossible
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 1: for him to break his promise. When others fail or
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: forsake you, God is guiding you and providing for you.
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: He is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful. Even
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: in your moments of weakness, he will prove to you
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: that he is strong. He is unfailing even when you
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: or others fail. I pray that you will see his
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: goodness and that you will be able to to echo
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: the words of the Psalmist and word, deed and truth.
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 1: There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: Keep breathing gently, Let the peace of deep sleep continue
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: to enfold you. God is taking his place in your heart,
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: and he is making all things right. He is shouldering
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: your burdens. He is supplying you with everything you need.
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: Precious One, you can trust him first and foremost to
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: provide for you, just like a good father, for their child.
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: Listen as I read the words from Jesus himself, from
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 1: Matthew six, verses twenty six to thirty four. Look at
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: the birds in the sky. They do not store food
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: for winter. They don't plant gardens, they do not sow
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: or reap, and yet they are always fed, because your
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: heavenly Father feeds them.
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 2: And you are even more.
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: Precious to him than a beautiful bird. If he looks
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: after them, of course he will look after you. Worrying
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: does not do any good. Who here can claim to
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: add even an hour to his life by worrying? Nor
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: should you worry about clothes. Consider the lilies of the
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: field and how they grow. They do not work or
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: weave or sow, and yet their garments are studying. Even
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: King Solomon, dressed in his most regal garb, was not
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: as lovely as these lilies. And think about grassy fields.
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: The grasses are here now, but they will be dead
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: by winter, and yet God adorns them so radiantly. How
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: much more will he clothe you, you little faith, you
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: who have no trust. So do not consume yourselves with questions.
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: What will we eat, what will we drink? What will
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: we wear? Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions. They
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: don't realize that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need.
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 1: Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: then all these things will be given to you too.
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 1: Our father God knows all our needs. He created us
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: with those needs. He has given us everything in this
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: life to meet those needs. But most of all, he
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: has given us the greatest gift of his son, Jesus.
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 1: We are first and foremost created for deep relationship and
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: union with his Son. Still your mind and focus yours
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: on Jesus. His Holy spirit is given to you to
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: make the presence and person of Jesus real and tangible
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: to you. Perhaps you can sense him. Perhaps he is
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: whispering softly to your heart. Perhaps he is surrounding you
• 1:07:17
  Speaker 1: with a warm glow. Perhaps he is filling you with peace.
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: Allow him to show himself to you in whatever way
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: he wants. He is fulfilling your needs right now, maybe
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 1: needs you didn't know you had. He created you, so
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: he knows you better than you know yourself. In Philippians
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: three eight and nine, Paul expresses the all sufficiency of
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: Christ and his life. Indeed, I count everything as loss
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 1: because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord.
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: things and count them as rubbish, in order that I
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: from God that depends on faith. Join me as we
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: close in prayer. Dear Father God, thank you for being
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: our sustenance and strength, our refuge and rest, the only
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: one who truly provides and guides us. Would you help
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: us to continue to experience You as our all sufficient Lord.
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: You know what we need before we even ask for it.
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: Bless this child's sleep tonight. May they dream sweet dreams
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus.
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 2: Nay amen.
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: Continue to let the truths of this story sinkain. He
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory.
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: Listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: everything else in your life. Allow me to read our
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit inspired words that
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: have stood the test of thousands of years for millions
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: of men and women, and they stand true for us today.
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: May this truth sink deeply into our souls. Whom have
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 1: I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: heart and my portion forever. God wants to be your
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: first and last desire and your strength when all other
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: things fail. At some point in our lives, our strength
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: will let us down. Our hearts may fail, our flesh
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: may weaken, our minds may falter. What we trusted in
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: when we were youthful and full of vitality can't be
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: relied upon forever. Health and property, money, friends, and spouse
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: may all fail us at some point in life. But
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: that does not need to cause us disturbance because we
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 1: have something unfailing, or rather someone.
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 2: That is Jesus Christ.
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 1: We are designed for relationship with Him first and foremost,
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: and he wants to be our first desire.
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 2: We read in Psalm.
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: Eighty four, My soul longs, yes fainths for the courts
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing for joy
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: to the Living God. Something we realize as we grow
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: older and as we get many of our needs met
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: in many ways is that this earthly life is short,
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: and our lives are fragile. Renowned British poet John Keats,
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 1: who was very sickly from his youth and passed away
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: as a young man at the age of twenty five,
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: wrote the following lyrics from his poem Owe to a Nightingale,
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: as he was contemplating the fragility of human existence. Fade
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: far away, dissolve and quite forget what thou among the
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: leaves hast never known, the weariness, the fever, and the fret.
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: Here where men sit and hear each other groan, where
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: palsy shakes a few sad gray hairs, where youth grows
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: pale and specter thin and dies. Where but to think
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: is to be full of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs,
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, or new love
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: pine at them beyond tomorrow. Similar to Solomon's understanding as
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: he grew older, we know that even beauty and energy
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 1: and youth will all fade away one day, but the
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: Lord never will.
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 2: He is our.
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 1: Portion and our strength in this life and for eternity.
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 1: Psalm twenty eight to seven says the Lord is my
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: strength and my shield in him. My heart trusts, and
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: I am helped. My heart exults, and with my song
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: I give thanks to Him. The voice translation puts it
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: like this, The Eternal is the source of my strength
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: and the shield that guards me. When I learn to
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: rest and truly trust him, he sends his help.
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 2: This is why my heart is singing.
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 1: I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises.
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 2: As so.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: The Lord cannot fail us. Listen again as I read
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: from Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and twenty six,
• 1:13:31
  Speaker 1: this time from the easy to read version.
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 2: In Heaven.
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: God, I have only you, and if I am with you,
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: with Him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all,
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: I pray that he may be most precious to us
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met,
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: but he wants us to ask him to lead that
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you always be first in
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful, You are so worthy
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: of our first love. You are the creator of heaven
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: and earth. You are the beginning and the end of
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: all things. You are our bread of life. You are
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: our living water. You are our covering. You are our
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are our
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave us empty.
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, Amen, if you have ever
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever.
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly felt than
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times
• 1:16:10
  Speaker 1: lead us to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 1: you heard him saying to you, seek my face, likes
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: I'm twenty seven eight, which reads you have said, seek
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: my face. My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world, where we see
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image, and we
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and purpose.
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 2: Even a spouse.
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: Though he just loves to give us all these good gifts,
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: these things can't deeply fulfill us. They are the icing,
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 1: and he is the cake. As we become content with
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: him and make him our first love, we usually find
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: that all of these other things fall into their rightful place.
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 1: As we know from Matthew six, Seek first the kingdom
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 1: of God and his righteousness, and then all these things
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: will be given to you too. He is a good
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: king who wants us to enjoy his kingdom and fullness
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 1: breathe deeply and drink in this love. Precious child, Father,
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: God is grinning widely over you. See his eyes brimming
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: with kindness looking at you. They hold no shame, no judgment,
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 1: most pure, unadulterated love, Love that not even the kindest
• 1:18:05
  Speaker 1: human could give you.
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 2: Jesus is so gracious.
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews ten twenty
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: two tells us, let us draw near with the true
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: pure water. Maybe He is waiting right now for you
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 1: to come to him and fall into his arms. You
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 1: don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere.
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: Come to him, and he will put everything in its
• 1:18:46
  Speaker 1: proper place. He knows what you need far better than
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: you ever. Will listen as I read down to verse
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: ten in our Foundation's Psalm, in the voice transl When
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 1: the armies of the enemy surround me, I will not
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 1: be afraid when death calls for me in the midst
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: of war. My soul is confident and unmoved. I am
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: pleading with the eternal for this one thing. My soul's
• 1:19:16
  Speaker 1: desire to live with him all of my days in
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 1: the shadow of his temple, to behold his beauty and
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 1: ponder his ways in the company of his people. His
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: house is my shelter and secret retreat. It is there
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil.
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: Safety sits with me in the hiding place of God.
• 1:19:41
  Speaker 1: He will set me on a rock high above the fray.
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: God lives me high above those with thoughts of death
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: and deceit that call for my life. I will enter
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: his presence, offering sacrifices and praise in his house. I
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: am overcome with joy. I sing yes and play music
• 1:20:03
  Speaker 1: for the eternal alone. I cannot shout any louder. Eternal One,
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: hear my cry and respond with your grace. The pridding
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 1: of my heart leads me to chase after you. I
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 1: am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me. You
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
• 1:20:26
  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me my God and only salvation.
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 1: My father and mother have deserted me. Yet the eternal
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: will take me in. Oh eternal Show me your way,
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 1: Shine your light brightly on this path, and make it
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: level for me. Let us behold his beauty in our hearts. Now,
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: there's nothing else like it. Often we realize we have
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: nurture to substitute God in our hearts when we sense
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 1: searching for a sense of soul satisfaction in other places.
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: In these times, Jesus is inviting us again to make
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: him the king of our hearts. Saint Augustine of Hippo
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 1: felt it. He wrote about the void that is everyone's
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: heart that can only be filled by God.
• 1:21:34
  Speaker 2: God is so good.
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: And gracious that he knows we can't invite him as
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: king without his help.
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 2: We can't do it.
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: In our strength. He wants us to ask for his help.
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: He is our strength, and he is our help. How
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 1: wonderful he is. There is never any condemnation from him.
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: He is so ready and will to help us put
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: him first in our hearts. Pray with me, Dear King Jesus,
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: thank you for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More,
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: that you are above all else in our lives. You
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: love meeting our needs as humans, and you love being
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: the fulfillment of our deepest desires. Let us want you
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: above all other wants. May you be first and foremost
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. May you always be front and center,
• 1:22:40
  Speaker 1: not just in word, but indeed and in truth.
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 2: Would you show us.
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 1: That you are more necessary than comforts and possessions or
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 1: even companionship, although those are blessings you want to give us.
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 1: You are our true bread of life and our real
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 1: living water. We were created for you to bring you
• 1:23:05
  Speaker 1: glory and enjoy you forever. Thank you that you know
• 1:23:11
  Speaker 1: all our physical needs, and you feed even the little sparrows.
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: So how much more will you feed us, your beloved children,
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: and your name Jesus, We pray Amen. Listen again to
• 1:23:30
  Speaker 1: the words of Psalm seventy three. For all my wanting,
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: I don't have any one but You in heaven. There
• 1:23:38
  Speaker 1: is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: I admit how broken I am in body and spirit.
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 1: But God is my strength and he will be mine forever.
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 1: Every time someone or something fails you, God is there
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 1: to catch you. Even the gifts He gives us and
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 1: the companions he blesses us with may let us down,
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 1: but God himself will never let us down. When people
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: disappoint us or flake out on us when we need
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: the most, it can be a crushing blow, but the
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is always right there to hold you and
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 1: comfort you. He is not flaky. He will never fail
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: you or forsake you. That's his promise, and it's impossible
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: for him to break his promise. When others fail or
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 1: forsake you, God is guiding you and providing for you.
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 1: He is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful.
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 2: Even in your.
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 1: Moments of weakness, he will prove to you that he
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 1: is strong. He is unfailing even when you or others fail.
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: I pray that you will see his goodness and that
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: you will be able to echo the world birds of
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 1: the psalmist and word, deed and truth. There is nothing
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: on earth that I desire besides you. Keep breathing gently,
• 1:25:13
  Speaker 1: Let the peace of deep sleep continue to enfold you.
