[0:00] All right, please open your songbooks to Psalm 91, all right? Open your Bibles to Psalm 91. Call it a songbook because as we have seen, these are songs that are written and they're sung.
[0:12] And as we study psalms, we learn about music. I don't know much about music. I know the day when I sent a picture of this piano kind of accordion thing the day to Kristen.
[0:24] And I said, you don't need a new piano. You need one of these, all right? She said, that's not going to work. So I learned a little bit about music today from sending her that picture. But in Psalm 91, we see that there's two groups going back and forth.
[0:39] And it could be it's one choir speaking to another or people singing different parts. I don't know if you've ever seen that. I've only seen it one time before. It's incredible. The First Baptist of Jacksonville and the choir was just had about maybe a third full up there in the choir.
[0:54] And the service was about to start and the doors opened up and a predominantly black church choir came in. And they came up and they filled up the rest of the choir.
[1:05] And it was one of the coolest things I'd ever saw. So there's two choirs singing together. And they would sing different parts back and forth one to another. Psalm 91, we have a little bit of back and forth.
[1:17] So much detail put into the music, into the songs that are given to us. So I'm going to talk to you about Psalm chapter number 91. And I really appreciate those that come on Thursday nights.
[1:29] I know how much, how you worked all day. And I know Matt came just straight from work. And many of you came straight from work. And so I'd like to ask Daniel and Eli and Hayes to help me out here for a second.
[1:40] Hey, remember that time that Trent tried to put together a tent on stage and it didn't go very well? That's tonight. All right. You guys come up here, okay? And so one summer, we get some help. You can recruit some help with you if you want.
[1:53] You think you need some help, the three of you? Matthew, they want Matthew. They wanted an adult. That's what they decided, all right? More adult. All right. So this is a tent, okay? If you wouldn't mind putting this together for me.
[2:04] I thought about trying a bit. Not a good idea. One summer, we put together my... I would tell you that I put them together. My sister, if she ever visits, she's going to tell you she put them together. Don't listen to her.
[2:14] She's going to tell you a lot of things that aren't necessarily true about our childhood. But we put tents together all summer long. And my family had bought a semi-truck trailer full of tent parts.
[2:27] You aren't listening to me at all about this, are you? And they had bought all these parts and we had put tents together. And as soon as we put them together, somebody would come by and buy them. Because if you've ever been camping, I've camped with the Little Fields.
[2:40] The first thing that you're going to need if you go camping is you need something to protect you from the elements, all right? You've got to have a tent. That's incredible, isn't it?
[2:51] I'm selling these tents after the service. $49.99. I got it off Amazon. It's incredible. It's a lot. That's good enough. We're done. It serves the purpose of what we need here. Oh, wait, no, go ahead.
[3:01] Finish it. That's great. And so, well, let's get it up on flat ground, guys. I can't sleep like this. All right? All right. Nice. And so, we put together, thank you so much, we put together dozens of tents that summer.
[3:17] And we sold them just immediately because it's such, let's give them a round of applause there. They're like the Dukes of Hazzard. I think they did that in under three minutes. That was quite impressive. And so, in putting these tents together and selling them, you understand how important it is that people would have that.
[3:35] I mean, you've been camping without a tent. You're being in a bad place. And so, Psalm 91, you know, is about the shadow of the Almighty. It's about the refuge that we would have in life.
[3:46] Today, I was reminded of a story of Elijah, 1 Kings 19.4. Elijah, after calling fire down from heaven. In 1 Kings 19.4, it says, he sat down under a juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die.
[4:01] And he said, it is enough now, O Lord. Take away my life, for I'm not better than my friends. He threw up his hands and he said, it's enough. But then God brought him to a point where God says, I am enough.
[4:13] That God is enough. And he had this time that he got to spend in the presence of God, that God provided for him. And there's many different ways that you could describe it. But God became a refuge for him.
[4:27] I wouldn't recommend that you go camping without a tent. And I would not recommend at all that you would live any moment of life without knowing that God is a refuge. Life is just too difficult.
[4:39] I mean, you'll be winning one day like Elijah. He was really winning in every way possible, every metric possible. When you're calling down fire from heaven, you're winning, all right? And then the next moment, he's just at the bottom and he just said, it's enough.
