Latest / Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons / Praising God in the Wilderness

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Praising God in the Wilderness · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We extend a very warm welcome to you all this morning and those of you who are joining us
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online as well, welcome to you as well. There are a number of things on the information sheet today
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that I want to mention. I'm not going to go through them all by any means, there's quite a
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number of them. There is tea served after the service this morning and that'll be in the hall
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and everybody's welcome to that, visitors included. If you're a visitor we welcome you and you're
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welcome to stay for tea, coffee with us as well after the service. The service this evening will
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be conducted by Mr Scott McLeod. Deacons Court is due to meet tomorrow evening, that'll be in the
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upper hall in person and that's at 7pm and then on Wednesday after a time of worship we'll have the
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annual meeting of the congregation and for the annual meeting the statement including the
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trustees report and financial statement for last year 2021 that will be presented. There is a
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copy of the statement available today if you want to take one with you in advance. These are available
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here and also in the seminary. Now at the close of the annual meeting a presentation will be made to
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Mr Mortimer McPhail who you remember resigned as treasurer, retired I suppose would be a good word,
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after more than 19 years of dedicated service. So it'd be great to have a good attendance for the
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annual meeting but also for that particular presentation as well. And then after that the
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Kirk Session will meet immediately after that in the upper hall and will be pleased to meet with anyone
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who wishes to profess their faith and take communion for the first time. And as you know the communion is due
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next Lord's Day morning at 11am, that'll be here in the church and as was intimated over the last few
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weeks the procedure will be the same as we had at the last most recent communion. So we'll just go by the
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same way of carrying out the communion for this time and then for the future we'll assess just how to go ahead.
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This is just still part of the recovery from the times of COVID restrictions and spacing and so on
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which we're no longer required to keep but there will be a space in between each pew that's used for
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the communion table. And ahead of the communion there'll be services on Saturday evening, a service on
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Saturday evening and a communion early morning prayer meeting and you can see these intimated there
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on the 4th and 5th on Saturday and Sunday. And please get in touch with Alistair MacLeod if you
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are going to join any of these by Zoom. The LDOS annual rally takes place this coming Friday at 7.30,
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that'll be in the town hall and it'll also include the launching of a new book produced by the branch
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called Remember the Sabbath Day. And finally there's a book available today called Our Faithful Queen
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and it's a very well produced and colorful book. It's a very very nice book. It's intended for giving
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out to people and we're suggesting that if you can take a copy you can please just give it out to those
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that you may know in the neighborhood or your friends that aren't able to come to church
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or are able to come to church but don't. In any case use your own initiative but it is for handing
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out so there's no charge for it. So it's available today for that purpose. It's a book of prayers that
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the Queen over the years has used. She was given a book of readings and prayers in advance of her
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coronation all these years ago and she has used that and made statements of her own faith which are
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included in the book as well. So it's a very useful book to actually give out especially to any that
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you know would benefit from it. Well these are the only intimations I need to mention. Let's worship
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God now. We're singing firstly today from Psalm 30. Psalm number 30 and that's in the Scottish Psalter
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page 239 the tune is St. Minver verses 1 to 5. And we're reverting back to four singings which we used to
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have for our services in any case. So again today we're back to having four singings, four items of praise.
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Lord I will thee extol for thou hast lifted me on high and over me thou to rejoice made'st not mine enemy.
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O thou who art the Lord my God I in distress to thee with loud cries lifted up my voice
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thou hast healed me. And so on down to verse 5 we'll stand to sing. Lord I will thee extol.
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Lord I will thee extol for thou hast lifted me on high and over me thou to rejoice made'st not mine enemy.
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O thou who art the Lord my God I in distress to thee with loud cries lifted up my voice and love hast healed me.
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O Lord my soul that hast healed me. O Lord my soul that hast sought out and rescued from the grave.
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O Jesus that hastened me inessional tales to thee with luke myself than my rage of our deliverance Would he have gått and completed up with time before his gehad each other?
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God to die,
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have life
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against me
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save.
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O ye that
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at this
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holy
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one, sing
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grace unto
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the Lord,
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and give
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unto
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them
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that
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praying
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his
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holiness
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record.
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For
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God
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of whom
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and thus
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his wrath
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life
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in this
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favor lies.
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We
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being made
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whole
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at night
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and
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truth
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and
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born
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the joy
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in our
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eyes.
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Amen.
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We're now
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going to call
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upon the
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Lord in
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prayer.
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Let's
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join
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together
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in
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prayer.
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O Lord,
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our
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gracious
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God,
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we thank
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you for
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the many
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assurances
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that we
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have given
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as we
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come
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together
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to worship
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you.
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We give
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thanks
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especially
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for the
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assurance
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that you
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make us
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welcome
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in your
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presence
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through the
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provision you
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have made
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for us
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in the
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Lord Jesus
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Christ.
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We come
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together
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today, O
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Lord,
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and come
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to approach
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you,
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conscious
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that he
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is the
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way,
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the truth,
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and the
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life,
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conscious
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that he
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is that
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new and
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living way
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which you
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have opened
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up into
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your presence,
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that we
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might be
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able to
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approach
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you and
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find
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acceptance
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and a
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place in
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your
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presence
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and your
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approval.
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We thank
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you, O
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Lord,
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for all
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that that
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contains
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for us
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today and
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for the
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ground that
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it gives
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us to be
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assured of
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God's
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own welcome.
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We pray
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for faith, O
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Lord, to
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come before
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you, believing
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that you are
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God, that you
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are a rewarder
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of those who
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diligently seek
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you.
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We thank you
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today for the
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faith that you
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create in the
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hearts of your
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people, for the
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way in which by
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your Holy Spirit
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you give us to
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believe in you, to
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trust in you, to
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entrust ourselves
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to you.
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We thank you,
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Lord, that that
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faith brings so
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much into our
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possession, and yet
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we do not
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trust in our
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faith itself, but
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in the one who
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is foundational
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to it, the
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God and Father
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of our Lord
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Jesus Christ, and
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Christ himself as
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our Savior.
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We bless you,
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Lord, today that
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we find ourselves
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addressing you in
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his name, confident
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that you have
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provided all that
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we need in him
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through his work
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on earth, through
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his continuing
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intercession in
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heaven.
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Lord, we thank
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you today for
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this place of
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worship.
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We thank you
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for this occasion
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of worship.
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We thank you
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for all that you
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provide for us
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as means by
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which we
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worship you.
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We give thanks
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for your word, and
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we give thanks for
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the way that you
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call us to praise
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your name through
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singing your praise.
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We thank thee for
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the access we have
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to you in prayer.
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We pray, O Lord,
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that our access to
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you in prayer may
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constantly be in
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use by us.
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you call upon us in
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your word to pray
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to you continually.
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And Lord, although
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we know we cannot
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be every second of
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every day engaged
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meaningfully in
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prayer, yet we give
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thanks for every
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occasion that we
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can, and for the
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way that even as we
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go about our
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vocation and work
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and places in the
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world, we can
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address you in prayer
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and seek your help
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and give you praise.