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: God is taking his place in your heart, and he
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: is making all things right. He is shouldering your burdens.
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: He is supplying you with everything you need. Precious One,
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you,
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: just like a good father for their child. Listen as
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 1: I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew six,
• 1:25:49
  Speaker 1: verses twenty six to thirty four. Look at the birds
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: in the sky. They do not store food for winter,
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: they don't plant gardens, they do not so orry, and
• 1:26:02
  Speaker 1: yet they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them.
• 1:26:07
  Speaker 1: And you are even more precious to him than a
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: beautiful bird. If he looks after them, of course he
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: will look after you. Worrying does not do any good.
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: Who here can claim to add even an hour to
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 1: his life by worrying. Nor should you worry about clothes.
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 1: Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow.
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: They do not work, or weave or so, and yet
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: their garments are studying. Even King Solomon, dressed in his
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: most regal garb, was not as lovely as these lilies.
• 1:26:45
  Speaker 1: And think about grassy fields. The grasses are here now,
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 1: but they will be dead by winter, and yet God
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: adorns them so radiantly. How much more will he clothe you,
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: you of little faith, you who have no trust. So
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: do not consume yourselves with questions. What will we eat?
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: What will we drink, What will we wear? Outsiders make
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: themselves frantic over such questions. They don't realize that your
• 1:27:18
  Speaker 1: heavenly father knows exactly what you need. Seek first the
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 1: things will be given to you too. Our father God
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 1: knows all our needs. He created us with those needs.
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 1: He has given us everything in this life to meet
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: those needs. But most of all, he has given us
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 1: the greatest gift of his son, Jesus. We are first
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 1: and foremost created for deep relationship and union with his Son.
• 1:27:57
  Speaker 1: Still your mind and focus your attention on Geeh. His
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 1: holy spirit is given to you to make the presence
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: and person of Jesus real and tangible to you. Perhaps
• 1:28:09
  Speaker 1: you can sense him. Perhaps he is whispering softly to
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: your heart. Perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow.
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he is filling you with peace. Allow him to
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: show himself to you in whatever way he wants. He
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: is fulfilling your needs right now, maybe needs you didn't
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: know you had. He created you, so he knows you
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 1: better than you know yourself. In Philippians three eight and nine,
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 1: Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ in his life. Indeed,
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 1: of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: have suffered the law us of all things and count
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: my own that comes from the law, but that which
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 1: depends on faith. Join me as we close in prayer.
• 1:29:21
  Speaker 1: Dear Father God, thank you for being our sustenance and strength,
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: our refuge and rest, the only one who truly provides
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: and guides us. Would you help us to continue to
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: experience You as our all sufficient Lord. You know what
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 1: we need before we even ask for it. Bless this
• 1:29:43
  Speaker 1: child's sleep tonight. May they dream sweet dreams in your
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 1: presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus.
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 2: Nay amen.
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: Continue to let the truths of this stories again. He
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 1: will meet all your needs according to His riches. In
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: glory and tonight's meditation based on Psalms seventy three, Verses
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: twenty five and twenty six, we will be exploring what
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 1: it means for us to place Jesus above everything, that
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 1: He may be our greatest desire, the one who is
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: first and foremost in our lives, the one who we
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 1: run to when we are low, the one we praise
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 1: when we have joy our first recourse instead of our
• 1:30:42
  Speaker 1: last resort. We will be discovering how it is possible
• 1:30:47
  Speaker 1: to desire Him over all other loves. The scripture that
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 1: will be guiding us tonight is from Psalm seventy three,
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 1: verses twenty five and twenty six, written by Aesah. Whom
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: have I in heaven but You, And there is nothing
• 1:31:07
  Speaker 1: on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 1: my heart may fail, but God is the strength of
• 1:31:15
  Speaker 1: my heart and my portion forever. We are made in
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: His image, and we are made for union with him.
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 1: We were made to walk in the garden with him,
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 1: and He has created us with many valid needs as humans.
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 2: But He is above all.
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: We will be experiencing this theme to night through dwelling
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: on certain psalms and the words of Jesus himself. We
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 1: will be letting Him touch our hearts and reveal his
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: truth to us, so we can journey through this life
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 1: relying on Him most of all, and having our needs
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 1: met in the ways He has designed.
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 2: First of all.
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: I invite you to make yourself comfortable and cozy under
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 1: the covers. Let your head and neck grow heavy and
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 1: sink into the soft pillows. Release the stresses and worries
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: of the day, and let go of any tension that
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: has collected your face and jaw. Breathe gently and deeply
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 1: as you let the peace of God enfold you Inhale
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 1: and hold, Exhale and release. Take a few more breaths
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 1: like this, and feel yourself surrendering your cares to Him,
• 1:32:48
  Speaker 1: knowing he cares deeply for you. Everything that matters to
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: you matters to your Father in Heaven. Still your mind
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 1: by bringing your attention to your breathing rhythm. Often when
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 1: our minds are busy and going to and fro, bringing
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 1: your focus to something very simple, like the wind gently
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: moving a tree branch outside your window, or the soothing
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: pattern of your breathing can start to calm your mind
• 1:33:22
  Speaker 1: for the next few moments. Simply listen to your own
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 1: natural inhalations and exhalations, like the tidal waves at the
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: ocean shore, in and out, in and out, in and out.
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: Feel your belly rise and fall, feel your mind calming down,
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: and your body entering into deep rest. Keep your attention
• 1:33:55
  Speaker 1: on this for as long as you want. To invite
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 1: you to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. He
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: has given you the breath in your lungs, and he
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 1: sustains your very being by his power and grace. Fresh
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: oxygen is nourishing your body because He is making it.
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: Do so, breathe out your thanks to Him for such
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: love and mercy. He doesn't leave you to breathe on
• 1:34:29
  Speaker 1: your own. He is completely invested in doing even the
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: most basic parts of life with you. What a marvelous
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: and loving creator we have. Let me ask God to
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: bless and guide our time together. Dear Heavenly Father, there
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 1: is no one like you, none in all the heavens
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: or on the earth. There is no one more glorious
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: or more wonderful, more kind or more gentle, more caring,
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 1: or more powerful than you. I pray that you would
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: gently draw this listener's full attention and affection toward you
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 1: to night, lead their focus away from the troubles that
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 1: might seem insurmountable and toward you. They're all sufficient, Lord
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 1: and Savior and friend the Holy Spirit. I ask that
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: you would show yourself to them tonight. And reveal Jesus
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: as everything they need. Yes, they have other needs and
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: desires that are totally designed by You, but show them
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: where they need You and not other forms of comfort
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: and strength.
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 2: You are our main.
• 1:35:52
  Speaker 1: Source of strength and stability. You give us the answers
• 1:35:56
  Speaker 1: that we can't find in the world, and in seeking
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: You we are able to genuinely live in community the
• 1:36:04
  Speaker 1: way we are created to. In the name of Jesus,
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: we pray, Amen, allow me to read our base scripture again.
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: These are ancient, spirit inspired words that have stood the
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: test of thousands of years for millions of men and women,
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 1: and they stand true for us today. May this truth
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: sink deeply into our souls. Whom have I in heaven
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: but You, And there is nothing on earth that I
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail,
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: but God is the strength of my heart and my
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 1: portion forever. God wants to be your first and last
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 1: desire and your strength when all other things fail. At
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: some point our lives, our strength will let us down.
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: Our hearts may fail, our flesh may weaken, our minds
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: may falter. What we trusted in when we were youthful
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 1: and full of vitality can't be relied upon forever. Health
• 1:37:19
  Speaker 1: and property, money, friends, and spouse may all fail us
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 1: at some point in life, but that does not need
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 1: to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing, or
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: rather someone that is Jesus Christ. We are designed for
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: relationship with Him first and foremost, and he wants to
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: be our first desire. We read in Psalm eighty four.
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: My soul longs, yes, faiths for the courts of the Lord.
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 1: My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: Something we realize as we grow older, and as we
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: get many of our needs met in many ways, is
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 1: that this earthly life is short, and our lives are fragile.
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: Renowned British poet John Keats, who was very sickly from
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: his youth and passed away as a young man at
• 1:38:24
  Speaker 1: the age of twenty five, wrote the following lyrics from
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: his poem Owe to a Nightingale as he was contemplating
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: the fragility of human existence. Fade far away, dissolve and
• 1:38:39
  Speaker 1: quite forget what thou among the leaves hast never known,
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: the weariness, the fever, and the fret. Here where men
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 1: sit and hear each other groan, where palsy shakes a
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 1: few sad last gray hairs, where youth grows pale and
• 1:39:00
  Speaker 1: specter thin and dies, where but to think is to
• 1:39:07
  Speaker 1: be full of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs where beauty
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: cannot keep her lustrous eyes or new love pine at
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 1: them beyond tomorrow. Similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older,
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 1: we know that even beauty and energy and youth will
• 1:39:27
  Speaker 1: all fade away one day, but the Lord never will.
• 1:39:33
  Speaker 1: He is our portion and our strength in this life
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: and for eternity. Psalm twenty eight seven says the Lord
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 1: is my strength and my shield in him. My heart trusts,
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: and I am helped. My heart exults, and with my
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 1: song I give thanks to him. The Voice translation puts
• 1:39:57
  Speaker 1: it like this, Theternal is the source of my strength
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 1: and the shield that guards me. When I learn to
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 1: rest and truly trust him, he sends his help. This
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: is why my heart is singing. I open my mouth
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 1: to praise Him, and thankfulness rises as soul. The Lord
• 1:40:19
  Speaker 1: cannot fail us. Listen again as I read from Psalm
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 1: seventy three, verses twenty five and twenty six, this time
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: from the easy to read version in Heaven. God, I
• 1:40:33
  Speaker 1: have only you, and if I am with you, what
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 1: on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and body
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 1:40:44
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 1:40:52
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: with Him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 1:41:12
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all.
• 1:41:31
  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us,
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met.
• 1:41:42
  Speaker 1: But he wants us to ask Him to lead that
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you always be first in
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful, You are so worthy
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: of our first love. You are the creator of heaven
• 1:42:06
  Speaker 1: and earth. You are the beginning and the end of
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 1: all things. You are our bread of life. You are
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 1: our living water. You are our covering.
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 2: You are our.
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 1: Friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are our
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 1: spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
• 1:42:29
  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave as empty.
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, Amen, if you have ever
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever.
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly felt in
• 1:43:01
  Speaker 1: those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times
• 1:43:06
  Speaker 1: lead us to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: you heard him saying to you, seek my face. Like
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 1: so I'm twenty seven eight, which reads you have said,
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: seek my face, My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world where we see
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image, and we
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and purpose.
• 1:43:56
  Speaker 2: And even a spouse.
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 1: Though he just loves to give us all these good gifts,
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: these things can't deeply fulfill us. They are the icing,
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: and he is the cake. As we become content with
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 1: him and make him our first love, we usually find
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 1: that all of these other things fall into their rightful place.
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 2: As we know from.
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 1: Matthew six, Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: his kingdom in fullness. Breathe deeply and drink.
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 2: In this love.
