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[0:00] If we can begin our service and our worship by singing together in Psalm 89. Psalm 89 in the Scottish Psalter, you'll find that on page 345.

[0:19] Psalm 89, Scottish Psalter, page 345, and we'll begin at verse 13 down to the end of verse Mark 16.

[0:31] Thou hast an arm that's full of power. Thy hand is great in might, and thy right hand exceedingly exalted is in height.

[0:42] Justice and judgment of thy throne are made the dwelling place. Mercy accompanied with truth shall go before thy face. O greatly blessed the people are, the joyful sound that know, In brightness of thy face, O Lord, they ever on shall go.

[1:03] They in thy name shall all the day rejoice exceedingly, And in thy righteousness shall they exalted be on high.

[1:14] We'll stand together and we'll sing these verses. Thou hast an arm that's full of power. Thou hast an arm that's full of power.

[1:31] Thy hand is great in might, And thy right hand exceedingly exalted is in height.

[1:53] Justice and judgment of thy throne are made the dwelling place.

[2:08] Mercy, our companion in which it shall go before thy face.

[2:24] O greatly blessed the people are, the joyful sound that know, And the joy of God.

[2:41] In brightness of thy face, O Lord, they ever on shall go.

[2:55] In my name shall open me, rejoice exceed in me.

[3:11] And in my righteousness shall we exalted me on high.

[3:32] May we pray together, may we bow our hearts in prayer. Our heavenly Father, we give thanks for this day and you that you have given to us.

[3:43] And we pray that as we gather together in the power of your name and under your word, that you would still our hearts, whatever that means for us today.

[3:58] You know yourself, O Lord, the depths and troubles that lie within each of us. The aches and pains of life.

[4:09] And we pray that you in your presence would be over us as a father looks after their children.

[4:21] Lord, you know what is best for us. And so, as we read your word, may it be a voice to our hearts. May we have an ear to hear what you say to us.

[4:36] Open our eyes, we pray, to the glory that awaits those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord, we pray for those who do not know of that glory in their own souls.

[4:55] It has shone a light. And they can say that it illuminated the darkness of the world to them.

[5:07] And they have turned from worldly ways and seeking satisfaction from it. And they have found it in you, in the one that loved them.

[5:22] And so willingly humbled himself to come from glory, to become a man, to walk amongst the men that would put him to the cross.

[5:36] And die there and shed his blood in order that we might believe. And have our eyes opened to see the love that he has for each of us that is gathered here.

[5:52] Out of his loving kindness, he gives graciously to those who fall before him. And acknowledge that in days of our lives, there are certain times when we don't know who else to turn to.

[6:13] Or to whom else we can go. So Lord, be with us. And we pray also for Muriel in Cambodia.

[6:24] We pray that she would be a light to those around her. And sharing this gospel message of hope. Of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. And the girls that she works alongside.

[6:37] We pray that she would be an influence of good in their hearts and their lives. And equip them to share the gospel message themselves. And we pray also for Marianne and Joe.

[6:49] As they expect to lead in the trauma healing course this week. We pray for those who will attend. We pray that they would find comfort in the words of scripture.

[7:02] As it is shared between them. And that they can find peace from the peace giver. And joy from the one that gives us joy that is unspeakable.

[7:19] And riches that are unmeasurable. Lord, we pray that it would be a work of good in hearts that are sore.

[7:30] And we also remember the hearts that are sore within our community. Hearts that have lost loved ones over recent days. We remember particularly the family of Annie Mary.

[7:48] We remember the Wallace family. We remember the McCritchie family. Lords, there is so much pain in the hearts of our people.

[7:59] And we pray that they would know you to be their comfort. And their consolation in their days that lie ahead of them. And those who have lost.

[8:11] It takes time to adjust. If ever we do adjust. Things are so different for us now. We pray that you would help them step by step.

[8:23] And be with them in every day that they face. Of many days that they seem that they cannot face. We pray that you would give them the strength to do so.

[8:36] And be alongside them. As that loving Heavenly Father that extends his arm. Of strength around them. So Lord we pray.

[8:48] Be their comforter. Be with us as we gather now. And come to your word. Be with the children next door. Who look at the life of Moses.