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we give thanks, O
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Lord, for all that
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you have been to us
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over these past
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years, especially in
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this time of COVID
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pandemic.
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And Lord, help us,
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we pray, to continue
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to give thanks to
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you for the way that
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you have watched
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over us and kept
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us, for the way
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that you have
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continued to guide
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us and teach us
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by your word, for
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the way that you
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have continued to
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provide for us in
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the gospel, the
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services of worship
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that we gladly
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engage in.
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And Lord, we ask
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that this may
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constantly be in
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our mind to give
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thanks to you and
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to remind ourselves
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of how easily things
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can change in your
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providence, how much
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we are dependent
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upon you, how we
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cannot steer our
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own course through
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life successfully.
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And if we try to do
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so, Lord, you make
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it clear to us that
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our life is in your
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hands.
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We pray today that
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as we gather in your
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presence, these
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realities may indeed
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be true for each
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one of us.
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We ask for everybody
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gathered here today
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and for all who are
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joining us online.
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Lord, may your
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blessing rest upon us.
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May your Holy Spirit
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be active in our
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experience.
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May your word be
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applied to our
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hearts with power.
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May we find, O Lord,
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today that we take it
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with us and its
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teaching into all that
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lies ahead of us,
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even in this week
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itself.
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We thank you for the
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blessings that we
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enjoy in the gospel,
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the way that you
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continue to provide
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for us individually
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and as a congregation
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and in our homes and
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families.
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Lord, we pray that your
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blessing will be
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extended to us even
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more as we seek an
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increase in our own
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commitment to you and
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our love for you.
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We pray, Lord, that you
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would continue to fuel
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our lives by your
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grace and by the
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strength of your
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power.
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Enable us to proceed
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and persevere onwards
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in that life of
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faith.
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Help us, we pray
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today, to resist all
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inclinations away from
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you, every temptation
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from whatever source,
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O Lord, that seeks to
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draw our minds and our
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lives away from the
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life that is in you,
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from the fountain of
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life that we know is
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with yourself.
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Lord, we ask that you
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would enable us day by
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day to continue to
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persevere in that way
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of trusting in you and
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serving you.
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Bless again, we pray,
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our children, our young
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people.
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We thank you today for
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them as they gather in
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creche and in tweenies
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and Sunday school.
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And for those of them,
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Lord, who are now
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approaching adulthood,
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who gather from time to
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time in Bible class, in
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youth fellowship, in
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other ways of joining
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together and hearing
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about the things of
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God.
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O Lord, as they are
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taught and as they learn
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these things, grant to
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them that they may be
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firmly entrenched and
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established in your ways
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so that they may continue,
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Lord, to in their lives
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engage with you and
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continue in the teaching
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they received to follow
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it through in their
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practice in our adult
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life.
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Remember, too, today,
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Lord, those who have
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gone away from you,
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those who have strayed
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away from following you
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faithfully, those for
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whom this time of
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COVID pandemic and
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restrictions and all of
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the things associated
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with that have been so
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difficult and so
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challenging, and whose
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love has grown cold and
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who today are not found
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in a place of worship.
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Gracious Lord, be
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merciful to them,
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whether belonging to
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this congregation or
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others.
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We know how devastating
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this time has been for
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some.
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We know how some have
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lost their relish, how
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some have even turned
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away from following you
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altogether.
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O Lord, our God, be
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pleased, we pray, to
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bless them, to recover
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them, to reach out to
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them, O Lord, and take
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them back and graciously
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work in our midst, in our
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communities, to bring
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others who may have never
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before thought about you,
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but whose minds have been
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upon these eternal issues
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during this providence.
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Grant that you would
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bless that to them.
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We pray for those who
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lead us in our nation, and
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as we lament, O Lord, the
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evidences we find of
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departure from your
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values and your ways and
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your laws amongst them, we
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pray for them, for you
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have called us to do
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this.
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We pray for our
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governments in Scotland
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and in Westminster, in
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Ireland and Wales.
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We pray, O Lord, as a
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nation, that we may be
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more and more bound
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together in your truth,
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and not in the ways of
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human beings, however
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much they may appeal to
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our own nature.
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Grant, Lord, that your
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blessing, therefore, will
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be with our First
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Minister, our government,
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our Prime Minister and
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his government.
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And, Lord, grant at this
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time that we may see
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more and more of your
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own people coming to
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raise their voice against
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the departures morally and
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spiritually that we find so
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sadly marking our nation and
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our leaders at this time.
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Remember our Queen.
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Be with our Lord in her
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old age.
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Be with her as she finds her
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at this time of her life,
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her movement to be
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restricted and her ability
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to go from place to place
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to be less than it used to
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be.
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We thank you for the
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declarations of her faith
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that she has made and that
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she continues to make, and
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for the guidance that that
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has given to her family.
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And we pray that you would
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bless her, O Lord, at this
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time as she comes to
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celebrate this Jubilee.
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We be thankful, O Lord, for
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her leadership over the
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nation over these many
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years and for the ways in
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which she has withstood so
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many tests.
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And we pray that you would
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continue, Lord, to uphold
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her and to continue to
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maintain her in her own
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faith and attachment to you.
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And now we pray that you
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would remember us here as we
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continue in your presence.
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Bless to us your word and
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help us to sing your praises
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joyfully.
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And we pray all of these
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things, seeking pardon and
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cleansing of all our sin.
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For Jesus' sake.
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Amen.
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Let's sing further now to
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God's praise from Psalm 61.
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Psalm 61, again, it's in the
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Scottish Psalter version.
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Page 293.
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And verses 1 to 4.
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O God, give ear unto my
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cry, unto my prayer attend.
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From the utmost corner of the
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land, my cry to thee I'll send.
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We'll sing to the tune
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Salzburg, verses 1 to 4.
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O God, give ear unto my cry.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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O God, give ear unto my cry, unto my
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prayer attend.
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From the utmost corner of the land,
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my cry to thee I'll send.
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What time my heart is overwhelmed,
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and in perplexity,
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where thou be lead unto the rock,
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the fire is the night.
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For thou hast for my enmity,
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a shelter by thy power,
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and for defence against my foes,
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the vast, he laves strong tower.
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within thy cover,
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within thy cover,
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none will die,
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forever will abide.
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And I'll cover all thy wings,
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with God that lets me hide.
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Now as we return to God's Word,
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we're reading two passages this morning.
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First of these is in 2 Samuel, chapter 15.
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And then we're also going to read from the book of Psalms,
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and Psalm 63.
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So firstly, it's in 2 Samuel, chapter 15,
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reading verses 13 to 23.
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2 Samuel 15, verse 13.
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This is after David had fled,
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after the rebellion of Absalom,
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the coup that Absalom had led.
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So we read at verse 13,
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a messenger came to David,
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saying,
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The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.
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Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem,
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Arise, and let us flee,
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or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom.
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Go quickly,
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lest he overtake us quickly,
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and bring down ruin on us,
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and strike the city with the edge of the sword.
