[0:00] Please join me in Psalm 144. What a strong song to give an invitation after a song like that. So powerful. And I'm thankful for Jordan and Abby living that out. God's really been using their family in Lawrenceville.
[0:12] Their family just placed themselves right there in the community, and God's been blessing. And Jordan, you'll have to get some pictures from your medical missions trip to Honduras and share with us on a Thursday night.
[0:23] Work with Greg on that and tell us about your trip. And the medical missions outreach is a great opportunity to take a missions trip. And as I said, Jordan just went to Honduras and tell us about it.
[0:33] Before I get into our passage in Psalm 144, I'd like to tell you about a book by my good friend Jeffrey Bush. All right? And Jeff is a good author. He's written many practical books.
[0:44] I love it when my kids are reading and coming up and telling me things that they have learned from it. We have all of his books at our house in a trophy case. All right? No, we have them there.
[0:55] And I jokingly said he's written more books than I've read. But he does. He's a prolific writer. He does a great job. This is a self-discipline reboot. And I would be reading it regardless because he's my friend.
[1:05] But I'm going to read this one because a fresh approach to building self-discipline, I'm sure, will help many people. I became a reader when I was young. And I wish I could tell you because I thought it would be helpful. Why did I become a reader when I was young?
[1:17] How many of you know the answer? The personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. All right? How many of you look at the Accelerated Reader Program at your school? It changed my life.
[1:28] All right? And I would say my waistline, but not as a kid. Right? I loved it. And so I got this little pellet pizza oven. Me and Bo broke it in last night with James and his father.
[1:38] Did pretty good. All right? If you will read this book and let me know, I will make you a personal pan pizza. And I will share it with you. Okay? And I mean, so yeah, David may take me up on it. All right? And talk with Jeff and how you can get that.
[1:51] Psalm 144. Such a wonderful passage. Zechariah, we are on the same theme tonight. Oh, happy day. Oh, happy day when Jesus washed all my sins away. Do you know that song?
[2:02] Let's sing it together. No, I'm just kidding. Couldn't do it. I think it's a little bit above us. We're not ready for that. All right? Maybe a group of y'all can work on it. Great song, but happy day. Haddon Robinson, an old preacher that I like to read after.
[2:15] And he talks about how so often Bible teachers, pastors, preachers, they spend their whole week on an island studying about the Amorites, doing interviews of people at Jerusalem, doing word study.
[2:28] They're on that island. And then other people spend their week dealing with problems with their kids, financial stress, trying to get a new mortgage for their home. They've been in traffic. They're worried about a million things.
[2:38] And when we come together, it's the responsibility of the Bible teacher to build a bridge from one island to the other island and to tell you, hey, come over here and see what I have found.
[2:51] This ought to be easier than it is because in the island you live on, there is a Bible. I'm not the only island with a Bible. Don't get lost in my analogy here. You'll drown in the middle. You have a Bible on your island too.
[3:02] All right? And so you can be reading the Bible throughout the week. And you know what's common on my island as well is I also have the same problems that you have. I don't live on an isolated island.
[3:13] So when I see in the scripture, I have to know from the psalm, how is this going to make a difference in my life? And that's the struggle. If I don't really just submit myself to the passage and say, God, how do I get help from this?
[3:27] Then I have a hard time laying down a bridge for other people. This one has been one that came to me very much and it helped me about happiness. Here's the truth from our creator tonight in the psalm that I hope you will see is that happiness is possible.
[3:43] Happiness often seems like some elusive dream and you believe that the Lord has promised to you that eventually you'll have it in the world to come. But do you even believe it's possible right now that we live?
[3:55] John 17 3 tells us, and this is life eternal, that you may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Life eternal has already started for us. It speaks of abundance.
[4:06] Happiness is possible for us. Happiness reflects our creator. Happiness is how we can help a world that doesn't have the gospel.
[4:19] And if you don't have happiness, you should fight for it tonight. And you should leave saying, oh, happy day. Or if that's possible, that would be great. Or you could just leave with a quiet resolve to say, God, I have been so long not believing that it's possible.
