Our Refuge

[0:00] He is my refuge. Let's go to Psalm 91, if you've got your Bibles. Let's go to Psalm 91, if you've got your Bibles.

[0:37] I like that picture of the entrance into the Windsor Castle, as the crowds were flocking down either side of the roadway.

[0:51] And I just wondered what it's going to be like, the marriage supper of the Lamb. Won't that be glory? Won't that be glory? Amen. The marriage supper of the Lamb, a spotless bride, without spot, without wrinkle or any such thing, his glorious church.

[1:07] And then the glorious banqueting table with our Saviour and Lord, our King of kings and Lord of lords. Won't it be glory?

[1:19] And how we can praise him for what he has done, to make that all happen for us. Psalm 91. Let's stand, shall we, as we read it together.

[1:36] Psalm 91. Feel free to read aloud along with me. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

[1:49] I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.

[2:04] He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

[2:25] A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

[2:38] Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

[2:51] For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

[3:02] Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him.

[3:14] I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honour him.

[3:27] With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. Thus saith the Lord. Please be seated. Servers have found this is one of the favourite psalms of the people of God.

[3:43] It's been reckoned to be one of the 50 favourite passages of many Christians, when they've asked believers, what verse speaks to you?

[3:53] What passage? The Psalm 91. I know at the time of the 9-11, in America they ring 9-1-1, when there's an emergency.

[4:06] And this is 9-1-1, isn't it? He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High. This is the psalm known by the devil.

[4:17] And he quoted it in Matthew 4, of course misapplying it, misconstruing it. Even the devil knows this one. There are promises here for you, as children of God, people of God.

[4:30] These are great and precious promises for us. Promises for us as we face days of trouble, and danger, and evil. Call Psalm 91.

[4:43] 9-1-1. Call that emergency number. Call on the name of the Lord. It's a psalm of David. Psalm 91, verse 1.

[4:56] He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide unto the shadow of the Almighty. Notice through the psalm, it's personal. There's the personal pronouns here.

[5:09] Individual pronouns. It speaks of an individual. The individual believer. One by one. Each one of us. We can claim this. We can confess this. We can grasp this and apply this personally.

[5:22] It's for those walking with God. The one of whom it speaks is the one close to the High God. The Most High God. Close.

[5:33] So close that even His shadow is upon us. That we're so close that His shadow overshadows us. His protection. Abide, it says.

[5:45] It talks of dwelling. It talks about living there. Of making it a dwelling place. Of being a permanent resident. If you've got permanent residency in Australia.

[5:56] There's one time I got permanent residency in Australia. But really, I'm not a permanent resident. This is just temporary, isn't it? You might have permanent residence stamps on your passport. But it's not true, really.

[6:08] It's a passing time on this planet. But we're a permanent resident of that better country. The country above. And especially to abide with Him.

[6:21] To dwell with God. To reside with Him. To make Him your permanent dwelling place. The secret place of the Most High. You might have those secret places. You know, I was blessed by someone telling me lately.

[6:34] They make a point. And He's not here just now. But they make a point of when He has got time. He just pulls up His car here to pray.

[6:45] He just wants to... Maybe that's His secret place. But it's not secret now. I told you. But it's that place. Find that place. Wherever it be. That place that you can commune with God.

[6:56] That secret place. That stopping place. That place you... Make that place. As much as it's not necessarily a geographical place. It could be being in the car.

[7:08] Wherever you be. That place. That place with God. And it speaks of that secret place of the Most High. That close communion with Him. One to one with God.

[7:20] Face to face with Him. And there's a promise here. Of our security. He is the Most High. The Most High. Now we all come short of the glory of God.

[7:35] We can't attain unto it. He is so glorious and almighty. So Most High. He has limitless power. The Almighty. God is almighty. And He is your friend. Your saviour.

[7:45] Your redeemer. Your lover of your soul. And we can dwell in God. And He can dwell in us. As the word tells us. For the New Testament. Believer.

[7:56] It tells us that assurance that we can have. That we can know Him. That we can have that comfort of prayer. He that dwelleth in the secret place. Of the Most High. Shall abide under the shadow.

[8:08] Of the Almighty. I will say. Here's something you can say. You can confess this. You can profess this. You can claim this for yourself. I will say.

[8:18] Of thee Lord. He is. My refuge. And my fortress. My God. In Him. Will I trust. He is my refuge. And my fortress.

[8:29] Great promises aren't they. Verses 1 and 2 especially. Promises you can claim. You can state that. Make that statement. Make that. Confession of faith.

[8:41] Refuge. It means a place to run to. For safety. There's a refuge for us. A refuge for us. We know in time of war.

[8:52] People would have. Hiding places. That they could take. Shelter in. And be safe. Be saved. And He is such a place.

[9:02] Isn't He? Our refuge. Our fortress. Our stronghold. It tells of His protection. Of safety. Of health. You know when I saw the. The royal party going into that.

