[0:00] A song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy fruit to be moved.
[0:15] He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
[0:26] The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in.
[0:41] From this time forth and even forevermore. Last night in Garibost we were looking at the first psalm.
[0:53] In this group of psalms which Spurgeon famously called a little psalter within the psalter. And when we were looking at, when we saw that little psalter within the psalter.
[1:06] What we saw is that it's a group of 15 psalms called the songs of degrees. Or the songs of ascents. And they are the psalms numbered from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134.
[1:19] And these 15 psalms are songs which were sung by the Lord's people as they journeyed towards Jerusalem for the three annual feasts which were held there.
[1:32] The feast of Passover. The feast of Pentecost. And the feast of Tabernacles. And from the title which you can see is repeated throughout these 15 psalms.
[1:43] It becomes apparent that these are ascending songs. And they are songs which were sung by the pilgrims as they ascended towards the great city of God.
[1:55] Which was situated on a high mountain called Mount Zion. And as all the Lord's people would make their way to Jerusalem. In amongst the throng of all these pilgrims.
[2:06] They would travel from all over the nation of Israel. And they would ascend towards this central point in Jerusalem. And they would gather there to worship the Lord together.
[2:19] And so these songs of ascent. They are the songs of travelers. They are the travelers songs. They are the songs of pilgrims on a journey towards their destination.
[2:31] And their destination will ultimately bring them into the presence of God at his sanctuary. And these songs they remind us that every one of the Lord's people are pilgrims on a journey towards that city which hath foundations.
[2:50] Whose builder and maker is God. And like we said last night. As pilgrims we are all on this journey. And I want us to see that we are all on this journey.
[3:03] That we are all traveling. We are all journeying on towards the presence of God at his sanctuary. Where we have taken our burden to the foot of the cross.
[3:16] And now we are journeying upwards towards Zion. We are marching on to Zion. And we are all on this journey together. We are all at different stages.
[3:28] As we journey towards the new Jerusalem. Some of us are at the beginning of our journey. Others have been on the road for a few years now. And there are some of us here.
[3:40] Who know that they are nearing the end of their journey. But wherever we are on the journey. We are all headed in the same direction. We are all on route to Zion.
[3:51] We are all on this journey. And we are all on this journey. Towards the great banquet. Which is being prepared for the Lord's people. But as I said last night.
[4:03] We gather here at this time of our communion season. And in a sense. Although this psalm is always pointing us. And straining towards its ultimate fulfillment. Of the feast in the new Jerusalem.
[4:15] I want us to see that it's also pointing us to the feast. That we'll enjoy this Lord's day. The feast around the table of the Lord. A table which has been prepared as we were just singing.
[4:26] Prepared in the wilderness forms. And like these pilgrims in the Old Testament. Who ascended towards Mount Zion.
[4:37] To go to their annual feasts. We began our journey last night. To ascend to what we often call the Mount of Ormids. And when we looked at Psalm 120 last night.
[4:50] We saw that this pilgrim he brought us. Right back to the very beginning of his pilgrimage. He brought us back to where it all began for him.
[5:00] To that pivotal moment in his life. When he turned to the Lord. And you could say that in Psalm 120. He told us his testimony. Where he testified to the mercy.
[5:13] And the deliverance of the Lord. As he cried to be delivered from his condition. And he cried to be delivered from the company which he had. But now as we move into Psalm 121.
[5:29] This pilgrim draws our attention to his experience. And what took place on his journey. Because this pilgrim shows us that he's now on the move.
[5:41] He's now moving where he's left his homeland. And he's left the bad company. And now he's journeying on towards Jerusalem. And he had a long way to go.
[5:53] And it would take a long time to get there. But what this pilgrim is going to tell us about his journey. Is that the Lord was with him every single step of the way.
[6:07] And you can almost imagine this traveling pilgrim. Can't you? Where he's left his home with all of the Lord's people. And he's begun his journey towards Jerusalem.
[6:19] And it's a long way to go on the journey. It's not for the faint hearted. You need to be committed. You need to be. To keep persevering.