[4:36] I'm going to take a step of faith tonight and trust that it is. And this passage will help us. So I'm going to intentionally slowly read through this passage, helping make sure I don't lose any of you on any of the curves that we take and kind of giving you an outline that I'll pray and then try to help give some understanding of the passage here.
[4:54] So the first two verses here, we see that the psalmist, David, blesses God for who he is and for past victories. When we say bless the Lord, we're talking about praise him, exalt him, worship him, speak about him, think about him, ascribe unto him all the things that belong to the Lord.
[5:12] And so he blesses the Lord who enables him to fight. Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight. What a great Bible verse.
[5:23] If you're a UFC fighter, it'd be even better, right? All right. Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight. He blesses the Lord as his faithful defender and deliverer because he subdued people under him.
[5:34] Verse two, my goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me. In this next section, verses three through 11, the psalmist, he marvels that God would take note of him and he prays for divine intervention for the struggle that he is in.
[5:55] He marvels that God would see him as immortal even though he's just, he's dust. Verse three, Lord, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him?
[6:07] Man is like to vanity. His days are as a shadow that passes away. And here's his divine intervention in the battle. Verse five, bow thou heavens, bow thou heavens, O Lord, and come down, touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
[6:24] He desires that the Lord would come down in power. He desires that the Lord would scatter his enemy. Verse six, cast forth lightning and scatter them. Shoot out thine arrows and destroy them.
[6:35] Then he longs for the day that the Lord will deliver them. This is found twice. This is the refrain here in the psalm. Send thine hand from above, rid me and deliver me out of great waters.
[6:47] Rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children whose mouth speak as vanity and their right hand is the right hand of falsehood. Here he's recognizing that any true peace or happiness is going to require divine intervention.
[7:04] That you're just not going to be able to find it in the ways that you've been looking that I'm going to need divine intervention. I know that you're not in here in a physical battle, in a war. If so, you're hiding it quite well.
[7:15] None of you look like you came in here fighting off the enemy armies. But have you ever been at a place and you just realized, I'm not happy, I don't have peace, and you get to a place where you say, I'm only going to have it if there's divine intervention?
[7:29] That's a wonderful place to be. He expresses his confidence in the Lord by voicing the vow of praise. In verse 9 he says, I'm going to sing a song for you. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God, upon a psalter and an instrument of ten strings, while I sing praises unto thee.
[7:45] He already is planning out how he plans to worship God. And he will praise him because God is the one that can give salvation to the king. Verse 10, it is he that giveth salvation unto kings, who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
[7:58] By contrast, salvation to the kings. Even the kings of this world would not have this salvation and deliverance. Isn't it from the God of heaven? But then he says, and I'm your servant, and you've delivered me from this hurtful sword.
[8:12] Then he reiterates the refrain in verse 11. Rid me and deliver me. Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children. If you're a stay-at-home mom, this could be your favorite verse right here, right?
[8:25] Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children. Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of falsehood. In this closing section, David is confident that the nation will experience happiness, peace, and prosperity when the Lord delivers his anointed king in battle.
[8:43] And he anticipates it. And this is what he says this peace will bring in verse 12. That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth. That our daughters may be as cornerstones polished after the similitude of a palace.
[8:55] That children will benefit from the peace that he has received. There's so many blessings that will come to our children if we would just receive them from the hand of the Lord.
[9:05] Trusting that God will meet all their needs. Verse 13. That our garners. That's their pantries or their grain bins. The place they keep their food. It may be full, fording all manner of stone.
[9:17] That our sheep may bring forth thousands and tens of thousands in the streets. That our oxen may be strong to labor. That there be no breaking in or going out. There be no complaining in our streets.
[9:27] And then that last part there. The people will be blessed with peace. That there will be no complaining in our streets. There will be a fortified position. It will be a place of refuge.
[9:38] It will be a happy place. Full of abundance. Also protected from the Lord. And this last verse is so wonderful. The wonderful possibility of being happy people. Happy is that people.
[9:50] That is in such a case. Yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord. This is the king praying for himself and for a nation. Wouldn't you love to have a ruler who prayed for you.
[10:01] To be blessed in the same manner. Wouldn't our children be blessed if we prayed for this. Wouldn't other people be blessed in our lives. And all the things that were listed that they got. The greatest thing that we have. The thing that makes us a happy people.