• 1:44:44
  Speaker 1: Precious child, Father, God is grinning widely over you. See
• 1:44:49
  Speaker 1: his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you. They hold
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 1: no shame, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love, love that
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: not even the kindest human could give you. Jesus is
• 1:45:04
  Speaker 1: so gracious. Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews
• 1:45:13
  Speaker 1: ten twenty two tells us, let us draw near with
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 1: the true heart and full assurance of faith, with our
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 1: washed with pure water. Maybe he is waiting right now
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: for you to come to him and fall into his arms.
• 1:45:35
  Speaker 1: You don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere.
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 1: Come to him and he will put everything in its
• 1:45:42
  Speaker 1: proper place.
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 2: He knows what you need far better than you ever.
• 1:45:47
  Speaker 1: Will listen as I read down to verse ten and
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: our foundations saw in the voice translation. When the armies
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: of the enemy surround me, I will not be afraid
• 1:46:02
  Speaker 1: when death calls for me in the midst of war.
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 1: My soul is confident and unmoved. I am pleading with
• 1:46:09
  Speaker 1: the eternal for this one thing, my soul's desire to
• 1:46:14
  Speaker 1: live with him all of my days in the shadow
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 1: of his temple, to behold his beauty and ponder his
• 1:46:21
  Speaker 1: ways in the company of his people. His house is
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 1: my shelter and secret retreat. It is there I find
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 1: peace in the midst of storm and turmoil. Safety sits
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: with me in the hiding place of God. He will
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: set me on a rock high above the fray. God
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: lifts me high above those with thoughts of death and
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: deceit that call for my life. I will enter his presence,
• 1:46:50
  Speaker 1: offering sacrifices and praise. In his house. I am overcome
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: with joy as I sing yes and play music for
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: the eternal alone. I cannot shout any louder. Eternal One,
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 1: hear my cry and respond with your grace. The priding
• 1:47:10
  Speaker 1: of my heart leads me to chase after you. I
• 1:47:13
  Speaker 1: am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me. You
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
• 1:47:23
  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
• 1:47:26
  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
• 1:47:30
  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me, my God and only salvation.
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: My father and mother have deserted me. Yet the eternal
• 1:47:40
  Speaker 1: will take me in. Oh Eternal show me your way.
• 1:47:44
  Speaker 1: Shine your light brightly on this path, and make.
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 2: It level for me.
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 1: Let us behold his beauty in our hearts. Now there's
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: nothing else like it. Often we realize we have nerds
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 1: to substitute God in our hearts when we sense an
• 1:48:03
  Speaker 1: itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves searching and searching
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 1: for a sense of soul satisfaction in other places. In
• 1:48:13
  Speaker 1: these times, Jesus is inviting us again to make him
• 1:48:17
  Speaker 1: the king of our hearts. Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it.
• 1:48:24
  Speaker 1: He wrote about the void that is every one's heart
• 1:48:27
  Speaker 1: that can only be filled by God.
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 2: God is so good and.
• 1:48:32
  Speaker 1: Gracious that he knows we can't invite him as king
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 1: without his help. We can't do it in our strength.
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 1: He wants us to ask for his help. He is
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 1: our strength, and he is our help. How wonderful he is.
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 1: There is never any condemnation from him.
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 2: He is so.
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 1: Ready and willing to help us. Put him first in
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 1: our hearts. Pray with me, Dear King Jesus, thank you
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 1: for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More,
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 1: thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: that you are above all else in our lives. You
• 1:49:18
  Speaker 1: love meeting our needs as humans, and you love being
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 1: the fulfillment of our deepest desires. Let us want you
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 1: above all other wants. May you be first and foremost
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. May you always be front and center,
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 1: not just in word, but indeed and in truth. Would
• 1:49:42
  Speaker 1: you show us that you are more necessary than comforts
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 1: and possessions or even companionship, although those are blessings you
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 1: want to give us. You are our true bread of
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 1: life and our real living water. We were for you
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 1: to bring you glory and enjoy you forever. Thank you
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 1: that you know all our physical needs, and you feed
• 1:50:11
  Speaker 1: even the little sparrows. So how much more will you
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 1: feed us, your beloved children, and your name Jesus, We
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: pray Amen. Listen again to the words of Psalm seventy three.
• 1:50:29
  Speaker 1: For all my wanting, I don't have anyone but You
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 1: in heaven. There is nothing on earth that I desire
• 1:50:37
  Speaker 1: other than you. I admit how broken I am in
• 1:50:41
  Speaker 1: body and spirit. But God is my strength, and he
• 1:50:46
  Speaker 1: will be mine forever. Every time someone or something fails you,
• 1:50:53
  Speaker 1: God is there to catch you. Even the gifts He
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: gives us and the companions he blesses us with. You
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 1: may let us down, but God himself will never let
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 1: us down. When people disappoint us or flake out on
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 1: us when we need the most, it can be a
• 1:51:12
  Speaker 1: crushing blow, but the Holy Spirit is always right there
• 1:51:16
  Speaker 1: to hold you and comfort you. He is not flaky.
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 1: He will never fail you or forsake you. That's his promise,
• 1:51:26
  Speaker 1: and it's impossible for him to break his promise. When
• 1:51:30
  Speaker 1: others fail or forsake you, God is guiding you and
• 1:51:34
  Speaker 1: providing for you. He is proving his faithfulness when others
• 1:51:38
  Speaker 1: are unfaithful. Even in your moments of weakness, He will
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 1: prove to you that he is strong, He is unfailing,
• 1:51:49
  Speaker 1: even when you or others fail.
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 2: I pray that you will see.
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 1: His goodness, and that you will be able to echo
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 1: the words of the Psalmist and word deed and true.
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 1: There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 1: Keep breathing gently. Let the peace of deep sleep continue
• 1:52:12
  Speaker 1: to enfold you. God is taking his place in your heart,
• 1:52:19
  Speaker 1: and he is making all things right. He is shouldering
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 1: your burdens. He is supplying you with everything you need.
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: Precious One, you can trust him first and foremost to
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: provide for you, just like a good father for their child.
• 1:52:40
  Speaker 1: Listen as I read the words from Jesus himself from
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 1: Matthew six, Verses twenty six to thirty four. Look at
• 1:52:49
  Speaker 1: the birds in the sky. They do not store food
• 1:52:53
  Speaker 1: for winter. They don't plant gardens, they do not sow
• 1:52:57
  Speaker 1: or reap, and yet they are always because your heavenly
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 1: Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to
• 1:53:05
  Speaker 1: him than a beautiful bird. If he looks after them,
• 1:53:09
  Speaker 1: of course he will look after you. Worrying does not
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 1: do any good. Who here can claim to add even
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 1: an hour to his life by worrying. Nor should you
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 1: worry about clothes. Consider the lilies of the field and
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 1: how they grow. They do not work or weave or so,
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: and yet their garments are studying. Even King Solomon, dressed
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 1: in his most regal garb, was not as lovely as
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: these lilies. And think about grassy fields. The grasses are
• 1:53:45
  Speaker 1: here now, but they will be dead by winter, and
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 1: yet God adorns them so radiantly.
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 2: How much more will he clothe.
• 1:53:54
  Speaker 1: You, you of little faith, you who have no trust.
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 1: So do not consume yourselves with questions. What will we eat?
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: What will we drink? What will we wear? Outsiders make
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: themselves frantic over such questions. They don't realize that your
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: heavenly father knows exactly what you need. Seek first the
• 1:54:20
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 1: things will be given to you too. Our father God
• 1:54:29
  Speaker 1: knows all our needs. He created us with those needs.
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: He has given us everything in this life to meet
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 1: those needs. But most of all, he has given us
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 1: the greatest gift of his son, Jesus. We are first
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 1: and foremost created for deep relationship and union with his Son. Still,
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 1: your mind and focus your attention on Jesus. His Holy
• 1:54:58
  Speaker 1: spirit is given to you to make the presence and
• 1:55:01
  Speaker 1: person of Jesus real and tangible to you. Perhaps you
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: can sense him. Perhaps he is whispering softly to your heart.
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow. Perhaps
• 1:55:15
  Speaker 1: he is filling you with peace. Allow him to show
• 1:55:19
  Speaker 1: himself to you in whatever way he wants. He is
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: fulfilling your needs right now, maybe needs you didn't know
• 1:55:29
  Speaker 1: you had He created you, so he knows you better
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: than you know yourself.
• 1:55:36
  Speaker 2: In Philippians three.
• 1:55:37
  Speaker 1: Eight and nine, Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 1: in his life. Indeed, I count everything as loss because
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 1: of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord.
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 1: For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all
• 1:55:57
  Speaker 1: things and count them as rubbish, in order that I
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 1: may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
• 1:56:07
  Speaker 1: but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 1: from God that depends on faith. Join me as we
• 1:56:16
  Speaker 1: close in prayer. Dear Father God, thank you for being
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 1: our sustenance and strength, our refuge and rest, the only
• 1:56:26
  Speaker 1: one who truly provides and guides us. Would you help
• 1:56:30
  Speaker 1: us to continue to experience You as our all sufficient Lord.
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 1: You know what we need before we even ask for it.
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: Bless this child's salute tonight. May they dream sweet dreams
• 1:56:43
  Speaker 1: in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus.
• 1:56:48
  Speaker 2: Nay amen.
• 1:56:52
  Speaker 1: Continuing to let the truths of this story s again,
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 1: He will meet all your needs according to His riches
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 1: in glory. Listen again to this sleep story about Jesus
• 1:57:08
  Speaker 1: being above everything else in your life. Allow me to
• 1:57:14
  Speaker 1: read our base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit inspired
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 1: words that have stood the test of thousands of years
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 1: for millions of men and women, and they stand true
• 1:57:26
  Speaker 1: for us today.
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 2: May this truth.
• 1:57:30
  Speaker 1: Sink deeply into our souls. Whom have I in heaven
• 1:57:35
  Speaker 1: but You, And there is nothing on earth that I
• 1:57:39
  Speaker 1: desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail,
• 1:57:43
  Speaker 1: but God is the strength of my heart and my
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 1: portion forever. God wants to be your first and last
• 1:57:53
  Speaker 1: desire and your strength when all other things fail. At
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 1: some point in our lives, our strength will let us down.
• 1:58:03
  Speaker 1: Our hearts may fail, our flesh may weaken, our minds
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 1: may falter. What we trusted in when we were youthful
• 1:58:12
  Speaker 1: and full of vitality. Can't be relied upon forever. Health
• 1:58:18
  Speaker 1: and property, money, friends, and spouse may all fail us
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 1: at some point in life, but that does not need
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 1: to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing, or
• 1:58:31
  Speaker 1: rather someone that is Jesus Christ. We are designed for
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: relationship with Him first and foremost, and he wants to
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: be our first desire. We read in Psalm eighty four.
• 1:58:51
  Speaker 1: My soul longs, yes, faiths for the courts of the Lord.
• 1:58:56
  Speaker 1: My heart and flesh sing for joy to the life God.
• 1:59:03
  Speaker 1: Something we realize as we grow older, and as we
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 1: get many of our needs met in many ways, is
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 1: that this earthly life is short, and our lives are fragile.