[6:30] You need to keep pressing on. You can't give up. You can't turn back. You need to keep going on towards your destination. And in the experience of this sojourning pilgrim.
[6:43] Traveling all that way to the feast. He wants to tell us tonight. That he learned many valuable lessons along the way.
[6:57] We saw in Psalm 120 that. When this pilgrim came face to face with the Lord. He learned about who he is. And what he is like.
[7:09] But now as he journeys on towards Zion. This pilgrim is going to tell us. What he learned about who the Lord is. And what the Lord is like.
[7:22] And the first thing that this pilgrim learned about the Lord. Is that as a pilgrim. He has support. He has support.
[7:34] He says in verse 1. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my help. Where does my help come from? My help cometh from the Lord.
[7:45] Which made heaven and earth. And as this pilgrim retells his story. Of travelling all that way towards Jerusalem. He knew that his journey would take a long time.
[7:56] And it was a long way to go. It was a long distance to travel. And you can almost imagine this pilgrim walking for miles and miles. And for days and days on end.
[8:08] And on his journey he would have had to walk over the mountains. And through the valleys. And alongside the rivers. And over the difficult terrain.
[8:19] Where there was some boggy places. And some dry hard parched land. And as this pilgrim would have. He would have had to battle all the elements of the weather.
[8:30] And to try and be on his guard. From the constant attack that may have been there. From rubbish. Or maybe the confrontation from wild animals.
[8:40] And this entire journey he had to endure. It was all in the hope of getting to Jerusalem. It was all about getting to Jerusalem.
[8:52] To be at the feast with the Lord's people. It was all about getting to the feast. And looking at this pilgrim. He must have been tired.
[9:05] And his legs must have ached. And his feet would have been sore. And maybe he was hungry. And thirsty from all his travelling. He would have walked for miles and miles. And for days on end.
[9:17] But despite all these things. Despite his tiredness. And the weakness in his body. His heart was still yearning to be with all its people.
[9:29] And to be at the feast with all of them. To be at the feast with all of the Lord's people. His utmost desire was to be in the place of blessing.
[9:39] Where the Lord would meet with his people. And maybe for you my friend. You've been on this road a long time now.
[9:52] It's been a while since you started following the Lord. And sojourning in this wilderness. It's been a long time since you left the city of destruction. And started journeying on towards the celestial city.
[10:07] And maybe now. Maybe you're beginning to get a little tired. And your legs are getting a little sore. And your feet are starting to ache. You've taken a few knocks over the years.
[10:21] And they're starting to take their toll on you. You've been through many pitfalls. And there have been trials in your life. That maybe you never saw them coming your way.
[10:34] And with all this walking. And all this journeying. You're getting sore and tired. And it's all pressing in on you. And like this pilgrim.
[10:44] Maybe you've experienced the mountaintops. Of blessing. But you've also had to go through the dark valleys of difficulty. And sometimes in your experience.
[10:55] You've been brought to walk along the still waters. And there has been difficult terrain in your providences. Hard, hard circumstances that you've had to endure.
[11:08] And yet. Your unwavering hope. Is that you're going to the feast. You're going to the great banquet.
[11:19] Which is being prepared for you. And you're going to assemble. Together with the people of God. And my friend. Although it hasn't been an easy journey. It's a journey that you wouldn't have changed.
[11:32] For all the world. Because what gets this pilgrim. And every pilgrim through their journey. And what enables them to take one step further.
[11:44] Is that they have support. They have support. They aren't on their own. And no matter how lonely they may feel. And how helpless they may seem.
[11:54] As they look at their own situation. There is always someone there to help. A long life's journey. There's always someone to support. To support in this road.
[12:06] And what gets every pilgrim through this journey. And what enables them to keep going. Is that the Lord is our support. He is the one who helps us.
[12:18] He is the one who aids us. And guides us. And gently encourages us. Along the way. And he's the one who upholds us all the time. Because without him we would fall.
[12:28] But the marvel is. He is the one who strengthens and sustains us. And when we consider this pilgrim. He is 100% certain as to where he is going.
[12:42] He knows where he is going. He is going to be with the Lord. And the Lord's people. And whilst he is on this journey. He begins to look around.
[12:54] He begins to scan the landscape around him. Whilst journeying towards Jerusalem. And he looks and sees where he's come from. And now he looks forward and sees where he's going.
[13:07] But he also looks upward towards the hills. And he lifts his eyes to the hills. And he asks. Where does my help come from?
[13:19] Where is my support? And it's not that this pilgrim was looking into the sky. And wondering where the Lord was in it all. It's not that he didn't know where the Lord was.
[13:31] Or what the Lord was doing on his journey. Because he knew where the Lord was. But as this pilgrim journeys on. He looks to the hills. And all these mountains around him.
[13:42] And he sees. The futility of worshipping anyone other than the Lord. Before he had come from the city of destruction. He had probably spent his life worshipping idols.
[13:55] And all the false gods of this world. But now that he's begun his journey. He sees that no one can support him like the Lord. He knows that every other help and every other God has failed him.
[14:09] And this pilgrim is asking. Where does my help come from? Where will I find my support if I look to all of these hills surrounding me?
[14:19] Because the hills that the psalmist was looking at. Were all the hills of idolatry. The hills and mountains that surrounded him were the hills of idolatry.
[14:32] For these hills were the high places. And all the shrines which many people of the nation of Israel worshipped. And when Israel was in Disarai as a nation.
[14:43] They spent many years worshipping the Baals. And making offerings to these false gods and these false idols. And this pilgrim he's looking at all these idols of idolatry.
[14:56] And he's seen the futility of worshipping other gods. And giving glory to them. And he's seen where does my help come from? Where do I find my support in life?
[15:10] Where do I find my help and my comfort? Not from these hills. Not from these high places. Not from these shrines.
[15:21] Not from these places of idolatry. No, no, no, no. Where does my help come from? He says my help cometh from the Lord.
[15:34] The maker of heaven and earth. His help comes from the Lord. His help and our help.
[15:45] Our support. It comes from no one else but the Lord. The covenant God of Israel. Who is the maker of heaven and earth.
[15:57] And just to note. That all the way through this psalm. Throughout this little psalter within the psalter. And throughout the entire body of scripture.
[16:11] Where the Lord is mentioned in capital letters. You see that particular title. It's a title that specifically relates to God. And it's a title that highlights to us.
[16:24] That the Lord who has revealed himself. Is one who has revealed himself to his people. And entered into a covenant with them. It's the title of the covenant king.
[16:37] It means the self-existent one. The one who keeps covenant. The one who is faithful. He's self-existent.
[16:47] He's not created. He has no beginning. He has no end. He's saying he's from everlasting. To everlasting. He's the alpha. And the omega. Because of who he is.
[16:58] The psalmist is saying. He doesn't need us. But through his own experience. Our pilgrim reminds us. That we need him. And we depend upon.
[17:11] For he is the creator. Of the heavens and the earth. As we were singing. Is that not what we were singing. In an opening item of praise.
[17:23] All the other gods. Suck but idols down. Which blinded nations fear. But our God. Is the Lord by whom. The heavens created with.
[17:36] And this title Lord. Whenever we see it. In the Bible. It's always referring to that. Second portion of the Trinity. Our blessed Savior.
[17:47] Jesus Christ. He is the covenant king. Who. Where everything was created. By him and for him. He is the creator. Of the heavens and the earth. He's the covenant king.
[17:58] Who died on behalf of his people. And that's where this pilgrim's eyes. Are directed. Not to the hills of idolatry.
[18:11] But to Mount Zion. Where the place for the Lord was. And that's where we ought to lift our eyes to. We ought to lift our eyes to the Lord.
[18:23] The one in whom we live. And move. And have a being. We ought to lift our eyes. Heavenward. And set our affection on things above. Where Christ is seated at the right hand.
[18:35] Of God. Because it's there that we have an intercessor. It's there that we have a great high priest. It's there that we have an anchor for our soul. It's there that we have support.
[18:48] My pilgrim friend. It is in the Lord that we have support. So a pilgrim tells us that he has support.
[18:59] But the second thing that this pilgrim. Learned about the Lord. In his journey is that he has safety. He has safety. He says.
[19:10] In verse 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold he that keepeth Israel. Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
[19:24] And when reading these words. The first thing we should notice. Is that the psalmist. Moves from the first person to the second person. In verses 1 and 2. He says my eyes and my hell.
[19:36] But now he says in verse 3. And the rest of the psalm. Your food. And the one who keeps you. And it's the singular you. Or as the avi would put it.
[19:47] Thy food. And the one. He that keepeth thee. And the singular use of the pronoun. Is important. Because the psalmist is emphasizing. To all those who read this psalm.
[19:59] That's you and me. And all the Christian sojourners. Down throughout the centuries. He's emphasizing to us. That this is not just his experience. This is the experience.
[20:11] Of every one. Of the Lord's people. And while this pilgrim. Was walking along the path. Towards Jerusalem. He learned that. The Lord not only cares about.
[20:23] Where his eyes are looking. But the Lord also cares about. And he's concerned about. Where his feet are going. Because the word translated.
[20:34] Moved in verse 3. It means to slip. Or to slide. Or to stagger. And when thinking about it. How easy would it have been.
[20:46] For this pilgrim. To trip. Or to fall. Or break a bone. While walking on all these. Uneven surfaces. But. But he says. The Lord was watching. Where his feet were going.
[20:57] And the Lord is watching. Where our feet are. Predding. As we journey on. And he will not let us. Be moved. He will not let us. Slip. Or slide.
[21:08] Or stagger. And even when we're going through. The valley of testing. He won't let us go. When we're going over the mountains. We won't even slip off. When we're treading.
[21:19] Even through. The rocky places. In which your foot. Could go at any moment. He will not let you stagger. And when there are ruts. Of temptation.
[21:30] In the road. Which could cause you to fall. It's the Lord. Who supports you. And he's also the Lord. Who will keep you safe. He will not let you slip. He will not let you slide.
[21:42] You will not be allowed. To fall. You cannot fall away. Now as a pilgrim. The Lord will not let. Your foot slip.
[21:54] You will not fall. Through his fingers. You will not slide. Through his grip. You will not. You cannot. It is impossible. For you to be separated.
[22:05] From the maker. Of heaven. And earth. And you know my friend. Don't you just love. That question. In Romans 8.
[22:18] And aren't you so thankful. For it. Who shall separate us. From the love of Christ. Shall tribulation.
[22:31] Distress. Persecution. Famine. Nakedness. Sword. No. Says Paul. In all these things. We are more than conquerors. Through him.
[22:42] That loved us. For I am persuaded. That neither death. Nor life. Nor angels. Nor principalities. Nor powers. Neither height. Nor depth.
[22:52] Nor any other creature. Is able to separate us. From the love of God. Which is in Christ. Jesus. Our Lord. But why?
[23:04] Why can't we be separated? Why can't we fall away? Why can't we slide through his grip? Why can't we slip through his fingers?
[23:18] Behold he says. He that keeps Israel. Shall neither slumber nor sleep. He will not slumber.
[23:30] He will not rest. He will not stop. He will not hinder for a moment. He will not give up on you. Because he daren't give up on you. You're worth far more to him.
[23:42] Than you could ever understand or comprehend. Because he loves his pilgrims with an everlasting love. And his love compels him to make sure.
[23:54] That you get to Zion. His love compels him to make sure. That you do not slip out of his care. His love compels him to make sure.
[24:06] That you get home safely. He will not slumber. And he will not sleep. That's the care that the Lord has for us.
[24:19] That's the care he has. And the description which is given in that language is of a shepherd looking after his sheep.
[24:31] An image which we're all familiar with in our own context. But we know that the shepherds in Israel they would spend months and weeks out in the hills with their sheep.
