God is our Refuge

[0:00] God is our refuge, isn't he? God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.! Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

[0:23] Selah. God is our refuge and strength. We can ask, where is God when we face trouble? God is in trouble. He's in it.

[0:36] He's there with you right there in the trouble. There was a little boy that prayed one day, God, please take care of yourself because if anything happens to you, we're in big trouble.

[0:48] God is with you. He is with you. When there's trouble, God is. God is our refuge. And God is the refuge for his people. He is the shelter in your storm, the place of safety, your hiding place.

[1:01] You can be covered. There is a shelter in the storm. Jesus is his name, isn't it? God is our refuge. God is in the storm. Someone said this, by faith in such times, I can say I'm here by God's appointment, in his keeping, under his training, and he will bring me out or continue to give me the grace to rise up over the storm.

[1:27] I can think of some loved ones of mine going through a bit of a storm at the moment. And amongst us, people going through storms, troubles, difficulties, sickness, challenges of all kinds.

[1:43] I pray this message will be a comfort to you, that we can come under the shelter of God's grace, to know his grace is sufficient. God is our stronghold, our fortress, a mighty fortress.

[1:58] And you can flee, you can run to him for safety. You can hope and trust in him. You can rest in his arms. Is God your refuge? Can you say he is?

[2:10] Can you say it with me? God is our refuge. Amen. You can flee to him. You can run to him and find safety. You can hope in him.

[2:21] Is God your refuge? Then he will never fail you. When there's trouble, you can be secure. If God is your strength that you're relying on, you're in his keeping.

[2:34] How strong is God? He is a mighty God. The mighty God. God is all-powerful. When you feel weak and powerless, you can find God's strength to lift you up.

[2:46] You can find his strength to help you through the day. Every day, day by day, he'll carry you through. King David had a topsy-turvy kind of life that was filled with all kinds of hardships and struggles, heartbreaks and difficulties.

[2:59] Yet he cried these words in Psalm 18 verse 1. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. David found real strength here because God is your strength.

[3:11] God is your strength. You might feel my faith is weak, but God is strong and he will give you strength to cope with life's challenges. Psalm 18 verse 2.

[3:22] The Lord is my rock, says David. My fortress, my deliverer, my God. My strength in whom I will trust. My buckler and the horn of my salvation.

[3:33] So a buckler was a small shield. He is our salvation. He's my high tower. God knows every problem that we have, doesn't he? He has the power to support, to comfort, to help you.

[3:46] God is ever ready to give the help that we need. Whatever's happening for you. He is our helper, our friend. Trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. He is strong for us when we rely upon him.

[4:00] And God is where the trouble is. He's right there. When there's trouble, God is our very present help, it says. Very present help. We can look back at how the Lord has helped us through life.

[4:13] He's been present in the past. He's present in the present. And he's present in the future to come. God is very present. David cried a simple prayer.

[4:24] Help, Lord. Don't you feel like praying that prayer sometimes? Help, Lord. Save me. Deliver me. At times we cry like David. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases.

[4:36] For the faithful fail from among the children of men. Surely the Lord has helped us by saving us. Past, present and future. He saved us in the past from the penalty of sin.

[4:49] He saves us in the present from the power of sin. And one day to come, we'll be saved from the presence of sin. Glory. Know that he is present with you.

[5:03] And especially when trouble hits. And you might say, it's easy for you to say, you don't know what I'm going through right now. Look, we all have times of trouble. God identifies with your trouble.

[5:15] If you're feeling troubled this morning, God knows your situation. And he cares. He truly does. He is available to you. He's available to his people. He is with you.

[5:26] Close to you. A very present help in the trouble. As he was present with others, he's present with you.

[5:37] As he was present. Picture it with Daniel in the lion's den. These hungry lions, David had a good sleep that night. With Joseph in the pit.

[5:48] The prison and the palace. With Jonah in the fish. With the three men in the burning fiery furnace. He was with Job on the ash heap. He was with David in the cave.