[4:52] I mean, it's just a strong language. And if God wouldn't have refreshed him, God fed him, he took a nap, and that's a spiritual thing to do, right? And he did all those things that were seen in that passage.
[5:03] But what he got was he got time with God. He got away from all the thoughts that he had where he thought that it was enough and he saw that God was enough. And so that's enough about that introduction.
[5:14] I want to read to you Psalm 91 and walk through it together. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High God shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress.
[5:28] My God and him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shall thou trust.
[5:39] His truth shall be the shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
[5:51] A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh to thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked, because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.
[6:08] There shall be no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up with their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the stone.
[6:21] Thou shalt thread upon a lion and an adder. The young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet, because he has set his love upon me. Therefore will I deliver him.
[6:32] I will set him on high, because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.
[6:46] The title on the handout you have tonight is that the Lord protects those that trust in him. That is good news, all right? If there's any doubt tonight, I want you to know that we have been given good news.
[7:00] Heavenly Father, I'd ask that you would help us, Lord, understand the meaning of this text. Lord, understand the meaning of your word for us. Lord, we haven't been in Elijah's situation, but we have been at times where we felt it was enough, and we needed a refuge, where I'm so thankful that we find that in you, Lord, that you protect those, Lord, that trust in you.
[7:20] Lord, I pray that would be true about all of us in here tonight. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. So as we look here tonight, first thing I want you to realize in verse number one, he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High.
[7:32] And we hear that God intends that every Christian to experience a confidence that comes from knowing that he cares for us, and not knowing this leads to all kinds of problems in our Christian life.
[7:45] He is our refuge. He is our fortress. We trust in him. We trust in the truth. We can abide in him. But there's a real problem with homelessness. There's a real problem with not knowing.
[7:56] There's a real problem with camping when you don't have a place to go. God intends that every Christian would experience a measure of safety and security in an unsafe world. And if you do not know what kind of security that comes from God and the gospel, it's going to lead to all kinds of crippling problems in the Christian life.
[8:16] It can lead to an inability to forgive, because it means that you have to give up control and the desire to balance the scales. That feels really unsafe. It might mean that you have the ability to repent, or you might have the fear of man.
[8:28] That means that you acknowledge that you're vulnerable, and you feel unsafe. You may feel that things are out of control. It could cause you to pursue wrong relationships. One of our interns said that they were working with a teenager, not at this church, at another church, and they said, I know what's going on.
[8:46] It was the man telling me a story about his wife. He says, I know what's going on in this teenage girl's life, because I was there. And she's just looking for what I was looking for, which was protection, and love, and safety, a refuge.
[9:02] She just needed to go somewhere. When she said, it's enough, I need to be able to call time out on life, enough that I can get alone, and have a place to go. But when you don't have a place to go, then it leads to all kinds of crippling problems, because then you have to constantly protect yourself.
[9:20] You have to be constantly doing all this work, and I want to remind you tonight that you live in the protective care of the Lord, that He cares for you.
[9:32] And so this is a life of confident trust. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High. Who is it available for? He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High. It's available for every body, every one of us in here.
[9:47] And it's exciting. It's not a place, but it is a person. Psalm 91 verse 9, Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, has made the Lord, which is my habitation.
[10:02] That is not a place, but it's a person. I know that sounds nice, but it does more than sound nice. It really is very nice. Have you ever been camping when a storm came? We camped through a tornado when I was in middle school, and I remember we were in the tent, and the storm came, and then it just got so bad that we got out of it, and we got into the van that we had, and we were watching.
[10:25] And then I remember thinking, man, I felt safe in that tent for a little bit, but now I'm in this van, and that tent was just taken, and it was gone. And then now we're in the van, and the van's shaking back and forth, and I'm thinking, I was feeling safe in that tent, and the tent's gone.
[10:39] Now I'm in the van, and what's going to happen next? That I looked at that, and I just thought, that is not going to provide enough comfort and safety for me. There's not enough comfort and safety in this world to protect us from all that comes our way.
[10:54] It has to be found in a person. We cannot make a home safe enough for our children. We cannot make a church that is holy enough and united enough and all the words you want to say that's going to protect you from yourself.
[11:08] It can only be found in a person, and that's a person we sum tonight. My hope is in Jesus. It's only in Him. It's not in no organizational structure. It's in no religion.
[11:19] It is in no church. It is not in your goodness, but it's going to be found in Him, the Most High, higher than all the kings of the earth or all the idols of the nations, a protection that did not come from self-defense, a protection from sinful people, protection that was not from our circumstances or from our wealth, and we do not hope in chariots that they sung about the night.
[11:42] We do not hope in our abilities, but our God is where we would find our refuge. And it says a shadow. So He's the Almighty God, and we can hide in His shadow.
[11:52] Warren Wiersbe says, safest place in the world is a shadow if it is the shadow of the Almighty. It's wonderful, isn't it? If it's in the shadow of the Almighty, because in that shadow is a closeness to Him.
[12:04] You can't have a shadow without that closeness. I love that as one preacher said, God is a homemaker, not a hotel manager. You're supposed to live there. You're supposed to live in His presence.
[12:15] You're not supposed to visit. You're supposed to live there in His presence. James 4, 7, Submit yourself therefore to the God, resist the devil, and He will flee from you. Live in the shadow of the Almighty.
[12:26] That's what we're told to do. And then it's a personal testimony. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him will I trust. My refuge, my fortress, my God.
[12:39] We get to say that we belong to God, and that God belongs to us in a personal way. That's what we want for all of our kids, right? That's my God. That's my church.
[12:50] But, you know, that's my family's church. That's what we believe. But we want them to say, no, that's my God. That's where I worship. This is where I go. It's personal. That every one of us would have that.
[13:01] And so do you remember when God became your refuge, your fortress, and your God, when He became very personal to you? Is this song very personal to you? And it should be that you personally have Him as a refuge, and you need Him for it.
[13:18] This is a two-man tent, but I've been in there with another person, and it's not a two-man tent, all right? That you said that if one man snores, then it's not a two-man tent, all right? And so, but every one of us have to have that personal refuge, that personal place that we can go and be with the Lord, and we can live a life of confident trust as a life of security.
[13:40] You know, there's nothing like helping a kid feel loved, cared for, and safe. You know, to take a kid who was scared and who might get to, you know, stay with you for a short time, and just to say, you can see the fear that he has had upon his life, and to not be a very big person.
[13:59] You can't tell if the lights make me look bigger than I am, all right? To not be a very big person, but to tell that kid, there is nothing on this property that I am not looking after, that this place is safe.
[14:10] This is a safe place for you. And to walk them around and say, everything here is made with you in mind. You are loved. You are cared for. You know, the God of heaven could take me at any place in this world.
[14:22] He could take me to visit South Africa. He could take me to any place. He could take me to the moon if he wanted to. And he'd say, there's not a square inch of this universe where I don't watch over you, and I don't care for you. You're under my watch care.
[14:34] All the time, you have it. The plans of the enemy, the snare of the fowler. That's what it's talking about. The snare that was set for the bird that would be there. That's the plans of the enemy. This noisome pestilence, this unstoppable disease that's going to kill thousands of people.
[14:49] But he says, I would stand that God can deliver us from all of that, the things that's reaching everybody, or the things that are specifically planned for us. He will deliver us. And then what's the picture that's given?
[14:59] It's as a mother bird that lifts the wings there. Matthew 23 to 37 says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. And I would say, would you fill your name in? O Trent, O Trent, thou killest the prophets and stonest them which sent unto thee.
[15:13] How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Trent, I sent my word to you, and you weren't listening. But if you would have just calmed down for a second, I would have gathered you under my care.
[15:28] I would have put you underneath my wings, and I would have watched after you. And it says that he is our shield and buckler. And then what does it say here in the passage?
[15:39] Is our shield and buckler? It says that it is the trust, his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. So we get a picture of what it is.
[15:49] And so you could say, well, I don't know what it's like to stand behind the shield or underneath the buckler. So what is that shield and buckler in my life that would protect me? The Bible told us it's truth.