[24:43] And they would have to lead them on to greener pastures when the grass supply was low. And they would have to protect them. It was the role of the shepherd to watch over his flock and protect his sheep.
[24:57] The shepherd had to keep his flock safe. And I'm sure that as this pilgrim would have journeyed through the land of Israel. He would have seen many flocks and many shepherds.
[25:10] It would have been a common sight for him to see shepherds watching over the flocks. And keeping their sheep safe from going astray. Or from any possible attacks from wild animals.
[25:23] But it didn't matter how good these shepherds were. They couldn't stay awake. It didn't matter how much they cared for their sheep.
[25:34] And how much they loved their sheep. Their eyes weren't always on their sheep. It didn't matter how experienced they were. They couldn't always stay fresh and be ready for an unexpected attack.
[25:47] But here our pilgrim says, behold. Because he's drawing our attention to someone significant.
[25:58] He's drawing our attention to the keeper of Israel. And he's saying, behold, here is someone different. Here is one who's not like other shepherds.
[26:11] Here is a unique shepherd. Because the Lord is the good shepherd. The perfect shepherd. The chief shepherd. And for every pilgrim we can claim that the Lord is my shepherd.
[26:24] And that he is unlike every other kind of earthly shepherd. Because he never slumbers. And he never sleeps. His flock are far too precious.
[26:36] To let anyone else look after them. No other shepherd is good enough. His flock are so precious that he must watch them himself.
[26:46] And his care for them will be such that he will not take his eyes off them for one moment. He doesn't tire from watching us.
[26:57] His eyes don't grow dim. His vision doesn't become blurred from being overworked. No, his focus is you and me. We are the apple of his eye.
[27:09] We are precious in his sight. We will not slip from his grip. We are safe in his care and his keeping. We are safe.
[27:21] And that's not what we were singing about. Where we were singing about the promise that our shepherd has given to his precious sheep. The promise that his goodness and mercy shall surely follow us all the days of our life.
[27:41] His goodness and mercy will follow us every day of our pilgrimage. Until it lasts our dwelling place. Our final resting place.
[27:54] And in God's house forevermore, says David. Our dwelling place shall be. We are safe in him.
[28:06] Safe in him. So he's telling us that he has support. He has safety. The third thing that this pilgrim learned about the Lord in his pilgrimage.
[28:18] Is that he has shelter. He says in verse 5. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day.
[28:30] Nor the moon by night. He has shelter. But in his daily journey with the Lord, this pilgrim had learned that it was the Lord who protected him from all the challenges that he faced day by day.
[28:46] And he confessed that the Lord was his keeper. Where the Lord watched over his people and he watched over them every day. For his shade was upon our right hand.
[28:57] And the reference to the right hand is a reference for the working day. The right hand was the strong hand which was used to carry out all the daily tasks.
[29:12] And this pilgrim knew that while he walked on his journey, he knew that the Lord was protecting him by day and watching over him by night. He knew that the shelter of the Lord was his daily provision.
[29:26] Whether it was the shelter from the striking heat of the sun by day or shelter from the piercing cold by night. And for this pilgrim it was a long journey.
[29:38] And a daily struggle walking in the heat of the sun with no clouds to protect him. And it was a long journey when he had to endure a difficult night with that cold weather.
[29:49] It was a difficult journey towards Jerusalem. But the Puritan Matthew Henry, he gives this beautiful picture of the shelter of the Lord in his commentary.
[30:05] He says, And what Matthew Henry was saying was that there was shelter provided in the daylight.
[30:32] And protection and warmth provided in the hours of darkness. And this is what the psalmist had learned for himself. He knew that the Lord was his shade.
[30:45] He knew that he could find shelter in the Lord during the daily challenges of his sojourn. And my friend, that's our only comfort as strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
[30:58] Whether our challenge comes by the way of the sun or by way of the moon. We have a shelter from which we can find protection. Whether it's the heat of temptation set before us in a myriad of ways.
[31:14] Or the cold nights of trial and affliction that seem like they're never going to end. We've been reminded that the Lord is our shelter.