[6:01] With John the Baptist in Herod's prison. He is very present. Brother, sister. He's very present. He's ready to help. He's listening for your cry.

[6:12] He's more than present. He's very present. Amen. And we can shelter in the centre of God's very will. Because God is with us.

[6:23] Emmanuel. He's very present. Very means extremely. God is very concerned about you. And you have his full attention.

[6:35] You are on his mind. You don't have to nag him to get his attention. He hears you. He hears your hearts cry even. And he's the refuge for us to escape to, isn't he?

[6:46] And the strength that we need to help us manage and press on. Therefore, we will not fear. We have a choice. We can look at the troubles of the world around and tremble in fear.

[6:59] Or we can look up at the Lord. Who has promised to be our refuge and strength. And so we can say, therefore, we will not fear.

[7:10] It's faith or it's fear, isn't it? It's a choice. Is God very present in your life? Yes, he is. You that believe. He's a present help.

[7:21] You can trust him in his sure help. And he wants you to call upon him for his help. To be like David and say, help, Lord. Help me in that time of need.

[7:32] And help has the sense of running to give assistance on hearing your cry. That's the kind of response God has for you. Psalm 34, 15 reads, Think of that.

[7:48] God's ears are open. Just waiting for you to cry. Just waiting. Just listening. Ready to hear your prayer. He says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Never. Never ever leave you or forsake you.

[8:02] He's already there when the trouble comes. And if we are in any trial or distress, he's with us right there. We could picture it in the example in Mark 4 of the disciples in the midst of a terrible storm.

[8:15] You know the story. The sudden storm came as it did in those times in that place. It would unexpectedly come and sweep over the waters. And it was frantic. It was furious.

[8:26] The waves were vicious. These were fishermen. And they were still afraid. And so we can see. Surely it was a bad storm. As we pick up the account in Mark 4, 37.

[8:37] It says, And there arose a great storm of wind. And the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. The Lord Jesus is the one who put his disciples into the boat.

[8:51] He's the one that took them there. He's with them in the boat. And now comes this severe storm. And the boat is covered by the waves. And we read on, verse 38.

[9:02] Meanwhile, the Lord Jesus is asleep. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him. Master. They say unto him, Master.

[9:14] They give him a, you can imagine, I'm maybe picturing it. They'll give him a shake. Or they're yelling in his ear to wake him up. Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, it says.

[9:27] They turned to the Lord Jesus to save them. They're right there. They're in the middle, in the very centre of God's will. They're with the Lord Jesus. They're with him where he told them to be.

[9:38] In the ship. On the sea. And so they're in the very middle of God's will. But they're still having the storm of their life. Friends, that can happen to you. Brother, sister. You might be in the very centre of God's will.

[9:50] And the world's falling apart. But God is with you. Jesus is with you. The Lord Jesus is there. And it says, And he arose and rebuked the wind. And said unto the sea, Peace, be still.

[10:06] And the wind ceased. And there was a great calm. Wow. There was a great storm. Then there was a great calm. What made that happen?

[10:18] Jesus. The Lord Jesus. He is with them. As he is with you. The Lord Jesus. He would not allow them to perish. What a question. Of course he cares. He stilled the storm.

[10:30] He calmed their fears. He gives forth his word. His almighty, powerful word. Peace. Be still. He commanded the winds and the waves that he had created to be still.

[10:45] And they hushed. And there was a great calm. How is our faith? During the storms of life. It gets tested, doesn't it? How strong are we when we hit the hard times, the tough times?

[10:58] Is our faith firm? He can say the word in your storm. He can still the storm that we're going through. He can deliver us by the power of his word.

[11:10] He will save us from the storms of life that sweep down upon us. And whatever the storm of life may be for you. Brother, sister, weather it through prayer and faith.

[11:21] It was a big storm. But an even bigger God. Amen. He's bigger than the storm. When the storms come, when life's not fair, there's a confidence that you can have in your God.

[11:37] A confidence in his word. The Lord Jesus is with us. We will make it to the other side. They did. He speaks peace. They got through it.