[9:14] Huge. Such a. A. Majestic castle. And I thought. Our God. Is a fortress to us. Isn't He? He is a great. And mighty fortress.

[9:26] And. He is impregnable. For the enemy. Once we are. Sheltered. And hidden in Christ. It tells of our protection. Of our safety. Of our help.

[9:37] Run to Him. The refuge. He is my refuge. You can say that. Let's say that together. He is my refuge. And my fortress. My God.

[9:47] In Him. Will I trust. Run to Him. In Psalm 62 verse 7. It says. In God is my salvation. And my glory. The rock. Of my strength.

[9:59] And my refuge. Is in God. He is rock solid. He does not budge. You know. It tells elsewhere. How. My feet. Were. As it were. In that sinking sand.

[10:11] In that quagmire. In that. The mud. What is it. How does it go. People know that one. You know. They were stuck. You were stuck in the mud. In the miry clay. And now.

[10:23] You know. If that was a rock. I could demonstrate. But I'm not going to stand on that one. I could stand on the rock. He's taken me out of the miry clay. And He set my feet on the rock.

[10:34] Glory. A new song. The rock of my strength. And my refuge. Is in God. Truly our refuge. Is in God. And the eternal God.

[10:44] Is thy refuge. He's eternal. The eternal God. Is thy refuge. It's personal again. One by one. Thy refuge. My refuge. Your refuge.

[10:55] Individually. And underneath. Are the everlasting arms. Praise God. Now isn't it wonderful. To hold a newborn baby. In your arms. And to feel.

[11:07] That warmth. That blessing. That love. And He feels that for you. He is. The everlasting arms. They're always underneath you.

[11:19] He's not going to drop you. His arms are strong. And sure. His arms are everlasting. Everlasting. And there is help. For troubled hearts. In that assurance.

[11:30] His arms are strong. And never failing to uphold you. And we have this great sense of. Refuge in Christ. The refuge. That is our rock. You know. It talks about.

[11:40] He's like a rock. In a weary land. In a dry land. He's like a. A place we can. Find shelter. In the. In that. Covert. In that.

[11:51] In that hiding place. Of the rock. That. That. Place that we can find. Shelter. And safekeeping. And the word tells us of one.

[12:01] Of how one could flee to a city of refuge. And find protection there. You know. This great. Truth of. Of fleeing to refuge.

[12:12] Of. Where. Where judgment threatens. Where. Where we need to flee. For safety. There is a city of refuge.

[12:23] And we can find protection there. We can flee to God. Run to the refuge. Find shelter. You know. When the. The. The bomb. The.

[12:34] The warning goes off. That. The sirens go off. The warning. That there's. A threatening. Bombardment coming. Or whether it be.

[12:46] In. In Japan. When there's a tsunami warning. You've got to flee. To safety. And likewise. We need to flee to Christ. Flee to Christ.

[12:57] There's danger. Outside of Christ. You know. I was talking with someone lately. How. Someone passed away. Bang. In a car accident. And there's no time then.

[13:09] To. To. Make a. Make a reckoning with God. And how close is eternity. People. Here today. You might think. I'm. I'm thinking about becoming a Christian. I'm. It's something I'm going to get around to.

[13:21] I just want to have a bit of a. Live it up a bit first. So to. So to speak. But. Really living it up is Christ. He is life. Without Christ. You're dead. In your trespasses and sins.

[13:33] And you may not get that moment. Of. Repenting. That moment. Of trusting. In time. To call on his name. Believers. Be encouraged.

[13:44] Unbelievers. Get. Unsettled. Get unsettled. Very unsettled. Because you're in the miry clay. You know. I don't know about you. But it's got a bit miry.

[13:54] At my place lately. A bit miry. You know. I went down. Where there's a bit of a low spot. And. Had to put the four wheel drive on. Because it was so miry. And the.

[14:05] Car was kind of. Just as well. I've got a four wheel drive now. But. You know. Think. That miry clay. You know. I didn't stop. Got to keep moving. And get back. On the.

[14:15] On the roadway. Because. The miry clay. Is a dangerous place to be. People. Here today. Don't settle for the miry clay. Plant your feet on the rock. Get solid.

[14:26] Get strong. In Christ. Flee to him. To that shelter. To that covering. And find your salvation there. That city of refuge. Who is Christ. Himself. And surely he shall deliver thee.

[14:37] Verse 3. Surely he shall. Surely. There's certainty here. This is a word of certainty. This is for sure. There's no doubt about it.

[14:48] This is surely. Certainly. Certainly. Surely he shall. Deliver thee. He is the great liberator. The great saviour. The great redeemer. The man.

[14:59] Christ Jesus. Who sets. Sinners free. And it says. He shall deliver thee. From the snare of the fowler. Now I was wondering how I could demonstrate.

[15:11] What a fowler is to you today. And I was thinking. I could bring my fox trap in to show you. That it's not really to catch birds. Of course. It's to catch foxes. But just a little cage.