[31:24] Whether it's the warming glow from the world. Trying to make us deviate from our kosher. Or the chilling effects of loneliness and heartache and sorrow.
[31:37] It's the Lord who remains our shelter. Is that not what we read in the opening verses of Psalm 91? That he who dwells in the secret place of the most high.
[31:53] He shall abide under the shadow. Under the shade of the Almighty. Because he will cover us with his feathers. Under his wings we shall come to trust.
[32:06] It's his wings in which we find shelter. And refuge from the terrors of the night. We find shelter and refuge from the arrow that flies by day.
[32:20] And seeks to take our life away. But under his feathers. And under his shade. And under his protection. Not even the pestilence which walks around in the darkness.
[32:33] Or the destruction that arises at noonday. Can bring fear upon the Lord's people. There is shelter in him. There is shelter under the shadow.
[32:46] Under the shade of the Almighty. And this image of sheltering under the shadow of his wings. It's this beautiful image.
[32:58] Because you can almost imagine this pilgrim. Lying under the stars on an open night. Where he's open to all the elements. And in a sense he's echoing the words of Psalm 63.
[33:11] When I do thee upon my bed. Remember with delight. And when on thee I meditate. In watches of the night. In shadow of thy wings I'll joy.
[33:24] For thou mine help hast been. My soul thee follows hard in me. Thy right hand doth sustain. My dear pilgrim.
[33:37] The Lord is our keeper. The Lord is our shade. The Lord protects his people. And he provides for our daily needs. In this sojourn. He is our shelter.
[33:50] He is our shelter. So we've seen that our pilgrim learnt. He learnt a lot about the Lord. He learnt that he has support.
[34:02] That he has safety. That he has shelter. But the final thing that this pilgrim learnt about the Lord. Is that he has security.
[34:14] He has security. He says in the last two verses. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out.
[34:27] And thy coming in from this time forth. And even forevermore. And up until this point in the psalm. The psalmist has spoken about what the Lord has done.
[34:40] Throughout his life and experience. And he said that the Lord has been his support. The Lord has kept him safe. The Lord has provided shelter for him.
[34:51] But now this pilgrim explains what the Lord will do. For his people as they continue their journey towards Jerusalem. Because in the mind of this pilgrim.
[35:03] He's certain that the Lord will keep his people. He will keep them from all evil. He will keep their soul. He will keep their going out and their coming in.
[35:17] All their journey. Whether outward bound or homeward bound. The Lord will keep them. Whether at the beginning of their journey. Or at the end of their journey. Whether in life or in death.
[35:28] The Lord will keep his people. And this word keep. It's key to the entire psalm. I don't know if you've noticed.
[35:41] I'm sure you have. You've noticed the word keep is repeated all the way through the psalm. It's mentioned six times that the Lord is our keeper. And he is the one who does the keeping.
[35:54] If we just read through the psalm quickly. To see this emphasis. He says. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills. From whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord which made heaven and earth.
[36:07] He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper.
[36:19] The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve or keep thee from all evil. He shall keep thy soul.
[36:30] The Lord shall keep thy going out. And thy coming in from this time forth. And even forever more. My friend the Lord is our keeper.
[36:44] And this word that's repeated throughout the psalm. It means to keep and to guard and to watch. It's all to do with the idea of protection.
[36:55] Either of a shepherd protecting his sheep. Or a guard protecting his fortherners. And our pilgrim he's now assuring all of the Lord's people.
[37:07] He's assuring us that the Lord will keep us. The Lord will guard us. He will watch over us. He will protect us. In our going out and our coming in. Everything we do in our sojourn here on earth.
[37:21] The Lord will be our keeper. He will protect us from all evil. And this is our greatest security as the Lord's people.
[37:33] He will do it. He will do it. And this is a certainty. He will do it because we cannot keep ourselves.
[37:43] We cannot provide protection over our own lives. We cannot guard our own hearts. But the Lord will do it. And his security is from this time forth.
[37:58] And even forever more. Our security in the Lord is now and always. It's not just for today. It's from this time forth.
[38:11] And forever more. It's for every day of this pilgrimage. And that's our greatest assurance as the Lord's people tonight. That although all our going out and our coming in in this life may have changes.
[38:26] And ups and downs. And things which ebb and flow. And circumstances which we have never prepared for. We're reminded here that we will be kept by the Lord.
[38:38] Through it all. From this time forth. And even forever more. Oh my friend what security we have in the Lord.
[38:51] The Lord who is our keeper. And you know I always remember the occasion of speaking with an older Christian. And it's always stuck with me.
[39:05] Maybe you've heard me say this before. But it's stuck with me because this older Christian had been following the Lord for many years of her life. And she'd struggled with an illness in her life.
[39:18] And it was an illness that she had to try and cope with each and every day of her life. And I remember asking her the simple question. How are you?
[39:31] But her response was. This is what made the impression on me. Because her response wasn't what I expected. It wasn't the usual answer.
[39:42] I'm fine or not bad. All she said to me was. I'm being kept. I'm being kept. And you know it wasn't until later that I came to realise.
[39:56] That her answer arose out of a life. Which was being lived in complete dependence upon the Lord. Because she knew that. She knew who her keeper was.
[40:09] And she had learned through her providence. What her shepherd was really like. She had learned that her shepherd was her keeper. And she knew that it was only by his grace.
[40:22] That she would be kept. And you know in light of her experience my friend. I just want to ask you. How are you? How are you as we come to another communion season?
[40:38] Are you being kept? Are you being kept? Are you being kept? Because the Lord is our keeper. And you know maybe I shouldn't even ask you if you're being kept.
[40:56] It's the wrong question to ask. Maybe I should tell you. That because the Lord is your keeper. You are being kept.
[41:09] And you are being kept from this time forth. And even forevermore. Because the first step and the first experience of a pilgrim having left the city of destruction.
[41:23] And going on towards the celestial city. The first step of being saved. Is being kept. Being kept.
[41:36] And so as we go to the feast this coming Lord's day. And come to the Lord's table. Conscious of the fact that.
[41:47] He is the one who has brought us into this journey. And he is the one who has done everything to get us onto this journey. And he is the one who will keep us on this journey.
[42:00] He is the one who is leading us into this wilderness. And wherever you are in your sojourn. Whether at the beginning. Or nearing the end.
[42:12] Remember that his grace has brought you safe thus far. And his grace will lead you home. You will be kept from this time forth. And even forevermore.
[42:26] And like this pilgrim while you are on this journey. Some of us have learned. And some of us are still learning. Still learning in this sojourn here.
[42:39] That in the Lord we have support. In the Lord we have safety. In the Lord we have shelter. And in the Lord we have security.
[42:52] We are a people. Who are kept by the power of God. We are kept. By the power of God.
[43:02] And the beautiful thing about his keeping. Is that this God. Said the psalmist. Is our God. And he will be our guide.
[43:14] Even unto death. But until that day. Until that day. Keep going.
[43:27] Keep marching. Keep pressing. Keep marching on. Towards Zion. Keep going.
[43:40] Up. May the Lord bless these thoughts to us. Let us. O Lord our gracious God.
[43:51] We admire the Lord. That we are kept by thee. Each and every day. And Lord we thank and praise thee. That we can say with John Newton of old.
[44:02] That grace hath brought us safe thus far. And grace will lead us home. Help us then we pray. To keep going. To keep looking to Jesus.
[44:13] The author and definisher of our faith. And Lord that thou wouldest watch over us. As we journey on the way. Knowing that goodness and mercy. Will surely follow us all the days of our life.
[44:27] And that in God's house forevermore. Our dwelling place shall be. Blessed to us these things we plead. That we may be encouraged in thy truth. To go on in strength of God the Lord.
[44:40] That we might say with the psalmist. So they from strength unwearied go. Still forward unto strength. Until in Zion they appear. Before the Lord at length.
[44:53] Do us good we plead. And go before us for Jesus sake. Thank you.