[10:14] Is God is our Lord. Heavenly Father. Ask that you would be with us right now Father. That you would give understanding. That the Holy Spirit would take and make application. I am grateful Father.
[10:25] To be able to meet with a group of people. Lord, not a small group of people. Many people here tonight. With their children. That study the Bible. And that's a blessing. It's something I treasure.
[10:36] Something that everybody has the opportunity. Father, I know to experience. But we want Lord. Not just to hear your word. And to wait for a program to end. We come here tonight.
[10:47] In need of hearing from you. Life is so boring and mundane. And is so full of trouble all the time. If we do not get a glimpse of the eternal Father. And we will just go crazy.
[10:59] And we will not live our lives with a happiness that's available. I pray that's what will happen tonight. And my friends that are enjoying happiness. Will know how to maintain that. And share it with others. And those that are struggling Lord.
[11:11] That tonight they will see that it is possible. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. And so David the psalmist here says. It's only right that we would praise the Lord.
[11:22] Because he has protected us. He is worthy of our praise. And let's think about it for a moment. How he's helped us to overcome in the past. Blessed be the Lord my strength. Which teacheth my hands to warm.
[11:34] And my fingers to fight. I tried to use the expression young people use. About showing of the hands. But I never get it right. Alright. I think it's an expression about fighting. Right Greg? Showing the hands.
[11:44] Yeah. Show the hands. You need me to show the hands. Right? Alright. That's what. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? Young people say show the hands. Means we're ready to fight. Alright. It comes from the Psalms. I'm certain that's what they're thinking of.
[11:55] Showing hands. They always get scared when I try to bring up these young people expressions. Show the hands. So here. Blessed be the Lord my strength. He teaches us how to win the battles.
[12:07] We look back on it. We see that God has done something. We look at our involvement in it. The things we've been able to overcome. And we see that even in the most minute of the details.
[12:18] That even in our ability. He gave it to us. So there's just nothing that we can take credit in. It's all glory to Him. Even when we did it. We look back and say. He gave me in my hands.
[12:29] In my fingers here. The ability. The fight. This is very personal to David. He refers to himself 11 times. Here in the Psalm. He's acknowledging how much the Lord has done for him.
[12:40] Personally. This Psalm is very similar to Psalm 18. It's probably already in your cross references. But if not. Write it down. And you're going to see. They're very common. They're very similar. It says there in Psalm 18 verse 1.
[12:51] A list of descriptions.
[13:03] We have another list of descriptions here. But David says. These belong to me. I can claim them for myself. And the Lord is to be acknowledged of the one who defends.
[13:13] And He is the one that protects. Verse 2. My goodness and my fortress. My high tower. My deliverer. My shield. And whom I will trust. Who subdueth my people under me. God had enabled David to learn how to be a warrior.
[13:26] And to win victories on the battlefield. And the emphasis here is focusing on the complete involvement in the war. A divine intervention from God. And divine instructions for David to follow in the battle.
[13:38] Psalm 18 verse 34. He says. He teaches my hands to war. So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. That anything that we've been able to accomplish in our lives. We look back and we give praise to the Lord.
[13:50] And then we have 6 here. Just like in Psalm 18. Pictures of how He has protected us. It's my strength. Expressed in God teaching us to fight. It's my goodness. He is the good of this world.
[14:02] My fortress. That speaks a strong safe place. Or my high tower. That's a high safe place. Even more protection. Or my deliverer. He is my way of escape.
[14:13] Or my shield. God Himself is the one providing the protection. What a list of things given here. And it ought to make you feel safe and secure in the arms of the Lord.
[14:24] Knowing that all these things are describing God. And so David is showing now that the Lord defends him. And He protects him. And He keeps him safe. He delivers him. And He gives him all that he needs.
[14:35] And He has put His enemy underneath him. And all these ideas required faith on David's part. The one overarching expression here that would encapsulate all that I've said is this idea of taking refuge.
[14:48] Which is representative of an underlying faith in Him. Father, I turn to you. And all that's going on in this battle. And all the sword that hurts me as described there in Psalm 18.