[11:48] And we will weather those storms of life. You'll get on the other side of it. We could think, reckon up perhaps a long list of troubles. Your list might be longer than mine.

[12:01] Different things we face. Who knows? Life throws these curveballs, doesn't it? Things like sickness. Unemployment. Death. Loneliness.

[12:11] Personal problems. You name it. We could rattle off a big long list. And I'm sure you've got lots you could think of. Yeah. You should see my list. We can soak up the truth of God's word like a sponge when we get together.

[12:25] Hopefully with an uplifting word. But the sponge works best when it's squeezed, doesn't it? And we can have the theory. There's a bit of theory here maybe.

[12:36] Well, it's more than theory. It's fact, isn't it? It's God's promises. But it's when the sponge gets squeezed that we see the application of it.

[12:47] Our faith is tested like the sponge getting squeezed. And really, trials can bring out the best in us. Out of us. Even though I'm not saying it's going to be easy.

[13:04] You know, there's people not doing it tough right now. Job is an example really for us, isn't he? In the word of God. Job was called perfect, upright.

[13:14] God called him an outstanding man, the best of the best. He was the best on the planet. Job. But God allows Job to be covered in boils from head to toe, to sit on an ash heap, as we talked about in recent times.

[13:31] And Job was faithful through the storms of life. He made it through the storm. He got on the other side. It's easy to get busy or burdened. Overloaded with worries too, isn't it?

[13:43] We might wonder how we're going to pay the bills or how we're going to get through the circumstances that we know are ahead of us. We can read of Mary and Martha in Luke 10.

[13:56] It says, Martha was cumbered. She was cumbered. She was troubled over many things. Yet Mary made the good choice to sit and hear his word.

[14:07] It's easy to get troubled or worried. To be a Martha, isn't it? No offence to any Martha's present. I can be a Martha, believe it or not. Yeah.

[14:17] And yet today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday, isn't it? We can worry about things that never happen. And really it's pointless. Amen. It's easy to waste time to worry about tomorrow.

[14:30] We can spend so much time worrying about tomorrow that we miss the opportunities of our today. And worry can overwhelm us. There's a man, George McCausland, was the director of a YMCA.

[14:44] And I think it was in its more Christian days. Some years ago he was serving here and this YMCA, this Christian club, was losing members and it had financial difficulties and terrible staff problems.

[14:59] And George, the manager, the director, was working 85 hours a week. He was getting little sleep at night and took little time off. And when he was off, he was worrying and fretting about all the problems of this YMCA that he was responsible for.

[15:15] And a councillor told George that he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He had to learn somehow to let go and somehow let God into his problems. He didn't know quite just how to do that, though.

[15:27] So one afternoon, George took the afternoon off and he took a pad and paper and he took for a walk in the woods. And as he walked through the cool woods, he could just feel his tight body and his tight neck start to relax.

[15:40] Oh, that just feels a bit better. He sat under a tree and he sighed. For the first time in months, he relaxed. And he got out his pad and paper. Then he decided he would let them go, all the burdens of his life.

[15:54] And he wrote God a letter. And he said, dear God, today I hereby resign as general manager of the universe. Love, George. And he then said, smiling and wonder of wonders, God accepted my resignation.

[16:10] And we can do that, can't we? We're overloaded, maybe taking on more worries than is reasonable. Let God take over. Let God take over. Resign from trying to run your own life.

[16:23] Really, we ought to do that anyway, shouldn't we? That he is the manager of our life, of our circumstance. We can be like those hamsters in cages.

[16:35] That's why we get the phrase, the rat race. These hamsters in cages, they run on these wheels, the hamster wheels. They run 9,000 miles. But they never get anywhere, do they?

[16:47] And that's like the rat race, isn't it? People running the rat race, chasing more and more, busying themselves with life, with work, with such that they become like the hamster on the wheel.

[17:02] And they forget what the real point is, what matters. Another trouble people can face is feeling alone. We can all feel like no one cares. And yet it's been said, as there's a song that goes, standing somewhere in the shadows, you'll find Jesus.

