[0:00] We'll begin our service of thanksgiving singing to God's praise from Psalm 24. Psalm 24, from the beginning down to verse 5.
[0:16] The earth belongs unto the Lord and all that it contains, the world that is inhabited and all that there remains. For the foundations thereof he on the seas did lay, and he hath it established upon the floods to stay.
[0:35] Who is the man that shall ascend into the hill of God, or who within his holy place shall have a firm abode, whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure, and unto vanity he hath not lifted up his soul, nor sworn deceitfully.
[0:54] He from the eternal shall receive the blessing him upon, and righteousness even from the God of his salvation.
[1:06] Let us sing these verses, Psalm 24, from the beginning to verse 5. The earth belongs unto the Lord and all that it contains. The earth belongs unto the Lord and all that it contains.
[1:33] The earth belongs to the Lord and all that it contains. And the earth belongs to the Lord and all that it contains. The earth belongs to the Lord and all that it contains. The earth belongs to the Lord and all that it contains.
[1:52] The earth belongs to the Lord and all that it mentions. And it is just thereof beyond the sea steadily.
[2:09] And the unliced establishment upon the cross to stay.
[2:29] Who is the one that shall ascend into the veil of God.
[2:48] And who within is holy place shall have a firm upon.
[3:07] Whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure.
[3:19] And a humanity. Who hath not lifted the best so long.
[3:40] For he is holy. He from the eternal shall receive.
[3:57] The blessing him upon. And righteousness him from the God of his salvation.
[4:27] Let us join together in prayer. Let us pray. O Lord our God as we gather in your name. We pray that all that pertains to your name.
[4:42] Would be brought before our mind's eye. That your very name speaks of who you are as God.
[4:53] You are the Lord God, Jehovah. The one who inhabits eternity. The one who is high and lifted up.
[5:07] We marvel at all that your word discloses to us. About the attributes that are alone yours.
[5:17] That you are the Lord God. That you are a God who is God from eternity. You have no beginning. And you will have no end.
[5:31] We give thanks that you are the triune God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We give thanks that you are the Redeemer God.
[5:41] The one who is able to deliver us from all our transgressions. You are the God and Father of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
[5:58] If indeed we know him as Saviour. We pray that in his name you would be pleased to bless us. As we worship in his name.
[6:12] We pray for your blessing to be imparted to us. According to the need that we have. Both temporal and spiritual.
[6:23] We share both temporal needs and spiritual needs. But there is also a diversity in the needs that we have.
[6:38] We have need that marks us out because of our creaturehood. And all that that involves. Some in our journey through this world.
[6:51] Are at different stages in our progress. Some are approaching old age.
[7:02] Some have been overtaken by it. Some even are in the bloom of youth. We commit to your care and keeping.
[7:15] Each one according to the station in life that we find ourselves. Thankful that there is nothing about us or where we are at.
[7:27] That is not known to you. We pray for your blessing upon us. Those who have spiritual need. We were created in your image.
[7:39] And you created us with the capacity. To interact with you, oh God.
[7:50] To commune with you. As our Heavenly Father. In the person of our first parents. Sadly, your word teaches us that we fell from that estate.
[8:07] In which we are created. By sin. And that resulted. In not only. Departing from.
[8:18] The privileged position that was enjoyed. Of the intimacy of fellowship. But also the ramifications of sin.
[8:28] In all its insidious ways. Where it penetrated the whole being of man.
[8:43] His thinking. His speech. His actions. And we. Find ourselves suffering. As a consequence of that.
[8:53] Even to this day. We pray then your blessing upon us. Thankful that whatever our need may be. We can declare it in your presence. And seek that you would.
[9:06] Minister to us. According to these needs. We pray for those. Who would desire to be with us. But are not able. Because of their own physical.
[9:20] Inability. Some confined to their home. Some confined to hospital. Of being cared for. By others. We remember them too.
[9:30] Thankful for the desire. That you have implanted within their heart. To be where you people are. And that is a desire. That was. Created in them.
[9:41] In the process. Of. Coming to faith. And it has not. Left them. Or departed from them.
[9:53] And it marks them out. As your children. We pray for those. For whom. It may be. A feeble desire.
[10:05] That it lacks. Lacks. The flame. That it once burned with. In your hands. We pray.
[10:15] That you would. Rekindle that. Ardent desire. After God. That can only be met. By being in company.
[10:26] With those. Who have the self same. Inclination. We pray for all such. Whatever their lot is. Those who have departed.
[10:37] From the. Narrow road. That leads to life. May they be guided. Back into it. And may they. Encounter. The redeeming grace.
[10:47] Of Christ. That would. Encourage them. So to do. We remember those. Who are. Indifferent. To their needs.
[10:59] Of their soul. And we pray. For an outpouring. Of your spirit. Upon this day. And generation. Where we find ourselves. This is our.
[11:09] Appointed. Generation. This is. Where we. Were. Meant. To. Live. Move. And have our being.
[11:22] Even as. We have it in yourself. Under your. Superintendence. We were born. Into this world. At this. Time. To live our life.
[11:32] Here in this world. Not. A generation. That has passed. Or a generation. That is coming. Whatever that may hold. Allow us. To.
[11:43] Live our life. To the glory. Of our God. With an eye. To that glory. So pour out. Your spirit. Upon us. As a. Congregation.
[11:54] As a generation. As nations. On the face. Of this planet. Who may be rebellious. And. Negligent. As far as. The things of God.
[12:05] Are concerned. We give thanks. For the opportunity. To. Meet together. As this. Annual. Commemoration. Of your goodness.
[12:17] To us. With regard to. What sustains. The body. That it may be. A reminder. To us. Of the very one. Who sustains. The soul. Also.
[12:28] We pray. Good blessing. Upon the. Sinsick world. On our nation. That has taken. A path. Away from. You. Our God. May they be drawn.
[12:40] And. May they be. Directed. Into the path. Of righteousness. Because. That alone. Exalts. A nation. Remember. The parts.
[12:51] Of the world. That are struggling. With. The vices. That. Are so evident. In the way. That they. Live out their lives. With no care.
[13:02] Or concern. For spiritual things. We also. Bring before you. The needy world. That is. Embroiled. In war. Of varying.
[13:14] Descriptions. We are mindful. Of. Of the ongoing. Hostilities. That. Between Russia. And Ukraine. We think.
[13:24] Also. Of Israel. And. Their opponents. In the. Strip. There. Where. Hostilities. Are. Are.
[13:36] Always. Rampant. Going back. Into the centuries. We pray. Lord. That the hostilities. In Gaza.
[13:47] Would. Be assuaged. By your own. Mercy. And that you would. Do. Your own. Will. For that is. What must be done.
[13:59] Remember. Other parts. Of the world. That. May not be. Often. Spoken of. Even those. Embroiled. In. In. Creating.
[14:10] Drugs. And. There is. War. On going there. Manufacturing. That. Which is. Poison. To. The human.
[14:20] System. And yet. It is. Such a. Such a. A. Thing. That. Brings. Worth.
[14:31] Into the hands. Of a few. And brings. Death. Upon. So many. And. No matter. What is. Done. And. How often.
[14:41] It is. Done. We see. That. The. Endeavors. That are. Endeavored. That are. Put into place.
[14:52] To. Frustrate. The enemies. That are. Responsible. For that. So much. So that. Even. In our own. Shores. We see. Evidence.
[15:02] Of it. More and more. Where our young. People. Are exposed. To. To. The temptations. That are so destructive. So remember us Lord.
[15:15] In the light of all our needs. Pour out your spirit upon us. Grant mercy for our sins. In Jesus name. Amen. We are going to hear God's word.
[15:27] As we find it in the book of Psalms. And we are reading from Psalm 107. The book of Psalms. And Psalm 107.
[15:38] We will read the whole Psalm. O give thanks unto the Lord. For he is good.
[15:49] For his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. And gathered them out of the lands.
[16:01] From the east and from the west. From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness. In a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in.
[16:13] Hungry and thirsty. Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord. In their trouble. And he delivered them out of their distresses.
[16:24] And he led them forth by the right way. That they might go to a city of habitation. O that men would praise the Lord. For his goodness. And for his wonderful works.
[16:35] To the children of men. For he satisfied the longing soul. And full of the hungry soul. With goodness. Such as sit in darkness.
[16:46] And in the shadow of death. Being bound in affliction and iron. Because they rebelled against the words of God. And condemned. The counsel of the most high.
[16:59] Therefore he brought down their heart with labour. They fell down. And there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord. In their trouble. And he saved them out of their distresses.
[17:12] He brought them out of darkness. And the shadow of death. And break their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the Lord. For his goodness. And for his wonderful works.
[17:25] To the children of men. For he had broken the gates of brass. And cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools because of their transgression.
[17:37] And because of their iniquities. Are afflicted. Their soul apporeth on manner of meat. And they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord.
[17:49] In their trouble. And he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word and healed them. And delivered them from their destructions. Oh that men would praise the Lord.
[18:02] For his goodness. And for his wonderful works. To the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving. And declare his works with rejoicing.
[18:15] They that go down to the sea in ships. And do business in great waters. These see the works of the Lord. And his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth.
[18:27] And raises the stormy wind. Which lifted up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven. They go down again to the depths. Their soul is melted because of trouble.
[18:41] They reel to and fro. And stagger like a drunken man. And are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble. And he bringeth them out of their distresses.
[18:54] He maketh the storm a calm. So that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad. Because they be quiet. So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
[19:08] Oh that men would praise the Lord. For his goodness. And for his wonderful works. To the children of men. Let him exalt him also. In the congregation of the people.
[19:20] And praise him in the assembly of the elders. He turneth rivers into a wilderness. And the water springs into dry ground. A fruitful land into barrenness.
[19:32] For the wickedness of them that dwell therein. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water. And the dry ground into water springs. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell.
[19:45] That they may prepare a city for habitation. And sow the fields and plant vineyards. Which may yield fruits of increase. He blesseth them also.
[19:56] So that they are multiplied greatly. And suffereth not their capital to decrease. Again they are diminished. And brought low through oppression.
[20:09] Affliction and sorrow. He poureth contempt upon princes. And causes them to wander in the wilderness. Where there is no way. Yet setteth he the poor on high.
[20:22] From affliction. And maketh in families like a flock. The righteous shall see it. And rejoice. And all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
[20:34] Whoso is wise. And will observe these things. Even they shall understand. The loving kindness of the Lord. Amen.
[20:46] And may the Lord add his blessing. Through a reading of his word. And to his name be the praise. I'm going to sing Psalm 67. Psalm 67.
[20:58] The second version of the psalm. The second version of the psalm. Lord unto us be merciful.
[21:09] To thou us also bless. And graciously cause shine on us. The brightness of thy face. That so thy way upon the earth. To all men may be known.
[21:20] Also among the nations. All thy saving health be shown. O let the people praise thee Lord. Let people all thee praise. O let the nations be glad.
[21:32] And sing for joy always. For rightly thou shalt people judge. And nations rule on earth. Let people praise thee Lord. Let all the folk praise thee with mouth.
[21:45] Then shall the earth yield her increase. God our God blesses us. Shall. God shall us bless. And of the earth.
[21:55] The ends shall fear him all. These verses. The second version of Psalm 67. Lord unto us be merciful. To thou us also bless.
[22:07] And graciously.
[22:33] Bee. God still Możeh.
[22:46] God well. So last isbay. But shall thy heart marry.
[23:01] All men may be known, O so among the nations of thy saving earth be shown.
[23:26] O let the people praise thee, Lord.
[23:38] Let people of the nations be glad.
[23:56] And sing for joy always. For rightly, thou shalt people judge.
[24:16] And nations roll on earth. Let people praise thee, Lord.
[24:34] Let all the fortress thee has made.
[24:47] Then shall we hear, Lord. Let them praise thee, Lord.
[24:58] Let them praise thee, Lord. Let them praise thee, Lord. Let them praise thee, Lord. Let them praise thee, Lord.
[25:11] Let them praise thee, Lord. And of the earth the end shall fear them all.
[25:28] And we, for a short time, turn to the psalm that we read. Psalm 107. and we can read at verse 33 Psalm 107 reading at verse 33 He turned his rivers into a wilderness and the water springs into dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein He turned the wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into water springs and there He maketh the hungry to dwell that they may prepare a city for habitation and sow the fields and plant vineyards which may yield fruits of increase and so on
[26:32] As you can see this is a psalm that is properly called a psalm of praise a psalm of thanksgiving Scholars tell us that it marks the psalm 107 marks a new section in the book of psalms The six psalms that come before psalm 107 are two sets of three and they are reckoned to be together psalm 107 is separate from these six psalms but usually in the worship of the Jews they associated this psalm with the previous six it is a psalm that that was composed more than likely following the return from exile and before the reconstruction of the temple and it is to be considered in the light of that but the psalm begins with exalting or extolling God as a God of redemption and an instruction is given to those who sing the psalm to remember the God who is their Redeemer and to remember Him not simply so that they will recall
[28:35] His work of redemption but to do so in order to speak of it and you would think that is an obvious thing to do that anybody who has experienced redemption at the hand of God would want to speak of it and speak often about it but that obviously is not the case because frequently we find reminders given to us of the need that there is on the part of the Lord's people in particular to speak of God's redeeming work especially as it involves themselves Christ at one point condemns the Pharisees when they challenged the disciples if you remember when He was making His way up to Jerusalem and the disciples join with the crowd magnifying the name of Christ and in chapter 19 of the Gospel of Luke the Lord Jesus after being asked to rebuke His disciples because of their words
[30:06] He said to them I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out and when He was come near He beheld the city and wept over it saying if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes but the point I want to make is that it was something that the Lord saw as fitting for those who knew Him to speak of Him and to declare their knowledge of Him and Sam here portrays the redemptive work of God in practical demonstrations of the kind of redeeming acts that God engaged in we have four particular pictures of people that are recognized to be at the end of their tether in verse 6 then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and He delivered them out of their distresses in verse 13 then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and He saved them out of their distresses verse 19 again then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and He saved them from their distresses and finally verse 28 then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and He bringeth them out of their distresses the psalmist the psalmist is using these illustratively requiring the one who sings this psalm to be able to identify the kind of scenario that is represented by the picture that is drawn and each one in turn is then exhorted as those that
[32:26] God has delivered oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men and four different experiences experiences the experience of deliverance for the wanderer in the desert for those who are suffering because of imprisonment those who are suffering because of sickness and the mariner on the ocean different experiences but all requiring at a certain point the individual to cry out for deliverance and God remembers them and God encourages them to praise
[33:27] His name for what He has done but the point at which we come to in the psalm is a point where the attention focuses not so much on those that are redeemed or the act of redemption but on the passion of the Redeemer the God who is responsible for all of these acts and the reason why He is able to carry out these acts in a sense I suppose the psalm is broad as a psalm of thanksgiving so that you can think of the reason that we have to thank God for a whole host of different experiences out of which God has redeemed us but now
[34:28] He highlights the reason that God is able to do that He highlights the ability that God has by reason of His own awesome power that He is able to do that so in verse 33 without any preamble as it were there is this declaration He turns rivers into a wilderness and the water springs into dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein it's not a very positive picture in many respects but it is a picture that describes to us the power the almighty power of God that is able to to do this very thing a place that you would associate with fertility and with abundance
[35:40] God by reason of His word turns that upside down coincidentally the wealthy nations of the earth are met during these days to deal with with climate problems nations and you get the wealthy nations declaring their interest and declaring what they intend to do about it and the poorer nations listen to what the wealthy nations have to say and they acknowledge that there is a need and all of them collectively suppose that by their might and power collectively that they will in some way be able to address this issue but none of them have the power that God has not all of them united have the power that God has and God presents himself here as a
[36:48] God who is judging the world and judging certain parts of the world and by reason of his judgment he reduces what you would naturally expect to be occurring to to be completely counterproductive where you expect streams and rivers to flow he dries them up where you expect the land to produce fruit it becomes a barren desert and God is the one who in the way that he deals with us from time to time he bears his arm and he exerts little of his energy in so doing one of the commentators puts it very simply if the land is bad it is because the people who are on it are bad and we always look for reasons to to find explanations for the way things are in our current situation with regard to climate we look outside of ourselves and we say this that and the other is responsible for it we felt once stopping at ourselves and finding a reason there finding a reason in the sinfulness that exists in the heart of men everywhere that mars the soul and as a result of that sinfulness mars the environment in which that soul dwells there may be of course any number of second causes we don't deny that for one minute we don't dismiss the responsibility that we have to do what is within our power to ensure that the world is a safe place to live in but where do you begin if you don't begin with the problem of the human heart and it is human greed prompted by corruption in the heart that is responsible for the ills of men and corporate mankind who are designing to make themselves wealthier on the backs of those who cannot do that all you have to do you know you shouldn't think that this is something that is strange you shouldn't think that it is something that is odd to even begin to threaten to speak about it you won't hear it spoken in your parliament you won't hear it spoken on the streets of those who are parading up and down and protesting about climate damage you won't hear it but the lord himself persuades us through his word that it's no new thing those of you who know the name John
[40:25] Owen will know that he lived 400 plus years ago and during his own ministry he was preaching a sermon which was called at the time of a fast for the wickedness of the nation and what he was what was behind the sermon was the sins of the nation and national judgments and for his text he chose a passage of which you should read a passage from the prophecy of Isaiah and in that passage the lord declares through the prophet his pleasure with Israel with Jerusalem Jerusalem he says is ruined and
[41:28] Judah is fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the lord to provoke the eye of his glory but if you read at the beginning of that chapter where these verses are found you read this for behold the lord the lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water the mighty man and the man of war the judge and the prophet and the prudent and the ancient the captain of fifty and the honourable man and the counsellor and the cunning artificer and the eloquent orator i will give children to be their princes and babes shall rule over them and the people shall be oppressed every one by another and every one by his neighbour the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient and the base against the honourable you read that passage for yourself and if it doesn't remind you about the generation that you are living in and that
[42:44] I am living in then I am obviously seeing something that you are not because we are seeing a governing body that to put it bluntly clueless clueless as far as their own need is concerned but especially as the needs of the nation are concerned they are spiritually blind and they are quite contentedly leading the spiritually blind and it's the spiritually blind to put them in positions of power and authority and the fact that they're incapable of leadership the fact that they're incapable of producing any law that honours God in any meaningful way you'll find the reason for it in their own relationship with God if there is one and you'll see children elevated to positions where their voice is heard and their desires are met and their needs are highlighted when they haven't fully matured to an understanding of what their needs are and what they really should be doing with regard to what
[44:08] God is saying in his word when we look at what God is saying you'll find again and again the words of the passage here telling you this is what God does and only God is able to do it and when you witness this taking place in the world around you ask yourself the question how can this possibly happen what is responsible for this and they produce scientific evidence to suggest to you that these are the reasons well let's present one scenario to you there's a place in the Bible that's spoken of God took his people out of Egypt and he directed them to a place called
[45:10] Canaan he gave them that land a land that we are told was flowing with milk and honey a land that was fertile a land that was capable of sustaining countless powerful tribes and that was capable of sustaining Israel what happened to Canaan where did that massive country go well you'll find out in the scripture how its demise came about the book of Deuteronomy chapter 29 the curse of Moses we are told comes on that land the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the
[46:13] Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven and the Lord shall separate him into evil out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this is what the Lord does if rebellious people ignore the words of his covenant and live their life as if it means nothing God is not blind to that God is not indifferent to that redone so that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you and the stranger that shall come from a far land shall say when you see the plagues of the land of the sickness which the Lord hath laid upon it and that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning that it is not sown nor beareth any grass groweth therein
[47:41] Every one of you have been watching, I'm sure, on your television the hostility that exists between Israel and those who live in Gaza.
[47:53] That is called the Fertile Crescent, part of Eden, a place that was once renowned for its ability to sustain a people and to provide for them.
[48:10] And you look at that and you say, the Bible must be wrong. There's nothing there but rubble and ruin. There's nothing there but something that speaks of inability to sustain life.
[48:25] And why? Why has that come about? Well, God is not displeased without reason and his displeasure is not curtailed just because man doesn't like what God does.
[48:41] You can ignore him if you wish. God is able to turn a garden into a desert. But the verses don't stop there. The verses go on to say that he is able to turn a desert into a garden.
[49:03] Is that not what he says in verse 35? He turneth the wilderness into a standing spring, dry ground into water springs.
[49:18] And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, and sow the fields and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
[49:29] Is he not able to turn a garden?
[49:59] To confer blessing. I wonder how many today placed these promises before God. I wonder how many today placed the knowledge that they have of God's almighty power to redeem before God.
[50:20] All the people that we said are so faithfully marching the streets with their placards complaining about the wickedness that society is culpable for.
[50:37] How many of them took time? How many of them took time? How many of us took time to plead the heavens that God may come down and that he may rise, raise up what will terminate this descent into destruction?
[50:58] It's easier for us to do that, is it not? Rather than submit to the one who is able to reverse his own judgment or bring it to an end.
[51:09] But it's not just simply a matter of time. We might be able to say the two things that are employed, and that is temporal judgment and temporal blessing, are also hand in hand with spiritual judgment and spiritual blessing.
[51:32] God in his mercy reveals to us something that we can see with our eyes. We can see he is displeased with this withdrawal of his mercy.
[51:48] We can see that he is pleased when he confers upon us the good gifts that life brings our way. The preacher Bishop Horn is not content with simply curtailing our thoughts to think of the temporal, which we may find easier to do.
[52:12] But his thinking to come back to his own experience, and the experience of every other child of God, where the blessing of God was poured upon our heart and mind.
[52:31] Just think about it. If you see yourself as something that was ripe and ready for God's blessing.
[52:45] If you see yourself as somebody, and the Lord, the all-seeing eye of God fixed upon you, and he said to himself, Oh, there is somebody who is suitable for receiving my grace.
[53:00] Is that what he saw? No, he saw barrenness. He saw infertility. He saw gross wickedness.
[53:11] He saw the kind of person that you and I are before he came and brought us to himself. And in that respect, we remember the way he came to the church.
[53:30] This is what Bishop Horn is what I was getting to. When he poured out his blessing upon the New Testament church. Instead of the sterile, empty worship of the Jewish religion, which had fallen to a sham worship of the synagogue in many, many instances.
[53:58] He raised up the Gentiles. He raised up the Gentile church through the gospel and his power accompanying it. The spirit of the Lord was poured out from high, as we read in the book of Acts.
[54:14] But that is just according to God's promise, is it not? Did we not know that that was going to be what God was going to do? Did the Jewish church know?
[54:27] Did the Jews know? Did the worshipper in the synagogue and the temple know that God was one day going to come? Well, in the book of Isaiah, they're forewarned.
[54:40] They're forewarned about the blessing of God, how it is going to come, not on the Jews, but on the Gentiles. In Isaiah 32 and verse 5, we read there, The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful, and so on.
[55:08] In verse 15, he says, The spirit shall be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness shall be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
[55:25] Then in chapter 34, I think, Come near ye nations to hear, and hearken ye people that the earth hear, and all that there is in the world, and all things that come forth of it.
[55:38] For the indigate nation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies. He hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. And in the following chapter, we have the gospel, The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
[55:59] It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, The excellency of Carmel and Sharon, They shall see the glory of the Lord, And the excellency of our God.
[56:15] What a transformation. What a change. Did it happen spontaneously? Did it happen just because somebody willed it?
[56:28] Well, somebody did will it, and that was God. We do well, As we give thanks for temporal blessings, And temporal measures, To remember spiritual blessings also.
[56:42] We may be moan the fact that we do not see As much of the Lord's blessing, And as much of the Lord's activity, As far as we can see it, In our day and generation.
[56:57] But we dare not Think that God Has in some way Lost His power To work, Or His willingness To save.
[57:13] Because He works, And when He works, He will transform The desert Into a Field That is Ripe for harvest.
[57:27] He will transform The wilderness Into Standing water And dry ground To water springs. He can do that, And He does do it, Still.
[57:41] And those who, While He says about here, He maketh the hungry To dwell, That they may prepare a city For habitation, And sow the fields And plant vineyards, Which may yield fruits Of the increase.
[57:53] What we long for, While we need to Pray for God To provide For the needs Of this world, Those who are Hungry And destitute And impoverished And lacking In resources To sustain Them bodily.
[58:14] We need most of all To pray for the Bread of life. We need most of all To pray for the Food that nourishes The soul. We need to pray for A hunger That would Stretch out the hand To reach The gospel table And partake of The good gifts That are there.
[58:38] Well, we give thanks To God who is able To do All these things. Thoseants Where are wirk Though all these things That do Things animals That come Like You That Does People Can Come