[15:01] And all those things that are going on. I can find my refuge in you. That's where happiness is found. It is a turning to Him. It's not seeking for it and anything else.
[15:12] It is turning to Him. And so, though it was extremely small and helpless, we pray in confidence knowing that God will deliver us. So He doesn't come to Him saying, hey, I'm a king and I'm very important.
[15:22] He comes to Him and He says, Lord, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man that thou takest account of him? Two different expressions. Man, son of man. Just to say, I am just dirt.
[15:33] Like, there's no reason you should pay attention to me. Man is vanity. Like, vanity is empty. His days are as a shadow which passes away. We should be amazed that God would take note of us.
[15:45] I was pulling up to the intersection near my house at the red light. And Carson said something about a dog. And I'm like, what dog are you talking about? And he said, that one right there. And I did not see that a man dressed in all black with a completely black dog was walking like right in front of me.
[16:02] It's a good thing I stopped at the red light, which is what I was supposed to do anyway. But I did not see this man at all. That man showed up on the scene. He passed. I'll never see him again.
[16:13] Hopefully not on the news, right? I don't know who he was. But he just passed. That should be all that I would be to the God of heaven at best. It's just a shadow that passed.
[16:24] I shouldn't mean anything to him. None of my problems should be his concern. But I am amazed. Lord, what is man that you would take knowledge of us, that you would give an account of us?
[16:37] He gives knowledge, emphasis on a personal, experiential knowledge. Like when we say in the Psalms that his way may be known. That same understanding.
[16:48] Be known. That experiential. We don't want just the world to hear about our God. We want them to experience our God. And to know him. This is the same thing that we are being told here. Is that he knows us.
[16:59] And then he goes and takes account of us. God actually thinks about all the human beings with specific plans and intentions. Isn't heaven, you know, I would say isn't heaven enough? But we will be with him for all eternity.
[17:12] So why should he care about us now? Why should he care about the problems that we carry? But he does. Man is like vanity. His days are a shadow that passes away. But he cares for us.
[17:23] So it's a reasonable question. Since man is like vapor in the book of James. Which apparently Zachariah and Travis have an inside joke about. We're not allowed to know. If man is a vapor and he vanishes away.
[17:35] And a shadow that is soon to be gone. Why would God stoop to help us? And based upon all these wonderful truths that we've covered already. Who God is. That he acknowledges us.
[17:46] Here David goes and makes his petition. Three different statements here. First of all he says. God come down. Divide and intervention. Verse 5. Bow to the heavens oh Lord. Come down.
[17:57] Touch the mountains. And they shall smoke. If you truly have found yourself in the battle of life. And the struggling. And you're just fighting. And you can't find the joy. And you can't find the happiness.
[18:09] And you just keep trying. And you keep trying. Tonight you just need to cry out to the Lord and say come down. I need help. I need you to bring into my life what I have lost.
[18:21] The Bible uses a description here of divine intervention. As we saw when God met with Moses on Mount Sinai. The psalmist was praying for some immediate deliverance. But the final answer will be the prayer answered undoubtedly from the second coming.
[18:35] Zechariah speaks about how the day upon the Mount of Olives. Which is before Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives. He will come and he will split the mountain. And so someday he will come and set all things that are wrong right.
[18:48] And so that's what we pray for. That's what we look for in his return. That's what we're waiting for. Is to see him who sets all things right. So come down. That's the first part of your prayer.
[18:59] Second of all. God scatter the enemy. Verse 6. Cast forth lightning and scatter them. Shoot them out thine arrows and destroy them. Father I just have to have this given to you.
[19:10] I can't handle this. I'm giving this to you. So scatter the enemy and then deliver us. Psalm 7. Verse 7. Send thou a hand from above. Rid me and deliver me out of the great waters and the hands of strange children.
[19:23] And so this hand of strange children. It speaks about the enemy that's been placed there. He's talking about being in the hands of the enemy. And then he says now put me in your hands.
[19:34] Represents God's powerful strength. These strangers here. They're non-Israelite forces that are harassing them. And that refrain that's been said twice now is rid me and deliver me.