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 1: Renowned British poet John Keats, who was very sickly from
• 1:59:20
  Speaker 1: his youth and passed away as a young man at
• 1:59:24
  Speaker 1: the age of twenty five, wrote the following lyrics from
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 1: his poem Owe to a Nightingale as he was contemplating
• 1:59:32
  Speaker 1: the fragility of human existence. Fade far away, dissolve and
• 1:59:38
  Speaker 1: quite forget what thou among the leaves hast never known,
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 1: the weariness, the fever, and the fret Here where men
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: sit and hear each other grow, where palsy shakes a
• 1:59:53
  Speaker 1: few sad last gray hairs, where youth grows pale and
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 1: thin and dies, Where but to think is to be
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 1: full of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs, where beauty cannot
• 2:00:12
  Speaker 1: keep her lustrous eyes or new love pine at them
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: beyond tomorrow. Similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older,
• 2:00:23
  Speaker 1: we know that even beauty and energy and youth will
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 1: all fade away one day, but the Lord never will.
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: He is our portion and our strength in this life
• 2:00:35
  Speaker 1: and for eternity. Psalm twenty eight to seven says the
• 2:00:43
  Speaker 1: Lord is my strength and my shield In him. My
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 1: heart trusts, and I am helped. My heart exults, and
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 1: with my song I give thanks to him. The Voice
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 1: translation puts it like this, The Eternal is the source
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 1: of my strength and the shield that guards me. When
• 2:01:04
  Speaker 1: I learn to rest and truly trust him, he sends
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 1: his help. This is why my heart is singing. I
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 1: open my mouth to praise him, and thankfulness rises as soul.
• 2:01:18
  Speaker 1: The Lord cannot fail us. Listen again as I read
• 2:01:22
  Speaker 1: from Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and twenty six.
• 2:01:27
  Speaker 1: This time from the easy to read version In Heaven, God,
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 1: I have only you, and if I am with you,
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 2:01:51
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 1: with Him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 2:02:07
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 2:02:15
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all.
• 2:02:30
  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us,
• 2:02:33
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met.
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 1: But he wants us to ask Him to lead that
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you always be first in
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful, You are so worthy
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 1: of our first love. You are the creator of heaven
• 2:03:05
  Speaker 1: and earth. You are the beginning and the end of
• 2:03:08
  Speaker 1: all things. You are our bread of life. You are
• 2:03:13
  Speaker 1: our living water, You are our covering. You are our
• 2:03:18
  Speaker 1: friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are our
• 2:03:22
  Speaker 1: spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
• 2:03:28
  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave as empty.
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
• 2:03:41
  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, amen, if you have ever
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever.
• 2:03:57
  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly elt in
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 1: those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times
• 2:04:06
  Speaker 1: lead us to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 1: you heard him saying to you, seek my face. Like
• 2:04:15
  Speaker 1: so I'm twenty seven to eight, which reads you have said,
• 2:04:19
  Speaker 1: seek my face. My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 2:04:25
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 2:04:30
  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world where we see
• 2:04:34
  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image, and we
• 2:04:44
  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and
• 2:04:54
  Speaker 1: purpose and even a spouse. Though he just loves to
• 2:05:00
  Speaker 1: give us all these good gifts, these things can't deeply
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 1: fulfill us. They are the icing, and he is the cake.
• 2:05:10
  Speaker 1: As we become content with him and make him our
• 2:05:13
  Speaker 1: first love, we usually find that all of these other
• 2:05:17
  Speaker 1: things fall into their rightful place.
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 2: As we know from Matthew.
• 2:05:22
  Speaker 1: Six, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
• 2:05:28
  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
• 2:05:34
  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
• 2:05:36
  Speaker 1: his kingdom and fullness. Breathe deeply and drink in this love.
• 2:05:44
  Speaker 1: Precious child, Father, God is grinning widely over you. See
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you. They hold
• 2:05:53
  Speaker 1: no shame, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love that not
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: even the kindest human could give you. Jesus is so gracious.
• 2:06:05
  Speaker 1: Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews ten twenty
• 2:06:13
  Speaker 1: two tells us, let us draw near with the true
• 2:06:17
  Speaker 1: heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled
• 2:06:21
  Speaker 1: clean from an evil conscience. And our bodies washed with
• 2:06:25
  Speaker 1: pure water. Maybe he is waiting right now for you
• 2:06:31
  Speaker 1: to come to him and fall into his arms. You
• 2:06:35
  Speaker 1: don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere.
• 2:06:39
  Speaker 1: Come to him, and he will put everything in its
• 2:06:42
  Speaker 1: proper place. He knows what you need far better than
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 1: you ever. Will listen as I read down to verse
• 2:06:52
  Speaker 1: ten in Our Foundation's Psalm, in the Voice translation, when
• 2:06:57
  Speaker 1: the armies of the enemy surround me, I will not
• 2:07:00
  Speaker 1: be afraid when death calls for me in the midst
• 2:07:03
  Speaker 1: of war. My soul is confident and unmoved. I am
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 1: pleading with the eternal for this one thing, my soul's
• 2:07:12
  Speaker 1: desire to live with him all of my days, and
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 1: the shadow of his temple, to behold his beauty and
• 2:07:20
  Speaker 1: ponder his ways in the company of his people. His
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 1: house is my shelter and secret retreat. It is there
• 2:07:29
  Speaker 1: I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil.
• 2:07:33
  Speaker 1: Safety sits with me in the hiding place of God.
• 2:07:37
  Speaker 1: He will set me on a rock high above the frame.
• 2:07:41
  Speaker 1: God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: and deceit that call for my life. I will enter
• 2:07:48
  Speaker 1: his presence, offering sacrifices and praise in his house. I
• 2:07:54
  Speaker 1: am overcome with joy as I sing yes and play
• 2:07:59
  Speaker 1: music for the eturn alone, I cannot shout any louder.
• 2:08:04
  Speaker 1: Eternal One, hear my cry and respond with your grace.
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 1: The priding of my heart leads me to chase after you.
• 2:08:12
  Speaker 1: I am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me.
• 2:08:17
  Speaker 1: You have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
• 2:08:22
  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
• 2:08:29
  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me, my god and only salvation.
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 1: My father and mother have deserted me. Yet the eternal
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: will take me in, Oh Eternal show me your way.
• 2:08:43
  Speaker 1: Shine your light brightly on this path, and make it
• 2:08:47
  Speaker 1: level for me. Let us behold his beauty in our hearts. Now,
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 1: there's nothing.
• 2:08:55
  Speaker 2: Else like it.
• 2:08:57
  Speaker 1: Often we realize we have nurtured a substance to God
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness
• 2:09:04
  Speaker 1: inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense
• 2:09:09
  Speaker 1: of soul satisfaction in other places. In these times, Jesus
• 2:09:14
  Speaker 1: is inviting us again to make him the king of
• 2:09:17
  Speaker 1: our hearts. Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it. He wrote
• 2:09:24
  Speaker 1: about the void that is everyone's heart that can only
• 2:09:27
  Speaker 1: be filled by God. God is so good and gracious
• 2:09:32
  Speaker 1: that he knows we can't invite him as king without
• 2:09:35
  Speaker 1: his help. We can't do it in our strength. He
• 2:09:39
  Speaker 1: wants us to ask for his help. He is our strength,
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 1: and he is our help. How wonderful he is. There
• 2:09:51
  Speaker 1: is never any condemnation from him. He is so ready
• 2:09:55
  Speaker 1: and willing to help us. Put him first in our hearts.
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 1: Pray with me, Dear King Jesus, thank you for so
• 2:10:06
  Speaker 1: gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More, thank you
• 2:10:11
  Speaker 1: that it's such a freeing truth to know that you
• 2:10:13
  Speaker 1: are above all else in our lives. You love meeting
• 2:10:18
  Speaker 1: our needs as humans, and you love being the fulfillment
• 2:10:22
  Speaker 1: of our deepest desires. Let us want you above all
• 2:10:27
  Speaker 1: other wants. May you be first and foremost in our hearts.
• 2:10:32
  Speaker 1: May you always be front and center, not just in word,
• 2:10:37
  Speaker 1: but indeed and in truth. Would you show us that
• 2:10:42
  Speaker 1: you are more necessary than comforts and possessions, or even companionship,
• 2:10:49
  Speaker 1: although those are blessings you want to give us. You
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 1: are our true bread of life and our real living water.
• 2:10:58
  Speaker 1: We were created for you to bring you glory and
• 2:11:02
  Speaker 1: enjoy you forever. Thank you that you know all our
• 2:11:07
  Speaker 1: physical needs, and you feed even the little sparrows. So
• 2:11:13
  Speaker 1: how much more will you feed us, your beloved children,
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 1: and your name Jesus, We pray Amen. Listen again to
• 2:11:26
  Speaker 1: the words of Psalm seventy three. For all my wanting,
• 2:11:31
  Speaker 1: I don't have anyone but You in heaven. There is
• 2:11:34
  Speaker 1: nothing on earth that I desire other than you. I
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 1: admit how broken I am in body and spirit. But
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 1: God is my strength and he will be mine forever.
• 2:11:49
  Speaker 1: Every time someone or something fails you, God is there
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 1: to catch you. Even the gifts he gives us and
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: the companions he blesses us with may let us down,
• 2:12:01
  Speaker 1: but God himself will never let us down. When people
• 2:12:07
  Speaker 1: disappoint us or flake out on us when we need
• 2:12:10
  Speaker 1: the most, it can be a crushing blow, but the
• 2:12:14
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is always right there to hold you and
• 2:12:17
  Speaker 1: comfort you. He is not flaky. He will never fail
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 1: you or forsake you. That's his promise, and it's impossible
• 2:12:26
  Speaker 1: for him to break his promise. When others fail or
• 2:12:31
  Speaker 1: forsake you, God is guiding you and providing for you.
• 2:12:35
  Speaker 1: He is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful. Even
• 2:12:42
  Speaker 1: in your moments of weakness, he will prove to you
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 1: that he is strong, he is unfailing, even when you
• 2:12:49
  Speaker 1: or others fail. I pray that you will see his goodness,
• 2:12:53
  Speaker 1: and that you will be able to echo the words
• 2:12:56
  Speaker 1: of the Psalmist and word, deed and truth.
• 2:13:00
  Speaker 2: There is nothing on.
• 2:13:01
  Speaker 1: Earth that I desire besides you. Keep breathing gently, Let
• 2:13:09
  Speaker 1: the peace of deep sleep continue to infold you. God
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 1: is taking his place in your heart, and he is
• 2:13:19
  Speaker 1: making all things right. He is shouldering your burdens. He
• 2:13:25
  Speaker 1: is supplying you with everything you need. Precious One, you
• 2:13:32
  Speaker 1: can trust him first and foremost to provide for you,
• 2:13:36
  Speaker 1: just like a good father for their child. Listen as
• 2:13:40
  Speaker 1: I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew six,
• 2:13:45
  Speaker 1: verses twenty six to thirty four. Look at the birds
• 2:13:49
  Speaker 1: in the sky. They do not store food for winter.
• 2:13:53
  Speaker 1: They don't plant gardens, they do not sow or reap,
• 2:13:57
  Speaker 1: and yet they are always fed because your heavenly Father
• 2:14:01
  Speaker 1: feeds them. And you are even more precious to him
• 2:14:05
  Speaker 1: than a beautiful bird. If he looks after them, of course,
• 2:14:09
  Speaker 1: he will look after you. Worrying does not do any good.
• 2:14:15
  Speaker 1: Who here can claim to add even an hour to
• 2:14:18
  Speaker 1: his life by worrying? Nor should you worry about clothes.
• 2:14:23
  Speaker 1: Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow.