[16:00] That God, I'm going to hide myself in your truth. And then I'm going to live in integrity. And I'm going to obey your word. And I'm going to trust you. And I'm going to draw this circle. And if God, if I stand here in truth, I'm going to stand in your watch care.
[16:13] And I'm not going to move. And no matter how bad the storm gets, I'm not going to move. Because in your truth, there is protection. And there is protection for those that trust in him.
[16:25] What a wonderful protection. Sometimes I get a call from Ackerman Security. That's what the church has. And the fire alarm will go off. And they'll call me in the middle of the night. And they'll say, hey, is your church on fire?
[16:35] And I'll say, it's 2 a.m., man. I sure hope not. I've got to go back to bed, all right? And then they'll say, is it on fire? And I'm like, I want to say it can't be on fire. I mean, we've got sprinklers. There's nobody there. I mean, the way buildings are built, Brother Brett says, please stop talking about fire safety, all right?
[16:50] And I just say, I don't think it's on fire. But I've got to get up. Because I sure don't want to come here the next day. I'm like, well, I guess the church was on fire. My bad, you know? Meeting on a concrete slab and say, well, you see what happened was that he called me, but it was 2 a.m.
[17:04] And I said, don't worry about it. But it's 24-7. That's the big thing they pay. I mean, none of us are going to get fire safety or get security on this and say, no, we only work 9 to 5. After that, you're on your own.
[17:16] But look what God says, verse 5, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night. A lot of scary things when you're a kid come at night. Then you get to an adult and you go, no, the night's the most peaceful and wonderful place.
[17:28] It's the daytime where everybody's scary. Nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Night, day, noonday, 24-7 protection.
[17:43] Psalm 127, 5 and 6. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. Day and night, he is watching after you and your family.
[17:59] One man said, courage is fear that it said its prayers. We can say our prayers and we can live with the confidence that God is protecting those who trust in him. The Lord will protect the ones who trust in him.
[18:11] A thousand shall fall at the side, verse 7, and ten thousand at thy right hand. But it shall not come nigh to thee. Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
[18:22] It says, a thousand will fall, but it shall not come nigh to thee. Don't live in fear. God will take care of the wicked. Exodus 14, 13.
[18:33] And Moses said unto thy people, fear ye not, stand still and see salvation of the Lord, which he shall show you this day. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.
[18:47] What a strong statement. The Egyptians that are there. All these thousands of people that are following you. What's going to happen? You're not going to see them ever again.
[18:57] There's a protection. And we're going to understand that bad things come to those that are trusting in the Lord. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that God protects us from evil.
[19:08] That God allows us to live a life that is unique and distinct from those that are around us. Protection, not only from bad things in this world, bad people, but we have protection from a holy God.
[19:20] Verse 9. In the New Testament we say it like this, Ephesians 2, 4 and 5.
[19:34] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ.
[19:46] By grace ye are saved. We have been hid in the shadow of the Almighty, which means that we're safe from evil. We're safe from the wickedness.
[19:56] We're safe from the consequences of the sin that we would be dealing with if we were not living in the truth. And most importantly, we are saved from the wrath of God that is going to come upon this world for all those who are not found underneath the wing and trusting in him.
[20:14] And God does this in a supernatural way. How many of you have heard that you've had your own personal guardian angel? Anybody? You've heard that before? Some of you have killed them off with the way you drive, right?
[20:26] You had to get a backup guardian angel. We had a lady visit. Miss Sandy would remember this. And she had the ability to see our guardian angels. And she told me about the guardian angels that followed me. They were bearded.
[20:36] They were glorious people, all right? And they could see your guardian angels. I do not see your guardian angels here. And so you think that's a nice thought. I'll tell you there's something better.
[20:47] Every time in the Bible, anytime you hear a myth about Jesus or the Bible, you're going to know that reality is better, all right? The truth is better. Verse 11, For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all the ways.
[21:00] They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash the foot against the stone. They shall tread upon the lion and the adder. He shall give his angels charge over thee. What do we know about his angels? Legions of angels.
[21:12] Thousands of angels. An army of angels. He is the Lord of angel armies. There's an army of angels, all right? It takes too much to keep up with Greg to have a single guardian angel.
[21:24] There needs to be an army of angels looking after him and after you, which is to say that the way that he cares for us is in a supernatural way with his resources available to us.
[21:38] If I told you that I was going to provide protection for you, you should not sleep well at night, okay? I have nothing for you. One man attended our church, Jonathan Clapp.
[21:48] He was having a fun conversation. I hope you hear this, Jonathan. And he was talking about a zombie apocalypse. And what everybody could offer. And a zombie apocalypse. And he looked at me and he said, Trent, don't come.
[21:58] You have nothing to offer us, all right? And I'm like, this is a made-up story. Why you got to go and tell me? He's like, well, just in case. I would shoot you in the driveway, all right? And I would provide absolutely no protection for you.
[22:11] But the God of heaven has all his resources. His army of angels is available for you. That's so much better than this idea of a personal guardian angel. Psalm 34, 7, The angel Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them.
[22:28] I know you don't hear Baptist preachers say this very much. I'm talking about spiritual warfare. I'm talking about the fact that I really believe the Bible teaches that there are angels and that the fight that we are in is spiritual and that I not only have one guardian angel, but I have an angel army that God is using to protect me as I trust in him.
[22:49] So the promises must be properly understood to be appreciated or they're not going to be comforting at all. We've mentioned this when we were in Luke chapter number 4. This is one of the verses that Satan tries to quote directly.
[23:03] And when he quotes it, he misapplies it. And that's what he does. Right now, if we were to be quiet, we'd hear in the other room that kids are listening, they're memorizing Bible verses. One of the greatest things about Awanam.
[23:15] But you know memorizing Bible verses is only the first step. If we don't help them properly apply the Bible verses, they're not going to be helpful for them. A misapplied Bible verse is one that is not going to allow you to see the promises that God has for you.
[23:31] So does abiding in the shadow mean that no harm can come our way? Matthew 4, 5, and 6, And the devil taketh them into the holy city and saith them on a pinnacle of the temple. And he saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, in Psalm 91, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and their hands they shall bear thee up, lest that any time thou shalt dash the foot against the stone.
[23:54] So does it mean that being in the shadow means that no harm would come to us? And the answer is no. Dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty and abiding in the shelter of the Most High means trusting implicitly in the love of God, the power of God, to give you everything you need to do His will and to glorify His name, whether it is in life or in death.
[24:17] Jude 21, Keep yourself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ, unto our eternal life. John 15, 9, And the Father hath loved me, so I have loved you. Continue ye in my love.
[24:30] One of the things that really altered my heart as a teenager was reading Fox's book of martyrs and learning about people that God protected all the way through death, who died a martyr's death, trusting in His love.
[24:43] And God protected them through it because He took away the death from them and He gave them life. And they were only translated from this world into a new one.
[24:54] Who do you think of when we say the shadow of the Almighty? Every one of you here think of a certain missionary and that is? Jim Elliot. Jim Elliot. Sherry P for 500, all right? And so Elizabeth Elliot wrote a book, but was she naive and unbiblical?
[25:08] The title of her husband's book, The Shadow of the Almighty, even though he and his four other friends who went to Wheaton College, like the Whithomes here, they were speared to death by the Aka Indians on January the 8th, 1956 in Ecuador.
[25:23] While they were trying to evangelize them. Was she naive to say that? Did she not have an understanding what the shadow of the Almighty is? Had the opportunity to go there, that she'll met him, to see that, to see one of the men that was part of that group.
[25:39] Mark wasn't there and I wasn't supposed to bring that up because Luke was about to be born. It's Luke's fault, all right? And so we went there. How do you, you know, people that do CrossFit and the people that have been where Jim Elliot died, you know how you can know if they did that, right?
[25:55] They talk about it, all right? If you've known me for very long, I talk about the fact, I mean, it's one of the biggest memories of my life. Of all the trips I've taken, Mark, highlight of my life. I just cannot believe you weren't there.
[26:06] It was unbelievable. And, but then we saw that and we saw how God had transformed those people and we saw a church there and we worshiped with them and we sung about Jesus because they die and the gospel keeps marching on as their wives took the Bibles and sat down with them because God protected them.
[26:25] He didn't deliver them over to the evil one. So the answer is no. They were not naive. Did Jim Elliot lack faith? The answer is no. Hebrews is going to tell you of saints that through faith, they escaped the edge of the sword.
[26:37] That's Hebrews 11, 34. But it's also going to tell you of saints, Hebrews 11, 36, that and others had a trial of cruel mockings and scourgings and yea, moreover bonds and imprisonment.
[26:49] They were stoned. They were sawn asunder and tempted and slain with the sword and they were wandered about and sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy.
[27:00] They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. That's a life of faith as well. God delivered some from the sword and he delivered some into the sword but they both lived lives of faith because they were hidden in the shadow of the Almighty.
[27:13] Can't tell you bad things don't come to you when you hide in the shadow of the Almighty but I can tell that he protects you and that's all that we need. It doesn't matter if the danger is open or if it's hidden. That's what it says in verse 13.
[27:25] Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder, the young and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. I would encourage you when you read verses like this and you say what's the value you can start studying about the lion and the adder.
[27:37] The truth that you're looking for is usually found in the contrast between the one that's said and the other. One of them is the visible and one that's not hidden. I've always said I'd rather die by a lion attack than a snake, right?
[27:49] The snake you don't see that it's coming and it attacks you but then the other one comes. And so the assurance of our safety and security in times of terrifying threats comes from a wholehearted trust in the presence of the Lord.
[28:01] And so as I follow Him, He can protect me from those things that I don't see that are coming my way. He can also protect me from that thing that I see screaming in my faith that's coming at me at a hundred miles an hour.
[28:13] God speaks about those. This is how we end tonight. This is how God speaks about those who trust in Him. It talks about our devotion to God. At the very beginning, it was like, He that dwelleth, I will say of the Lord.
[28:26] It speaks of the Lord and our devotion to God for those who have trusted in Him. Because He hath set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver Him.
[28:38] I will set Him on high because He has known my name. He has set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver Him. That speaks of a devotion unto God that I have placed my full confidence here in the Lord and He will deliver me.
[28:55] And I have known my name. He has known my name. Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things work together for good that love God to whom that are called according to His purpose.
[29:06] We're people that know God. God does not fulfill His promises for those that have memorized the promises, but it's for those that know Him. Not just memorizing Bible verses. I remember my niece Abby, she had, and when I, and times I am afraid I will trust in Him, something like that.
[29:25] And she had that upon her room. She didn't learn to trust in the God by just quoting that. She learned it by going from the wall and in the scriptures into her heart and really knowing God.
[29:38] What time I am afraid I will trust in Him. You can know of God, know His name, but you need to call on His name through prayer. Verse 15, Who's speaking there?
[29:58] It was God. He shall call upon me. James 4, 2, and 3, You lust and have not. You kill and desire to have and you cannot obtain. You fight and you war, yet you have not because you ask not.
[30:10] You ask and you receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lust. We trust Him and we love Him and we know His name, but the Bible tells us that we need to call upon Him.
[30:23] How do I find myself enjoying the security and the confidence of living in His presence? As I call out and I say, God, I trust in You.
[30:34] I'm calling upon You that You alone are my hope and in nothing else. So we see God's devotion to Him and who we trust in. There's these six I will statements and going into that place.
[30:50] Six I will statements. It says, Because He has set His love upon me, therefore I will deliver Him. It says, He has known my name. It says, I will deliver Him.
[31:01] This is the Lord speaking. He will deliver Him. I will be with Him in trouble. I will satisfy Him. I will honor Him. I will show Him my salvation. These promises that are given to us from the Lord.
[31:14] And so we look at what's offered to us. It says that we will be delivered from fear today and from the circumstances of all eternity. God may not deliver you.
[31:24] Robert Canfield taught an incredible lesson this many years ago. God may not deliver me from my circumstances, but He can deliver me from the fear of my circumstances today.
[31:35] God can deliver you today as He has delivered you for all eternity from evil and wickedness that would come after you. The Satan who would have your soul, He has delivered you from that.
[31:46] Spurgeon says, It is impossible that any ill shall happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord. The most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey. And hasten him to his reward.