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And the king's servants said to the king,
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Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.
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So the king went out, and all his house sold after him,
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and the king left ten concubines to keep the house.
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And the king went out, and all the people after him,
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and they halted at the last house.
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And all his servants passed by him,
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and all the Carithites, and all the Pelithites,
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and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath,
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passed on before the king.
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Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite,
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Why do you also go with us?
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Go back and stay with the king,
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for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.
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You came only yesterday,
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and shall I today make you wander about with us?
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Since I go, I know not where.
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Go back and take your brothers with you,
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and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.
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But Ittai answered the king,
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As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives,
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wherever my lord the king shall be,
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whether for death or for life,
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there also will your servant be.
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And David said to Ittai,
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Go then, pass on.
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So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men,
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and all the little ones who were with him.
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And all the land wept aloud as the people passed by,
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and the king crossed the brook Kidron,
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and all the people passed on towards the wilderness.
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And we turn now to the book of Psalms,
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and Psalm 63.
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Psalm 63.
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Psalm that's entitled,
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Psalm of David,
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when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
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Psalm 63.
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O God, you are my God.
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Earnestly I seek you.
22:31
My soul thirsts for you.
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My flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land,
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where there is no water.
22:38
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
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beholding your power and glory.
22:44
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
22:47
my lips will praise you.
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So I will bless you as long as I live.
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In your name I will lift up my hands.
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My soul shall be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
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and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.
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When I remember you upon my bed
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and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
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For you have been my help,
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and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
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My soul clings to you.
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Your right hand upholds me.
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But those who seek to destroy my life
23:21
shall go down into the depths of the earth.
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They shall be given over to the power of the sword.
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They shall be a portion for jackals.
23:29
But the king shall rejoice in God.
23:32
All who swear by him shall exult.
23:35
For the mouths of liars will be stopped.
23:39
And once again we pray for God to bless
23:43
these passages of his word to us today.
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Now before we turn to look at Psalm 63 this morning,
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let's sing once again.
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We're singing in Psalm 62,
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and this time from the Sing Psalms version.
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You'll find that on page 79.
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Psalm 62, page 79.
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The tune is Heron Gate.
24:05
And we'll sing verses 1 to 8.
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My soul finds rest in God alone.
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From him comes my salvation sure.
24:14
My safety, fortress, sheltering rock.
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In him alone I am secure.
24:19
How long will you assault a man?
24:21
Do you all seek to lay him low,
24:23
this leaning wall, this tottering fence,
24:26
and bring about his overthrow?
24:29
They plan his fall from his high place.
24:32
They take delight in spreading lies.
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With false and flattering mouths they bless.
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But in their hearts curse and despise.
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And so on, down to verse 8.
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My soul finds rest in God alone.
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From him comes my salvation sure.
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My safety, fortress, sheltering rock.
24:53
In him alone I am secure.
24:54
In him alone I am secure.
24:59
I long will you are going to do.
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From him alone I am secure.
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From him comes my salvation sure.
25:04
From him comes my salvation sure.
25:06
From him comes my salvation sure.
25:08
From him comes my salvation sure.
25:09
The 50 fortress, sheltering rock, in heaven alone I am secure.
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How long will you, a softer man, do you all seek to live in love?
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This leaning wall, this tottering fence, and may now act this overthro.
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They plan this hope from this high list, they take the light in setting lights,
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with false and flattering mouths they bless, but in their hearts, first and desies.
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Find rest, my soul, in God alone, and there my hope is ever true.
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My safety fortress, sheltering rock, in heaven alone I am secure.
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My honour and salvation rest, on God my love and my default.
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O people, trust in him always, to him alone for a true heart.
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Well, for a short time this morning, will you please turn with me to Psalm 63 in the Book of Psalms.
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I'm going to look at some of the contents of this psalm as we go through it fairly quickly,
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but looking at some of the main points.
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A psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
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There are times when the worst experiences we may have to go through in this life
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bring out the very best in people.
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Of course, the opposite is also true.
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When the worst experiences or conditions will sometimes bring out the worst in people as well.
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Sometimes even the best conditions can bring out the worst in people.
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But not so here.
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Because here is David in very difficult circumstances in the wilderness.
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And what he brings out before us in this psalm is really a confession of his faith in God.
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A confession that is just full of beauty and emotion and power and confidence in God.
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And the setting for it, as we find in the title, is when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
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We're not sure that it was exactly at the same time as he was fleeing from Absalom,
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but it certainly fits the context.
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And when you look at verse 11 there,
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the king shall rejoice in God and what it says.
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It appears that that is a very likely context for this psalm to have been written
29:28
in relation to David's experiences in the wilderness when he had to flee for a time from Absalom.
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When Absalom had gathered support from many of the people and risen up against David
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and forced him to leave the city as king.
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And here in this great confession of faith,
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we have something that is so very important and relevant to ourselves.
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In our wilderness experiences, David is obviously literally in the wilderness,
29:57
but God's people have always taken this psalm to be emblematic or symptomatic
30:03
or a picture for them, an image for them,
30:07
of the difficulties that they go through in this life that can actually be described as wilderness,
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can be described as going through difficult times such as you go through physically
30:19
when you go through, as he says here, a dry and weary land where there is no water.
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And that has been the experience of people over the past couple of years,
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especially during the more serious lockdown and the aftermath of that
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with the COVID restrictions that were then put in place.
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And some people, of course, are still finding it very difficult to recover from that,
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to build up their lives again from that.
30:45
And maybe you yourself and myself are amongst that number as well.
30:51
But whatever wilderness experience you may have or have had,
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or you may be going through even at this time,
30:58
and if you're online as well and part of your difficulty is that you have not yet managed
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to make your way back to the gathered worship of God,
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then I hope this psalm itself will say something to you,
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to reassure you, to encourage you, to bring you this measure of praise to God
31:17
that will draw you to be with God's people as we are here today together in this place of worship.
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I'm going to divide the psalm into three.
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It really divides itself into three.
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Verses one to four, first of all, we'll take that as David's desire after God.
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And then in verses five to eight, we'll call that David's delight in God.
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And then the final few verses, eight, nine to 11, David's defense by God.
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So there's David's desire, there's David's delight, and there's David's defense.
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And as we go through these, I hope we'll see how they are relevant to our own circumstances in life,
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because that's really what the Bible is for.
32:03
It's not for us just to study this as a piece of history,
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as a piece of biography or autobiography on the part of David.
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It's here as God's word, relevant for our circumstances too.
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And in David's desire after God, you first of all see his longing and his confession at the very beginning.
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Oh God, you are my God.
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And that's really what runs right through the whole of the psalm.
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It's central to all of the rest of the psalm and what's stated there.
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You are my God.
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Earnestly, I seek, who is confessing immediately.
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Despite his circumstances, he has not lost sight of who his God is.
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He has not lost sight of the fact that this God is still his God,
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and that he wants to be known as one of God's people.
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That's so important.
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It's so crucial.