• 2:14:27
  Speaker 1: They do not work or weave or so, and yet
• 2:14:30
  Speaker 1: their garments are studying. Even King Solomon, dressed in his
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 1: most regal garb, was not as lovely as these lilies.
• 2:14:41
  Speaker 1: And think about grassy fields. The grasses are here now,
• 2:14:45
  Speaker 1: but they will be dead by winter, and yet God
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: adorns them so radiantly. How much more will he clothe you,
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 1: you of little faith, you who have no trust. So
• 2:15:00
  Speaker 1: do not consume yourselves with questions. What will we eat,
• 2:15:04
  Speaker 1: what will we drink? What will we wear? Outsiders make
• 2:15:09
  Speaker 1: themselves frantic over such questions. They don't realize that your
• 2:15:13
  Speaker 1: heavenly father knows exactly what you need. Seek first the
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 1: things will be given.
• 2:15:24
  Speaker 2: To you too.
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 1: Our father God knows all our needs. He created us
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: with those needs. He has given us everything in this
• 2:15:35
  Speaker 1: life to meet those needs. But most of all, he
• 2:15:39
  Speaker 1: has given us the greatest gift of His son Jesus.
• 2:15:44
  Speaker 1: We are first and foremost created for deep relationship and
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 1: union with his son. Still your mind and focus your
• 2:15:54
  Speaker 1: attention on Jesus. His Holy spirit is given to you
• 2:15:59
  Speaker 1: to make the presence and person of Jesus real and
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 1: tangible to you. Perhaps you can sense him. Perhaps he
• 2:16:07
  Speaker 1: is whispering softly to your heart. Perhaps he is surrounding
• 2:16:11
  Speaker 1: you with a warm glow. Perhaps he is filling you
• 2:16:16
  Speaker 1: with peace. Allow him to show himself to you in
• 2:16:20
  Speaker 1: whatever way he wants. He is fulfilling your needs right now,
• 2:16:27
  Speaker 1: maybe needs you didn't know you had. He created you,
• 2:16:31
  Speaker 1: so he knows you better than you know yourself. In
• 2:16:35
  Speaker 1: Philippians three eight and nine, Paul expresses the all sufficiency
• 2:16:41
  Speaker 1: of Christ in his life. Indeed, I count everything as
• 2:16:47
  Speaker 1: loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus
• 2:16:52
  Speaker 1: my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss
• 2:16:55
  Speaker 1: of all things and count them as rubbish, in order
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 1: that I may gain Christ and be found in Him,
• 2:17:03
  Speaker 1: Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from
• 2:17:05
  Speaker 1: the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ,
• 2:17:10
  Speaker 1: the righteousness from God that depends on faith. Join me
• 2:17:14
  Speaker 1: as we close in prayer. Dear Father God, thank you
• 2:17:19
  Speaker 1: for being our sustenance and strength, our refuge and rest
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 1: the only one who truly provides and guides us. Would
• 2:17:29
  Speaker 1: you help us to continue to experience You as our
• 2:17:33
  Speaker 1: all sufficient Lord. You know what we need before we
• 2:17:36
  Speaker 1: even ask for it. Bless this child's sleep tonight. May
• 2:17:41
  Speaker 1: they dream sweet dreams in your presence and wake up
• 2:17:45
  Speaker 1: refreshed in Jesus.
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 2: Nay Amen.
• 2:17:51
  Speaker 1: Continue to let the truths of this story s again.
• 2:17:56
  Speaker 1: He will meet all your needs according to his rich
• 2:18:00
  Speaker 1: in glory. Listen again to this sleep story about Jesus
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: being above everything else in your life. Allow me to
• 2:18:14
  Speaker 1: read our base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit inspired
• 2:18:19
  Speaker 1: words that have stood the test of thousands of years
• 2:18:23
  Speaker 1: for millions of men and women, and they stand true
• 2:18:27
  Speaker 1: for us today. May this truth sink deeply into our souls.
• 2:18:34
  Speaker 1: Whom have I in heaven but You, And there is
• 2:18:37
  Speaker 1: nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 1: and my heart may fail, but God is the strength
• 2:18:45
  Speaker 1: of my heart and my portion forever. God wants to
• 2:18:51
  Speaker 1: be your first and last desire and your strength when
• 2:18:56
  Speaker 1: all other things fail. At some point in our lives,
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 1: our strength will let us down. Our hearts may fail,
• 2:19:05
  Speaker 1: our flesh may weaken, our minds may falter. What we
• 2:19:11
  Speaker 1: trusted in when we were youthful and full of vitality
• 2:19:15
  Speaker 1: can't be relied upon forever. Health and property, money, friends,
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 1: and spouse may all fail us at some point in life,
• 2:19:25
  Speaker 1: but that does not need to cause us disturbance because
• 2:19:29
  Speaker 1: we have something unfailing, or rather someone that is Jesus Christ.
• 2:19:39
  Speaker 1: We are designed for relationship with him first and foremost,
• 2:19:44
  Speaker 1: and he wants to be our first desire. We read
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 1: in Psalm eighty four. My soul longs, yes faints for
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 1: the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing
• 2:19:58
  Speaker 1: for joy to the life living God. Something we realize
• 2:20:04
  Speaker 1: as we grow older and as we get many of
• 2:20:07
  Speaker 1: our needs met in many ways, is that this earthly
• 2:20:11
  Speaker 1: life is short, and our lives are fragile. Renowned British
• 2:20:18
  Speaker 1: poet John Keats, who was very sickly from his youth
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 1: and passed away as a young man at the age
• 2:20:24
  Speaker 1: of twenty five, wrote the following lyrics from his poem
• 2:20:29
  Speaker 1: Owe to a Nightingale as he was contemplating the fragility
• 2:20:33
  Speaker 1: of human existence. Fade far away, dissolve and quite forget
• 2:20:40
  Speaker 1: what thou among the leaves hast never known? The weariness,
• 2:20:45
  Speaker 1: the fever, and the fret. Here where men sit and
• 2:20:50
  Speaker 1: hear each other, grown, where palsy shakes, a few sad
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 1: last gray hairs, where youth grows pale and better thin
• 2:21:01
  Speaker 1: and dies, Where but to think is to be full
• 2:21:06
  Speaker 1: of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs, where beauty cannot keep
• 2:21:12
  Speaker 1: her lustrous eyes or new love pine at them beyond tomorrow.
• 2:21:20
  Speaker 1: Similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older, we know
• 2:21:24
  Speaker 1: that even beauty and energy and youth will all fade
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 1: away one day, but the Lord never will. He is
• 2:21:33
  Speaker 1: our portion and our strength in this life and for eternity.
• 2:21:39
  Speaker 1: Psalm twenty eight to seven says, the Lord is my
• 2:21:44
  Speaker 1: strength and my shield In him. My heart trusts, and
• 2:21:48
  Speaker 1: I am helped. My heart exults, and with my song
• 2:21:52
  Speaker 1: I give thanks to him. The Voice translation puts it
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: like this, The Eternal is the source of my strength
• 2:22:01
  Speaker 1: and the shield that guards me. When I learn to
• 2:22:04
  Speaker 1: rest and truly trust him, he sends his help. This
• 2:22:09
  Speaker 1: is why my heart is singing. I open my mouth
• 2:22:12
  Speaker 1: to praise him, and thankfulness rises, and so the Lord
• 2:22:18
  Speaker 1: cannot fail us. Listen again, as I read from Psalm
• 2:22:22
  Speaker 1: seventy three verses twenty five and twenty six, this time
• 2:22:28
  Speaker 1: from the easy to read.
• 2:22:29
  Speaker 2: Version in Heaven.
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 1: God, I have only you, And if I am with you,
• 2:22:36
  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
• 2:22:39
  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 2:22:43
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 2:22:51
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 2:22:56
  Speaker 1: with him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 2:23:01
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 2:23:07
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 2:23:11
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 2:23:15
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 2:23:22
  Speaker 1: us that way, and yet He must be above all.
• 2:23:30
  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us,
• 2:23:33
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 2:23:38
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met,
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 1: but he wants us to ask Him to lead that
• 2:23:44
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 2:23:49
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you always be first in
• 2:23:56
  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful, You are so worthy
• 2:24:01
  Speaker 1: of our first love. You are the creator of heaven
• 2:24:05
  Speaker 1: and Earth. You are the beginning and the end of
• 2:24:08
  Speaker 1: all things. You are our bread of life. You are
• 2:24:13
  Speaker 1: our living water. You are our covering. You are our
• 2:24:19
  Speaker 1: friend who sticks closer than a brother. You are our
• 2:24:22
  Speaker 1: spouse for all eternity. You created us with physical, emotional,
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 1: and relational needs, and you don't want to leave asse empty.
• 2:24:34
  Speaker 1: You are pointing us back to yourself as the answer
• 2:24:37
  Speaker 1: and the only one who will truly fulfill us. In
• 2:24:41
  Speaker 1: your wonderful name, we pray, Amen, if you have ever
• 2:24:48
  Speaker 1: walked through a season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I
• 2:24:52
  Speaker 1: pray that you feel his presence and nearness more than ever.
• 2:24:57
  Speaker 1: Often he makes his presence even more keenly I felt
• 2:25:00
  Speaker 1: in those times when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those
• 2:25:05
  Speaker 1: times lead us to call on his name more earnestly.
• 2:25:11
  Speaker 1: Perhaps you heard him saying to you, seek my face.
• 2:25:15
  Speaker 1: Like ps I'm twenty seven eight, which reads you have said,
• 2:25:20
  Speaker 1: seek my face, My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 2:25:25
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 2:25:30
  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world, where we see
• 2:25:34
  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
• 2:25:38
  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
• 2:25:41
  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image and we
• 2:25:44
  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
• 2:25:51
  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and
• 2:25:55
  Speaker 1: purpose and even a spouse. Though he just loves to
• 2:26:00
  Speaker 1: give us all these good gifts, these things can't deeply
• 2:26:03
  Speaker 1: fulfill us. They are the icing, and he is the king.
• 2:26:10
  Speaker 1: As we become content with him and make him our
• 2:26:14
  Speaker 1: first love, we usually find that all of these other
• 2:26:18
  Speaker 1: things fall into their rightful place.
• 2:26:20
  Speaker 2: As we know from.
• 2:26:21
  Speaker 1: Matthew six, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
• 2:26:28
  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
• 2:26:34
  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
• 2:26:36
  Speaker 1: his kingdom and fullness. Breathe deeply and drink in this love.
• 2:26:44
  Speaker 1: Precious child, Father, God is grinning widely over you. See
• 2:26:49
  Speaker 1: his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you. They hold
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 1: no shame, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love, not even
• 2:27:00
  Speaker 1: the kindest human could give you.
• 2:27:03
  Speaker 2: Jesus is so gracious.
• 2:27:05
  Speaker 1: Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews ten twenty
• 2:27:13
  Speaker 1: two tells us, let us draw near with the true
• 2:27:17
  Speaker 1: heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled
• 2:27:21
  Speaker 1: clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
• 2:27:25
  Speaker 1: pure water. Maybe he is waiting right now for you
• 2:27:31
  Speaker 1: to come to him and fall into his arms. You
• 2:27:35
  Speaker 1: don't need to run around getting your needs met elsewhere.