[15:23] And you set the trap door. And you put the bait in. And then you just wait till the fox goes. Bang. And the door comes slamming shut. And catches the fox.

[15:34] And likewise too. There's no doubt similar containers that the fowler. The bird catcher. The hunter. Would use to snare. And to trap.

[15:44] And to capture. Unsuspecting birds. Where it just looks like a harmless little place to go. To go and get some food. And before you know it. The net falls. Or whatever it be.

[15:55] That catches the bird. And contains the bird. And the devil wants to snare us. To trap us. To catch us. To put his net. Over us.

[16:07] But it tells us that he shall. Deliver thee from the snare of the fowl. Now the snare. It talks about a trap. He wants to ensnare us. He wants to trap us.

[16:18] But God will deliver us. We have his promise here. And it tells us that he shall deliver us. Not only from the snare of the fowler. The one who catches fowl. The hunter of birds.

[16:29] The catcher of birds. But from the noisome pestilence. Now this word. It speaks of trouble. It speaks of calamity. It speaks of harm. Of danger.

[16:41] And it tells us here. That God will keep us. He will surely deliver us. From such things. He will deliver you from harm.

[16:51] Verse 4. It goes on. He shall cover thee with his feathers. And under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. A buckler is like a small shield.

[17:04] And David often spoke of the shadow of God's wings. We see that in various psalms. Psalm 17, 36, 57, 63. It's a repeated theme.

[17:15] God's wings. God's overshadowing. God's protection. God's covering. As a bird covering her chicks. And Moses beautifully described God's care for Israel.

[17:28] Likewise as an eagle. Over her young. In Deuteronomy 32. So it's a theme recurring. Through scripture of God's care. As being like a mother bird.

[17:39] And we can trust in him. He will encircle us. He will cover us. He will overshadow us. He will cover you. He will nurture you. As a mother bird. Her chicks.

[17:50] And he will overshadow you. Brother. Sister. If you will. But come. Under the shadow. Of his wings. He will cover you. He will. Take care of you.

[18:02] Take comfort. In his word. Sister. Brother. Take comfort. In his word. It tells us here. His truth shall be. Thy shield. And buckler. It's like.

[18:13] I saw someone express it. That his truth shall be. Your body armor. Body armor. You know you see. Especially yesterday. With the. The. All the.

[18:25] Massive security. The body armor. Of the. Security people. At that. Occasion. Likewise. We can see. That we are covered.

[18:36] With the body armor. Of God. His truth. Shall be thy shield. His truth. Shall be thy shield. His faithfulness. Shall be your body armor. He shall defend you.

[18:48] His truth. The truth of God. And it's right here. For us. This is where we find his truth. Not in tradition. Not in some. Church. Establishment.

[18:59] But in. The word. And the true church. Is built on this word. The true church. Will. Be founded. And grounded. Upon. Sound. Biblical. Preaching. And doctrine.

[19:10] This is the truth. We can. Know that. Know his faithfulness. He shall defend you. Like a shield. Like a buckle. Like a. Like his body armor. Of a soldier.

[19:20] Of a. Of a warrior. You are. Protected. And defended. Today. It goes on. Verse five.

[19:31] To tell us. Thou shalt not be afraid. Of the. For the terror. By night. Nor for the. Arrow. That flyeth by day. It's telling us.

[19:43] By day. And by night. Thou shalt not be. Afraid. It tells of. Fears. Of anxieties. As much.

[19:54] We can be afraid. Of fearful. But God. Tells you. You have nothing. To fear. You have nothing. To fear. I am with you.

[20:04] He tells you. All our fears. All our anxieties. We can give to him. By day. Or by night. And. People today. Christian brother. Christian sister.

[20:15] The telephone to glory. Is available. The secret place. Of the most high. Maybe not necessarily. A place. But it's. Being.

[20:26] In that place. Of prayer. The telephone to glory. Is never interrupted. There's never a system failure. I know this. A person. I was desperately. Trying to contact lately.

[20:37] And their phone. Was. You know. I don't know. What he did to it. Something was wrong. With that phone. Blame. Blame some. There was some glitch.

[20:48] Some. Supply. Of that. Phone service. Failed. But this. Phone service. To glory. This. Telephone to glory.

[20:59] Never fails. Amen. It's always available. 24 by 7. There's never a system failure. There's never some. On hold music. You know. You don't get that.

[21:10] When you talk to God. There's no. On hold music. You know. You don't hear green sleeves. Or. You don't hear someone saying. Well. Your call. Is very important. To us. Brother.

[21:22] Sister. The phone to glory. Is always available. He will hear your prayer. And. Thou shalt not be afraid. There's lots of things.

[21:33] We can fear. Usually. They're groundless. Aren't they? What you fear. Never happens anyway. What you're afraid of. What you're worried about. That is going to happen. You think. Sometimes. Well.

[21:44] Chances are. Half the time. It doesn't happen. What you're afraid of. And being afraid of it. Doesn't really. Help you anyway. Does it? Thou shalt not be afraid. Thou shalt not be afraid.

[21:55] Whatever the fear. Whatever you're fearful of. Maybe it's the fear of the unknown. The unseen. The terror by night. You can't even see it. It's out of sight. That unknown.

[22:06] That unseen. Fearfulness. And then it could be the things that we can see. The arrows. That come against us. Things that come. In the. In the light. When we can see them.

[22:17] The arrows that come against us. Now the Bible tells us about. The fiery darts of the wicked. It tells us about how. The. The enemy. Satan.

[22:27] Is firing darts at us. Like. Arrows that are. On fire. And. How are we shot at. Aren't we? By the enemy. Who's against us.

[22:38] But. It tells us in the Bible. That we have the shield of faith. We've got a wonderful shield. The shield of faith. And it says by the shield of faith. You can withstand. All of that.

[22:49] Attack. It goes on in verse 6. Of Psalm 91. That thou shalt not be afraid. Nor for the pestilence. That walketh in darkness. Nor for the destruction.

[23:01] That wasteth at noonday. Really it's saying. Whatever it is. Whether it's in darkness. Whether it's noonday. Whether it's day. Whether it's night. You have no need to fear. As a child of God.

[23:12] That God. Will take care of you. You know. Don't you love that. There's a song. That goes. God will. Take care of you. God will take care of you.

[23:22] And you can. Know that. Know his care. The Bible says. Casting all your care. Upon him. For he careth for you. Cast all your care. All your anxiety.

[23:34] All your fearfulness. All your concern. All your worry. All your. Stress. Cast it upon him. Why? Because he cares for you. He cares for you.

[23:44] It tells us. Verse 7 of Psalm 91. A thousand shall fall at thy side. And ten thousand at thy right hand. But it shall not come nigh thee. We see God's protection of his people.

[23:56] Through the. Through the. Passages of scripture. The characters of the Bible. Many and varied. Men and women. We see God's protection in their lives.

[24:08] People such as Noah. God protected him. And gave him safety. And safe travel. And safe keeping. Abraham. Another man.

[24:21] God gave him. Protection. In times of trouble. And danger. We see Lot. Taken out of Sodom. By God's grace.

[24:32] We see Rahab. Saved. At the fall of Jericho. David. David. David. For all his mistakes. And foul ups. That God. Overshadowed. All of his. Dangers that he faced.

[24:44] The giant. Goliath. God. Cared for David. We see Esther. And the people of God. Saved by God's hand.

[24:57] We see Daniel. And the three Hebrew children. In the very midst of the fiery furnace. That God. Delivered them. A thousand shall fall at thy side. Ten thousand at thy right hand.

[25:08] But it shall not. Come neither. We know God's overshadowing care. He is there for you. He always will be. He always has been. And he always will be. Verse 8.

[25:19] It says. Only with thine eyes. Shalt thou behold. And see the reward. Of the wicked. God will pour out his judgment. He will pour out his judgment.

[25:30] On the wicked. There will be. A payback for them. Those who are wicked. You might think. Oh why are these people. Getting away with this wrong. I've been wronged.

[25:42] And they're getting away with it. Scott free. But. Judgment day is coming. It will come. And the Lord says. Vengeance is mine.

[25:53] I will repay. He will repay. Thank God. There's grace. For those who will. Turn to him. That such a wicked as me.

[26:03] Can be saved by his grace. And you might feel. I'm desperately wicked. There's time to trust him now. Trust him now. No one is too far wicked.

[26:15] Too far gone. That they cannot. Be saved. I love. How it says. Our Lord tells us. To go to the uttermost. And as someone has put it.

[26:27] To go to the gutter most. Because no one is too far gone. No one is too far from his grace. That his grace cannot reach. Those who will trust him.

[26:38] But there will be a reward. For the wicked. One day. Judgment day will come. For those. Who have not turned from. Their. Sin.

[26:49] Who have not turned. Unto him. There will be a reward. A judgment. On them. And so. Whilst you might feel wronged. By some. One day. They will get their. Reward.

[27:01] Verse 9. It says. Because thou hast made. The Lord. Which is my refuge. Even the most high. Thy habitation. It's telling you again. It's telling us again. Make thee Lord.

[27:12] Your refuge. Find your refuge in him. I know I've said this before. Really. I'm a refugee. I'm a refugee.

[27:23] I've. I've fled. From the city of destruction. And I've come. To. A heavenly citizenship.

[27:33] In Christ. I've. I've. Fled. From the wrath to come. And I've found. My safe keeping in Christ.

[27:44] In the shelter. Of his care for me. And really. We all should be refugees. Fleeing from that place of destruction. And danger.

[27:55] And coming to that place of safety. And shelter. And. God's care. Because thou hast made the Lord. Which is.

[28:06] My refuge. Even the most high. Thy habitation. You can make the most high. Your habitation. You might feel the lowest of the low. But you can have the highest of the high.

[28:18] In Christ. You can. You can find the highest. Of the high. Of God. The most high. And he can be your dwelling place. A habitation. And it speaks of where you stay.

[28:30] It's where you call home. You find your comfort there. You find your safety there. You find that rest. That. That. Blessing there. And what a.

[28:41] A contrast from. The city of destruction. As it were. And to find that. Dwelling place with God. The most high. That he would stoop down.

[28:54] And receive you. And embrace you. As his own. Run to him. For safety. He is your shelter. That's that sense of refuge again. It's got a place that you.

[29:04] It's a place that you run to. As it were. A bomb shelter. That you find that.

[29:14] That protection there. That you cannot be harmed. In Christ. First. Verse 10. Of Psalm 91. It says. There shall. No evil before thee.

[29:26] Neither shall any plague. Come nigh thy dwelling. Here again. Here's a promise for you. Of God's protection. God's protection.

[29:37] Now of course. We know through life. Evil. Trouble. Is still. At times. Our lot. And. To understand that. We've got to understand.

[29:48] That times. God. Allows. Some. Exceptions here. That. He has some. Higher purpose. That we may not reckon. And understand. Or fully fathom.

[29:59] This side of glory. We know that whatever happens. He will grant us. Sufficient grace. As even Paul prayed. Three times. Take this from me. This affliction. This thorn in my flesh.

[30:11] Take it from me. Take it from me. Take it from me. And God says. My grace is. Sufficient for thee. Because my strength. Is made perfect.

[30:22] In weakness. God has a higher purpose. A higher plan sometimes. And he will grant us. Sufficient grace. We can ask. Why is God allowing. This trial. This present circumstance.

[30:33] This trial for me. It can be. As some have. Reckoned it here. That God tries men. At times. With evil. Befalling them. But it is for their perfection.

[30:44] And for greater reward. God is making something of you. God is making you. His vessel. Unto honour. And it tells us.

[30:56] The trial of your faith. Being much more precious. Than of gold. Which perisheth. It tells us. That actually. It's going to bring forth gold. That test.

[31:06] That time. Of test. God tries men. At times. With evil. Befalling them. But it is for correction. To save them. From judgment. Sometimes God chastens. His own.

[31:17] Children. There's a needful. Correction. That we learn from. And grow by. God tries men. At times. With evil. Befalling them. But he can give great grace.

[31:29] To bear it. We see. How God. Overrules. God. Over. Overshadows. God super intends. That. Which we see.

[31:39] At the present. To his ultimate purpose. That he intends. For example. In Joseph's case. In the Bible. After much travail. And suffering. He was greatly wronged.

[31:51] Falsely accused. He was imprisoned. Suffered much deprivation. And his own brothers. Were minded to kill him.

[32:02] And then sold him off. As a slave. As if he was worth nothing. To them. And when he came. As he was decked out. As the. Son of Pharaoh.

[32:14] And they came. Seeking. Bread. In time of famine. And they didn't recognize him. But then ultimately. They did. He says. You meant it for evil. But God. Meant it for good.

[32:26] Genesis 50. Verse 20. You meant it for evil. But God. Meant it for good. All of that. Suffering. That I've endured. God. God. Meant it for good. And God.

[32:36] Brought good out of it. God. Brought blessing. In Joseph's life. Truly. God. Will prevail. Brother. Sister. Whatever your present circumstance. God. Always.

[32:47] Will prevail. And. There is meaning here. That God. Puts into our lives. Even in such tests. Because we all know. We've all got crosses. I've got mine.

[32:58] You've got yours. But God. God orders our steps. And he blesses us. And whatever happens. The good hand of God. Is there to see. That good will come.

[33:10] He will work. His good purposes out. In our lives. And so. We can know. God's. Superintending care. Because it says.

[33:20] For he shall give his angels. Charge over thee. To keep thee. In all thy ways. Now God created the angels. To be the servants. Of God's people. He's given them.

[33:34] A job to do. For you. And for me. Because we don't. I don't make a practice of thinking about angels. Because. It's almost. You don't really stop to think of it.

[33:47] But the Bible does tell us that. God has angels. And that those angels are. Promised to. To. Have charge over us.

[34:01] In other words. God. Gives his angels. Orders. To. Look after us. To. To be with us. To. Protect.

[34:12] It tells us here. In this verse. That he will command them. Respecting you. He'll command them. To protect you. Wherever you go. Now in the Bible. It tells us that.

[34:23] God is the Lord of hosts. And a host is an army. Because he has hosts of angels. Awaiting any order. That he might give.

[34:33] He's the Lord of hosts. He's got. He can marshal these. Angelic forces. He can summon them. To our aid.

[34:45] Micah. Saw heaven open. And all the hosts of heaven. Awaiting their orders. That's 1 Kings 22. There's a whole host of heaven. Elijah. Asked God.

[34:56] To open the eyes of his servant. To see the protecting host. That's 2 Kings 6. There's a protecting host. A host of angels. And note that. This does not apply.

[35:06] Just to major events. In our lives. But when. In. All. Thy ways. In all. Thy ways. Who knows whether. We've had some. Angelic protection.

[35:17] Without even realising. Maybe he's brought some. Angels into your life. That you're going to entertain. Unawares. You know. We don't know these things. I don't. I don't make a focus on it. Some.

[35:27] I think. Can over. Emphasise. Angels. And get off into all. Kinds of crazy. Thinking. But the Bible. Nevertheless. Does speak of angels. And that there is.

[35:38] A. Job that they have to do. Which is to. Have charge. Over us. And in Psalm 34. 7. It says.

[35:49] The angel of the Lord. En camps around. About. And delivers. Those that fear him. He camps around us. He surrounds us. And delivers us.

[36:00] The angel of the Lord. Psalm 34. 7. And it goes on. Verse 12. Of Psalm 91. They shall bear thee up. In their hands. Lest thou dash thy foot. Against the stone.

[36:12] What do the angels do? We see that. At the destruction of Sodom. God sent the angels. To deliver Lot. In Genesis 18.

[36:24] And 19. The angels were sent. To take Lot out. God sent an angel. To deliver. As the client. He killed. He killed 185,000 Assyrians.

[36:35] In one night. So there was a. Great. Liberation. A great victory. God sent an angel. To deliver the three men. From. Nebuchadnezzar's.

[36:45] Fiery furnace. Of course we know. That speaks to us. Of our Lord. God sent an angel. To deliver Daniel. From the hungry lions. He shut. The lions mouths.

[36:57] You know. They would have been salivating. Through their. Jaws. You know. Those hungry lions. But. God delivered Daniel. God sent angels. To comfort our Lord Jesus. As he was tempted.

[37:10] In Matthew 4. By the devil. And then. At the garden. The Lord sent an angel. Again. To comfort him. In Luke 22. And then God sent an angel. To deliver Peter. From prison.

[37:21] When Herod intended his death. So again. There's these. Manifold occasions. Through scripture. That. God. Has angels. That he. Has.

[37:31] Charge. Over. God's people. He commands them. To. Uphold us. Verse 13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion.

[37:42] And adder. The young lion. And the dragon. Shalt thou trample. Under feet. These are three names. Or images. Of the devil. It's saying that you're going to. Tread on the lion.

[37:52] The adder. The viper. The snake. And the young lion. The dragon. All of these things. Are signs and symbols. Images. Names of the devil. You have victory today.

[38:02] If you're a believer in Christ. You have great victory. Over all the power of the devil. Verse 14. Of Psalm 91. It says. Because he hath set his love upon me.

[38:14] Therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high. Because he hath known my name. Friends. Today it's telling us.

[38:25] Put your trust in him. Put your trust in him. Call upon him. As Lord. Cleave to him. In love. Make him your delight.

[38:36] Set your love upon him. Set your love upon him. Know his name. His name is his ointment poured forth. His name. There's none other name.

[38:46] Under heaven. Given among men. Whereby we must be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ. No other name. There's only one name. That can save.

[38:57] Know his name. And he will set you on high. It says. He will protect you. He will exalt you. He'll put you on that solid rock. He'll take your feet out of that miry clay. He will protect.

[39:07] He will save. Have you set your love. On. Your Lord. Do you truly love God. Love God. Love God. I thought that was probably about the best part of the royal wedding.

[39:20] Was what that preacher said. Yeah. To love God. With all your heart. I don't know where he's at with all of his other theology. But he got that one right. Love God. Love God.

[39:30] Love God. With all your heart. Set your love upon him. Is he all your trust? Is he? Do you know the saving name of Jesus?

[39:41] Set your love upon him. Know his name. It tells us verse 15. He shall call upon me. And I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him.

[39:52] And honour him. These promises here. Are for those. Who will call upon him. It's telling you. Pray through. Pray and keep on praying. Pray through. Pray effectively.

[40:03] Pray through. Call upon me. He says. Call upon me. He says. And I will answer you. He promises to. He will answer you.

[40:14] Notice it does not say. We will not have trouble. It's a telling point of this verse here. It's telling us here. Call upon. me. Call upon me. And he's telling you.

[40:26] I will answer you. And I will be with you. In trouble. So he's not saying necessarily. As a Christian. Hey it's an easy ride. It's a trouble free life.

[40:38] You know. It's all. Going to be rosy. There's going to be some thorns with those roses. Notice it does not say. We will not have trouble. It says. Here. We will.

[40:49] Experience trouble. It's telling us that. We will. Experience trouble. And we will have. Opposition and. Troubles. Of different kinds. Yet. We can trust God.

[41:00] We can trust God. In. Trouble. And he says. I will. Be with you. In trouble. We can trust. Him. And entrust ourselves to him. Even in the.

[41:11] Darkest valley. You know. This psalm. Often read at funeral times. Yea. Though I walk through. Through. The valley of the shadow of death. I will. Fear.

[41:22] No evil. For thou art with me. Even in. The darkest valley. He says. Thou. You can say.

[41:33] Thou art with me. You are with me. You are with me. You can. You can know that. He is with you. Even in the darkest valley. And God's ears are open and receptive.

[41:44] To his faithful followers. He says. I will be with you. As it says. In trouble. In affliction. In distress. In tribulation.

[41:57] It tells us elsewhere. Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength. The very present hell. In trouble. Our refuge and strength. Now I love to encourage people.

[42:09] Just to tell them that. That first part of that verse. God is our refuge and strength. When we're feeling weak. Overwhelmed. When we're feeling.

[42:20] It's hard going. God is our refuge and strength. Isn't he? Isn't he? He is. And it goes on. Therefore will not we fear. Though the earth be removed.

[42:32] And though the mountains be carried. Into the midst of the sea. Even though everything's going wrong. There's just chaos. Everywhere. Therefore will not we fear.

[42:43] God is our refuge and strength. Someone once said. You're either in a trial. You just came out of one. Or you're about to enter into one. So. It's really all the time.

[42:54] Isn't it? You think of the trials. You've just been through. The one that you're in right now. There's another one to come. Likely. So. Whatever it is. God is our refuge and strength.

[43:05] A very present hell. In trouble. Flee to him. This sure refuge. In all your trials. Learn to trust. Learn to trust. More of trust. David Livingston.

[43:20] A medical missionary. Was asked if he feared going to Africa. To leave the comforts of his homeland. Scotland was it. And he went off to. The dangerous territories of Africa.

[43:33] And he was asked if he was fearful. If he was afraid. You're going into something so difficult. So dangerous. And he said. I am immortal. Until the will of God.

[43:43] For me is accomplished. When it's his time. He'll take me. I am immortal. Until God's will. For me is accomplished.

[43:56] Another preacher Spurgeon said. It's impossible. That any ill. Should happen to the man. Who is beloved of the Lord. The most crushing calamities. Can only shorten his journey.

[44:08] And hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is not ill. But only good. Live in a mysterious form. Losses. Enrich him. Sickness. Is his medicine.

[44:19] Reproach. Is his honour. Death. Is his gain. No evil. In the strict sense of the word. Can happen to him. For everything. Is overruled. For good. Happy is he.

[44:30] Who is in such a case. He is secure. Where others are in peril. He lives. Where others die. Matthew Henry. An old time preacher. Said. Whatever happens.

[44:41] Nothing shall hurt. The believer. Though trouble. And affliction. Befall. It shall come. Not for his hurt. But for good. Though for the present. It be not joyous.

[44:51] But grievous. Those who rightly know God. Will set their love upon him. His promise is. That he will. In due time. Deliver the believer. Out of his trouble.

[45:02] He will be. With him. For the meantime. In trouble. And the Lord. Will manage all his worldly concerns. And preserve his life on earth. So long. As it shall be good for him. And for encouragement.

[45:14] In this. He looks unto Jesus. He shall live. Long enough. Till he has done the work. He has sent. Into this world for. And is ready for heaven. Who would wish.

[45:24] To live a day longer. Than God. Has some work to do. Either by him. Or upon him. A man may die young. Yet be satisfied. With living. But a wicked man.

[45:35] Is not satisfied. Even with. Long life. At length. The believer's conflict ends. He has done forever. With trouble. Sin. And temptation. Another preacher said.

[45:46] Keep your feet on the ground. But let your heart. Soar as high. As it will. Refuse to be average. Or to surrender. To the chill. Of your spiritual environment.

[45:56] Verse 15 again. It says. He shall call upon me. And I will answer him. And I will be with him. In trouble. I will deliver him. And honour him.

[46:06] It's telling you here. He will rescue you. He will liberate you. He will set you free. He will rescue you. And true and lasting honour. Is only from the Lord. For the honour of this world.

[46:19] Is fleeting and flimsy. Isn't it? I was thinking on this line. Of how. You see someone who's elevated. To the highest.

[46:30] Office in the land. You know. The premier. Of South Australia. What was his name? The one that's just. You just forget. Who was that?

[46:41] Jay Weatherill. You don't hear about him any longer. He's gone. He's a nobody now. He's nothing. The honour. Of this world. Is fleeting. Isn't it? You think of.

[46:52] A famous people. And when they're gone. Some scarcely pay. Notice to them. Their name is forgotten. Is buried in the dust of time.

[47:03] The world's honour. The world's honour. Is flimsy and fleeting. But his honour. His honour. Is everlasting. Consider the blessings. Answered prayers.

[47:13] God's presence in trouble. Deliverance and honour. Verse 16. It says. With long life. Will I satisfy him. And show him my salvation. Really.

[47:26] We can never lose. As God's people. We can never lose. Nor is this promise ever long. For an early death here. Begins eternity there. So even if you die young.

[47:38] You have eternity. As a believer. Some have reckoned. There's eight promises in this psalm. That tell of the ways God protects us. God says to you. I will rescue you.

[47:48] He says. I will protect you. He says. I will answer you. I will be with you. In trouble. In your affliction. In distress. I will deliver you. I will honour you.

[48:00] I will satisfy you. With long life. I will show you. My salvation. What greater satisfaction. Than to have life. And life more abundant.

[48:11] Life. Life. Life to the max. Life with a capital L. Life. Life more abundant. Glory. To know Christ.

[48:23] Is to know life. And all of this. Is conditional. This psalm. 91. Make it your homework. To read it through again.

[48:34] Perhaps. If you can. To refresh these promises. To your mind. But remember this. It is conditional. In that. It is addressed to the one. Who dwells in God.

[48:44] He that abides. In the secret place. Of the almighty. I will say. Of the Lord. He is my refuge.

[48:57] And my fortress. My God. In him. Will I trust. He is the faithful God. He is ever trustworthy. Eternally so.

[49:09] Psalm 9 verse 9. It says. The Lord also. Will be a refuge. For the oppressed. A refuge in time. Of trouble. He is steadfast.

[49:22] He is dependable. Trust in his keeping. His security. He will not let you down. People will. People will follow you.

[49:35] But he will never fail. Take your refuge in him. Ask him for strength. When you're weak. When you're forlorn. When you're worn. And weary. He is a refuge for the oppressed.

[49:48] A refuge in times of trouble. Make God your dwelling place. Make him your dwelling place. Don't just visit him.

[49:59] As an occasional. But let him be your dwelling place. Let it not be just some passing. Token.

[50:12] But let him be your dwelling place. Let him be your refuge. And get close enough. That you can know God's shadow. God's shadow. Are we under his shadow?

[50:28] Get closer to him. So that you are. So that you get under his shadow. It tells us. Draw near to God. And he will draw near to you. Some have reckoned.

[50:39] God seems so far away. He's left me. God's so far. Far, far away. He's telling us. Draw near to me. And I will draw near to you. Take that step.

[50:50] Of drawing near to God. If God seems far, far away. Then move. Move closer to him. He will. He will hear you cry. Get close enough to God.

[51:02] To be in his shadow. And make God your dwelling place. God is our refuge. And strength. When you're weak and weary.

[51:15] So feeling powerless. God is our refuge and strength. He is the never failing God. And you can know his protection. In the hardships of life.

[51:28] God's protection. There is rescue here. Let's read these two verses together. Just now. Just to lock it in. As it were.

[51:38] Into the grey cells. Lock it into your heart. Lock it into your thinking. Your mind. Your love. Let it be Christ. And him crucified. Let's read it together.

[51:49] He that dwelleth in the secret place. Of the most high. Shall abide under the shadow. Of the almighty. I will say of the Lord.

[52:00] He is my refuge. And my fortress. My God. In him. Will I trust. Let us pray. Lord we thank you. That you are.

[52:11] Great and mighty. And in our weakness. You are strength. And power. Lord you come. To the very weakest of the weak. And the unworthy.

[52:22] Of the unworthy. Lord yet. Your grace is sufficient. To come and save. To the uttermost. To the guttermost. To the hardest. And furthest.

[52:32] The wickedest. Of all. Even me. Such that you can save. A wretch like me. Lord we thank you. For your grace. Is all sufficient. For all who will call.

[52:43] On your name. And Lord at any time. We can know your refuge. And strength. We can know your refuge. And our fortress. Help us Lord. To stand fast. In the promises.

[52:53] Of your scriptures. Lord. To make this live. And apply it. In our lives. To take action. Help us Lord. To refresh these words. To our mind. And to know this.

[53:05] Confession of faith. I will say of the Lord. He is my refuge. And my fortress. My God. In him will I trust. We pray. That each one here today. In the hearing of this time.

[53:17] Might know that wonderful. Heart trust. Of heart. Touched by God. That Lord. We can put. Our hearts trust. Not in our own saving power.

[53:28] But entirely in yours. That at the cross. You bore our guilt. And shame. The penalty for our sin. In laying down your life for us. In rising again. You paid the price of our sin.

[53:39] The very penalty. Of death itself. That we can have everlasting life. As your gift. To us Lord. We confess. Our faith in you. We know you as our refuge. And strength.

[53:50] Help us to dwell. In the secret place. Of the most high. Help us Lord. To. To love that. That blessing of prayer. That blessing of being able.

[54:02] To call on your name. And to know. Your ever present. Comfort and strength. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.