[17:19] He's the one who always cares and understands. Standing somewhere in the shadows, you will find him. And you'll know him by the nail prints in his hands. He's just there behind the curtain.

[17:32] He's in the shadows. We don't always consider it. But you're not alone. You're not alone. He's with you. He's with you. And truly our Lord cares for troubled hearts and homes.

[17:45] And he came on a mission to seek and to save the lost. He cares. He truly cares. He cares for you, your family, your circumstance, your need. And he's not far away.

[17:57] He's present. Present. It tells us the eternal God is thy refuge. And underneath are the everlasting arms. Think of that.

[18:08] Everlasting arms are underneath you. You can't drop any lower than his everlasting arms. What a comfort. And his arms will carry you through. As it reads in Isaiah 40 verse 11, it tells how he shall feed his flock like a shepherd.

[18:24] He shall gather his lambs with his arm. He shall carry them in his bosom. He shall gently lead those that are with young. So no matter how low you feel, it says underneath are the everlasting arms.

[18:37] Catch that. Catch that today. As someone has penned, Oh, the sweet unfailing refuge of the everlasting arms. In their loving clasp enfolded.

[18:48] Nothing, worries or alarms. You're held in the loving clasp of the everlasting arms, dear saint today. The God whose power created the heavens and the earth also has the power to help us through those dark tunnels of life.

[19:04] The valleys, the shadows. His presence. Presence. And your heavenly father constantly watches over you. In this world of sin and suffering, we can know our God does care.

[19:17] He cares. He reached out with his caring love, with that arm that could not be shortened, that it could not save. He reached down to the very lowest of the low with his love gift of his own son.

[19:31] He sent the saviour to bear our punishment that we deserved because of our sin. God is in trouble. He's in the trouble. And if we are in trouble, God is present with us in the time of trouble.

[19:46] So what can we actually do? Some practical things perhaps we could consider in application of this truth that God is our refuge.

[19:57] Number one, talk with him. Philippians 4 verse 6, it says, Be careful, don't be full of care. For nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

[20:14] Pray. And then it says, The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Are we anxious and worried?

[20:26] Talk with him. Talk with your Lord. Give your situation over to him in the day of trouble. He tells you, call upon me in the day of trouble. Call upon me in that, in that day, that day, the day of trouble.

[20:39] I will, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. A woman of God, Catherine Booth, said, The waters are rising, but so am I.

[20:50] I'm not going under, but over. If the waters are rising, he'll lift you. He'll keep your head above water. Amen. With God, you can stay above the water of your situation and not sink down into it.

[21:03] He is close by, even in the darkest hours, even in the time of great crisis. He's a very present, very present help. Get that. Hand your troubles over unto him.

[21:14] Call upon me, he says. Take him at his word. Do what he says in the day. Call upon me in the day of trouble. By faith, give him your troubles in prayer.

[21:27] Dear saint, brother, sister, place your cares in his hands. Place your cares upon the broad shoulders of your loving God. He's merciful. It tells of him, this our great high priest, it's not one that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

[21:44] He can sympathise. He can understand. He can acknowledge. He can know your weakness. Because he was in every point tempted as we are.

[21:55] He was tempted in every respect. Just like we, yet without sin. That's the great high priest that we come unto. So it tells us, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of his grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

[22:14] Brother, sister, when trouble comes, pray. Call upon me in the day of trouble. Amen. Amen, sister. Amen, brother. Call upon me, he says. Talk with him.

[22:25] Number one. Second point, a practical application is trust him. Trust him. How powerful is God? He is the almighty God, isn't he?

[22:36] He's got awesome power. He's got power big enough and strong enough to look after you and every bit of the nitty gritty of your life. He's got all the power.

[22:47] So talk with him and he'll look after you. Isn't that a relief to know he's watching over us? And he knows what's best, even if it might mean more suffering.

[22:58] He knows what's best. He'll help us through. He'll give us the strength because he is our refuge and strength. And think of our God, he's almighty. This one that we can turn to and call upon, he is fully experienced.