• 2:27:39
  Speaker 1: Come to him, and he will put everything in its
• 2:27:42
  Speaker 1: proper place. He knows what you need far better than
• 2:27:46
  Speaker 1: you ever. Will listen as I read down to verse
• 2:27:52
  Speaker 1: ten and our foundations saw in the voice translation. When
• 2:27:57
  Speaker 1: the armies of the enemy surround me, I will not
• 2:28:00
  Speaker 1: be afraid when death calls for me in the midst
• 2:28:04
  Speaker 1: of war. My soul is confident and unmoved. I am
• 2:28:08
  Speaker 1: pleading with the eternal for this one thing, my soul's
• 2:28:12
  Speaker 1: desire to live with him all of my days and
• 2:28:16
  Speaker 1: the shadow of his temple, to behold his beauty and
• 2:28:20
  Speaker 1: ponder his ways in the company of his people. His
• 2:28:24
  Speaker 1: house is my shelter and secret retreat. It is there
• 2:28:29
  Speaker 1: I find peace in the midst of storm and turmoil.
• 2:28:33
  Speaker 1: Safety sits with me in the hiding place of God.
• 2:28:37
  Speaker 1: He will set me on a rock high above the fray.
• 2:28:41
  Speaker 1: God lifts me high above those with thoughts of death
• 2:28:44
  Speaker 1: and deceit that call for my life. I will enter
• 2:28:48
  Speaker 1: his presence, offering sacrifices and praise in his house. I
• 2:28:54
  Speaker 1: am overcome with joy as I sing yes and play
• 2:28:59
  Speaker 1: music for the atternal alone. I cannot shout any louder.
• 2:29:04
  Speaker 1: Eternal One, hear my cry and respond with your grace.
• 2:29:09
  Speaker 1: The priding of my heart leads me to chase after you.
• 2:29:12
  Speaker 1: I am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me.
• 2:29:17
  Speaker 1: You have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
• 2:29:22
  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
• 2:29:25
  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me, my god and only salvation.
• 2:29:35
  Speaker 2: My father and mother have deserted me.
• 2:29:38
  Speaker 1: Yet the eternal will take me in, Oh Eternal show
• 2:29:42
  Speaker 1: me your way. Shine your light brightly on this path,
• 2:29:46
  Speaker 1: and make it level for me. Let us behold his
• 2:29:52
  Speaker 1: beauty in our hearts. Now there's nothing else like it.
• 2:29:57
  Speaker 1: Often we realize we have nurtured a substance to God
• 2:30:00
  Speaker 1: in our hearts when we sense an itch or restlessness
• 2:30:04
  Speaker 1: inside and find ourselves searching and searching for a sense
• 2:30:09
  Speaker 1: of soul satisfaction in other places. In these times, Jesus
• 2:30:14
  Speaker 1: is inviting us again to make him the king of
• 2:30:17
  Speaker 1: our hearts. Saint Augustine of Hippo felt it. He wrote
• 2:30:24
  Speaker 1: about the void that is everyone's heart that can only
• 2:30:27
  Speaker 1: be filled by God. God is so good and gracious
• 2:30:32
  Speaker 1: that he knows we can't invite him as king without
• 2:30:35
  Speaker 1: his help. We can't do it in our strength. He
• 2:30:39
  Speaker 1: wants us to ask for his help. He is our strength,
• 2:30:45
  Speaker 1: and he is our help. How wonderful he is. There
• 2:30:51
  Speaker 1: is never any condemnation from him. He is so ready
• 2:30:55
  Speaker 1: and willing to help us. Put him first in our hearts.
• 2:31:01
  Speaker 1: Pray with me, Dear King Jesus, thank you for so
• 2:31:06
  Speaker 1: gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More, thank you
• 2:31:11
  Speaker 1: that it's such a freeing truth to know that you
• 2:31:13
  Speaker 1: are above all else in our lives. You love meeting
• 2:31:18
  Speaker 1: our needs as humans, and you love being the fulfillment
• 2:31:22
  Speaker 1: of our deepest desires. Let us want you above all
• 2:31:27
  Speaker 1: other wants. May you be first and foremost in our hearts.
• 2:31:33
  Speaker 1: May you always be front and center, not just in word,
• 2:31:37
  Speaker 1: but indeed and in truth. Would you show us that
• 2:31:42
  Speaker 1: you are more necessary than comforts and possessions, or even companionship,
• 2:31:49
  Speaker 1: although those are blessings you want to give us. You
• 2:31:53
  Speaker 1: are our true bread of life and our real living water.
• 2:31:58
  Speaker 1: We were created for you to bring you glory and
• 2:32:02
  Speaker 1: enjoy you forever. Thank you that you know all our
• 2:32:07
  Speaker 1: physical needs, and you feed even.
• 2:32:10
  Speaker 2: The little sparrows.
• 2:32:12
  Speaker 1: So how much more will you feed us, your beloved children,
• 2:32:18
  Speaker 1: and your name Jesus, We pray Amen. Listen again to
• 2:32:26
  Speaker 1: the words of Psalm seventy three. For all my wanting,
• 2:32:31
  Speaker 1: I don't have anyone but You in heaven. There is
• 2:32:34
  Speaker 1: nothing on earth that I desire other than you. I
• 2:32:39
  Speaker 1: admit how broken I am in body and spirit. But
• 2:32:43
  Speaker 1: God is my strength and he will be mine forever.
• 2:32:49
  Speaker 1: Every time someone or something fails you, God is there
• 2:32:53
  Speaker 1: to catch you. Even the gifts he gives us and
• 2:32:57
  Speaker 1: the companions he blesses us with may let us down,
• 2:33:01
  Speaker 1: but God himself will never let us down. When people
• 2:33:07
  Speaker 1: disappoint us or flake out on us when we need
• 2:33:10
  Speaker 1: the most, it can be a crushing blow. But the
• 2:33:14
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is always right there to hold you and
• 2:33:17
  Speaker 1: comfort you. He is not flaky. He will never fail
• 2:33:21
  Speaker 1: you or forsake you. That's his promise, and it's impossible
• 2:33:26
  Speaker 1: for him to break his promise. When others fail or
• 2:33:31
  Speaker 1: forsake you, God is guiding you and providing for you.
• 2:33:35
  Speaker 1: He is proving his faithfulness when others are unfaithful. Even
• 2:33:42
  Speaker 1: in your moments of weakness, he will prove to you
• 2:33:45
  Speaker 1: that he is strong, he is unfailing, even when you
• 2:33:49
  Speaker 1: or others fail. I pray that you will see his goodness,
• 2:33:53
  Speaker 1: and that you will be able to echo the words
• 2:33:56
  Speaker 1: of the Psalmist and word, deed and truth. There is
• 2:34:00
  Speaker 1: nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Keep breathing gently.
• 2:34:09
  Speaker 1: Let the peace of deep sleep continue to enfold you.
• 2:34:15
  Speaker 1: God is taking his place in your heart, and he
• 2:34:18
  Speaker 1: is making all things right. He is shouldering your burdens.
• 2:34:25
  Speaker 1: He is supplying you with everything you need. Precious One,
• 2:34:31
  Speaker 1: you can trust him first and foremost to provide for you,
• 2:34:36
  Speaker 1: just like a good father for their child. Listen as
• 2:34:40
  Speaker 1: I read the words from Jesus himself from Matthew six,
• 2:34:45
  Speaker 1: verses twenty six to thirty four. Look at the birds
• 2:34:49
  Speaker 1: in the sky. They do not store food for winter.
• 2:34:53
  Speaker 1: They don't plant gardens, they do not sow or read,
• 2:34:58
  Speaker 1: and yet they are always fed because as your heavenly
• 2:35:00
  Speaker 1: Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to
• 2:35:04
  Speaker 1: him than a beautiful bird if he looks after them
• 2:35:08
  Speaker 1: of course he will look after you.
• 2:35:12
  Speaker 2: Worrying does not.
• 2:35:13
  Speaker 1: Do any good. Who here can claim to add even
• 2:35:17
  Speaker 1: an hour to his life by worrying? Nor should you
• 2:35:21
  Speaker 1: worry about clothes. Consider the lilies of the field and
• 2:35:25
  Speaker 1: how they grow. They do not work or weave or so,
• 2:35:30
  Speaker 1: and yet their garments are studying. Even King Solomon, dressed
• 2:35:35
  Speaker 1: in his most regal garb, was not as lovely as
• 2:35:38
  Speaker 1: these lilies. And think about grassy fields. The grasses are
• 2:35:44
  Speaker 1: here now, but they will be dead by winter, and
• 2:35:48
  Speaker 1: yet God adorns them so radiantly. How much more will
• 2:35:52
  Speaker 1: he clothe you, you of little faith, you who have
• 2:35:57
  Speaker 1: no trust. So do not consume yourselves with questions. What
• 2:36:03
  Speaker 1: will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?
• 2:36:08
  Speaker 1: Outsiders make themselves frantic over such questions. They don't realize
• 2:36:13
  Speaker 1: that your heavenly father knows exactly what you need. Seek
• 2:36:18
  Speaker 1: first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then
• 2:36:22
  Speaker 1: all these things will be given to you too. Our
• 2:36:28
  Speaker 1: father God knows all our needs. He created us with
• 2:36:32
  Speaker 1: those needs. He has given us everything in this life.
• 2:36:36
  Speaker 2: To meet those needs.
• 2:36:38
  Speaker 1: But most of all, he has given us the greatest
• 2:36:41
  Speaker 1: gift of his son, Jesus we are first and foremost
• 2:36:46
  Speaker 1: created for deep relationship and union with His son. Still
• 2:36:53
  Speaker 1: your mind and focus your attention on Jesus. His Holy
• 2:36:57
  Speaker 1: spirit is given to you to make the presence and
• 2:37:00
  Speaker 1: person of Jesus real and tangible to you. Perhaps you
• 2:37:05
  Speaker 1: can sense him. Perhaps he is whispering softly to your heart.
• 2:37:10
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow. Perhaps
• 2:37:15
  Speaker 1: he is filling you with peace. Allow him to show
• 2:37:19
  Speaker 1: himself to you in whatever way he wants. He is
• 2:37:24
  Speaker 1: fulfilling your needs right now, maybe needs you didn't know
• 2:37:29
  Speaker 1: you had. He created you, so he knows you better
• 2:37:33
  Speaker 1: than you know yourself. In Philippians three eight and nine,
• 2:37:39
  Speaker 1: Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ in his life. Indeed,
• 2:37:46
  Speaker 1: I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth
• 2:37:50
  Speaker 1: of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I
• 2:37:54
  Speaker 1: have suffered the loss of all things and count them
• 2:37:57
  Speaker 1: as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and
• 2:38:01
  Speaker 1: be found in Him. Not having a righteousness of my
• 2:38:04
  Speaker 1: own that comes from the law, but that which comes
• 2:38:08
  Speaker 1: through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends
• 2:38:12
  Speaker 1: on faith. Join me as we close in prayer. Dear
• 2:38:17
  Speaker 1: Father God, thank you for being our sustenance and strength,
• 2:38:23
  Speaker 1: our refuge and rest, the only one who truly provides
• 2:38:27
  Speaker 1: and guides us.
• 2:38:29
  Speaker 2: Would you help us.
• 2:38:30
  Speaker 1: To continue to experience You as our all sufficient Lord.
• 2:38:35
  Speaker 1: You know what we need before we even ask for it.