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In all the circumstances of life, that we keep our minds on the fact that God,
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this God, this God of the Bible is our God.
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And that when our circumstances change, and especially when they become difficult and challenging,
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nothing has changed from God's point of view.
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Nothing has changed in his plan for us.
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It's always been planned this way.
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And the difficulties and the trials and the challenges,
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whether they be spiritual or mental or whatever trauma they might be,
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and there are many of them,
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and we've all experienced some of them to one degree or another.
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For the people of God, they can still say and want to be able to reaffirm,
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O God, you are my God.
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I don't want any other God but you.
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And you see, the longing that David has is really put in terms of the longing of a friend for his friend.
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It's a longing on David's part for God as his best friend.
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God is no mere acquaintance for David.
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He's not some figure that he's just come to acknowledge in a formal fashion as part of his religion.
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He is his dear friend.
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He is his Lord.
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He is his God.
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He is creator.
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He is his savior.
34:18
This is what he is longing after, that he would have more again of God.
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And especially, I think, he's obviously looking at the times when he was in the sanctuary,
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when he was able to go to the temple in verse 2 there,
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and his longing is that that would return,
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that he would be back again with God's people,
34:35
worshiping him in the sanctuary that was built for that purpose.
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And he's eager for this God and eager as soon as can possibly be.
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And the word earnestly there is an interesting word.
34:51
The older translations have,
34:54
Early will I seek you.
34:55
And probably it's best taking it rather than earnestly,
35:00
although earnestly is built into that.
35:02
If you're actually coming early in the morning to seek the Lord,
35:07
then obviously there's an earnestness about that as well.
35:10
But the earliness of it is important.
35:13
For example, it fits verse 6 there,
35:15
When I remember you upon my bed and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
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David's not confining his seeking after God,
35:24
his communion with God to the daytime,
35:27
or to the hours during the day when that may be easier to fit in.
35:31
He is saying in the watches of the night,
35:33
I meditate upon you.
35:35
Every spare moment he has.
35:36
And here he is in the wilderness.
35:38
You might think he needs all the time he can get for his sleep.
35:41
And he does.
35:42
But he still wants to have communion with God.
35:45
And that's the secret here.
35:46
Really in many ways a key to the expression of faith
35:49
that he brings out in the psalm.
35:54
And that's a reminder to ourselves that
35:56
if you take this as early will I seek you,
35:59
as well as earnestly,
36:01
it's a reminder to ourselves how important it is
36:03
not to let your troubles keep you away from God.
36:08
Not to let your troubles become an argument against seeking God earnestly.
36:14
Not to let the difficulties, the challenges, the wilderness periods of life
36:19
actually put a distance between you and your God.
36:23
It should be for you and for me the other way about.
36:27
Let your troubles take you to God, as it were.
36:31
Let the troubles of your life be a means of drawing near to God.
36:37
Of seeking God's face like David is here, even in the wilderness.
36:41
This is what he's saying.
36:42
You are my God earnestly.
36:44
Early I am seeking you.
36:46
My soul thirsts for you.
36:48
My flesh longs for you.
36:50
And there's such an intensity in that,
36:52
which I find a huge challenge to myself.
36:55
I'm sure you say the same.
36:56
When he says here,
36:57
my soul thirsts for you.
36:59
My flesh faints for you.
37:00
He's really talking about his whole being,
37:03
being taken up with this.
37:04
Everything that's there in him, in his soul,
37:07
even his very flesh,
37:08
his very physical frame,
37:10
is affected by this desire for God,
37:13
this longing to go back into fellowship with his friend
37:17
in the sanctuary where he once used to be.
37:22
And there's a very interesting thing here
37:24
where he says in verse 2,
37:26
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary.
37:31
And what he's really saying by that
37:33
is that the thirst that he now has for God,
37:39
the intensity that he expresses by,
37:42
my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land
37:44
where there is no water.
37:46
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary.
37:48
In other words, David is saying,
37:49
I don't want my wilderness longing after you
37:53
to be any less intense
37:55
than it was when I was in the sanctuary
37:57
when I had the freedom to be there as king.
38:01
You know, and that raises for yourself and myself
38:04
a question and indeed a challenge for us today again.
38:07
Are we here today gathered with longing hearts?
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Are we gathered here with thirsty souls?
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Are we gathered here in a way that really longs
38:20
to meet with God?
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Have we come just to praise him outwardly,
38:26
to sing some of the psalms that we've been singing,
38:29
to hear his word expounded,
38:31
to hear it read,
38:32
to follow through in the reading,
38:34
to follow the prayers,
38:35
the prayer of the pulpit,
38:39
and your own prayers as well?
38:41
Surely this is your desire.
38:42
Surely this is my desire.
38:44
Surely this is something that you had
38:46
before you came into this building today,
38:48
that there was a measure.
38:49
I'm not saying it's going to be
38:50
the intensity of David's,
38:52
because I can't follow that myself
38:53
many other times that I come to church.
38:57
Sadly.
38:58
But here is a man
38:59
who is so intent in his eagerness
39:02
and his longing for God
39:03
that he can say even in the wilderness,
39:06
Lord, as I've looked upon you in the sanctuary,
39:09
as I did long after you there,
39:11
so I'm longing after you now.
39:14
You see, that says so much about our difficulties,
39:18
our trials, our periods of wilderness.
39:21
They are for us to deal with God,
39:24
to have communion with God,
39:26
to seek God,
39:29
to yearn after God,
39:32
as what David is doing here.
39:39
When I was in the study this morning,
39:40
just going over the notes for the service today,
39:43
I looked out the window of the study,
39:45
and there in the little tree growing up,
39:47
or the big trees as well,
39:48
outside the study in the garden,
39:51
are all these fledgling sparrows,
39:53
just newly out of the nest,
39:55
and the energy with which they appeal
39:58
to the parent birds,
39:59
come and feed me.
40:02
Give me something to feed me.
40:04
Give me my breakfast.
40:06
And the parent birds flitting back and forth
40:09
with the worms or flies,
40:10
whatever it was,
40:11
constantly flitting in response
40:13
to the cry of the fledgling,
40:15
the little baby sparrow.
40:16
And I looked out the window and I thought,
40:18
I just wish I would go to church myself today
40:21
with the desire,
40:23
with the longing,
40:24
with the hunger of that little sparrow
40:26
that is so eager and so longing
40:30
for a crumb,
40:33
for a fly,
40:34
for a worm
40:35
from its parent's mouth,
40:39
that I could find myself
40:40
in the pulpit today,
40:43
preaching the gospel,
40:45
and yet in my heart yearning after God
40:47
with that hunger,
40:49
something of what David has here.
40:51
As I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
40:53
beholding your power and your glory,
40:56
so my soul thirsts after you.
40:59
Friends,
41:00
we have souls,
41:02
despite what you see and hear out in the world there,
41:05
that we're just creatures
41:06
without any spiritual dimension of this kind.
41:10
We have souls for a purpose.
