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A Precious People · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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  These words, because you are precious in my eyes and honored and I love you.
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  I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
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  Fear not, for I am with you.
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  Isaiah has quite a vivid picture for us here, especially verse 2 when he speaks about passing
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  through the waters, through the rivers, through the fire and the flame.
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  And we sang in Psalm 66 and verse 12 reminds us of a very similar picture there too.
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  In verse 12 it says, you let us be oppressed, we went through flood and fire.
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  But then there are these words after that, but yet you brought us to a place which met
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  our hearts desire.
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  It's a beautiful verse reminding us, yes, there are difficulties and challenges, but that
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  yes, there is a place for God's people.
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  And last week we were looking at John chapter 8 where we saw what a precious saviour we have
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  in Christ Jesus.
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  As he met with the woman who had been caught in adultery and how he dealt with her in such
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  a gracious way, such a gentle way.
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  not condoning the sin, but showing such wonderful compassion.
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  We saw what a precious saviour we have.
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  And this evening I want us to think of the other side of that.
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  How does God see us and how we are seen as a precious people?
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  That's what we read in verse 4.
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  The Bible has a great theme running all the way through it, that theme of redemption, of
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  God coming to save his people.
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  And we see it in so many different ways as we look through scripture.
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  And one of the ways you see it is as you look back to the Old Testament, there's a time when
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  you see God making promises to his people, especially you think of Abraham and the covenant promise
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  with him.
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  And you see all these promises that God has made with his people, but you find that a
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  time came when God scattered his people.
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  And it speaks about them being scattered to north, south, east and west.
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  And then you see in the New Testament, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks about his people
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  eventually being gathered back in.
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  And he describes it in that way, of being gathered in from north, south, east and west.
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  And you think of these two periods, when God has gathered his people on the day when God
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  is going to come and bring his people back.
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  What happens in the interim?
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  What happens in the now?
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  Now, we are reminded that God doesn't just leave us and abandon us to grope around in
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  the darkness.
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  That he has somehow just let us go away and gone away himself from us and left us to get
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  on.
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  And then he's going to come back and see how we've got on.
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  He doesn't do that.
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  He doesn't leave his people.
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  He doesn't cast us away with no thought towards us.
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  Instead, what we see as you read through the scriptures is how precious his people are to
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  him at all times.
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  That he never breaks his promise to us as his people.
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  And to every generation, that is true, that God doesn't leave us.
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  And when you read here in Isaiah and you read in chapter 42, the verses we read from verse
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  18, it's got the heading there, if you've got the ESV, Israel's failure to hear and see.
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  Israel is God's people.
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  And their failure to hear and see is what we read in these verses.
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  In verse 20, he sees many things but does not observe them.
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  His ears are open but he does not hear.
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  And because of this, there's consequences.
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  In verse 25, so he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle.
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  It set him on fire all around.
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  But he did not understand.
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  There's consequences.
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  If we're not listening, if we're not hearing and seeing what God is saying and what God is
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  doing, even under punishment, the people would not listen.
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  And so you come into chapter 43 and perhaps you're expecting a great announcement of God's
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  wrath and God's judgment on his people.
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  But what do you read?
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  You read of the grace of God.
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  Our sins deserve to be punished, just like we saw with that woman last week.
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  But how often as we think even of our own sin, we have to keep reminding ourselves we're
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  not to sin, but that when we do, we have an advocate.
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  One who is able to free us from our sins.
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  Our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  And how we remind ourselves that we are precious to him.
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  And all that he has done for us.
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  And what we see in these verses, we want to see three things in particular from chapter
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  43, verse 1 to 7.
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  As it speaks about the people of God here, we want to see it as a people who are precious
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  to God.
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  A people who have the presence of God.
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  And a people who know the provision of God.
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  These three things.
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  A people who are precious to God.
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  A people who know the presence of God.
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  And a people who experience the provision of God.
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  I want to start then with a people who are precious to God.
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  And he begins this chapter by reminding the people of just why they are so precious to him.
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  And it takes them to the past.
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  He brings them back to the past.
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  God has his people.
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  And God gives them a status.
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  They are his.
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  They are his children.
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  And the way he describes it here in verse 1.
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  As he's speaking to them.
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  Just as he has in these verses in chapter 42 as well.
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  He speaks about two names.
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  He who created you, O Jacob.
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  And who formed you, O Israel.
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  There's two names for us there.
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  And they are two names that remind us of just how precious God's people are to him.
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  And when you go back to Genesis chapter 32.
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  You read a few verses there that remind us of the meaning behind these two names.
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  And it was at the time when Jacob wrestled with God.
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  And it says in verse 27.
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  He said to him.
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  The Lord said to Jacob.
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  What is your name?
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  And he said, Jacob.
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  Then he said, your name shall no longer be called Jacob.
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  But Israel.
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  For you have striven with God and with men.
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  And have prevailed.
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  And it was God showing Jacob and all of God's people then.
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  That they were a people precious to God.
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  This was not just the creation of a place.
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  Israel.
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  O Jacob and O Israel.
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  It was the creation of not a land.
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  But a people.
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  A people precious to God.
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  And he formed them.
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  He created them.
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  And he goes on to say in verse 1.
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  Fear not for I have redeemed you.
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  I have called you by name.
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  You are mine.
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  What a wonderful statement.
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  And that's not the statement you'd expect.
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  Given what's come in chapter 42.
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  When he poured out his heat.
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  Of his anger.
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  And the might of battle upon them.
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  There is this burning up.
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  And yet he's saying.
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  Don't be afraid.
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  I have redeemed you.
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  I have saved you.
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  I have called you by name.
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  You are mine.
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  And this is what we continue to see throughout scripture as well.
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  God making his people into what he wants them to be.
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  And that applies to yourself and myself as well.
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  How God is at work in us.
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  And it is God who transforms us.
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  You read of it in Peter.
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  1 Peter chapter 2 says.
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  Once you were not a people.
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  But now you are God's people.
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  Once you had not received mercy.
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  But now you have received mercy.
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  And that's almost what we have here as well.
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  Yes they were the people of God.
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  Israel and Jacob.
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  They were God's people.
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  And yet they weren't listening.
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  They were turning away.
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  They were becoming not a people as it were.
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  But God has reminded them.
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  You are my people.
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  And that is what God does.
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  With his people.
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  He brings us from darkness to light.
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  Because his people are precious to him.
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  And so he's reminding them here of their status.
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  Sometimes we forget our past.
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  Sometimes we would wish we would forget our past altogether in some ways.
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  Some of it.
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  But sometimes it's our past that reminds us of how wonderful a redeemer we have.
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  And that's certainly true here for Israel.
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  For God's people.
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  He's reminding them of a past.
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  Of what he has brought them through in so many ways.
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  And he's reminding them you are a precious people.
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  You are my people.
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  I have redeemed you.
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  I have called you by name.
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  He will not abandon his own.
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  It's a wonderful reminder to us.
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  It's like the illustration of the sheep that we see so often through scripture.
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  That's scattered in all different directions.
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  But the good shepherd, he brings his people to himself.
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  Because they are precious.
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  And as they are precious to him, he also reminds them here that he will be with them.
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  That the presence of God will be with them at all times.
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  And that's this vivid picture we have in verse 2.
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  At the end of chapter 42, he's speaking about this fire that's set all round.
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  That's consuming them.
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  It's burning them up.
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  And yet in verse 2, he says,
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  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
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  And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
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  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.
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  And the flame shall not consume you.
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  His presence is promised to his people.
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  Psalm 66, again, which we were singing.
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  Verse 12, it says,
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  You let us be oppressed.
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  God let us go through.
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  As it goes on to go through flood and fire, as the psalm speaks of there.
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  You let us go through.
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  But as you are going through, he is with us.
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  It's not if we will go through these situations that he will be with us.
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  It's when you go through.
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  And you will go through these experiences, he's saying.
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  When you pass through the waters and through the rivers.
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  When you walk through the fire and the flame.
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  I will be with you.
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  There is that wonderful promise.
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  And when you think of so many passages in the scriptures, you see where this is true for God's people.
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  And perhaps you know it in your own experience as well.
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  You've had that assurance as you've gone through difficulties that the Lord has been with you.
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  Perhaps the most well-known experience of God's people in this kind of fiery situation is when you look at the book of Daniel.
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  And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
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  When they were before King Nebuchadnezzar.
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  Who was demanding that they bow before him as a God.
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  That they turn away from their God.
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  But what do they say to him?
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  Daniel chapter 3 verse 16.
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  O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
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  If this be so, when they're being threatened with being thrown into the fire.
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  Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.
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  And he will deliver us out of your hand, O King.
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  There is this faith.
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  But is God only good if he takes us out of trouble?
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  Well they answer as well to say that in verse 18.
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  But if not, be it known, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
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  We will not do it.
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  God, they say, will be with us.
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  But even if not, we are not going to turn away from you.
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  But we have this assurance in this passage and in so many others of God's presence with us.
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  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
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  And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
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  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned.
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  And the flame shall not consume you.
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  God is with us.
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  And we have this same God who is with us always.
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  Because we are precious to him.
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  There was a little boy who was once looking forward to a birthday party of a friend.
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  And he was really looking forward to this day.
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  So excited for this day.
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  But when the day came, there was a snow blizzard outside.
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  The place was white.
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  And the boy's father wasn't very keen on letting his son out.
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  It wasn't only a short distance to go.
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  And the boy was pleading, just let me go.
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  Let me go.
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  I'll get there.
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  I'll be fine.
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  And the father eventually said, okay, I'll let you go.
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  And the boy was almost surprised that he was letting him out.
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  And letting him out by himself.
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  He threw on his jacket and bonnet and scarf and made his way out.
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  Short distance, but it took him about 15 minutes to walk to the house where the party was.
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  And just as he was reaching the door to go in, he glanced behind him.
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  And he saw this figure just disappearing back into the blizzard.
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  And he realized it wasn't a surprise that his father had just let him go and not caring for him.
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  But that his father, unknown initially, had been there behind him every step of the way to make sure that he got to the house safely.
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  And that's the kind of image that we have here as well.
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  That there are these experiences that we may go through, but that the Lord is always with us.
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  That great psalm we sing so often, Psalm 23.
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  Even when you go through the valley of the shadow of death.
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  Fear not, for I am with you.
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  And we are afraid.
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  We are afraid of so much.
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  And yet God is saying here in verse 1, as we go into all these situations,
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  Fear not.
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  Don't be afraid.
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  I will be with you.
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  So we have the nature of being precious to God.
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  We have the promise of his presence with us.
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  But then we ask ourselves, well, where does this all come from?
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  Well, it all comes from the promise of God's provision to his people.
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  How is God able to provide for all of our needs?
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  Well, he gives us the answer in verse 3.
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  For I am the Lord, your God.
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  The Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
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  I am the Lord, your God.
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  I am your Saviour.
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  There is nothing that will stand between God and his people.
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  And the redemption of his people.
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  You think of Egypt here as he speaks in verse 3.
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  I give Egypt as you ransom Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
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  All these nations that had power.
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  That had authority.
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  That were to be feared.
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  Well, God is saying, don't fear them.
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  They will not defeat you.
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  And there is this reminder that he is going to bring his people.
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  In verse 5, fear not.
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  Again, that reminder, I am with you.
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  I will bring your offspring from the east.
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  And from the west I will gather you.
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  I will say to the north, give up.
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  And to the south, do not withhold.
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  Bring my sons from afar.
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  And my daughters from the end of the earth.
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  They will all be mine.
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  No nation, no people can have power over God's people.
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  He will not allow it.
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  And even when we think of our own day and age just now,
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  when we think of all the powers that seek to arise against the Christian faith,
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  whether it's other religions or other ideas,
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  secularism and all of these things that are trying to overwhelm
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  and defeat the Christian faith,
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  nothing will.
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  Because, as it says here,
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  I am the Lord your God,
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  the Holy One of Israel,
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  your Savior.
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  Missionary Hudson Taylor,
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  he had complete trust in God's faithfulness.
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  He had strong faith.
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  And in his journal,
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  he wrote this,
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  Our Heavenly Father is a very experienced one.
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  He knows very well
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  that his children
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  will wake up with a good appetite
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  every morning.
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  You look at the children of Israel
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  in the wilderness.
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  He sustained three million Israelites
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  there in the wilderness
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  for 40 years.
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  Miraculously,
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  every day,
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  they were kept.
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  And he said,
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  we do not expect
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  he will send
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  three million missionaries
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  to China.
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  But, he says,
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  if he did,
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  he would have ample means
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  to sustain them all.
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  What faith he had.
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  And he went on to say,
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  depend on it.
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  God's work done in God's way
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  will never lack
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  God's supply.
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  God is able to meet
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  every need.
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  And we see
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  the greatest need of all
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  has been met for us
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  in Christ.
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  How he speaks here
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  of giving up men
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  in return for you.
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  Peoples in exchange
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  for your life.
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  In verse 4,
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  because you are precious
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  in my eyes
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  and I love you.
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  Where is that love
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  seen at its greatest?
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  It is seen
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  at the cross
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  where God gives
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  not just peoples
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  but his son.
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  I will exchange
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  peoples for your life.
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  Well, God has given
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  his son
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  for our life.
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  And that is
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  how we are so precious
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  to him.
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  As Romans 8.32
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  puts it,
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  he who did not
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  spare his own son
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  but gave him up
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  for us all,
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  how will he not
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  also with him
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  graciously give us
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  all things?
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  We have so many
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  wonderful promises
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  in God's word.
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  So many powerful
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  reminders
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  to us
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  in God's word.
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  you let us
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  be oppressed,
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  the psalmist said.
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  We went
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  through flood
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  and fire
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  but yet
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  you brought us
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  to a place
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  which met
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  our hearts
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  desire.
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  What a precious
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  word.
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  Yes,
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  he lets us
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  go through
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  flood
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  and fire
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  but it is
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  with that promise
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  when you pass
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  through
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  I will be with you.
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  fear not
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  for I am
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  with you.
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  Why?
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  Because you are
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  precious in my eyes
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  and honoured
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  and I love you
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  and I have given
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  my son
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  in exchange
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  for your life.
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  We see
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  a precious
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  saviour
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  but we remind
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  ourselves
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  that he sees us
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  as a precious
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  people.
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  A people
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  he loves.
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  it is great
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  to be loved
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  in life
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  and sometimes
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  you wonder
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  how can someone
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  love me?
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  But when you think
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  of the love
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  of God
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  and you think
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  of yourself
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  you ask
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  how could
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  God love me?
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  Me in all
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  of my sin.
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  He loves us
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  because he created
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  us.
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  He formed us.
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  he has redeemed
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  us.
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  He has called
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  us by name.
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  We are his.
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  We are precious
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  in his eyes.
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  We are honoured.
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  He loves us
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  and he has given
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  his son
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  for us.
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  We are precious
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  to him.
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  Let us pray.
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  our Father
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  in heaven
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  we do
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  rejoice
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  in all
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  your goodness
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  to us.
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  We thank you
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  that despite
• 24:05
  what we are
• 24:06
  Lord
• 24:06
  despite our
• 24:07
  deafness
• 24:07
  and our
• 24:08
  blindness
• 24:08
  at so many
• 24:09
  times
• 24:10
  despite us
• 24:11
  not listening
• 24:12
  to you
• 24:12
  or heeding
• 24:13
  your word
• 24:14
  or trusting
• 24:15
  in you
• 24:15
  and despite
• 24:17
  us deserving
• 24:18
  none of
• 24:19
  your mercy
• 24:20
  yet as we
• 24:21
  have read
• 24:22
  in this
• 24:22
  passage
• 24:22
  we see
• 24:23
  the wonder
• 24:23
  of your
• 24:25
  grace.
• 24:25
  We see
• 24:26
  the wonder
• 24:26
  of the
• 24:27
  reminder
• 24:28
  of how
• 24:28
  you have
• 24:28
  made us
• 24:29
  you have
• 24:29
  formed us
• 24:30
  you have
• 24:30
  loved us
• 24:31
  that we are
• 24:32
  precious to
• 24:33
  you
• 24:34
  and we thank
• 24:35
  you for that
• 24:36
  love
• 24:36
  a love
• 24:37
  that will
• 24:38
  never
• 24:38
  let us
• 24:39
  go
• 24:39
  and so we
• 24:41
  pray Lord
• 24:41
  that you
• 24:42
  will encourage
• 24:42
  us and build
• 24:43
  us up
• 24:44
  that you will
• 24:44
  stir us up
• 24:45
  Lord
• 24:46
  to share
• 24:46
  your love
• 24:48
  with those
• 24:48
  around us
• 24:49
  people
• 24:49
  who feel
• 24:50
  unloved
• 24:51
  people
• 24:52
  who feel
• 24:52
  that they
• 24:52
  could never
• 24:53
  be loved
• 24:53
  and especially
• 24:54
  by a holy
• 24:55
  God
• 24:55
  we pray
• 24:57
  Lord
• 24:57
  that you
• 24:57
  will help
• 24:58
  us to
• 24:58
  show
• 24:59
  undeserving
• 25:00
  as we
• 25:01
  are
• 25:01
  how God's
• 25:02
  love is
• 25:03
  for all
• 25:03
  who will
• 25:04
  hear
• 25:04
  and listen
• 25:05
  and obey
• 25:06
  so Lord
• 25:07
  bless your
• 25:07
  word to us
• 25:08
  and continue
• 25:09
  with us
• 25:09
  as we ask
• 25:10
  all these
• 25:11
  things
• 25:11
  in his
• 25:12
  precious
• 25:12
  name
• 25:13
  Amen
• 25:14
  and we're
• 25:16
  going to
• 25:16
  conclude