[9:00] And the crossing of the Red Sea. And how they. In their day of trouble. Called to Moses. And Moses called to God.

[9:11] And he told them. To be silent. And the Lord will fight for them. And he did. He gave them. A pathway through the Red Sea.

[9:23] And set them free. From the power of the world. That were oppressing them. Help us to learn. And see. That Christ Jesus. Can do this for each of us.

[9:36] Set us free. By his power. By his blood. And by his love. So be with us. For our time. Forgive us.

[9:46] Our sins. That lie within the hearts. Of each of us. And we come. And acknowledge them. Before you this day. All in the name. And power. Of our Saviour.

[9:57] The Lord Jesus Christ. We ask these things. Amen. I want to say a word. To any young ones.

[10:07] That are with us. I know there's Sunday school on. But there may be some. Listening online. Or even sitting with us here. I want to talk about.

[10:18] When you learn to ride your bike. And you didn't just jump on it. And go. Usually. Your mother or father.

[10:31] Would have helped you. And more often than not. There would have been things. On the back wheel. Called stabilizers. To help you. Stay upright.

[10:43] And these things. These wee wheels. That stuck out the side. Would stop you from falling over. Stop you from. Cutting your knees. Or worse. Breaking your arms.

[10:54] Or breaking your bones. With the hope that one day. We would learn. To ride a bike. And maybe you can remember. Yourself. When you were.

[11:04] Learning to ride your bike. And the moments. That you took off. Your stabilizers. Or moments that. You relied. On your stabilizers. And we as adults.

[11:17] Say. And acknowledge. Every day. That there is something. To learn. And we say. Often. When we come home. From work. You know.

[11:29] Every day. Is a learning day. Every day. Is a school day. And just like. You. Learning to ride. Your bike. You need to. You need to learn this. And it takes time.

[11:40] And we as adults. We don't actually know. Everything. Believe it or not. There's lots of things. That we need to learn. And continue to keep learning. Every day.

[11:50] That we live. Our life. And in a sense. As we get older. Our life gets. Harder. And there are things. In our life. That can. Knock us over. And take us.

[12:03] Out of the blue. And. Scare us even. And in a sense. What the Christian has.

[12:14] In his life. Is these stabilizers. Holding them up. As they make their way. Through life. And the stabilizers.

[12:25] Is the likes of. The word of God. Prayer. The Lord's people. The works of Christ. As they make their way.

[12:37] Through life. You can imagine the child. Or you can. Maybe think of your own child. As they cycled along. You would see them. Teetering and tottering. As they hit. Each stabilizer. Making their way.

[12:49] Along. The path. And that is. In a sense. The life of the Christian. We come along. And we walk.

[13:00] We walk along. Day by day. And we hit. And we hit. These things. That. By God's grace. Strengthen us. And keep us. Upright.

[13:10] And balance us. In our lives. All these things. Stabilize us. In our Christian. Walk. Just like the stabilizers. That are on the bike.

[13:22] And they enable us. To keep. Going. Without pain. But there are days. When we think. That. Well.

[13:33] We don't need them. And we can probably. Think that. Well. We'll take them off today. But. We soon learn. That we only hurt.

[13:44] Ourselves. When we. Do not rely. On the promises. That the Lord Jesus. Has left for us. Or the reading. Of the scripture.

[13:55] Or praying. To him. These are things. That. Hold us up. Whatever. The Christian. Road. Is like. For you today.

[14:07] And in a sense. These stabilizers. Will never come off. While we are here. We are always. Reliant. On him. In every. Aspect. Of our lives. But there will be a day.

[14:19] When we hope. To like. Ride that bike. Without the stabilizers. A day. When we will be taken. To heaven. Where we will be there. Free from the pains.

[14:31] Of the world. That will knock us over. And we will acknowledge. That when we come. To that day. We will say. That if it was not. For these stabilizers.

[14:42] I wouldn't have made it. Here at all. So we pray. That we would. Remember the stabilizers. That God. Gives us. In his word. For our lives.

[14:54] As we grow up. And that we. Would rely. On all. That he leaves. For us. To keep us. Going. So let us say.