41:13
And one of the great purposes
41:14
for you having a soul
41:16
and my having a soul
41:17
is that you will long after God,
41:21
that you will love communion with God,
41:24
that you will use
41:25
the teaching of the Bible
41:27
in your times of wilderness,
41:29
in your times of challenge,
41:31
in your times of trial,
41:32
in your times of difficulty
41:33
to bring you to God
41:36
to thirst after Him.
41:38
God has designed us
41:42
in His creation of us.
41:44
He has designed us
41:45
for communion with Himself.
41:48
He has designed us
41:49
to be even in our times
41:50
of wilderness and difficulty
41:52
to yearn after Him,
41:53
to seek after Him.
41:56
You know,
41:57
there's a sense in which
41:58
even the expression
42:01
that we sometimes have
42:03
of confessing an absence
42:06
of this longing
42:07
in the presence of God.
42:09
That itself is an expression
42:11
of longing
42:11
because you want it
42:13
to be different.
42:14
You want it to be
42:15
more than it is.
42:16
You want an increased hunger
42:18
for God.
42:20
And so we come today
42:21
seeking that
42:22
God will bless this word
42:25
of David
42:25
all of these years ago to us
42:28
and that whatever it is today
42:30
is a trial to you.
42:32
Make it an occasion
42:34
for meeting with God.
42:36
Make it an occasion
42:38
for longing after God.
42:41
Make it an occasion
42:42
for drawing
42:43
the strength of God
42:45
into your life
42:47
in these circumstances.
42:50
Samuel Rutherford,
42:52
a famous Scottish theologian
42:53
of long ago,
42:55
had very many short
42:58
but powerful statements
43:00
and sayings.
43:01
One of them was this,
43:02
we live so far
43:05
from the well
43:06
yet complain
43:08
but dryly
43:09
of our dryness.
43:11
We live so far
43:13
from the well
43:14
and yet complain
43:15
but dryly
43:16
of our dryness.
43:18
We're conscious
43:18
at times
43:19
that we're not as near
43:20
to God
43:21
as we should be
43:22
and yet our complaint
43:23
about that is
43:23
rather dry,
43:25
he says,
43:25
compared to what it should be,
43:26
compared to the longing
43:27
of David in this psalm.
43:29
We live so far
43:30
from the well.
43:31
That's of our own
43:32
choosing at times.
43:33
We lose our relish.
43:37
We decrease in our hunger.
43:39
Our love does grow cold.
43:42
Yet we complain
43:43
but dryly
43:44
of our dryness.
43:47
Today,
43:48
let it be for me
43:49
and for you
43:50
an occasion
43:51
of drawing near the well,
43:54
shortening the distance
43:56
if we're at a distance
43:57
from the well
43:57
that God is
43:58
and coming
44:00
to be there
44:01
with him
44:01
to draw our water
44:03
of life from him.
44:06
David's desire
44:07
after God
44:09
and David
44:10
is not belittling
44:11
anything
44:13
when he says
44:13
your loving kindness
44:15
is better than last,
44:17
your steadfast love
44:19
is better than life
44:20
so because of that
44:21
my lips
44:22
will praise you
44:23
so I will bless you
44:24
as long as I live
44:25
in your name
44:26
I will lift up my hands.
44:27
Now you can understand
44:29
the steadfast love
44:30
we've come across
44:31
these words many times.
44:33
God's steadfast love
44:35
is not just his love
44:37
his eternal love
44:38
for his people
44:39
but his love
44:40
in covenant with them.
44:42
He has bonded himself
44:43
to his people
44:44
and his people to him
44:45
and the love
44:46
that we experience
44:47
from God
44:47
as we're bonded
44:48
to him
44:49
by faith
44:50
and by love
44:50
on our own part
44:51
as created by him
44:53
well that's something
44:55
he says here
44:56
is better than life.
44:57
Now he's not
44:58
he's not belittling
44:59
or minimizing
45:01
the benefits of life.
45:05
The many good things
45:06
we have in life
45:07
we appreciate
45:07
we thank God for
45:10
we don't belittle them
45:12
but they cannot compare
45:16
with his steadfast love.
45:18
They can't compare
45:19
with his loving kindness.
45:21
As you know
45:23
I love the songs
45:24
of Ellie Holcomb
45:25
and in one of these songs
45:28
she speaks really
45:30
to God
45:30
in the song
45:31
and it's entitled
45:33
You Love Me Best.
45:35
Most of you
45:36
some of you
45:36
will probably know it.
45:37
My mother
45:38
she holds me
45:39
when I'm weak
45:40
she consoles me
45:41
my troubles
45:42
weigh on her mind
45:44
my tears fall down
45:45
from her eyes
45:46
but you
45:47
you loved me better.
45:49
My father
45:51
beside me
45:52
holds out his arm
45:53
to guide me
45:54
his wisdom
45:55
waits in silence
45:56
he speaks
45:57
and I grow quiet
45:59
but you
45:59
you loved me better.
46:02
And there may come a day
46:03
when all other loves
46:05
have gone away
46:06
when darkness
46:07
hems me in
46:08
you'll be right
46:09
where you have always been
46:11
closer than the heart
46:12
within my chest
46:14
because you loved me best.
46:16
the ring around my finger
46:20
to have and hold
46:22
forever
46:22
it circles round
46:24
like years
46:26
that we've walked
46:26
through joys and tears
46:28
but you
46:29
you have loved
46:31
me better.
46:35
And there is no better love
46:36
and the loving kindness
46:38
the steadfast love
46:39
of God
46:40
and in the wilderness
46:42
oh how David appreciates
46:45
the steadfast love
46:47
God has for him.