[23:14] Think of that. God is fully qualified to look after you. He's fully qualified. He's big enough to look after you and all of your troubles. We know that troubles can test our faith and faith means our trust in God.

[23:28] So again, trust him. This is the point. Do we really trust him or do we doubt and question? Brother, sister, get this.

[23:40] Trust God. Trust God to take care of your problems. Leave them in his hands. Talk with him and trust him. He can take those things.

[23:52] We may not understand why everything happens. You know, there's things happening in my household. Things that you wonder, why is this happening? Why is this happening? But we have to simply trust.

[24:04] We have to break through the doubt barrier and trust. Keep trusting. Trust nevertheless. Trust that he will comfort. Trust that he will carry you through. As David says, the angel of the Lord encampments round about them that fear him.

[24:19] It's got this picture that he pitches a tent around us. He's got this covering over us and around us, encircling us, overshadowing us. And it says that he pitches his tent.

[24:31] He encamps round about them that fear him. And it says he delivereth them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

[24:43] You'll be better for the trusting, even though it's hard to trust him sometimes. He blesses as we learn to trust him more. The psalmist here says in Psalm 62, In God is my salvation and my glory.

[24:58] The rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. The psalmist tells you here, Brother, sister, trust in him. At all times, you people, pour out your heart before him.

[25:10] God is a refuge for us. Believer today, he's a refuge. He's a refuge. He's a refuge. And you can rely upon him. You can trust him.

[25:20] You can trust him. And he brings hope to the hurting soul. Now, he's never promised us a trouble-free life. Yet, surely, God is our help in time of trouble.

[25:35] Know that God is your help in the time of trouble. Know his loving care. Find his sweet rest. As you yield to him, your everything, He gives us peace.

[25:47] And God is our refuge in the storm. He's in the storm. He's a refuge for us. So, it's in the storm that we actually appreciate a refuge more, isn't it?

[25:59] In those hardest times of affliction, of trial, of attack. Knowing he holds us steady. It's in the storm that we appreciate the refuge.

[26:10] We value it. We can have that peace no matter what's happening. Again, the Lord didn't promise us a trouble-free life. But he has given us the promise of his peace.

[26:21] In our hearts. The inward peace. Even when we may be in difficult circumstances, we can still pray. We can still talk with him. So, give him your situation in prayer.

[26:34] Pray through. Trust him. The Father knows best. His comforting presence is our very present help in time of trouble. So, talk with him.

[26:45] Trust him. Thirdly, transfer the trouble. Transfer it. Again, these are passages and verses. I know you've heard me speak on many times, I'm sure.

[26:57] But it bears repeating. Because it's simple yet fundamental, isn't it? Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God. That he may exalt you in due time.

[27:10] Casting all your care upon him. For he careth for you. It says, cast how much? All. You know, in the Greek, that means all.

[27:22] All of your cares. All of your worries. Cast them all. All of them on him. Because he surely cares for you. And a like one, Psalm 55, 22.

[27:34] Cast thy burden upon the Lord. And he shall, he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. He will sustain you, saying.

[27:45] He will take care of you, believer. Brother, sister, do your part first. Do the casting of your burden. Then he shall sustain.

[27:56] You can either cast your burden on the Lord, or you can carry those burdens yourself. Yet surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.

[28:07] Will you let him carry them? Your griefs and sorrows? He wants to. We may not understand the hurts of life, the trials, the sadness we sometimes face. But know that God is in trouble.

[28:18] He's in trouble with you in that time. What's more, he's not only present, he's a very present help. And he's right there in that time of trouble.

[28:29] We can talk our troubles with him and learn to trust him as he walks with us through the valley. And we can transfer the burden unto him.

[28:41] He's got big shoulders. He can take your burden and he can carry mine too. Amen? He can carry all of our burdens. Everybody present. His shoulders are big enough to take everybody's burdens here this morning.

[28:53] And he's right there wanting you to give, to transfer that difficult situation, that need, that hurt, that sad, trial, tough thing, to carry the pain, the hurt, the load.