• 2:38:38
  Speaker 1: Bless this child's sleep tonight. May they dream sweet dreams
• 2:38:43
  Speaker 1: in your presence and wake up refreshed in Jesus' nay.
• 2:38:49
  Speaker 2: Amen.
• 2:38:51
  Speaker 1: Continue to let the truths of this story s again.
• 2:38:56
  Speaker 1: He will meet all your needs according to His in glory.
• 2:39:04
  Speaker 1: Listen again to this sleep story about Jesus being above
• 2:39:08
  Speaker 1: everything else in your life. Allow me to read our
• 2:39:13
  Speaker 1: base scripture again. These are ancient, spirit inspired words that
• 2:39:19
  Speaker 1: have stood the test of thousands of years for millions
• 2:39:23
  Speaker 1: of men and women, and they stand true for us today.
• 2:39:28
  Speaker 1: May this truth sink deeply into our souls. Whom have
• 2:39:33
  Speaker 1: I in heaven but You, And there is nothing on
• 2:39:37
  Speaker 1: earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my
• 2:39:41
  Speaker 1: heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
• 2:39:44
  Speaker 1: heart and my portion forever. God wants to be your
• 2:39:51
  Speaker 1: first and last desire and your strength when all other
• 2:39:55
  Speaker 1: things fail. At some point in our lives, strength will
• 2:40:00
  Speaker 1: let us down. Our hearts may fail, our flesh may weaken,
• 2:40:07
  Speaker 1: our minds may falter. What we trusted in when we
• 2:40:11
  Speaker 1: were youthful and full of vitality can't be relied upon forever.
• 2:40:17
  Speaker 1: Health and property, money, friends, and spouse may all fail
• 2:40:22
  Speaker 1: us at some point in life, but that does not
• 2:40:25
  Speaker 1: need to cause us disturbance because we have something unfailing,
• 2:40:30
  Speaker 1: or rather someone that is Jesus Christ. We are designed
• 2:40:39
  Speaker 1: for relationship with him first and foremost, and he wants
• 2:40:44
  Speaker 1: to be our first desire. We read in Psalm eighty four.
• 2:40:50
  Speaker 1: My soul longs, yes, faiths for the courts of the Lord.
• 2:40:55
  Speaker 1: My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
• 2:41:02
  Speaker 1: Something we realize as we grow older, and as we
• 2:41:05
  Speaker 1: get many of our needs met in many ways, is
• 2:41:09
  Speaker 1: that this earthly life is short, and our lives are fragile.
• 2:41:16
  Speaker 1: Renowned British poet John Keats, who was very sickly from
• 2:41:20
  Speaker 1: his youth and passed away as a young man at
• 2:41:23
  Speaker 1: the age of twenty five, wrote the following lyrics from
• 2:41:27
  Speaker 1: his poem Ode to a Nightingale as he was contemplating
• 2:41:31
  Speaker 1: the fragility of human existence. Fade far away, dissolve and
• 2:41:37
  Speaker 1: quite forget what thou Among the leaves hast never known
• 2:41:43
  Speaker 1: the weariness, the fever, and the fret.
• 2:41:47
  Speaker 2: Here where men sit.
• 2:41:49
  Speaker 1: And hear each other grow, where palsy shakes, a few
• 2:41:53
  Speaker 1: sad last gray hairs, where youth grows pale and specter
• 2:41:59
  Speaker 1: thin and dies, Where but to think is to be
• 2:42:05
  Speaker 1: full of sorrow and leaden eyed despairs, where beauty cannot
• 2:42:11
  Speaker 1: keep her lustrous eyes or new love pine at them
• 2:42:15
  Speaker 1: beyond tomorrow. Similar to Solomon's understanding as he grew older,
• 2:42:23
  Speaker 1: we know that even beauty and energy and youth will
• 2:42:26
  Speaker 1: all fade away one day, but the Lord never will.
• 2:42:31
  Speaker 1: He is our portion and our strength in this life
• 2:42:35
  Speaker 1: and for eternity. Psalm twenty eight seven says the Lord
• 2:42:43
  Speaker 1: is my strength and my shield.
• 2:42:45
  Speaker 2: In him.
• 2:42:46
  Speaker 1: My heart trusts, and I am helped. My heart exults,
• 2:42:50
  Speaker 1: and with my song I give thanks to him. The
• 2:42:55
  Speaker 1: Voice translation puts it like this, The Eternal is the
• 2:42:59
  Speaker 1: source of my strength and the shield that guards me.
• 2:43:03
  Speaker 1: When I learn to rest and truly trust him, he
• 2:43:06
  Speaker 1: sends his help. This is why my heart is singing.
• 2:43:10
  Speaker 1: I open my mouth to praise him, and thankfulness rises
• 2:43:14
  Speaker 1: as soul. The Lord cannot fail us. Listen again, as
• 2:43:20
  Speaker 1: I read from Psalm seventy three, verses twenty five and
• 2:43:25
  Speaker 1: twenty six, this time from the easy to read version.
• 2:43:30
  Speaker 2: In Heaven.
• 2:43:31
  Speaker 1: God, I have only you, and if I am with you,
• 2:43:35
  Speaker 1: what on earth could I want? Maybe my mind and
• 2:43:38
  Speaker 1: body will become weak. But God is my source of strength.
• 2:43:43
  Speaker 1: He is mine forever. Jesus is everything your heart truly needs.
• 2:43:50
  Speaker 1: Precious listener, you were created for unending relationship and union
• 2:43:55
  Speaker 1: with him. He is what your soul deeply longs for.
• 2:44:00
  Speaker 1: Although often we don't recognize that God is the strength
• 2:44:06
  Speaker 1: of your heart and your portion forever, we do know
• 2:44:11
  Speaker 1: God himself has created us with physical and relational and
• 2:44:14
  Speaker 1: practical needs. We certainly do not discount those. He designed
• 2:44:21
  Speaker 1: us that way, And yet He must be above all.
• 2:44:29
  Speaker 1: I pray that He may be most precious to us,
• 2:44:32
  Speaker 1: above our other valid needs and longings. He wants us
• 2:44:37
  Speaker 1: to have our needs for food and shelter and joy met,
• 2:44:41
  Speaker 1: but he wants us to ask Him to lead that
• 2:44:43
  Speaker 1: journey and not elevate the needs above himself, the fulfiller
• 2:44:49
  Speaker 1: of them. Lord Jesus, may you always be first in
• 2:44:55
  Speaker 1: our hearts. You are so wonderful, are so worthy of
• 2:45:00
  Speaker 1: our first love. You are the creator of heaven and earth.
• 2:45:06
  Speaker 1: You are the beginning and the end of all things.
• 2:45:09
  Speaker 1: You are our bread of life. You are our living water.
• 2:45:15
  Speaker 1: You are our covering. You are our friend who sticks
• 2:45:19
  Speaker 1: closer than a brother. You are our spouse for all eternity.
• 2:45:25
  Speaker 1: You created us with physical, emotional, and relational needs, and
• 2:45:30
  Speaker 1: you don't want to leave us empty. You are pointing
• 2:45:34
  Speaker 1: us back to yourself as the answer and the only
• 2:45:37
  Speaker 1: one who will truly fulfill us. In your wonderful name,
• 2:45:42
  Speaker 1: we pray, Amen, if you have ever walked through a
• 2:45:48
  Speaker 1: season of longing and unfulfilled desires, I pray that you
• 2:45:52
  Speaker 1: feel his presence and nearness more than ever. Often he
• 2:45:57
  Speaker 1: makes his presence even more keenly felt than those times
• 2:46:00
  Speaker 1: when our needs are greatest. Sometimes those times lead us
• 2:46:05
  Speaker 1: to call on his name more earnestly. Perhaps you heard
• 2:46:11
  Speaker 1: him saying to you, seek my face. Like ps I'm
• 2:46:15
  Speaker 1: twenty seven to eight, which reads you have said, seek
• 2:46:19
  Speaker 1: my face, My heart says to you your face, Lord,
• 2:46:24
  Speaker 1: I do seek. Let us seek his face all the
• 2:46:29
  Speaker 1: days of our lives. In this world where we see
• 2:46:33
  Speaker 1: many people lost and running to other things to fulfill them,
• 2:46:37
  Speaker 1: it's easy to forget how much we need him. We
• 2:46:41
  Speaker 1: forget that we are made in his image, and we
• 2:46:43
  Speaker 1: need him most. We are eternal spirits inhabiting mortal bodies,
• 2:46:51
  Speaker 1: and so we do need Jesus more than comforts and
• 2:46:54
  Speaker 1: purpose and even a spouse. Though he just loves to
• 2:46:59
  Speaker 1: give us all the good gifts, these things can't deeply
• 2:47:03
  Speaker 1: fulfill us. They are the icing, and he is the king.
• 2:47:09
  Speaker 1: As we become content with him and make him our
• 2:47:13
  Speaker 1: first love, we usually find that all of these other
• 2:47:17
  Speaker 1: things fall into their rightful place. As we know from
• 2:47:20
  Speaker 1: Matthew six, seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
• 2:47:27
  Speaker 1: and then all these things will be given to you too.
• 2:47:33
  Speaker 1: He is a good king who wants us to enjoy
• 2:47:35
  Speaker 1: his kingdom in fullness. Breathe deeply and drink in this love.
• 2:47:43
  Speaker 1: Precious child, Father, God is grinning widely over you. See
• 2:47:48
  Speaker 1: his eyes brimming with kindness looking at you. They hold
• 2:47:52
  Speaker 1: no shame, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love, love that
• 2:47:59
  Speaker 1: not even the est human could give you. Jesus is
• 2:48:03
  Speaker 1: so gracious. Let us draw near to him unashamed. Hebrews
• 2:48:11
  Speaker 1: ten twenty two tells us, let us draw near with
• 2:48:15
  Speaker 1: the true heart and full assurance of faith, with our
• 2:48:19
  Speaker 1: hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies watched.
• 2:48:24
  Speaker 2: With pure water.
• 2:48:28
  Speaker 1: Maybe he is waiting right now for you to come
• 2:48:31
  Speaker 1: to him and fall into his arms. You don't need
• 2:48:35
  Speaker 1: to run around getting your needs met elsewhere. Come to him,
• 2:48:40
  Speaker 1: and he will put everything in its proper place. He
• 2:48:43
  Speaker 1: knows what you need far better than you ever will.
• 2:48:49
  Speaker 1: Listen as I read down to verse ten in Our
• 2:48:52
  Speaker 1: Foundation's Psalm, in the Voice translation, when the armies of
• 2:48:57
  Speaker 1: the enemy surround me, I will not be fraid when
• 2:49:01
  Speaker 1: death calls for me in the midst of war. My
• 2:49:04
  Speaker 1: soul is confident and unmoved. I am pleading with the
• 2:49:08
  Speaker 1: eternal for this one thing, my soul's desire to live
• 2:49:13
  Speaker 1: with him all of my days in the shadow of
• 2:49:16
  Speaker 1: his temple, to behold his beauty and ponder his ways
• 2:49:20
  Speaker 1: in the company of his people. His house is my
• 2:49:24
  Speaker 1: shelter and secret retreat. It is there I find peace
• 2:49:29
  Speaker 1: in the midst of storm and turmoil. Safety sits with
• 2:49:33
  Speaker 1: me in the hiding place of God. He will set
• 2:49:37
  Speaker 1: me on a rock high above the fray. God lifts
• 2:49:41
  Speaker 1: me high above those with thoughts of death and deceit
• 2:49:44
  Speaker 1: that call for my life. I will enter his presence,
• 2:49:49
  Speaker 1: offering sacrifices and praise in his house. I am overcome
• 2:49:54
  Speaker 1: with joy as I say yes and play music for
• 2:49:58
  Speaker 1: the eternal alone. I cannot shout any louder. Eternal One,
• 2:50:04
  Speaker 1: hear my cry and respond with your grace. The priding
• 2:50:08
  Speaker 1: of my heart leads me to chase after you. I
• 2:50:12
  Speaker 1: am seeking you, Eternal One. Don't retreat from me. You
• 2:50:16
  Speaker 1: have always answered my call. Don't hide from me now.
• 2:50:21
  Speaker 1: Don't give up on me in anger at your servant.
• 2:50:25
  Speaker 1: You have always been there for me. Don't throw me
• 2:50:28
  Speaker 1: to the side and forget me, my God and only salvation.
• 2:50:34
  Speaker 1: My father and mother have deserted me. Yet the eternal
• 2:50:38
  Speaker 1: will take me in. Oh Eternal show me your way.
• 2:50:43
  Speaker 1: Shine your light brightly on this path and make it
• 2:50:46
  Speaker 1: level for me. Let us behold His beauty in our hearts.
• 2:50:52
  Speaker 1: Now there is nothing else like it. Often we realize
• 2:50:57
  Speaker 1: we have nurtured to substitute God and our hearts when
• 2:51:00
  Speaker 1: we sense an itch or restlessness inside and find ourselves
• 2:51:06
  Speaker 1: searching and searching for a sense of soul satisfaction in
• 2:51:09
  Speaker 1: other places. In these times, Jesus is inviting us again
• 2:51:15
  Speaker 1: to make him the king of our hearts. Saint Augustine
• 2:51:21
  Speaker 1: of Hippo felt it. He wrote about the void that
• 2:51:24
  Speaker 1: is everyone's heart that can only be filled by God.
• 2:51:29
  Speaker 2: God is so good.
• 2:51:30
  Speaker 1: And gracious that he knows we can't invite him as
• 2:51:33
  Speaker 1: king without his help.
• 2:51:36
  Speaker 2: We can't do it.
• 2:51:36
  Speaker 1: In our strength. He wants us to ask for his help.
• 2:51:43
  Speaker 1: He is our strength, and he is our help. How
• 2:51:47
  Speaker 1: wonderful he is. There is never any condemnation from him.
• 2:51:53
  Speaker 2: He is so.
• 2:51:54
  Speaker 1: Ready and willing to help us. Put him first in
• 2:51:57
  Speaker 1: our hearts. Pray with me, Dear King Jesus, thank you
• 2:52:05
  Speaker 1: for so gently and kindly revealing yourself to us. More,
• 2:52:10
  Speaker 1: thank you that it's such a freeing truth to know
• 2:52:12
  Speaker 1: that you are above all else in our lives. You
• 2:52:17
  Speaker 1: love meeting our needs as humans, and you love being
• 2:52:20
  Speaker 1: the fulfillment of our deepest desires. Let us want you
• 2:52:25
  Speaker 1: above all other wants. May you be first and foremost
• 2:52:30
  Speaker 1: in our hearts. May you always be front and center,
• 2:52:35
  Speaker 1: not just in word, but indeed and in truth. Would
• 2:52:41
  Speaker 1: you show us that you are more necessary than comforts
• 2:52:44
  Speaker 1: and possessions or even companionship, Although those are blessings, you
• 2:52:50
  Speaker 1: want to give us. You are our true bread of
• 2:52:54
  Speaker 1: life and our real living water. We were created for
• 2:52:59
  Speaker 1: you to bring you glory and enjoy you forever. Thank
• 2:53:05
  Speaker 1: you that you know all our physical needs, and you
• 2:53:09
  Speaker 1: feed even the little sparrows. So how much more will
• 2:53:13
  Speaker 1: you feed us, your beloved children, and your name Jesus,
• 2:53:19
  Speaker 1: We pray Amen. Listen again to the words of Psalm
• 2:53:26
  Speaker 1: seventy three. For all my wanting, I don't have any
• 2:53:31
  Speaker 1: one but You in heaven. There is nothing on earth
• 2:53:35
  Speaker 1: that I desire other than you. I admit how broken
• 2:53:39
  Speaker 1: I am in body and spirit. But God is my
• 2:53:43
  Speaker 1: strength and he will be mine forever. Every time someone
• 2:53:50
  Speaker 1: or something fails you, God is there to catch you.
• 2:53:54
  Speaker 1: Even the gifts He gives us and the companions he
• 2:53:57
  Speaker 1: blesses us with may let us down, but God himself
• 2:54:01
  Speaker 1: will never let us down. When people disappoint us or
• 2:54:07
  Speaker 1: flake out on us when we need the most, it
• 2:54:10
  Speaker 1: can be a crushing blow, but the Holy Spirit is
• 2:54:14
  Speaker 1: always right there to hold you and comfort you. He
• 2:54:18
  Speaker 1: is not flaky. He will never fail you or forsake you.
• 2:54:22
  Speaker 1: That's his promise, and it's impossible for him to break
• 2:54:27
  Speaker 1: his promise. When others fail or forsake you. God is
• 2:54:31
  Speaker 1: guiding you and providing for you. He is proving his
• 2:54:35
  Speaker 1: faithfulness when others are unfaithful. Even in your moments of weakness,
• 2:54:43
  Speaker 1: he will prove to you that he is strong, He
• 2:54:47
  Speaker 1: is unfailing, even when you or others fail. I pray
• 2:54:51
  Speaker 1: that you will see His goodness, and that you will
• 2:54:53
  Speaker 1: be able to echo the words of the Psalmist and
• 2:54:56
  Speaker 1: word deed and truth. Nothing on earth that I desire
• 2:55:02
  Speaker 1: Besides you, keep breathing gently. Let the peace of deep
• 2:55:09
  Speaker 1: sleep continue to enfold you. God is taking his place
• 2:55:15
  Speaker 1: in your heart, and he is making all things right.
• 2:55:21
  Speaker 1: He is shouldering your burdens. He is supplying you with
• 2:55:25
  Speaker 1: everything you need. Precious one, you can trust him first
• 2:55:32
  Speaker 1: and foremost to provide for you, just like a good
• 2:55:36
  Speaker 1: father for their child. Listen as I read the words
• 2:55:40
  Speaker 1: from Jesus himself from Matthew six, verses twenty six to
• 2:55:46
  Speaker 1: thirty four. Look at the birds in the sky. They
• 2:55:50
  Speaker 1: do not store food for winter. They don't plant gardens,
• 2:55:54
  Speaker 1: they do not sow or reap, and yet they are
• 2:55:57
  Speaker 1: always fed because You're heavenly Father feeds them, and you
• 2:56:02
  Speaker 1: are even more precious to him than a beautiful bird.
• 2:56:06
  Speaker 1: If he looks after them, of course he will look
• 2:56:09
  Speaker 1: after you.
• 2:56:11
  Speaker 2: Worrying does not do any good.
• 2:56:14
  Speaker 1: Who here can claim to add even an hour to
• 2:56:17
  Speaker 1: his life by worrying? Nor should you worry about clothes.
• 2:56:22
  Speaker 1: Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow.
• 2:56:26
  Speaker 1: They do not work or weave or so, and yet
• 2:56:30
  Speaker 1: their garments are studying. Even King Solomon, dressed in his
• 2:56:34
  Speaker 1: most regal garb, was not as lovely as these lilies.
• 2:56:40
  Speaker 1: And think about grassy fields. The grasses are here now,
• 2:56:44
  Speaker 1: but they will be dead by winter, and yet God
• 2:56:47
  Speaker 1: adorns them so radiantly. How much more will he clothe you,
• 2:56:53
  Speaker 1: you of little faith, you who have no trust. Not
• 2:57:00
  Speaker 1: consume yourselves with questions. What will we eat? What will
• 2:57:04
  Speaker 1: we drink? What will we wear? Outsiders make themselves frantic
• 2:57:09
  Speaker 1: over such questions. They don't realize that your heavenly father
• 2:57:14
  Speaker 1: knows exactly what you need. Seek first the Kingdom of
• 2:57:19
  Speaker 1: God and his righteousness, and then all these things will
• 2:57:23
  Speaker 1: be given to you too. Our father God knows all
• 2:57:28
  Speaker 1: our needs. He created us with those needs. He has
• 2:57:33
  Speaker 1: given us everything in this life to meet those needs.
• 2:57:37
  Speaker 1: But most of all, he has given us the greatest
• 2:57:40
  Speaker 1: gift of his son, Jesus. We are first and foremost
• 2:57:45
  Speaker 1: created for deep relationship and union with His Son. Still
• 2:57:52
  Speaker 1: your mind and focus your attention on Jesus. His Holy
• 2:57:57
  Speaker 1: spirit is given to you to make the presence and
• 2:58:00
  Speaker 1: person of Jesus real and tangible to you. Perhaps you
• 2:58:04
  Speaker 1: can sense him. Perhaps he is whispering softly to your heart.
• 2:58:09
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he is surrounding you with a warm glow. Perhaps
• 2:58:14
  Speaker 1: he is filling you with peace. Allow him to show
• 2:58:18
  Speaker 1: himself to you in whatever way he wants. He is
• 2:58:24
  Speaker 1: fulfilling your needs right now, maybe needs you didn't know
• 2:58:28
  Speaker 1: you had.
• 2:58:29
  Speaker 2: He created you, so.
• 2:58:31
  Speaker 1: He knows you better than you know yourself.
• 2:58:34
  Speaker 2: In Philippians three.
• 2:58:36
  Speaker 1: Eight and nine, Paul expresses the all sufficiency of Christ
• 2:58:41
  Speaker 1: in his life. Indeed, I count everything as lass because
• 2:58:48
  Speaker 1: of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord.
• 2:58:53
  Speaker 1: For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all
• 2:58:55
  Speaker 1: things and count them as rubbish, in order that I
• 2:58:59
  Speaker 1: may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having
• 2:59:02
  Speaker 1: a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
• 2:59:06
  Speaker 1: but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness
• 2:59:10
  Speaker 1: from God that depends on faith. Join me as we.
• 2:59:14
  Speaker 2: Close in prayer.
• 2:59:16
  Speaker 1: Dear Father God, thank you for being our sustenance and strength,
• 2:59:22
  Speaker 1: our refuge and rest, the only one who truly provides
• 2:59:26
  Speaker 1: and guides us. Would you help us to continue to
• 2:59:30
  Speaker 1: experience you as our all sufficient Lord. You know what
• 2:59:34
  Speaker 1: we need before we even ask for it. Bless this
• 2:59:38
  Speaker 1: child's sleep tonight. May they dream sweet dreams in your
• 2:59:42
  Speaker 1: presence and wake up refreshed. In Jesus, nay Amen, continue
• 2:59:51
  Speaker 1: to let the truths of this story sink in. He
• 2:59:56
  Speaker 1: will meet all your needs according to his riches glory.
• 3:00:05
  Speaker 1: I feel like when I listen to the sleep meditations
• 3:00:08
  Speaker 1: that I have a friend next to me.