46:50
David's desire
46:51
after God
46:52
and his delight
46:53
in God
46:53
secondly
46:54
from verse 5
46:55
to 8
46:55
more briefly
46:56
you can see here
46:58
how he has great
46:59
satisfaction in God
47:00
and how he is saying
47:01
to himself
47:02
this is how it's going
47:03
to continue
47:04
as far as possible
47:05
my soul
47:05
will be satisfied
47:07
with fat
47:08
and rich food
47:08
could translate that
47:10
as a present as well
47:11
my soul is satisfied
47:13
with fat
47:13
and rich food
47:14
my mouth
47:15
praises you
47:16
with joyful lips
47:17
but if you take it
47:18
as his own reference
47:19
to the future
47:20
as far as he sees it
47:21
then this is what he's saying
47:23
this is his intention
47:24
this is his aim
47:25
this is the purpose
47:26
of his life
47:27
my soul
47:27
will be satisfied
47:28
with fat
47:29
and rich food
47:30
when I remember you
47:31
upon my bed
47:32
and meditate you
47:33
on you
47:34
in the watches
47:34
of the night
47:35
how could he say
47:36
this sort of thing
47:37
in the wilderness
47:38
that his soul
47:40
will be satisfied
47:41
with rich
47:42
and fat food
47:43
how could he say
47:44
my mouth
47:44
will praise you
47:45
with joyful lips
47:46
well the secret to it
47:47
is really in verse 6
47:49
it's his communion
47:53
with God
47:53
that has led
47:56
to this conviction
47:57
to this purpose
47:58
to this determination
48:00
to continue
48:01
to be satisfied
48:03
in God
48:03
you see the wilderness
48:05
sharpens our wakefulness
48:08
doesn't it
48:08
sometimes you and I
48:10
need something like that
48:11
something
48:13
of a challenge
48:14
to come into
48:15
our lot
48:15
just to remind us
48:17
of who God is
48:18
and what he's like
48:20
and especially
48:21
if we have
48:22
gone astray
48:23
somewhat
48:23
just to bring us
48:25
back to a right
48:25
perspective
48:26
and balance
48:27
and to go on again
48:29
following the Lord
48:30
it has produced
48:33
for David
48:33
this satisfaction
48:35
this intensity
48:37
of praise
48:38
and he also speaks
48:39
about safety
48:40
for you have been
48:41
my help
48:42
he's reflecting upon
48:43
what God has been
48:45
to him up to that moment
48:46
you have been
48:47
my help
48:48
and in the shadow
48:49
of your wings
48:49
I will sing
48:50
for joy
48:51
my soul
48:52
clings to you
48:53
your right hand
48:54
upholds me
48:55
what he's saying is
48:56
this is how I've always
48:57
found you Lord
48:58
and you're not going
48:58
to change now
48:59
even though I'm
49:00
in the wilderness
49:01
you are still
49:02
this same God
49:03
and it's interesting
49:09
he says there
49:09
in the shadow
49:11
of your wings
49:12
I will sing
49:13
for joy
49:13
you have been
49:14
my help
49:15
it may be
49:16
that that's the imagery
49:17
of the mother bird
49:19
protecting its
49:20
little chicks
49:21
but I think it's
49:22
probably more
49:23
better to take it
49:24
as a reference
49:25
to David's experience
49:27
in the sanctuary
49:28
in the temple
49:29
where
49:31
the
49:32
the cherubim
49:34
with their wings
49:35
outstretched
49:36
represented
49:38
or part of
49:39
what represented
49:39
the presence
49:40
of God
49:41
above the mercy seat
49:42
where the cherubim
49:43
were located
49:44
and in Psalm 61
49:46
you have something
49:46
very much like that
49:48
he says
49:48
let me dwell
49:49
in your tent
49:50
forever
49:50
let me take refuge
49:52
under the shelter
49:53
of your wings
49:54
it's more obvious
49:55
there I think
49:56
he's saying
49:56
let me dwell
49:57
in your tent
49:58
in your sanctuary
49:58
forever
49:59
let me take refuge
50:00
under the shelter
50:01
of your wings
50:02
in other words
50:02
whatever you take
50:03
it David is certainly
50:04
looking to the protection
50:05
of God
50:06
that has been
50:07
his privilege
50:08
up to now
50:09
and what he's saying
50:11
is that's not
50:12
that's not going
50:13
to change
50:14
this is where
50:15
my safety is
50:16
in the shadow
50:18
of your wings
50:19
and in God's
50:21
own right hand
50:22
upholding him
50:23
you see how wonderfully
50:24
the two things
50:25
go together
50:25
we have a responsibility
50:27
ourselves
50:28
to bring ourselves
50:31
to be in the presence
50:32
of God
50:33
to worship him
50:35
to communicate with him
50:37
to pray to him
50:38
but our ultimate confidence
50:41
is not in that itself
50:42
David's ultimate confidence
50:45
is in God's own
50:47
right hand
50:48
upholding him
50:49
similar to Psalm 73
50:51
you recall
50:52
where he says
50:53
in Psalm 73
50:54
after
50:54
not David
50:56
but Asaph
50:57
this time
50:57
but very similar words
50:59
Asaph
51:00
is making a confession
51:02
of how near
51:03
he came
51:03
to sliding away
51:04
altogether
51:05
but he came back
51:07
to the sanctuary
51:09
of God
51:09
when he went in there
51:10
he was brought
51:11
to see
51:12
how foolish he was
51:14
in his thinking
51:14
he was thinking
51:15
the world was better off
51:17
because it didn't have
51:19
the troubles
51:19
that he as a believer
51:20
had
51:21
but he went into
51:23
the sanctuary
51:23
then realized
51:25
how foolish he was
51:27
brutish and ignorant
51:28
like a beast
51:28
before you
51:29
then he said
51:30
nevertheless
51:30
I'm continually
51:31
with you
51:32
you hold me
51:34
by my
51:34
you hold my right hand
51:36
you guide me
51:37
with your counsel
51:38
and afterwards
51:39
you will receive me
51:40
to glory
51:41
it is you see
51:43
his confidence
51:44
there is the foundation
51:46
in which David
51:47
stands confidently
51:48
the grasp
51:49
that God
51:50
has of him
51:51
yes he's thankful
51:52
for the grasp
51:53
that he has of God
51:54
in his faith
51:55
and in his love
51:56
and in his hope
51:57
and all of these things
51:58
are important to him
51:59
but it's God's own
52:02
right hand
52:02
that he looks to
52:03
particularly
52:03
my soul
52:04
clings to you
52:05
these words really mean
52:06
my soul
52:07
follows hard
52:09
after you
52:09
is the AV translation
52:10
it means
52:11
to pursue
52:12
something earnestly
52:13
and it fits in
52:14
with the seeking
52:15
of God
52:16
by David
52:17
it's a pursuit
52:18
it's a seeking
52:20
after
52:20
it's following
52:21
hard after you
52:22
it's like someone
52:23
running a race
52:24
clinging
52:26
holding on
52:27
but especially
52:28
conscious of his need
52:30
to be held
52:31
by God
52:32
isn't that where
52:34
your own confidence
52:36
where your own
52:37
security is today
52:39
you're thankful
52:41
for faith
52:42
you're thankful
52:43
for the way
52:44
in which
52:44
God has brought
52:46
himself into
52:46
your life
52:47
in such a way
52:48
that has
52:48
convinced you
52:50
of your need
52:50
to hold on to him
52:51
to trust in him
52:52
but you don't
52:54
go to eternity
52:55
fully persuaded
52:57
that that's all
52:57
you need
52:58
for your safety
52:58
that's got something
53:00
else beneath it
53:01
something else
53:02
bigger than that
53:03
God himself
53:04
and God's own
53:05
grasp
53:06
and God's own
53:06
hold of your life
53:08
so here's David's
53:10
delight in God
53:11
his satisfaction
53:12
and his safety
53:13
and especially
53:15
in the way God
53:15
still holds him
53:17
where he is
53:18
and then there's
53:19
David's defense
53:20
I'll be very brief
53:21
with this
53:21
David's defense
53:22
verses 9 to 11
53:25
David's defense
53:26
by God
53:27
having seen his
53:28
delight in God
53:29
and his desire
53:30
after God
53:30
look at what he's
53:32
saying here
53:32
in verses 9 to 11
53:33
but those who
53:34
seek to destroy
53:35
my life
53:36
shall go down
53:37
into the depths
53:38
of the earth
53:39
they shall be
53:40
given over
53:40
to the power
53:41
of the sword
53:41
there shall be
53:42
a portion
53:43
for jackals
53:44
but the king
53:45
shall rejoice
53:46
in God
53:48
all who swear
53:49
by him
53:50
shall exult
53:51
swear allegiance
53:53
that is I think
53:54
for the mouths
53:55
of liars
53:55
will be stopped
53:56
a couple of things
53:58
there
53:58
you'll see
53:59
first of all
54:00
how God's
54:02
commitment
54:02
to his people
54:04
means that he is
54:05
committed against
54:06
their enemies
54:07
God's steadfast
54:09
love for his people
54:10
is not going to be
54:12
something that
54:13
regards them
54:14
in any kind
54:15
of loose
54:16
or indifferent
54:18
way as they face
54:19
enemies
54:20
as they face
54:20
challenges
54:21
from their enemies
54:22
whatever enemy
54:23
that might be
54:24
God is committed
54:25
to their protection
54:26
God is committed
54:27
to looking after
54:28
his own people
54:29
his steadfast love
54:30
ensures that
54:31
and the solemn
54:33
thing is that
54:33
those who challenge
54:35
the people of God
54:37
those who challenge
54:38
God himself
54:39
will end up
54:41
he says here
54:42
they shall be given
54:43
over to the depths
54:45
of the earth
54:45
they shall die
54:46
they shall come
54:47
under God's judgment
54:48
and his justice
54:49
and the king
54:53
he says
54:54
shall rejoice
54:54
in God
54:55
whatever happens
54:56
to my enemies
54:58
David is saying
54:59
because God
55:00
is my God
55:01
oh Lord
55:02
oh God
55:02
you are my God
55:03
and because
55:04
that is still the case
55:05
the king
55:06
shall rejoice
55:07
in God
55:07
you see what he's saying
55:08
I'm in the wilderness
55:09
I've had to flee
55:11
from Jerusalem
55:11
my son Absalom
55:13
has risen up against me
55:15
he's gathered support
55:16
that has forced me
55:17
away from the throne
55:18
for this period
55:18
and as we read
55:19
in 2 Samuel
55:20
he wasn't really sure
55:22
where he was going
55:22
to end up
55:23
he just kept going
55:24
into the wilderness
55:24
along with those
55:25
who were in support
55:26
but he's still the king
55:30
he is still convinced
55:33
that he is God's
55:34
appointed king
55:35
the king
55:36
shall rejoice
55:38
in God
55:39
as you know
55:40
often in the Old Testament
55:42
the kingship
55:43
of the kings
55:44
of the Old Testament
55:45
the good kings
55:46
especially
55:47
are types of Christ
55:48
they are representations
55:49
of Jesus for us
55:51
and many of the Psalms
55:53
so brilliantly
55:54
so brilliantly
55:56
portray the kingship
55:57
of Jesus
55:58
as you read through
55:59
what they say
56:00
about the kings
56:01
of the times
56:02
whether it's David
56:03
or Solomon
56:03
whoever
56:04
and it doesn't matter
56:07
how many millions
56:09
of people today
56:10
will reject Jesus
56:11
how many people
56:13
out there
56:14
will be convinced
56:15
that there is no God
56:16
how many people
56:18
will actually
56:18
say
56:19
and throw in our teeth
56:22
the gospel
56:22
that we seek to maintain
56:24
not just in the preaching
56:25
of it
56:25
but in your testifying
56:26
to it
56:27
in your lives
56:28
however many times
56:29
people will turn
56:30
and say
56:30
well
56:30
why are you actually
56:32
trusting in someone
56:33
who's dead
56:33
why are you trusting
56:36
in a God
56:37
whose existence
56:38
you cannot prove
56:40
it's just simply
56:42
like all other religions
56:43
people will say
56:44
they're at the end
56:45
of the day
56:45
they're fine
56:46
if you want to follow that
56:47
but they're not actually
56:48
useful
56:49
and they're not truth
56:50
is that going to change
56:55
things as far as
56:56
God is concerned
56:57
supposing you're
57:00
the only believer
57:01
left in the world
57:02
and you're surrounded
57:03
by people who say
57:04
it's foolish to trust
57:05
in God
57:06
a God that you cannot see
57:07
and have never proved
57:09
in your heart
57:10
and in my heart
57:11
the Lord is still king
57:13
and he will always
57:16
continue to be the king
57:17
it doesn't matter
57:18
how many people
57:19
deny it
57:20
that's not going to
57:21
change the truth
57:22
people can try
57:24
as hard as they like
57:25
to disprove
57:26
the existence
57:27
of God
57:27
and that'll go on
57:29
to the end
57:30
of the world
57:30
but the truth
57:33
remains the truth
57:34
and God
57:37
remains God
57:38
and the king
57:40
the Jesus
57:42
who is king
57:43
shall rejoice
57:45
shall continue
57:47
to be who he is
57:49
and shall do all
57:51
he has promised
57:52
to do
57:52
for his people
57:54
all
57:56
who swear by him
57:57
shall exult
57:59
they shall be
58:00
exalted
58:01
in rejoicing
58:03
is what it means
58:04
and if that was true
58:07
of David here
58:09
prophesying
58:10
of the future
58:10
for himself
58:11
and for his followers
58:12
how much more
58:14
is it true
58:15
of Jesus
58:16
and his people
58:17
whatever the world
58:19
may say
58:20
and it doesn't
58:21
we're not saying
58:22
that doesn't matter
58:24
it's our duty
58:25
to try
58:25
present the gospel
58:27
and the truth
58:27
to them
58:28
but ultimately
58:29
it doesn't matter
58:30
because the king
58:32
still lives
58:33
and the king
58:34
is going to return
58:35
and the king's
58:37
followers
58:38
and the king's
58:38
people
58:39
all who swear
58:39
by him
58:40
all who are
58:40
in allegiance
58:41
to him
58:42
they shall
58:43
exult
58:44
they shall have
58:46
everlasting
58:47
rejoicing
58:48
nothing
58:50
and no one's
58:50
going to spoil
58:51
that
58:51
or make that
58:53
untrue
58:54
as we read
58:57
in the song
58:58
of Solomon
58:58
where you find
59:00
the longings
59:03
of this
59:04
lady after
59:06
her beloved
59:07
in chapter 1
59:09
and verse 4
59:10
we can finish
59:11
with this
59:11
it is her desire
59:15
here is the bride
59:16
this woman
59:18
confessing her love
59:19
for her beloved
59:20
in which you find
59:22
an image of
59:22
our own love
59:23
for the Lord
59:24
he says
59:26
draw me
59:26
and we will run
59:27
after you
59:28
let us run
59:29
the king has
59:30
brought me
59:31
into his
59:31
chambers
59:32
we will
59:34
exult
59:34
and rejoice
59:36
in you
59:36
we will extol
59:38
your love
59:39
more than wine
59:41
rightly
59:42
do they
59:43
love you
59:44
take these words
59:47
home with you
59:48
rightly
59:49
do they
59:50
love you
59:51
and nobody
59:53
can take that
59:54
conviction
59:55
out of your
59:56
heart today
59:57
because it's
59:58
based on
59:59
God's
59:59
truth
1:00:00
in Jesus
1:00:01
Christ
1:00:02
Lord our God
1:00:04
we pray
1:00:05
that today
1:00:06
you'd bless
1:00:06
to us
1:00:07
this portion
1:00:07
of your word
1:00:08
help us
1:00:10
we pray
1:00:11
like David
1:00:12
long ago
1:00:13
help us
1:00:13
to trust
1:00:15
in you
1:00:15
with the
1:00:15
trust
1:00:16
that he
1:00:16
spoke of
1:00:17
and the
1:00:17
desire
1:00:17
that he
1:00:18
could
1:00:18
confess
1:00:19
and Lord
1:00:20
we pray
1:00:21
that you
1:00:21
would intensify
1:00:22
our desire
1:00:23
our longing
1:00:24
after you
1:00:25
we pray
1:00:26
that in
1:00:26
these days
1:00:27
in which
1:00:27
we live
1:00:28
when so
1:00:29
few
1:00:30
yearn
1:00:31
after you
1:00:31
in the
1:00:32
world
1:00:32
in which
1:00:32
we live
1:00:33
with that
1:00:34
desire
1:00:34
that is
1:00:35
true to
1:00:36
your word
1:00:36
gracious
1:00:37
Lord
1:00:37
we pray
1:00:38
that that
1:00:38
will be
1:00:39
true of
1:00:39
ourselves
1:00:39
help us
1:00:40
to delight
1:00:40
in you
1:00:41
help us
1:00:42
to be
1:00:42
thankful
1:00:42
for your
1:00:44
own
1:00:44
sheltering
1:00:45
of your
1:00:45
people
1:00:45
for your
1:00:46
protection
1:00:46
of them
1:00:47
and for
1:00:48
the way
1:00:48
that your
1:00:48
truth
1:00:49
will endure
1:00:50
how many
1:00:51
challenges
1:00:51
it may
1:00:52
have to
1:00:52
face
1:00:53
we don't
1:00:53
know
1:00:53
Lord
1:00:55
we know
1:00:55
that your
1:00:55
truth
1:00:56
will continue
1:00:56
on through
1:00:58
into eternity
1:00:58
help us
1:00:59
to prize
1:01:00
it
1:01:00
to commend
1:01:01
it to the
1:01:02
world in
1:01:02
which we
1:01:02
live
1:01:03
to rejoice
1:01:04
in it
1:01:04
ourselves
1:01:05
hear us
1:01:06
now we
1:01:06
pray
1:01:07
for Jesus
1:01:07
sake
1:01:08
Amen
1:01:09
we're going
1:01:14
to praise
1:01:14
God now
1:01:14
in conclusion
1:01:15
in Psalm
1:01:15
36
1:01:16
Psalm number
1:01:17
36
1:01:18
in the
1:01:19
Sing
1:01:19
Psalms
1:01:19
version
1:01:19
you'll find
1:01:20
that on
1:01:21
page
1:01:21
44
1:01:22
the tune
1:01:25
is
1:01:26
Bays
1:01:26
of
1:01:26
Harris
1:01:27
singing
1:01:29
verses
1:01:29
5
1:01:30
to
1:01:30
9
1:01:31
your
1:01:32
steadfast
1:01:33
love
1:01:33
is
1:01:33
great
1:01:34
O
1:01:34
Lord
1:01:34
it
1:01:35
reaches
1:01:36
heaven
1:01:36
high
1:01:36
your
1:01:37
faithfulness
1:01:38
is
1:01:38
wonderful
1:01:39
extending
1:01:40
to the
1:01:41
sky
1:01:41
and so
1:01:41
on
1:01:42
through
1:01:42
to
1:01:42
verse
1:01:42
9
1:01:43
your
1:01:43
steadfast
1:01:44
love
1:01:44
is
1:01:45
great
1:01:45
O
1:01:45
Lord
1:01:46
your
1:01:51
steadfast
1:01:53
love
1:01:54
is
1:01:55
great
1:01:56
O
1:01:57
Lord
1:01:58
it
1:01:59
reaches
1:02:01
heaven
1:02:02
high
1:02:05
your
1:02:06
faithfulness
1:02:10
is
1:02:11
wonderful
1:02:13
and
1:02:15
extending
1:02:16
to
1:02:18
the
1:02:18
sky
1:02:21
your
1:02:23
righteous
1:02:25
vessels
1:02:27
bear
1:02:29
me
1:02:30
laid
1:02:31
like
1:02:32
mountains
1:02:34
high
1:02:36
on
1:02:37
sea
1:02:37
your
1:02:40
justice
1:02:41
depths
1:02:43
like
1:02:44
ocean
1:02:46
depths
1:02:47
of
1:02:49
man
1:02:50
and
1:02:51
peace
1:02:52
you
1:02:53
keep
1:02:55
high
1:02:57
precious
1:02:58
is
1:03:01
your
1:03:01
steadfast
1:03:04
love
1:03:05
what
1:03:06
confidence
1:03:08
is
1:03:10
a
1:03:11
blessed
1:03:12
prince
1:03:13
o
1:03:14
high
1:03:15
and
1:03:16
love
1:03:17
thine
1:03:18
shelter
1:03:20
in
1:03:21
the
1:03:22
shadow
1:03:24
of
1:03:26
your
1:03:27
wings
1:03:28
they
1:03:30
feast
1:03:32
within
1:03:32
your
1:03:34
hearts
1:03:35
and
1:03:37
day
1:03:38
from
1:03:40
streams
1:03:41
of
1:03:42
pure
1:03:43
delight
1:03:46
for
1:03:47
men
1:03:49
you
1:03:50
are
1:03:51
the
1:03:52
source
1:03:53
of
1:03:54
light
1:03:55
in
1:03:57
your
1:03:58
light
1:03:59
peace
1:04:00
in
1:04:01
light
1:04:02
if you
1:04:05
allow me
1:04:05
please to
1:04:05
get to
1:04:05
the
1:04:06
main
1:04:06
door
1:04:06
I'll
1:04:06
greet
1:04:06
you on
1:04:07
the
1:04:07
way
1:04:07
out
1:04:07
now
1:04:10
may the
1:04:10
grace of
1:04:10
the
1:04:10
Lord
1:04:11
Jesus
1:04:11
Christ
1:04:12
the
1:04:12
love
1:04:12
of
1:04:12
God
1:04:12
the
1:04:13
Father
1:04:13
and
1:04:13
the
1:04:13
communion
1:04:14
of
1:04:14
the
1:04:14
Holy
1:04:14
Spirit
1:04:15
be
1:04:15
with
1:04:16
you
1:04:16
now
1:04:16
and
1:04:16
evermore
1:04:17
Amen