[29:09] And he'll bear it. God comforts us in our time of trouble. And plus there's something more, there's something else that we can do in application. We talked about talk it over with him.

[29:22] We talked about trust him. We talked about transfer it to him. There's something else that we can do for others. The God of all comfort comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort others in any trouble.

[29:38] It's a blessed truth, isn't it? 2 Corinthians 1 verse 3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

[29:49] That's who he is. That's his name. He's the God of all comfort. And it says, Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble?

[30:02] Others. By the comfort we ourselves are comforted of God. So, brother, sister, your trial and testing that now is behind you is helping you to be a comfort to others that are going through such things.

[30:19] So, let us reach out with that caring love. There's application. The learnings you get from the hurts and hardships and aches and pains of life will help you to relate.

[30:32] Will help you to minister. Will help you to bless. Will help you to comfort others in their trouble. That you can be part of that caring love of Christ to the hurting world around you.

[30:43] That you'll see beyond your own circumstance. You'll see how you can give out. You can apply these truths in your life. So, friends, think of that as you think, wow, yeah, I've been through that.

[30:55] I know there's someone here that's going through some things. Or I can see someone's doing it tough. I can relate. I can minister. I can bless. I can reach out knowing where I've been and what God's helped me through.

[31:07] I can help my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. So, turn to the Lord, friends, and receive his comfort today. These are many verses.

[31:21] You know, you might want to write all of these on your fridge. Half of these verses today. Because they're just verses that you can dwell on. That you can mull over and meditate on.

[31:32] Isn't it? These verses. These are promises. These are promises for you and me. It says, The Lord is nigh. Psalm 34, 18. He's near. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.

[31:45] And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. If you're feeling broken hearted, God's close to you. Wow. Isn't that special? Isn't that something? And part of the mission of our Lord is in the middle part there.

[31:59] It says, as much as he's been anointed to preach the gospel. Right in the middle of Luke 4, verse 18. It says, He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted. And that's missing from some Bibles.

[32:11] But it's in the real Bible. It says, He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted. Jesus has come. Our Lord Jesus has come to heal the broken in heart. He's come to heal us.

[32:23] He's come to bind up our wounds. He's come for that mission. So whatever happens next in your life, you can know that God is your rock.

[32:34] That he is a very present help. Brother, sister, God is that rock. He's not going to shift. He's not some sinking sand, some shifting sands.

[32:45] God is your rock. And he's a very present help. No matter what the trouble is that you will face. You wonder, I suppose, well, what's going to happen next?

[32:56] Could be more trouble in the years ahead. Could be more trouble tomorrow. Who knows? But God is already there. God is your refuge and strength. He's in the trouble. He's already there.

[33:07] And no matter what trouble we may face. And it tells us another blessed promise in these verses of Romans 8. It tells us, talking of circumstances, of difficulties, it says, Nay, in all these things, we're more than conquerors through him that loved us.

[33:24] For I am persuaded, says Paul, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[33:42] But nothing can separate you from the love of God. The missionary Hudson Taylor said this, Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, over all into his hands.

[33:56] When you have given all unto God, there will be nothing left for you to be troubled about. Give it over. Your work, thoughts, plans, selves, lives, your loved ones, give it over.

[34:10] Hand it over. When you've given it all unto God, there will be nothing left for you to worry about. Friends, he is able to sustain you. Even that time of trouble can be a blessing.

[34:22] As you look back, you'll see how it was a blessing. Even in the middle of it, you can't always see that. But in hindsight, you can see. Yeah, wow, I'm glad I went through that.

[34:33] I learnt something big time. You can know God in a deeper way. Your faith can grow. Friends, you might say, well, it feels like God's not with me.

[34:43] You can be right in the centre of God's will, yet be in a terrific storm. Look at Paul. What happened to Paul? He went through shipwreck.

[34:55] He had multiple close calls with death. He was beaten, given up for dead. He suffered mightily.