[15:04] The Lord's prayer. Together. Our father. Which art in heaven. Hallowed. Be your name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth.

[15:16] As it is in heaven. Give us this day. Our daily bread. And forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation.

[15:27] But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom. The power. And the glory. Forever. Amen. If you can turn to your Bibles.

[15:40] And we'll read. From the book of Isaiah. Chapter 33. Isaiah 33.

[15:50] And we'll read. From the beginning. Of the chapter. Amen. Isaiah 33.

[16:09] Beginning of the chapter. Let us hear. God's word. Ah. You destroyer. Who yourself. Have not been destroyed.

[16:20] You traitor. Whom none have betrayed. When you have ceased to destroy. You will be destroyed. And when you have finished betraying. They will betray you.

[16:31] O Lord. Be gracious to us. We wait for you. Be our arm every morning. Our salvation. In a time of trouble. At the tumultuous noise.

[16:43] Peoples flee. When you lift yourself up. Nations are scattered. And your spoil is gathered. As the caterpillar gathers. As locusts sleep.

[16:53] It is leapt upon. The Lord is exalted. For he dwells on high. He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the stability of your times.

[17:06] Abundance of salvation. Wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure. Behold their heroes. Cry in the streets.

[17:17] The envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways lie waste. The traveller ceases. Covenants are broken. Cities are despised. There is no regard for man.

[17:30] The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded. And withers away. Sharon is like a desert. And Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

[17:43] Now I will arise. Says the Lord. Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted. You conceive chaff.

[17:53] You give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will consume you. And the people will be as if burned to lime. Like thorns cut down that are burned in the fire.

[18:06] Hear you who are far off. What I have done. And you who are near acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid.

[18:17] Trembling has seized the godless. Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire. Who among us can dwell with the everlasting burnings.

[18:29] He who walks righteously. And speaks uprightly. Who despises the gain of oppressions. Who shakes his hands lest they hold a bribe.

[18:40] Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed. And shuts his eyes from looking on evil. He will dwell on the heights. His place of defence will be the fortress of rocks.

[18:53] His bread will be given him. His water will be sure. Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty. They shall see a land that stretches afar.

[19:05] Your heart will muse on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed the tribute? Where is he who counted the towers?

[19:17] You will see no more the insolent people. The people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend. Stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.

[19:29] Behold Zion. The city of our appointed feasts. Your eye will see Jerusalem. An untroubled habitation.

[19:39] An immovable tent. Whose stakes will never be plucked up. Nor will any of its cords be broken. But there the Lord in majesty will be for us.

[19:53] A place of broad rivers and streams. Where no galley with oars can go. Nor majestic ship can pass. For the Lord is our judge.

[20:04] The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. Your cords hang loose. They cannot hold the mast firm in its place.

[20:16] Or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided. Even the lame will take the prey. And no inhabitant will say, I am sick.

[20:30] The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity. Amen. May the reading of God's word speak to us.

[20:42] We'll continue in our praise by singing together in Psalm 119. In the Scottish Psalter again. Psalm 119 from verse 140.

[20:56] That's on page 412. 412.

[21:10] Yes. 40. Psalm 119 at verse 140. Thy words most pure. Therefore on it thy servant's love is set.

[21:23] Small and despised I am. Yet I thy precepts not forget. Thy righteousness is righteousness. Whichever doth endure.

[21:35] Thy holy law, Lord, is. Lord also is. The very truth most pure. Trouble and anguish have me found. And taken hold on me.

[21:47] Yet in my trouble, my delight, thy just commandments be. Eternal righteousness is in thy testimonies all. Lord, to me understanding give.

[21:59] And ever love I shall. We'll stand and we'll sing these verses to God's praise. Thy words most pure. Therefore on it thy servant's love is set.

[22:09] Thy words most pure. Thy thorn in it thy servant's love is set.

[22:28] Small and despised I am. Yet I thy best not forget.

[22:42] Thy righteousness is righteousness. Thy righteousness is righteousness. Whichever doth endure.

[22:58] Thy holy law, Lord, nor CAN and by not ye not more percent.

[23:27] Old or weak, yet in my trouble, my delight, thy just commandment be.