[31:56] Ill to him is no ill, but is good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him. Sickness in his medicine. Reproach in his honor. Death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him.
[32:09] For everything is overruled for good. Happy is He who is in such a case. He is secured where others are in peril. He lives where others die.
[32:21] Calamities can only shorten our journey and hasten us to our reward. I mean, that will help you get away from some fear. When you look at the worst thing this world can do to you, you can know that the world is not worthy of those that suffer His name.
[32:37] The second says, He will be with us in trouble. He will honor us. He will protect us. He will protect their name. He will honor us. He will protect us. He will vindicate us. And then it says, He will satisfy us.
[32:49] He will satisfy us. And that's such a wonderful thing. Warren Wiersbe says, It is one thing for a doctor to add years to your life, but only God can add life to your years.
[33:02] I love that so much. It says here that all these promises that God makes, what is the promise of going into that place? What is the promise of living in the shadow of the Almighty? That He delivers us from trouble?
[33:14] That He is there with us in our trouble is what He promised to be. That even when we're not delivered from it, that we would be there in His presence and that He would give us a satisfaction in life.
[33:26] That He wouldn't just add years to our life, which would be the norm, that He would protect us. That it would be the norm, but He would add a quality that is to us.
[33:36] So, in closing, I tell you this. You need to realize that God's presence in your trouble is far better than the absence of trouble without Him.
[33:48] You're safe with Him. You're home with Him. And so, let's be thankful for that. We have that opportunity. Just like I said in that storm, I saw my tent blow away and I thought, man, that is no protection for me.
[34:02] All of you have seen the things in your life that you thought was going to give you purpose and identity and protection and all that, and you've seen them just go and leave. Everything is just going to go and leave.
[34:13] You're not going to find it in anything or in any person outside the Almighty God. And He told you how much He loved you. He loves you so much and that's the reason that He would protect us because He had this love for us.
[34:27] So, just as confident as you can be, as confident as you can be in God's love for you, you can be confident in His protection for you. And so, I'm not going to crawl in this tent tonight and ask you to crawl into that tent, okay?
[34:40] I know Stephanie's wondering if I'm going to do more with this tent, all right? Don't worry about that. But in a very real way, every one of you better have a tent that you can set up very quickly. You better have a place in that you can go.
[34:53] Those young men did that in three minutes, but there's times in your life that you don't have three minutes. You need Him immediately. You live close to Him. You live in the shadow. You live in His presence. And when things come and troubles come at you, you don't protect yourself.
[35:07] You don't fight for yourself. You don't look for security or anything else, but you say, I'm going to hide underneath your wing and your wing is the truth, Lord. Your wing is, I trust in you, Lord, and you can find it.
[35:19] Because some of us are being crippled by that just wandering around, trying to find it in somebody, in something else. I like working with teenagers because they're like honest humans, all right? They're like honest adults.
[35:30] Their crippling problems of not feeling loved and protected are lived out and you can see them. I don't know what it looks like in your life. It may be found in a different way. Maybe you're working, trying to protect yourself in a certain way.
[35:43] Maybe you're doing all these things. I want to tell you that is not where you're supposed to find your protection in this world. It's in Him. So I'd like to ask you, do you have that tonight? Do you have that confidence, that assurance that He loves and He cares for you no matter how bad the storm gets, you have a place to go?
[36:01] Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you. Find that tonight. Find that in Him. Tell Him, Father, I've looked for it in other places and I'm tired. I'm coming to You. I need the ability to come and to hide in You because my heart is restless and I'm looking for my rest to be found in You and You alone.
[36:19] Heavenly Father, thank You for this psalm, Lord. Thank You for making it possible for us to read and to understand, but more so than a psalm, Lord, I'm thankful for You that You would love us and that You would make these promises, that You would be with us in a time of trouble, that You would deliver us, that You would give us protection 24-7, that we can trust in You, that You love us, Lord, that You've given us life that is so satisfying, Lord.
[36:49] Forgive us where we find our dwellings in any other place other than that secret place. Lord, forgive us where we look for protection in anything outside of You. oVA oB oB oE