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An Urgent Cry · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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Luke of Psalms and Psalm 61.
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Psalm 61.
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Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.
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From the end of the earth I call to you.
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When my heart is faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
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For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
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Let me dwell in your tent forever.
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Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings.
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Now I suppose if anybody popped their head in here tonight and looked around,
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they would say, well, this is a very peaceful place.
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It would look so calm and peaceful.
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But, of course, we have no idea what might be going on personally in everybody's heart here.
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Some people, it might be peaceful.
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Some people, they might be very contentious now because life is going very smoothly.
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But maybe for others it's anything but.
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We often don't display just what is going on within our own hearts.
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And there might be many personal conflicts and many personal troubles.
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We might feel overwhelmed.
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Might be filled with doubts and fears and all sorts of things.
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And one of the things sometimes that distresses the Christian is that they think that they shouldn't be like that.
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They think that it's because their faith must be lacking.
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That there's something wrong because they're thinking that as a Christian,
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we should have the faith to commit everything to the Lord.
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That there should be a settled peace within us.
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We remember that Jesus says,
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My peace I give you, not as the world gives, give I unto you.
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And so there's this sense that there must be something wrong with my faith,
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something wrong with me as a Christian,
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if I feel troubled and anxious and overwhelmed.
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Well, we've got to remember that the man who penned this psalm, David,
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was a man termed a man after God's own heart.
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And David was a man who enjoyed much fellowship with the Lord,
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a man who had great times,
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a man who was a man of great praise.
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But he was also somebody who knew what it was to be troubled.
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And when we go through the psalms, particularly the Davidic psalms,
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you will find that there is almost a constant theme.
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There are some psalms that are so full of praise,
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but this psalm is so typical, it begins with the urgent cry,
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and yet it finishes with a sense of triumph and praise.
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And that is often where we too will be led
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as we go through all the different experiences that we go through in life.
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And David knew what it was like to be troubled.
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Sometimes he knew that trouble brought about by enemies.
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It had nothing to do with anything with himself,
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just as the enemies against God and against God's kingdom.
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And he as a representative was at the forefront of that assault.
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But sometimes also the troubles were brought about by his own sin,
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by his own failings.
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So he knew what it was like on all different levels to be troubled.
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And so we find David here that he is in absolute distress.
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And he begins by saying,
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hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.
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And when he says that, you can see this,
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there's a real urgency in David's prayer here.
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Now, I know that you know,
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but I know a lot of people think that prayer
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is simply just going through a form of repetition.
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People think that prayer is just mumbling a few words to God,
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that it is something that a Christian has to do,
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but it's just part of what they do.
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And some people almost have the idea
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that if they just say a wee word,
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then that's fine.
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They say, well, I've spoken to God today.
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But you and I know that real prayer comes from the heart.
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It is urgent.
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It is meaningful.
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It's wonderful.
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When we really need God,
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we really pray.
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And I'm sure we've all gone through different times
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where we've just gone through the process of prayer.
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Christians do that.
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There are times that we've maybe lost the edge
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and we just go through the motions.
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But there are other times
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when it's a real cry.
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It's an urgent cry.
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You listen to a little baby cry.
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And whether they're crying for food
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or crying because they're uncomfortable
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or cry because they're needing change,
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they really cry.
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Well, that's the kind of cry
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that the Lord's people make.
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It is a real heartfelt cry.
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And so David is here praying
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and he's in desperation.
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And he's saying,
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hear, Lord, listen.
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And the idea here,
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hear my cry, O Lord,
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listen to my prayer.
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It's got the idea of attend to it.
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Don't just hear my voice.
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Listen to my voice in such a way
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that you will attend to the matter
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that I'm bringing before you.
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And if you and I attend to something,
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it means that
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if we're going to attend to something,
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we push other things aside
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and we say,
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well, I've got to attend to this right now.
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And so we're going to give all our attention to it.
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And that's like what David is saying.
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Lord, I want you to give all your attention
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to this right now.
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Now, I know we talk about
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how some people are able to multitask.
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And I believe some people are.
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I haven't a clue how you multitask,
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but I know that some people are able.
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But even the best person who can multitask
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cannot give their full attention
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to everything at the same time.
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There is only really one thing
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that you can really focus on.
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If you've got a few very important things to do,
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you cannot do them all together.
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But the Lord can.
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The Lord is able to attend
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to everybody's needs
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at the same time
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and to give full attention
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to everything that is being required.
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So David is saying here,
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Lord, give all your attention.
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Please hear my cry.
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Listen to my prayer.
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And then we find that David is here,
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that he's praying
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and he's saying that
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it's as if you're at the ends of the earth.
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From the end of the earth,
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I call to you.
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Now, of course,
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David was displaced at this time.
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We don't know the background to it.
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There were two major times in David's life
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where he was away from home
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and away from his comforts,
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away from the throne,
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away from the sanctuary,
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from the tabernacle.
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And we know one of them
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was when he was on a run from Saul.
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And he spent years
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barely escaping with his life.
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It could have come from this period.
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But people think more than likely
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it came from the time
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where there was
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Absalom's rebellion against him,
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where his own son
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rose up,
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turned the hearts of the people
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against David
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because he wanted to take over the throne.
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And it was one of the most
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heartbreaking periods in David's life.
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And you cannot but read
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when Absalom was killed,
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the absolute heartbroken distress
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that David was in
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because he loved Absalom, his son.
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And yet here's his son
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wanting to kill him.
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So David, remember how he had to run.
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He had to leave, as we say,
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leave his throne,
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leave his home,
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leave Jerusalem,
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leave the city of God,
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as it were,
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leave the sanctuary,
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the tent of meeting.
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He had to leave all that.
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So although it is not geographically
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the ends of the earth,
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it is spiritually speaking,
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the ends of the earth.
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He's so displaced, as it were,
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so far away.
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And so David is crying here
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with all his heart
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that the Lord would hear him.
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And we find that David is saying,
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from the end of the earth,
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I call to you
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when my heart is faint.
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And again,
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the idea here
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of the heart being faint
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is of being overwhelmed,
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of distressed,
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depressed.
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All these words come into it.
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Areas of depression,
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areas of just despair,
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almost.
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And we've got to remember,
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Christians go there.
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You know,
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sometimes people say,
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oh, Christians can't be depressed.
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Christians cannot be troubled
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with anxiety.
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Of course they can.
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David knew all about these things.
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David experienced
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the highest of highs,
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but he experienced
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the darkest of lows as well.
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And that's part of what
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makes the Psalms,
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the book of Psalms,
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such a wonderful book.
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Because wherever you are tonight,
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you will find,
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if you go through the Psalms,
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you will find there
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your experience.
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You will find
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where you're at.
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Because sometimes
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when you go through the Psalms,
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you will find the Psalmists
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speaking with a boldness
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that you'd be frightened
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to speak with
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before God.
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Sometimes there's an anger
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comes through.
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Sometimes there's a confusion
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comes through.
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Sometimes great questions
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come through.
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Sometimes when you read them,
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you'd say,
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you know,
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I would be scared
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to speak like that.
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But it's so encouraging
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for us to see
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this is a word of God.
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And this is a place
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where God's people
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sometimes are.
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That's where David was
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at this particular time.
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And so David cries,
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Lord, he says,
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lead me to the rock
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that is higher than I.
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And you see in verse 3,
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he says,
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for you have been
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my refuge.
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Now David is talking here
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about something
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he wants to happen
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and something
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that has happened
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before.
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And that's very much
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how David
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kind of goes in life.
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You remember when David
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went out to fight Goliath?
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He said to Saul,
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look,
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it's all right.
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God,
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in the past,
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I have fought the lion
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and I have fought the bear
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and I defeated both.
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And because God
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helped me there,
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he will help me again.
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So David is always
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looking back
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on what God
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has done for him
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in the past,
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convinced that God
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will do for him
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in the future.
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And we should do that as well.
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We should look back
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and remember
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because, you know,
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there are times
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if we're down
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and distressed,
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sometimes we can't
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lay hold upon
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what God has actually
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done for us.
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And we need his help.
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We need sometimes
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to ask the Lord,
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Lord, refocus.
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Help me to look back
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and to see the blessings
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that you have actually
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blessed me with.
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Because sometimes
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we lose sight
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of these things.
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And some of these blessings
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even come in the hard times,
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even the things that,
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the difficult times
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that we go through,
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we're able to identify
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the blessings
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that we have actually
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received in them.
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So David is here saying,
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lead me to the rock
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that is higher than I.
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Now a rock we always
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think of as a place
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of a stronghold
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and somewhere
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it's a good viewpoint.
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Somewhere safe.
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Get up onto a rock.
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The first psalm
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that we sang,
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Psalm 40,
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talks about this rock.
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And you can never
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look on the rock
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or read about the rock
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without thinking
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of the great picture
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that the Bible
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so often gives
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of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And in fact,
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we even see
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the symbolism
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of that
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in the Old Testament
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where Moses
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struck the rock
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and the water
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came out.
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And Jesus Christ,
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of course,
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is the ultimate rock
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who was,
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he was struck
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in order
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that we
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may live.
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But in that psalm,
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Psalm 40,
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we have the picture
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there of
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in the fearful pit
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and miry clay
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and the cry
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and being taken
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from it
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with our feet
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put upon a rock
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and our way
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established.
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Now, of course,
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that is a once
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and for all
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that happens
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when we're converted.
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And that will
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never,
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in a sense,
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be
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replicated
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again in our life.
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But the experiences
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will go on
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over and over
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and over again.
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We will constantly
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be crying
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to the Lord
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to deliver us
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from the different pits
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that we find
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ourselves in
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and to
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give us
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a sense
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again
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of our feet
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of being
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upon the rock
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that is Christ.
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Because everything
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else in this life,
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it doesn't matter
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what philosophies
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or strategies,
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it doesn't matter
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what plans
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or people,
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it doesn't matter,
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everything ultimately
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will fail.
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Everything else
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will give up
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or give in.
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except Christ.
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And so there's
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this great
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sense of the rock.
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You know,
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sometimes at a
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human level,
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maybe when you
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go through a,
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you may be going
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through a particularly
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difficult time
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and you look back
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and you'll remember
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one or two
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or a few people
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and they stuck
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with you
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through thick
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and thin.
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they didn't
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shift,
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they didn't
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flinch,
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they were there
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and so often
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you'll say,
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you know,
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he or she,
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he was a rock
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to me.
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She was a rock
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to me.
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In that time
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where I was
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going through
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so much trouble,
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they were there
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for me
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just like a rock.
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Well,
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that's a picture
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of the supreme
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rock
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who is Jesus Christ
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and he and he
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alone can give us
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what nobody else
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can and so he is
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this rock of defense
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and this rock
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of refuge.
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But when we see
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here,
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David says,
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lead me to the rock.
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In other words,
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he's asking for help.
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I can't,
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I can't get there
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myself and you
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and I know that.
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We can't,
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we can't work
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that up ourselves.
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We are dependent
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upon his grace
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and his help.
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Then he says,
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for you have been
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my refuge
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and it's interesting,
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David is then
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starting to move
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as it were
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into a greater
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degree of personalness.
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You have been
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my refuge,
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a strong tower
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against the enemy.
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He used this
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strong tower
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and gets the idea
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that not only
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is it a defense
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but that strength
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is being imparted
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as well.
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That's what the Lord
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does to you
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and to me,
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isn't it?
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He gives us
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strength.
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His strength
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is made perfect
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in our weakness
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and many a time
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we've felt weak
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facing what we've
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had to face.
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Every day
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there's a sense
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of our inability
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to walk the walk.
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There are times
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when we feel
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we're being overcome
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by temptation.
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Times we feel
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we're being overcome
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by sin.
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sometimes we think
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how am I going
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to make it on?
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But you know this,
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the Lord keeps us
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going.
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So they from strength
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and weary
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go,
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still forward
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unto strength.
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That's how the Lord
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takes us.
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His strength
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being made perfect
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in our weakness.
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But then
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the psalmist
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moves in verse 4
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and he says
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he's moving now
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into the place
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of fellowship.
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Let me dwell
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in your tent
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forever.
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And again
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that's so often
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the prayer
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of David.
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You think of
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Psalm 27
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and it's just
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this delight
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to be in God's house.
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This is the place.
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And you know
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that's one of the
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wonderful things.
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It's wonderful
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like in a midweek
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meeting
16:48
because as I say
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maybe some of you
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came in here tonight
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and you were
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distressed in heart.
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Nobody else
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could see it.
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And you know
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sometimes when we're
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sometimes when we're
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distressed
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and when we're
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almost
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our thinking
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is all kind of
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displaced
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it's hard to pray
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because we're
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kind of
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we're all over
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the place.
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But you know
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there's something
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wonderful when we
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come to God's house
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because God
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has a way
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of dealing with us
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when we come
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together like this.
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If Asaph
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who wrote
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Psalm 73
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was here
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with us tonight
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he would say
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you know
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there's no place
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like God's house.
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I was all over
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the place
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Asaph would say.
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I was in a
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terrible state.
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My mind
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was
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turning cartwheels.
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I was envying
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the godless.
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I was here
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there and everywhere
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until I went
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to God's house.
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And when he went
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there
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the Lord
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restored his focus.
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and he began
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to see that
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the very people
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that he was
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envying
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he actually
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should be
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pitting them.
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That they were
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on a slippery
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slope heading
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to destruction.
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And that's why
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he goes on to say
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whom have I
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in the heavens
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high but
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thee O Lord
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alone
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and in the
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earth whom I
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desire
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besides thee
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there is none.
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There's the
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therapy
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of God's
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house.
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God is a
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great work
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of restoration
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in his house.
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And so
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you can understand
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why David
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is saying
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here I am
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I'm crying
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as it were
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from the
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end to the
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earth.
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Oh I
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long to get
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back
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to dwell
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in your tent.
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And then he
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goes then
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it's even more
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it's closer
18:32
still let me
18:33
take refuge
18:34
under the
18:35
shelter of
18:36
your wings.
18:37
It's that
18:37
picture that
18:38
we often
18:38
find in
18:40
the Bible
18:40
as the
18:41
Lord speaks
18:41
to us
18:42
in the
18:43
beautiful
18:43
imagery
18:44
in different
18:44
ways of
18:45
just like
18:47
the mother
18:48
bird
18:48
sheltering
18:50
the chicks.
18:51
We sang
18:52
about it
18:52
in Psalm
18:53
91
18:53
about his
18:54
feathers
18:55
and it's
18:56
a place
18:57
of warmth
18:58
the place
18:59
of protection
18:59
the place
19:01
of nearness
19:02
the place
19:02
of love
19:03
that's what
19:04
the Lord
19:04
does with
19:05
us.
19:06
He shelters
19:06
us and
19:08
keeps us
19:08
close to
19:09
himself.
19:11
And so
19:11
as David
19:12
is working
19:14
his way
19:14
through
19:15
by the
19:16
time he's
19:17
come to
19:17
this stage
19:18
you can
19:19
see that
19:19
he's moved
19:21
from the
19:21
desperation.
19:22
Yes he's
19:22
still in
19:23
desperation
19:23
but you
19:24
know this
19:25
is what
19:25
happens when
19:26
we're in
19:27
touch with
19:27
God
19:27
really
19:28
praying
19:28
to the
19:29
Lord.
19:30
The
19:30
Lord
19:30
is lifting
19:31
us up
19:32
little by
19:32
little by
19:33
little along
19:34
the way.
19:35
And so
19:35
we find
19:36
that David
19:37
is you
19:37
can almost
19:38
feel the
19:39
different
19:39
spirit within
19:41
him as
19:41
he's becoming
19:42
more convinced
19:43
of God's
19:44
goodness and
19:45
God's
19:45
faithfulness
19:46
and of
19:47
God's love
19:48
towards him.
19:49
And then
19:50
we find
19:50
that as
19:51
it moves
19:52
on in
19:52
the
20:22
focusing
20:22
upon
20:23
Christ
20:23
because
20:24
nobody
20:24
else.
20:24
Now we
20:25
know that
20:25
from a
20:25
human
20:26
point of
20:26
view
20:26
when we
20:27
follow the
20:28
genealogy
20:29
the human
20:29
genealogy
20:30
Christ came
20:32
through the
20:32
Davidic line
20:33
and so
20:35
this prayer
20:37
of David's
20:38
is fulfilled
20:39
in Jesus
20:40
Christ.
20:42
But then
20:42
we see him
20:43
finishing
20:44
so will I
20:45
ever sing
20:46
praises to
20:47
your name
20:47
what a
20:49
difference to
20:50
the start.
20:52
And you
20:52
know it
20:52
will be the
20:53
same for
20:53
you and
20:53
for me as
20:54
well.
20:55
Even if
20:56
tonight we're
20:57
in the
20:57
depth when
20:58
we start
20:59
out the
21:00
Lord will
21:01
take us
21:02
on and
21:03
he'll take
21:03
us up so
21:05
that that's
21:05
how we will
21:06
finish that
21:07
we will so
21:08
will I ever
21:09
sing praises to
21:10
your name.
21:11
And you
21:12
know that's
21:12
how it's going
21:12
to be for the
21:13
Christian at the
21:14
end of the
21:14
day because
21:16
us we're all
21:17
moving on
21:17
that journey
21:18
to where we
21:19
will forever
21:20
sing praises to
21:21
his name.
21:23
This world
21:24
is it is
21:26
a veil of
21:26
tears.
21:28
We have our
21:28
good times and
21:29
we have our
21:29
sad times but
21:31
we're moving
21:32
on to this
21:34
world of
21:34
eternal praise
21:35
and how
21:37
wonderful that
21:37
that is the
21:38
end of our
21:39
journey.
21:40
So we pray
21:41
that tonight
21:42
we will have
21:43
this sense
21:44
of God's
21:45
goodness,
21:46
God's ear
21:47
open to
21:47
us,
21:48
of God's
21:49
willingness to
21:50
answer,
21:51
of his
21:51
faithfulness to
21:52
us and his
21:54
abundant love
21:55
in all the
21:56
different situations.
21:57
Let us pray.
21:58
Lord our God
21:59
we give thanks
22:00
for your word
22:00
to us.
22:01
We give thanks
22:02
for your
22:03
unfailing love.
22:05
We give thanks
22:05
oh Lord that
22:06
you are the
22:07
God who hears
22:07
our cry,
22:09
that you
22:09
attend to
22:10
our need.
22:12
And yet
22:12
Lord we have
22:13
to confess
22:14
that we're
22:15
not worthy
22:15
of the
22:16
least of
22:16
your
22:16
mercies.
22:18
And so
22:18
often as we
22:19
begin to
22:20
pray and
22:21
as we get
22:22
a greater
22:22
awareness of
22:23
who you
22:23
are we
22:24
begin to
22:24
feel less
22:25
within ourselves
22:26
and we
22:28
feel that we
22:28
are nothing
22:29
but poor
22:30
creatures.
22:32
But Lord we
22:33
pray that
22:33
like the
22:34
psalmist said
22:35
when I am
22:36
poor and
22:36
needy yet
22:37
the Lord
22:38
will think
22:39
upon me.
22:39
and how
22:40
wonderful
22:41
that the
22:42
Lord would
22:42
think upon
22:43
us realizing
22:45
that his
22:45
thoughts are
22:47
beyond numbering
22:48
his thoughts
22:49
of good to
22:50
his people.
22:51
So we pray
22:52
to bless us
22:53
tonight.
22:54
Pray for
22:55
those who
22:55
are struggling,
22:56
those who
22:56
are going
22:57
through difficult
22:57
times,
22:59
those maybe
22:59
who have
23:00
anxieties
23:01
and worries
23:02
that they
23:02
haven't been
23:03
able to share
23:03
with anybody
23:04
else.
23:05
Give them
23:05
the faith
23:06
to pour out
23:07
their hearts
23:07
to you
23:08
that they
23:08
might be
23:09
able to
23:09
share with
23:10
you and
23:11
do them
23:11
good we
23:12
pray.
23:13
Lord we
23:14
pray for
23:14
those who
23:15
are nursing
23:15
broken hearts.
23:17
Pray Lord
23:17
for those who
23:18
are recovering
23:18
from illness.
23:20
We pray for
23:20
those who
23:21
are ill.
23:22
We pray for
23:22
all in
23:22
hospital,
23:23
those who
23:24
are in
23:24
need.
23:25
Tonight we
23:26
remember again
23:27
your servants
23:28
Reverend Duncan
23:29
MacLeod and
23:30
Moraghan.
23:31
We think of
23:32
the funeral of
23:33
their daughter
23:34
Katie and
23:34
Tuesday.
23:35
Lord be
23:35
near to
23:36
them.
23:36
There are
23:37
so many
23:38
mysteries in
23:39
life,
23:39
so many
23:40
harrowing
23:40
pains and
23:41
sorrows.
23:42
So many
23:42
can follow
23:43
and understand
23:44
where they
23:45
are.
23:46
Many
23:46
cannot.
23:48
We pray
23:48
then that
23:49
you will
23:49
help them,
23:50
grant them
23:50
a great
23:51
sense of
23:52
your peace.
23:53
Watch over
23:54
us tonight
23:54
then we
23:55
pray.
23:55
We give
23:55
thanks for
23:56
the prayers
23:56
offered,
23:58
for the
23:58
words sung,
24:00
for your
24:01
word that
24:01
has been
24:02
read.
24:03
And we
24:03
pray that
24:03
you will
24:04
bless us,
24:04
taking every
24:05
single one
24:05
of us home
24:06
safely.
24:07
Lord we
24:08
give thanks
24:08
for this
24:09
congregation.
24:10
We give
24:11
thanks for
24:11
the witness
24:12
and testimony.
24:14
Lord we
24:14
give thanks
24:15
for everybody
24:16
who does.
24:17
So much
24:18
is done
24:18
here for
24:20
you.
24:21
And we
24:21
pray Lord
24:21
that you
24:22
will indeed
24:23
as we
24:24
heard open
24:24
the windows
24:24
of heaven
24:25
and pour
24:26
out a
24:26
blessing upon
24:27
us.
24:27
Not because
24:28
of our
24:28
deserving,
24:30
but Lord
24:30
that we
24:30
might be
24:31
an ever
24:31
growing
24:32
witness in
24:32
this
24:33
community
24:33
to your
24:34
power,
24:35
to your
24:35
grace,
24:35
and to
24:36
your love.
24:37
Take away
24:37
then from
24:38
us our
24:38
sin in
24:38
Jesus'
24:39
name.
24:39
Amen.
24:42
We're going
24:42
to conclude
24:43
singing.