[23:46] Eternal righteousness is in thy testimonies all.

[24:03] Lord, to be understanding in, and ever with my child.

[24:26] If we can turn back to the passage that we read together, and particularly with our focus on verse 6. And he will be the stability of your times.

[24:43] He will be the stability of your times. There are many gems in the book of Isaiah, and we will look at one of them here today.

[24:56] But we're only going to take the first half of this chapter, down to verse Mark 12. And I want us, in this section of this chapter, to think about the different times that we see in it.

[25:14] But before we do that, it is going to make it all the more clearer for us if we consider this passage and the time that Isaiah wrote it at.

[25:25] And we can pick out the context of the time it was written at by looking at verse 1. Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor whom none has betrayed.

[25:43] When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed. And when you have finished betraying, they will betray you.

[25:53] And Isaiah here, he's writing a lament over this traitor, over this destroyer, this strong destroyer, who has not been destroyed.

[26:07] And you ask yourself, well, who is it? And most likely it is the Assyrian army of his time, making invasions on the nation of Israel.

[26:18] And what was Israel's solution to this problem? Well, what they did was that they found their hope by turning to the might of Egypt and seeking protection by forming an alliance with them through the power of this worldly nation.

[26:40] And Israel had forgotten about God. A God who was historically, for that nation, their great defender.

[26:54] And Isaiah, in his time, was essentially God's reminder to this people. prophesying a judgment would come from God if you did not listen to him.

[27:10] And that judgment would come through the Assyrian army and laterally the Babylonian empire. And though Isaiah is lamenting over this destroyer, Assyria, he's got an eye beyond the time that is before him.

[27:29] And we can identify that eye by the latter words of verse 1, where it says, when you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed.

[27:42] It's almost saying that you won't destroy forever. You won't fight forever. There's a day where you will put down your weapons. Maybe when they were satisfied with all the spoils of war that they had gathered.

[27:57] And it speaks of God's judgment that will pass. This time will pass of judgment.

[28:09] And he will again show mercy to his people. An echo of Psalm 30, where it says, the Lord's anger is but for a moment and his favor is for a lifetime.

[28:22] And Isaiah's eye beyond his current time of this destroyer that would have brought great uncertainty for them.

[28:38] And essentially, he has an eye of faith in the word that God had spoken to him. He looks around him and he sees that the nation's under threat.

[28:54] There's nothing here to rely on. Even Egypt are not worthy to rely on. But Isaiah seeks his assurance from the word of God.

[29:06] And it's an assurance for his time. But it's that word that has been left with us, not an assurance for our time.

[29:20] And in Isaiah's day, as is often the case today, the message falls on deaf ears and blind eyes.

[29:30] And maybe it is a reminder for us today as we sit here to hear the God of whom our fathers trusted in.

[29:41] Our passage down to verse 12, we can pick out three times there. There's an arm of strength in our time in verse 2.

[29:56] There's stability in our time in verse 6. But there's also a time to stand in verse 10. There's a time of strength, a time of stability, and a time to stand.

[30:11] And we'll look at each of them. And maybe when we look at each of them, I just want to put a picture in your head of a newborn animal by the likes of a lamb or a cow or whatever it is.

[30:26] Maybe even a giraffe would maybe make it more clearer in our minds. But when the animal's born, it can't stand.

[30:39] It doesn't have the strength to stand. It needs to take time to gain strength. And then when it does gain the strength to stand, what happens is it stands and falls over and tumbles.

[30:53] It has no stability. It needs to gain the strength and try again and it'll get its stability. It'll learn that stability as it keeps trying.

[31:06] It must gain the strength and learn stability. Because then, and then only, can it stand firm or move forward. So just an image to have in our heads as we do so.

[31:18] So let us look at the time of strength. Verse 2. O Lord, be gracious to us. We wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in a time of trouble.

[31:32] And what was their time? Well, it was the fear of the Assyrian army. And we can learn from Isaiah.

[31:43] I'm sure he would have had fear. His mind was to seek God's grace by waiting upon him. And it's often hard to wait in hard times.

[31:57] We want to do something. Something that will make our days better. And that's exactly what the Israelites were doing here, seeking aid from Egypt. They were not turning to God in prayer.

[32:10] They were not trusting and waiting upon him. Maybe as a nation they thought that this God was dated. And he was only a historical figure whom their father had trusted in and he could do no good for them today in their time.

[32:29] Whatever it was, he wasn't relevant and he wasn't necessary to them. They were a nation that would not hear God's word.

[32:40] They did not want any communication with God. And with this loss of communication in their lives, they lost the relationship, they lost the knowledge of who this God is, they lost of having trust and confidence in this God.

[33:02] But Isaiah was one that waited, pleading for grace every morning in a day of trouble. trouble. And what about our time today?

[33:18] Is our nation comparable to Israel of Isaiah's day? They didn't want to listen, they didn't want to hear. In many ways, in a time of trouble, a different sort of trouble, but there is a threat over our nation from the virus that is existing.

[33:39] And we deal with it according to our wisdom. But what about yourself today? As a person, are you like Israel?

[33:56] Do you feel strong? Do you feel weak? Do you feel strong without God? Or do you feel weak without God? Do you today feel strong as a Christian?

[34:11] And if we're honest, many of us will be feeling very weak, particularly at this time, and many may be troubled, and many may be scared, as many would have been in Isaiah's day.

[34:29] And maybe you're wondering what God is going to do now. In the years to come, what's God going to do? And maybe that's not a question we ask ourselves often enough.

[34:45] Because everyone's asking, what's the world going to do now? How's the world going to move on now? How can we move on? No one's asking, what's God going to do with us now?

[34:58] That'll keep our minds alert, thinking on this God and how he will act. But as a Christian, do you have the confidence like Isaiah to wait on God seeking his grace in prayer?

[35:19] Confidence you see is lost when we lose the communication, even for the Christian, when we stop prayer, when we stop reading our Bibles.

[35:31] And that's what Isaiah is saying in the passage here, be at Aram every morning. And if there's ever a lesson for the Christian to be reminded of it is to seek and maintain daily communication with our Lord.

[35:50] Every day, even better, every morning, before we go out. And then we will find strength.

[36:01] from his gracious Aram. But you know what? We don't always feel it. We don't feel that Aram strengthening us all the time.

[36:16] But that daily communication is working good in us. Regardless of how we feel, it's working good. And it is a growing in knowledge and trust and confidence in God as a God that you can rely on in a day of trouble.

[36:37] And when we know that confidence and strength that we can rely on, we will speak like Isaiah speaks here, our salvation in the time of trouble.

[36:52] And we can ask ourselves, why on earth was I relying on the world? Why was I trying to fix it myself? What on earth could I do for myself?

[37:05] God is my salvation. And God truly is a salvation for our nation, even in our time, whether they want it or not.

[37:20] Because this is a salvation that will come. See in verse 4. Verse 4, sorry. Your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers, as locusts leap it is leapt upon.

[37:38] And the voice there in verse 3 says that he will scatter the nation when this day comes. God will be my victor.

[37:49] God will save me. And he will gather his riches like a caterpillar gather or the locust devour. The caterpillar is slow to work and often God doesn't work fast in our lives.

[38:08] Nor is his strength always seen like the caterpillar. but gather he will. Likewise the locusts so small will eat the harvest bit by bit and will leave no good in the country.

[38:30] Bit by bit it takes it all away. The Lord is one that will conquer all and he will devour the opposition strength like the locust.

[38:44] And it makes an image of an almighty power in God who works all things according to his timing but also a God who will assuredly gather the riches of the land and what are his greatest riches but his own people.

[39:07] It speaks of a gathering together of his riches in his timing and by his strength into what it speaks of an abundance.

[39:23] The world and all its people will one day be left desolate. Those who remain will have no strength left and they will see that all they ever had was by the grace of God.

[39:38] a God whom they hardened their hearts against. The locust will rob them of any good that they thought they had.

[39:50] So when you look ahead and we must look ahead as Isaiah looked ahead who else is better to wait upon in our lives than this God with the arm of all strength the arm of all might strength is a virtue but all the great are coupled with stability.

[40:15] So we've looked at strength let us look at the time of stability. What was the time of stability for Israel in their time?

[40:27] Well it was that mention of seeking allegiance with Egypt for protection. their wisdom and knowledge giving them security before this threat.

[40:40] And you could imagine the government trying to resolve to make this Egyptian deal happen. And getting this deal agreed to would have given the nation a comfort and security.

[40:54] And it sounds remotely familiar for us today. How many times have you heard people speak of governments making deals, parliaments, reporters, journalists speaking of these things and also speaking of a requirement to steady the ship.

[41:16] You hear that quite a lot in the news. They need to steady the ship of the government. And it is with all good intention that they do this. They want to direct our leadership of our nation in one mind.

[41:29] And while there is some form of strength there in the government, there does seem to be an increasing instability, attacking from all different angles.

[41:42] But there are still stabilities that we are thankful for, key stabilities. these. And you'll see there in verse 7 and 8, it speaks of a failing nation.

[41:58] It says that trades will fail. It says that life has no value. It speaks of abortion maybe in today's day.

[42:10] It says that Lebanon is confounded or confused. Confucius ruling the nation. And it is a warning for sure for us in our time.

[42:23] But you see if the government of a nation, whatever nation, is not stable, then how can the nation itself be?

[42:35] And stability in a sense has this sort of chain effect coming down from the top, from this hierarchy. The world has their chosen men, their chosen leaders, heroes who they look to.

[42:48] But what does it say about the heroes? Verse 7, Behold, their heroes cry in the streets. Their hope in their heroes, broken to pieces at the coming of the strong arm of the Lord.

[43:05] Christ is a Christian's hero. He is one that has a strength and stability over every nation and every government.

[43:17] And he will be a stability in our time. And we will admire his mighty governance over us as a king over all kings.

[43:30] And his hierarchy of perfect strength and stability is a Christian's great assurance in their time. time. Isaiah says in verse 6, stability of your time and abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.

[43:52] That perfect governance from God and whose salvation in the work he has done, his wisdom in the outworking of all things for good, his knowledge in the one who knows all things.

[44:11] His understanding is complete and so gives the one who trusts in him reassurance and stability for their time.

[44:22] Whatever the time, whatever your time is today, Christ can be your stability, his salvation, his wisdom and knowledge.

[44:36] stability requires headship. Stability provides resilience for the person. Stability enables consistency and consistency is a partner of faithfulness.

[44:54] All these qualities found in Isaiah's Lord, but also qualities that will grow within the Christian and often these things become a jewel in the Christian's character.

[45:12] Do you know stability in your time? And we admit to feeling unstable often, maybe not to others, but we do get unstable in our lives, like that bike that needs to be kept up if we don't have the stabiliser from it.

[45:32] maybe particularly more so in the last few years. There's been very little stability anywhere in the world. And you can see the great uncertainty of it at the news and the businesses and all the different things that have happened and the uncertainty of life itself, of health, and all these insecurities that are happening in our time, they make us feel anxious and they make us worry.

[46:07] Instability is unsettling to each one of us. Everyone has their wobbles, as it were, and we become unstable and maybe we fall over.

[46:23] But the Christian has a certainty of the strength and stability of God's government in their lives.

[46:35] Of all our worries, of all our anxieties, he gives us a confidence when we rely on him. You see, before we look at Stan very quickly, there is something that the mother giraffe will do to her young.

[46:59] Once they are born, they gain their strength. And if they don't stand up, the mother giraffe will help it to stand up, whatever it costs, even if it means that she needs to kick her newborn.

[47:15] And you might think that it's harsh, but it is for their good. God's judgment was for the good of the nation. The mother giraffe tells them, you need to get up.

[47:31] Why? Because if you're standing, you have a chance over the lion. The lion that is waiting and watching for you to slip up or fall over.

[47:45] God, and that's what the Christian must be like, standing firm, relying on a God that will help them to stand, and the Lord that will stand over them as a giraffe does to her young in protection.

[48:02] And if we're standing, the giraffe can run, the giraffe can be set free. So let us look at the time to stand very briefly.

[48:13] I'm running out of time. So we looked at the time of strength, we looked at the time of stability. What about a time to stand? Verse 10, it says that God will arise.

[48:26] Now I will arise. Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted. God is the one who provides for his people in the trials and difficulties.

[48:41] But it is God that stands. It is not God. He enables us to stand, but here in the passage, it is God who stands. This fountain of knowledge, wisdom, and righteousness, if there were any to fear of the governments of the world, the Lord is the one to fear.

[49:03] But what is the time referred to here? It is not their time, the nation's time, it is not our time, it is his time.

[49:13] It is his time to arise. It says, now I will arise, meaning he has waited till this time.

[49:24] There is a time appointed when he will stand, when he will take action, and this is a warning towards Israel, that he will bring justice in their time, and is that not a warning for us in our time?

[49:41] We are told of a day when God will act, but no one knows that day. And his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will return with his judgment.

[49:52] He will be lifted up and exalted before the nations, before men and women, and the glory of the risen saviour will be seen by every eye and heard by every ear.

[50:05] We will know his authority, above every other authority, God. This is a warning for you today, at this time, but this is out of his grace and love.

[50:23] Like the mother giraffe that stands, it is a grace and love as a warning to get up. And listen to this message that God has left for us in the gospel hope of salvation through Jesus Christ.

[50:42] And he will enable you to stand and stand firm and it will be by his strength as you rely upon him. Maybe you feel just like a baby giraffe and you are just standing and only just standing.

[51:01] And you look out over the world and you see the world's people so strong, standing so strong, not like me. And it is true that the men of the world often appear like that to the Christian.

[51:17] And the ungodly person may even seem to have stability and comfort in this world far superior than the Christian. Christian. But what is your stability today if it is not Christ Jesus?

[51:33] Is it your bank balance? Is it your house? Is it your marriage? Is it your health? You know these things will be taken away from you one day.

[51:46] So ask yourself, where then do you find it? You've got no money, you've got no house, no marriage, your health will be taken from you.

[51:58] Where do you find it then when you have to leave all these things behind? Well, look ahead like Isaiah.

[52:10] The Christian knows it when we leave these things behind. But will you find strength and stability? You see, Christ, if you will hear him, can be your strength whatever your time.

[52:32] And he will be your stability in this time and for all of time. But ask yourself today, will you stand in his time?

[52:48] It will come. It came for the nation of Israel. The Lord will say now is the time. It will come.

[53:01] Remember the caterpillar gathers, slow as he is, the locusts devours bit by bit. But what is it for you today?

[53:13] Are you gathered in abundance of riches with your saviour? Or will you be left barren in a desolate land where you will see no good at all?

[53:29] Maybe today is a time to listen to his voice. I pray that you do. May we leave our thoughts there. we'll conclude by singing to God's praise in Psalm 102.

[53:49] Psalm 102, that's on page 365 in the Scottish Psalter. Psalm 102, first version.

[54:07] We'll sing from verse Mark 13 down to the end of 16. Thou shalt arise and mercy have upon thy Zion yet the time to favour her is come the time that thou hast set for in her rubbish and her stones thy servants pleasure take yea they the very dust thereof do favour for her sake so shall the heathen people fear the Lord's most holy name and all the kings on earth shall dread the glory and thy fame when Zion by the mighty Lord built up again shall be in glory then and majesty to men appear shall he 13 words for our thoughts today Psalm 102 verse marked 13 down to verse mark 16 thou shalt arise and mercy have we stand to sing thy shalt arise and mercy have upon thy

[55:29] Zion yet the time to favor are is come the time that thou hast set for in our rubbish and our sons thy servants pleasure take thee the very dust thereof to favor for her sake so shout the heathen people fear the Lord so most holy name and all the kings on earth shall pray thy glory and thy fame when

[56:52]  Zion I the mighty Lord Lord built up again shall be in glory and majesty to men appear shall lead to men appear shall lead conclude with a word of prayer our heavenly father we thank you for your word that you have given to us a reassurance for our time Lord be the one that strengthens us be the one that is our stability and be our salvation in the day of your standing may we behold the king and his beauty on that day may we have our eyes enlightened by his glorious presence may we know it to be so as each of us depart help us to learn to lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ as our stability for our day so be with us as we part forgive us our sins we pray all these things in the name and power of our Savior Jesus Christ amen of of of oh of him