[19:44] Take me out of this situation. And I want to be placed in your hands. And so the scribes as people whose right hand was of deceit. And their mouth were full of lies. Father I want out of that.
[19:55] And I want to be in your hands. And then he makes preparation. So he says those three things. Come down. Scatter the enemy. Deliver me. That's a simple prayer to say I need help.
[20:06] And then he says now let's make plans of how we're going to rejoice. I think that I will take that psaltery. The instrument with ten strings. And I will write a song unto the Lord. And it speaks about a new song.
[20:17] He wasn't trying to get a record deal. David's always writing new songs. You're like didn't you write enough of them? He wasn't looking for a record deal. What he was looking for was he needed a new opportunity to praise God. Because God had done something new in his life.
[20:29] As he went through the red book or the blue book or his scroll. And he just said what do we have for what God just did to me? None of these fit perfectly. Finally God deserves a new song that I'm going to write.
[20:43] We should be writing a new song and praising him. Not just sharing what he's done in the past. But he's doing new things in your life. Praise for the Lord who gives salvation. It is he that gives salvation unto the kings.
[20:54] So when God gives victory there is going to be peace. And the rest of the psalm describes what this is going to look like. I love this here. Being a dad knowing how much my life has an influence upon my kids happiness.
[21:11] The problem is also the blessing that in what we do it gets multiplied in our kids. What we feel they feel. The hurts we have can be passed down.
[21:23] Jeff Bush taught me a trick years ago. He says when the kids are just a certain age. If you take them camping this three years in a row. The rest of their lives they're going to say my dad always took me camping when I was young. All right. It multiplies.
[21:34] There's a multiplying effect when they are little. Poor Hudson. This is his third year. So he no more. He's not in here. Don't ruin it for him. But it has an influence in their lives.
[21:46] Verse 12. That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth. I don't know a dad in here that doesn't want their sons to be planted in a world that is trying to toss them to and fro.
[21:57] What do we want from our daughters? We want them to be like cornerstones. Polished as a similitude of a palace. We want them to be strong. We want them to be put on right there.
[22:08] And displayed as beautiful in all the ways that truly matter. And so described as a people. The sons that are settled in a land. They're flourishing. That they're putting down their roots.
[22:20] And then grown up. This shows a maturity that they can become strong. Who raises strong planted sons? Happy fathers.
[22:34] Daughters are adorned polished stones. Spurgeon said, So this preparation to sing a new song.
[22:51] He sees that the blessing of peace and happiness in his life is going to be extended to his family. And then he speaks about provision. God provides. And it's just these verses here to speak about abundance.
[23:03] Unless you think, Well, I want happiness in God because I want all these things which God is going to give me. The last verse sets that straight. So it speaks here about abundance and their food pantry being full.
[23:13] And all the things that would be needed. A fortified city. That they're going to be protected. They're safe. There'll be no complaining in our streets. Meaning that there's no enemy coming in and causing chaos inside of our homes.
[23:26] These outside forces are kept at bay. But he's acknowledging that the greatest blessing that nation will have is that they will have the Lord as their God. That's verse 15.
[23:36] Happy is that people. That is in such a case. Yea, happy is that people. Whom? Have provisions from 13 and 14? No. It is those whose God is the Lord.
[23:47] Which means happiness is not only possible. Happiness is possible right now in whatever situation that you're in. Because happiness is knowing that the Lord is your God.
[23:59] So this comes to the time of our response here. And so I ask you tonight, have you lost your happiness? Bo and I were talking earlier in the day about unnecessary.
[24:13] And I've done this before. The contrast happiness to joy. And I always think, can we just not have both? Can we not just have both? Happiness is a good word here.
[24:25] And it's available to us. People that are joyful can have happiness. Not having happiness in our life is a real indicator light of not recognizing who it is that can provide all the things needed in our lives.
[24:40] And so let's prepare to sing a new song. Consider how you're going to do it. Dan, you might go get you an instrument of 10 strings if you want to. That would be cool. All right. I may make a pizza. That's how I like to celebrate.
[24:50] All right. But let's consider how we're going to sing a new song. That in this moment, as we take a time to respond, speak to the Lord and say those things to him. Say, come down, Father.