[35:05] And we see Paul, finally, he even died a martyr's death. Yet here was a true man of God. He was right in the very centre of God's will. The tough times that you're in, chances are they are the very centre of God's will.

[35:23] Don't despair, saint. And we may face tough times ahead, yeah. But we know who is in control. Surely we do. And he's already there. And again, another scripture.

[35:34] Of course, we know these scriptures have got application to Israel in the context. But I think we can still translate them into our lives. We are the redeemed, aren't we?

[35:44] So we can say these words, I think, could be applied, could be taken for us today, I believe. Where he's the same God who says, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee.

[35:59] I have called thee by my name. Thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.

[36:12] When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.

[36:25] I've redeemed thee. I've called thee by my name. He's going to take you through the floods. He's going to take you through the fire. He's going to sustain you. There was a despairing man came to the pastor and said these words, My life is in a really bad shape.

[36:43] And the pastor said, Oh, how bad? And here's this man. He was burying his head in his hands and he was moaning. I'll tell you how bad it is.

[36:54] All I've got left is God. And the pastor's face lit up. I'm happy to assure you that a person with nothing left but God has more than enough for a great victory.

[37:06] Amen. You know what, Phil? All I've got is God. But that's enough. He's enough for you. Our sufficiency is of God, isn't it? Our sufficiency is of God.

[37:17] That's all you need, Saint. You just need him. If you know the Lord Jesus, you've got everything that you have need of. To be truly fulfilled in your life.

[37:30] To know Jesus. If you don't know Jesus, you are in big trouble. You might have a rosy, carefree life. But if you don't have Jesus as your Lord, then you are in a deeper trouble than any trouble of circumstance of life.

[37:46] You could have everything going for you that the world would count as a success. Yeah. But without the Lord Jesus, you're in big trouble because you're just a breath away from eternity and damnation.

[38:01] So I urge you today, if you're hearing this and you're perhaps not a definite believer in Christ, then get that settled.

[38:11] Really get that settled. That's important. Absolutely important. And then, dear believer, as you know, yes, he is my saviour. I know him. He's going to help you through.

[38:22] His promises is sustaining power. If you know the Lord Jesus today, when you have God, you've got all that you need.

[38:33] You've got more than enough. Now, that's not to make light of the realities of life's challenges. But, friends, you've got this promise that you can claim.

[38:44] God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you that these promises are yea and amen.

[38:56] That these words are guaranteed and never-changing words. And these promises are, without an expiry date, Lord, that these promises are relevant and real.

[39:12] And we can claim them now, this day, and our life ahead. Lord, help us to have that acknowledgement of you. Help us, Lord, to talk with you.

[39:25] Take time to talk with you. Even if we must despairingly cry, help, Lord, that we'll talk with you. Lord, help us to trust you, even when it's hard to trust, even when faith is tested.

[39:38] Help us to trust and to keep on trusting in your bigger plan. Help us get to the other side. And, Lord, help us to transfer the trouble, such that we'll put it upon you.

[39:49] We'll cast it upon you. We won't hold it and carry it ourselves when you tell us to call upon you and to cast it upon you. Help us to do that by faith.

[40:00] And, Lord, for each one, may each one have that certain knowledge that you are our saviour, our refuge and strength. Lord, that we can have that assurance. Christ died for our sins, rose again, he's coming again.

[40:15] And we know you, Lord, as our own saviour because of the precious blood you shed, taking our place in sin and paying for it in full. Lord, help us to acknowledge that, each one, to confess you as our Lord.

[40:29] And, Lord, to walk in that truth and claim these promises. Lord, help us to even write them down and even stick them on our wall or fridge or something, Lord, even to amplify that.

[40:44] So that when the tough things happen, we'll still have that promise to hang on to. Lord, we pray. We pray for dear ones of ours that are not well. Others that are going through trials, even present or watching today.

[40:57] Lord, that we can have these promises and to know that they're exceeding great and precious promises and that they're for us. That we can take heart in your word today and apply it to our lives.

[41:10] Lord, we pray. Bless each one with these things. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you.