[25:03] I'm handing this all over to you. You deliver me. Just say it to him. In any situation, in any country, at any time in history, the prayer will always be the same. He cares about you.
[25:13] You don't think he cares. You don't think other people care. You say, well, this problem, it shouldn't be a problem. I should be so mature right now that it's not a problem. Those are the things that really get me. I know better. I know better than to allow these things to pull me down.
[25:26] But they still do. It does not take much opposition to overcome me. That's why I have to pray. Come down. Fight my battles for me.
[25:37] One of my favorite verses, Luke 12, 32. Lest you think this is only applying to David and those children of Israel. This applies to you today, believer. Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
[25:52] Three descriptions of God there. If we're a little flock, then he's a shepherd. And there's times in my life I certainly know that I need a shepherd. I need guidance, little flock. It's your father's good pleasure, that position in your life of having a dad.
[26:06] If you had a great example of a dad, you long for knowing your heavenly father, and you're grateful for it. If you didn't have an earthly father that was helpful in your life, and then even more so, you desire to know your heavenly father, to give you the kingdom.
[26:20] And who can give you a kingdom? Only a king. A shepherd, a father, and a king. And then the best part of that, I haven't even told you yet. It's his good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
[26:32] He wants to help you right now. He wants to hear your prayer. He wants to hear you say, come down and get in the middle of this and provide for me what only you can secure for me.
[26:45] Psalm 144, verse 1. Blessed be the Lord, my strength. Somebody comes to the piano and plays, and I'm going to pray through this psalm here. But as they're playing on the piano, I just want to give you a moment.
[26:57] Your words to your God. You speak to him. You tell him to come down. You pray for him to deliver you. You to secure the happiness and the peace that is available for you.
[27:08] So let's pray together. And then after a moment, I will lead us in this prayer through this psalm. Let's pray together.
[27:43] Heavenly Father, I say blessed be your name.
[28:03] I want to thank you for the strength that you have given us and you have taught us how to war. Father, we would not be here tonight if you have not overcome so many things in our lives. So many things, Lord, wanted to take us out.
[28:16] So many things we've had to overcome in a world that hates us because it hates you. In a world, Lord, we live in and I've paid the consequences of my own sins, but you have allowed me, Lord, to fight.
[28:29] And even in my hands, Lord, that strength that I had came from you. And I want to say blessed be your name. Thank you. You are my goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the one in whom I trust.
[28:45] You sedue my people underneath me, Lord. You are the one that brings protection. You are the only one that I would turn to at this time. I reject any self-desire, Lord, to be my own refuge.
[28:59] Father, we are vanity. We are empty. You should not look down upon us. You should take knowledge of us. You shouldn't make yourself noble to us. But you have. The Holy Spirit, Lord, have understanding of this word that you've given me.
[29:13] And you've secured a place for me that you have thoughts towards me. There are thoughts of peace. And I'm so very grateful that you are mindful of us. And so, Father, I pray that you would come down and that you would do a work among my brothers and sisters, that you would cast away and scatter the enemies.
[29:33] If those enemies be real problems that are in their lives, that they could face differently after you have now come down, if they be troubles in their lives, or if they just be thoughts of the enemy, the accuser of the brother, I pray that you would scatter them, Lord, and send your hand, Lord, and deliver us.
[29:51] Rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children, Father. So your mouth, Father, their mouth was vanity, but your words are just full of life.
[30:03] So we hear you tonight, Lord, as you speak from your word. At their right hand was falsehood, but you are nothing but truth. And so we prepare, Father, to sing a new song unto you, O God, upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
[30:16] Whatever we have available to us, Lord, is worthy of giving you praise. Father, you give salvation to kings and the servants. And nobody, the king or a servant, Father, would find it outside of you.
[30:30] So thank you, Father. And then, Father, I pray for our sons and for our daughters. Would you plant them, and would you do a wonderful work in their lives.
[30:41] May they have the wonderful benefit of having joyful, happy people that are showing them what it means to follow you. Father, the oxen may be strong, and our pantries may be full, but the thing that we rejoice in tonight is that you are our God, and we are a happy people because you are our Lord.
[31:04] In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen.