Bitter and Blessed Lessons from the Birds

Men. Let's read a few.

Verses from God's Word. We're going to turn today to

Psalm 102, Psalm 102, and we will read together the 1st 14

verses of the chapter, Psalm 102.

Let's hear the Word of God, Psalm 102.

Hear my prayer, O Lord. Let my cry come unto thee, Hide

not thy face from me in the day when I am in.

Trouble incline thine ear. Unto me in the day when I call,

answer me speedily, For my days are consumed like smoke, and my.

Bones are burnt. As an hearth.

My heart is smitten and weathered like grass so that I

forget to eat my bread by reason of the.

Voice of my. Groaning, my bones cleave to my

skin. I am like a Pelican of the

wilderness. I am like a Nile of the desert.

I watch and now. As a Sparrow.

Alone upon the housetop mine enemies reproach me all the day,

and they that are mad. Against me or sworn against me?

For I've eaten ashes like bread. And mingled my.

Drink with weeping because of thine indignation and thy wrath,

for thou has. Lifted me up.

And cast me down. My days are like a.

Shadow that. Declineth and I am withered like

grass. But thou O.

Lord shall endure forever. And thy remembrance unto.

All generations thou shall arise and have mercy upon.

Zion for the set. Time to favour her, Yeah, the

set time has come for Thy servants take pleasure in her

stones, and favour the dust thereof.

Amen to God, and stamp his own approval and blessing this

reading of His own precious. Infallible word in.

My text this. Morning is taken from Psalm 102,

Psalms 102:6

verses 6 and 7, the psalmist said.

I am like a. Pelican of the wilderness.

I am like an Isle of the desert. I watch and I'm as a Sparrow.

Alone upon the housetop now you've entitled.

This message, the bitter and blessed lessons.

Of the birds. For those who were here on the

Tuesday night past, we had a visit and a testimony.

From Doctor Ron Neller. Of the creation ministries, he

was an atheist. An evolutionist, a man who

studied landscapes as a. Professor and scientist.

And one day he came to the. Conclusion Studying the

landscapes. There.

Must be a God. And that started him on a

spiritual journey and him. Along with his wife.

Julie, who was here. He eventually came.

To personal. Faith in Christ.

Put their hand up. On a meeting and trusted Christ

as Lord and Saviour we had a lovely time.

In the Lord's. Presence.

It's good to be. Here at the book.

Table afterwards in. Speaking to Julie.

I bought a set. Of the Creation magazine and I

brought the current article that Julie gave me on Tuesday night

and. Whenever I went home and.

Read it. The article that was most

eye-catching to me was this one, Pondering the Majestic Pelican.

Now, I've always been fascinated.

As you know, with Bible animals. With the birds.

Of the Bible and. This article gives a.

Tremendous insight into the. Features and the flight.

And the facts. Of the Pelican.

And before I went to bed. I looked up the word Pelican and

I discovered there's three references to the.

Pelican in the Bible Look, sorry, Leviticus 11/18.

Deuteronomy 14, verse 17. And Psalm 100.

Deuteronomy 14:17

And two verse 6. I am like a Pelican of the

wilderness. Now 3 in the Bible is the

number. Of witness.

And no. Wonder the article called.

Pondering the majestic Pelican. So so when I awoken.

Wednesday morning I had. Psalm 102 in my mind.

I had these words. I am like a.

Pelican of the Wilderness. And then as I.

Read the Psalm again. So probably tired on Tuesday

night, as you could well imagine.

And then? When I read it.

Again on the. Wednesday morning I discovered

there's two more birds mentioned.

Look again at the text. I am like a Pelican of the

wilderness one. I am like a Nile of the desert.

Too, I watch and I'm as a. Sparrow.

Alone upon the housetop. So that got me thinking and then

I looked again at. Psalm 102 and.

Noticed the title. A.

Prayer of the afflicted when he is.

Overwhelmed and poureth out his. Complaint before the Lord.

Now I. Believe that this prayer was

uttered by King David perhaps. During the time when?

He was on the run from King Saul being haunted for his life.

Like an animal. It could also have.

Been written during. The time of his exile from

Jerusalem, when he. Was facing Absalon's.

Rebellion. It's interesting.

That Psalm 102 is sandwiched between Psalm 101 and Psalm 100

and. Three.

And if you look at the title of those psalms, it says a Psalm of

David. See, some people try to tell us.

Daniel wrote this. Other people say no, it was

Ezra. Other people say it was.

Nehemiah and they spend a whole. Lot of time trying to argue.

As to who the. Author was but I.

Have to tell. You it doesn't.

Really matter even though the author isn't given.

This is a prayer of the afflicted, so whoever the

author. Was he was afflicted and not

only that. He was overwhelmed.

In his affliction and on top of that, then he, he, he.

Poured out his complaint before the Lord.

He took his burden to the Lord. And.

He left it there. Psalm 100.

And two is also a messy Alex Sam.

Because it's quoted in the book. Of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:10

Chapter 1, verses 10 through to 12 and.

When you read especially. The 1st 11 verses.

Before. You come to the.

Butt of verse 12. You'll.

Discover that the psalmist David has taken up.

With. Himself 20 times he.

Uses the personal pronoun. I look at our.

Text. I am like a.

Pelican of the Wilderness. I am like a.

Nile of the Desert. I watch.

And I was a. Sparrow alone upon the.

House. Top.

You see in these 11 verses. King David is describing.

For us. How he is feeling.

He's revealing to. Us the true state and condition

of. His heart and mind I.

Have no doubt that. He's facing a very distressing

situation for. Him.

It's a day of trouble. It's a day of better complaint.

And as he. Ponders a situation.

He describes himself. Like these three birds, what am

I? Like in my situation.

I'm like a Pelican. I'm like an owl.

And I'll add to. That I'm like a.

Sparrow. See what's he doing?

He's taking us to the. Aviary He.

Wants us to study and look at a bit of what we call biblical.

Ornithology. That's a study of the birds.

And of course the birds of the air are worthy of a study.

And if we were to study all the birds of the Bible, we would

learn a whole lot of things. Today I just.

Want to look at? These three birds.

Because they're in my mind on Wednesday morning, I thought we

may just focus on the Pelican. But.

We're going to. Look at these other.

Birds think with. Me. 1 The category of these

birds. I am like a.

Pelican underline that I am like a Nile underline that I watch

Shanam as a Sparrow. So you've got three birds here.

Pelican, owl and Sparrow, and in the study of these three.

Birds. We learned this that.

Two out of the. Three birds are unclean birds.

The. Pelican's an unclean.

Bird the owl. Is an unclean bird.

How do we know? Are you just?

Making that up, No Listen to what?

The Bible says it's always good to go back to the.

Bible to the Law and to the. Testimony they.

Speak not according to this word, it's because there's.

No light in there. This is what God says.

And the swan and the Pelican. And the Gear Eagle.

So I'm reading from Leviticus Chapter 11 verse 18.

Leviticus 11:18

That's one of the references to the Pelican.

And then of course we read there in the book of Deuteronomy, in

Deuteronomy 14, verse 17, and the Pelican and the.

Deuteronomy 14:17

Gear Eagle and the. Cormorant, you see these?

Birds. Are.

Unclean. Birds see the Pelican.

Is not a little. Bird The.

Pelican's a big. Bird.

It's like the. Size of a swarm.

It's got. Webbed feet it.

Eats fish and God. Says.

It wasn't to be eaten. For food.

The Pelican along with the owl is classed as an unclean bird.

We go to the. Owl.

That's another fascinating creature.

In fact, we could preach a sermon in.

The owl just by. Itself, there's 200.

Species of. Owls.

The barn owl. The gear owl.

The Eagle. Owl the Great.

Owl, the little owl. But they're all unclean.

God says it's an abomination. To.

Eat any of these animals because these are.

Unclean animals in. His sight.

And here's the psalmist and what he's saying in his day.

Of trouble in his better complaint.

I'm like a Pelican. I'm like a gnarl.

Did he feel himself unclean before God?

Was there some unconfessed unrepentant sin in his?

Heart. Was it at the time of absence

rebellion? Was it at the?

Time after he. Sinned with Bathsheba, see.

I want to apply that that. It'll be apply it to those of

you who are unconverted without Christ.

So I apply it to the. Sinner is.

That how you. Really feel about yourself.

You look into your heart and you remember the heart is.

Deceitful and above all. Things desperately wicked.

Who can know it? Under.

Romans 3 and 20. 3 for all have. Sinned and come.

Short of the glory of. God, and you haven't just come

short a little bit. You've come short by a mile.

You. You.

Think of a. An Archer.

And he's got the bow and the arrow, and he's trying to.

Hit the target so many metres. Away.

And he doesn't miss just by an inch.

He misses by a. Mile.

It it. Goes away off.

To the left or a way off to the right?

You see the, the the. Psalmist.

Could say in Psalm 51. He made this tremendous

statement. Against thee thee only.

Have I sinned and done this evil?

And thy sight, that they might not be justified when thou

speakest, and be clear when thou judges.

Behold, I was. Shapen in iniquity and in sin.

Did my mother? Conceive me.

And as we commence this time of Gospel Mission 25.

You have to search your heart. You have to.

Ask yourself this question. Do I know that I'm a guilty?

Hell deserving Sinner. Do I know that I have a precious

soul that's housed inside this body of clay?

Do I know that I need to be saved?

Do I know that I. Need Jesus Christ?

As Lord and Saviour. See this Psalm?

It's a very precious Psalm. Because the psalmist here is.

Making a confession of his true condition.

Before God. How do you feel, David?

I feel unclean. So I asked this.

If you feel your sense of uncleanness, acknowledge the

true state and condition of your heart.

Acknowledge your sin then. Have you trusted Christ as Lord

and Saviour? There's not.

Only a word. For the Sinner here, I'll tell

you something else. In the category of these birds,

there's a word for the backstater.

Look at the words in verse 7. I watch an Amazon Sparrow.

You see the Sparrow? Was not an unclean.

Bird the Sparrow is a. Clean.

Bird. But notice where it's.

At it's upon the housetop and I put it to you.

That the Sparrow is out of. Place the Sparrow feels.

Like a. Stranger in a strange.

Place. And that's exactly what David's

saying. I watch and I'm as a Sparrow

alone upon the housetop. See how many?

People today profess to be believers.

They tell us that they've trusted Christ as Lord and

Saviour and for a. Time, maybe all goes well.

Here they are as a. Pilgrim on a journey and on that

journey. Something happens and they feel

like an outcast. And how many have?

Professed the name of. Christ lived well, and then

something has happened. Trials or troubles have.

Come, some better complaint has come.

Something has happened that has knocked them out of.

Sorts and now. They feel completely out of

place with God and maybe. Even in that journey, in that.

Profession of faith that. They've.

Suffered a lot of hatred and backlash from.

Family. Members or friends, how many in

the past have suffered the loss of?

A job because they. Profess the name of.

Christ. Or or or.

Maybe they've been spot. On maybe they've been cursed.

And they've become disheartened. They've become dispirited.

Could I just ask? This morning.

Do you? Feel like a stranger in this

world. Do you feel a sense?

Of uneasiness, see backsliders true.

Backsladers. Not everyone can say I am a

backslader A. True.

Blackslader is. Spoiled for the world?

A true backslader is unhappy. A true backslader is the most.

Miserable individual you could. Ever come across because a true

backslader feels alone? A true backslader feels is under

the rod of. Affliction he's.

Full of a load. Of guilt.

He he has a. Concern for his.

Soul, he knows he's. Not right with God.

He knows that he. Needs to get right or she needs

to get. Right.

And that feeling I. Believe is an indication of the

work of the Spirit. And you see a.

Back stator can be impacted. Physically.

They could be the loss of appetite is not what the.

Psalmist said. He said so that.

I forget to. Eat my bread, he says by reason

of the voice of my. Groanings.

My bones cleave to my skin. He's impacted physically, he

just can't eat. There's a loss of.

Appetite that. There's a loss of.

Weight. He he's mentally impacted.

He he talks about. Groaning here he.

He has no peace, and he's not really.

Sure, what is wrong? And and not only is he annoyed

and gets easily. Upset.

Not only is he full of a. A miserable spirit.

But he's very sharp. And if you try.

To talk to him. They they get very angry.

And very agitated. Very.

Quickly and I shout at you. Why?

Well, here's the answer. Because they're really out of a

right relationship with God. They're out of sorts.

With God. Remember.

Isaiah. I said this in chapter 14 of

verse one of Isaiah. O Israel return.

Unto the Lord thy God, for that was.

Fallen by thy iniquity. Take with your words, and turn

to the Lord, and say unto him. Take away all iniquity.

And receive us graciously. So will we.

Render the calves. Of our lives, remember.

The Bible tells us the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth

us from all sin. The Bible tells us if we.

Confess our sins. He is faithful and just to

forgive. Us our sins.

And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

See in the. Category of the birds.

David saw himself as unclean. And yet on the other.

Hand he saw himself among the clean birds who were just.

Completely in the wrong place, completely alone.

And out of sorts. And I asked.

Today, is that a picture of you? I want you to.

Move on very quickly, I want. You to think of this.

Think not only of the. Category of these birds, but

think of. The condition of these.

Birds. You see, if I.

Asked you to ponder this. The condition of these.

Birds was one of. Utter loneliness.

These birds are in the wrong. Place you see a.

Pelican's not a bird of the wilderness.

I am like a Pelican of the wilderness.

Young people Pelicans don't live in the wilderness.

Pelicans live in the. Water.

They they've got webbed. Feet.

They eat fish. Do you know that?

The female pouch of the. Pelican under its.

Bill is about 15. Inches long.

It's large enough to. Hold fish that feeds a family of

6. It's the only bird that has a

fishing. Net for a beak.

It's a big bird. And where does it?

Live it. Lives in the water.

And you know that whenever it wants to catch some food, it

just sees fish. There.

And it flies. Into the water, almost like a.

Belly flap stings the fish and then scoops them up.

In their long beak. And you'll find them.

In the Great Lakes of Uganda, you, you, you'll, you'll.

Find them at the Danube Delta. You might even find them.

At the sea of Galilee, but most of.

The time they fly. Over Israel.

They're not meant to. Stop, but something has.

Happened one of the. Pelicans.

Our Pelican is sort of we. Find it.

We find it in. The wilderness that's not meant

to be there, it speaks of. Utter.

Loneliness. It speaks of isolation and

solitude. Look at the Isle.

Where's the Isle? I'm like an.

Isle of the Desert well. The desert's not the home of the

Isle. Deserts live in the forest.

They they, they live. Among the trees, where's the

home of the? Isle it's it's the.

Forest among the trees. Not the desert.

The desert is a very lonely, barren, isolated kind of place.

You look at the. Sparrow, I watch and I'm as a.

Sparrow. Alone upon the housetops.

You've got one single Sparrow. Think of.

Sitting on the housetop. Right, but the.

Reality is the Sparrow. 'S not meant to be alone.

Usually if you see 1 Sparrow, you see a.

Hundreds go down there to Ferndale stand in the.

Collecting yard. Or stand in the typical house in

any given day during the time. Of the sparrows.

And you'll see hundreds. Of them, maybe even thousands of

them, all sitting perched on. The various steel rafters.

You see these birds? Now here's the point.

They're communal birds that. Means when you see one.

They're all. Together in a company, they're

never alone. I mean, you see one wee Sparrow.

You see hundreds by itself. And if you see 1 Pelican, you'll

see. Loads of Pelicans.

At the water's age. And if you see one owl?

You'll see a number of owls all there in the forest.

This speaks of loneliness. Isolation.

Solitude. Maybe that's.

How you see? Yourself today.

As a Christian, here's David and he's facing his life.

And he feels very much alone. And feels very much.

By. Himself.

So. I asked.

Today. Is that how you're feeling?

Maybe you're. Feeling alone at home.

Because you're the only true Christian that's in.

Your home and family. Circle.

Nobody else is interested. In God or the things of God?

And you're even. Fearful at this.

Time of mission How am I going to get some of my loved ones out

to the gospel mission? If I go and ask them, they're.

Going to. Chew the head off me.

You're thinking Nobody, really. Understands there's no.

Love for God or? Christ or the things?

Of the Gospel. You could be alone in a crowd.

Do you know that you could be in a crowd?

People can be laughing. And smiling all.

Around you and yet. Individuals within that crowd

are very much alone, feel a sense of struggling inside,

unable to cope. With all that life.

Is thrown at them. Unable to cope.

In a mental sense. Do you know that the.

Pelican can sit for. Hours.

Alone. Resting it's bill on its breast.

Let me just point out that I I know that.

I want to emphasise this the the Roman Catholics are very good at

using the Pelican as a symbol, and they say that that the

Pelican's a symbol of Christ and that the the Pelican picks at

its. Breast until it bleeds.

And then the Pelican kills its young, and then the Pelican who

picks its breast till. Bleeds pours that blood.

On the little young. Pelicans and they magically

revive. And I want to tell you that's

not factual, and that's what I read in this article.

And that really? Impressed me, I was.

Encouraged. How true it?

Was to the. Bible's understanding because.

Even though the. Pelican can sit.

For hours and. Rest its bill.

On its. Breast.

It's sitting there in a melancholy mood.

It's sitting there. Even in a crowd.

Of other. Pelicans feeling very much.

Alone. The Isles, the Sea.

But whether it's in the wilderness or whether it's in

the desert or. Alone in the housetop it is out

of. Place it's a condition.

Of utter loneliness, isolation and solitude.

Could I ask this? Do you feel that you're in a

spiritual wilderness, a barren place, a lonely place you're

away from? God, you're you're.

Cut off you're shut up to your particular.

Trial set of circumstances. You've got a complaint today.

And you have to. Confess that.

Spiritually, you feel lonely. Spiritually.

You feel cut off. From the place where you should.

Be with God spiritually. You feel you're in the wrong.

Environment. And you see it as Christians, we

can be spiritually alone. You can be alone at home.

As I've said, you can be the only Christian there.

You could be alone in the workplace, the only Christian in

your place of employment. You could be the only Christian

in your university. Let's pray for our young people.

University's a difficult. Place universities are.

Hotbeds of atheism and certainly anti God and anti Christian

mindset and spirit and when you've got an.

Atheistic. Ungodly evolutionist.

Kind of. Professor to try and.

Teach you or a? Lecturer, As a young person,

you're going to aim to please. Them.

And their world view is different from your world.

View and you're very reluctant to.

Share your world view with them because you're.

Going to be thinking I'm going to get.

Degraded, I'd be marked down. I might even get up a feel.

Rather than a pass, you're viewed by them as.

Strange. And you've got that feeling of

isolation and solitude. Not really belonging and.

That's how God's people felt in the 1st century.

Over there in the book of Hebrews and Hebrews chapter 13,

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

the apostle Paul says this. In the verse 13 of Hebrews

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13, he said this. Listen to these words.

Let us go. Forth therefore unto him without

the camp, bearing his reproach, For here we have no continuing.

City, but we seek. 1. To come.

What did? The 1st century Christians face

because they were viewed as being strange and different in

the world. They faced persecution.

They faced opposition. We shouldn't be.

Surprised Jesus. Said in the world, Ye shall of

tribulation, but be of good cheer.

I have overcome the world, but often we can feel.

Like a stranger. In the world, the home, the

workplace, the university. Even in society.

Even in our own. Community we we feel.

Unwelcome and maybe. That's the way you feel right

now. You're you're in a.

Time of trial, you're depressed and discouraged and the devil

can use. As that to Embetter.

Your heart and mind and. You can easily.

Forget that God is in the. Throne and.

God has can control. Here's these birds.

And, and they're full of melancholy and, and and and

morbidity. And in our affliction, in our

loneliness, we can also adopt the same.

Mindset. But let's think of Christ.

Because where was Christ? He was most lovely when he was.

On the cross, My God, My God, why?

Has thy forsaken me? But God commended his love

toward us, and while we were yet.

Sinners Christ. Died for us, remember he

suffered the. Guilt and punishment.

Of our sins He endured the wrath of God.

Not when he think of his loveliness on the cross.

But think of his. Life on the Cross the.

Cross of the Emblem of Suffering and.

Shame and and he. Lived that life of suffering and

shame for you. With.

All its affliction, with all its loneliness, all to bring.

Life to the full. All to bring.

An abundant and eternal life. See, even in our affliction and

our loneliness, if we think of the birds.

Go to the Sparrow. The Sparrow by.

Nature's friendly by. Nature the Sparrow wants.

And longs to be in the company of.

Other Sparrows and that should be the same.

With us, you're Christians. We should.

Want to be. With our brethren.

We should want to. Be with our.

Brothers and sisters in Christ. This lonely Sparrow, the

psalmist said. I watch.

And I'm a spiral. Alone upon the.

What was the Sparrow? Doing.

Was the spiral waiting for others?

To come and join. With it, David is watching this.

David is wondering. This.

And in that isolation, in that solitude.

We can pray. We can bear.

One another's burdens we can turn our.

Sorrows into supplication we can go.

To the Lord the psalmist says a prayer if they afflict it when

he is overwhelmed, and pour without his.

Complaint before the Lord. And in prayer, we can get.

Peace, peace with God. The peace of God, the God of

peace, can. Be with us as far as our hearts

and minds is concerned, we can get protection.

At times. We can be envious of the wicked.

But the believer, the believer is protected.

This is God's portion of. His people.

His. Provision, His presence, his

power. Even in times of.

Trial and trouble he is. Proving us because.

The wilderness is a hard. Place The wilderness can be a

place of sickness. The wilderness could be the.

Loss of a loved one. The wilderness can be.

Hardship, the wilderness could be bodily.

Peeing Even, so much so that you don't.

Eat and you groan. And you're.

Physically impacted then that. Solitude.

Let's not just remember to. Pray.

And have the peace of God and. Know his protection and.

Provision, but let's. Rest in his promises.

Because he says, lo, I am with you.

Always. I'll never leave you nor forsake

you. And remember Christ.

Was alone in the. Wilderness and remember this

Christ. Was led of the.

Spirit into the. Wilderness if I.

Ask you to put up your. Hand, How many of us want to be

led by the Holy Spirit in this gospel mission?

Well, well. We would all have our hands up.

We want the. Spirit of God to lead us as a

congregation, but the spirit of God looked for and one.

Led the Lord Jesus, where did it lead him?

After he was fell. Into the wilderness.

To be counted by the devil. The wilderness speaks of.

Hardship. And trials and a barren.

Please. A place where you feel very much

the brevity of life. And its.

Burdens and its battles. See, that was the condition of

these birds. That's what they speak.

About. Is that how you feel today?

We'll. Finish with this this morning,

not only think about the category.

Of these birds. Not only think about the

condition. Of these birds, but think about

the. Concern.

Of these birds. You see, the Lord is sovereign.

This is a put into the. Bible for our.

Learning and edification. Why these birds?

Out of. Place see again.

If I go back. To the birds.

The Raven speaks to us of the grace of God.

The eagle speaks about the strength of God.

The Hen. Speaks about the protection.

Of God, these birds. The three of them.

Together, they speak about the comfort of.

God, despite the. Wilderness Experience.

Despite being the desert. Despite being alone on.

The. Rooftop, these birds speak.

About the. Comfort of God.

And I. Believe that's what David.

Was really thinking about not just the category.

Of birds being unclean. And one being clean, not just

about their condition. Speaking of loneliness.

And solitude and isolation. But he was thinking.

About. The concern for these.

Birds. Because somebody actually.

Cared for them. God was sovereign.

God's in the throne, God's in control.

And God cares. And these birds speak of comfort

and what? Comfort have we remember David

said Psalm 55 verse 2 cast. Thy burden of the Lord, and he

Psalms 55:2

shall. Sustain thee, one of the men

prayed this morning in the prayer meeting.

What a friend we have in Jesus all.

Our sins and griefs to bear. What a.

Burden. What a privilege.

To carry everything to God in prayer.

You see, in the wilderness they didn't really fit in the Isle,

didn't fit in the desert. The Sparrow wasn't meant to be

alone in the housetop. It was meant.

To be with the other. Little sparrows.

And you're not meant to be alone.

But often times the Lord, to prove and test you can lead you

into the wilderness situation. The Lord can lead you because

He's got a plan and purpose, even into the dry, barren,

isolated place. Where you feel the.

Pressures of life. Where you feel the.

Stress and strain. Of everyday living.

Even in a place of loneliness where you can't seem.

Really to find the. Lord.

And you can't remember you want fellowship in the community, in

a place there is no. Water, even in that place.

The Lord can lead you there because He's in control and He.

Does it? To speak to us about comfort.

The wilderness is real. It's a lonely.

Place and here's these. Creatures.

And it's the Lord that sustains their.

Life. Only the Lord can help them.

You. Living in a spiritual.

Wilderness right now. And you think I'm alone and

there's none to help? Why am I here in this place?

Well here's the answer. I will lift up mine eyes under

the hills. From whence cometh my help?

My help cometh from the. Lord.

Which made heaven and earth the Lord is.

Teaching us something was enjoying the Baptist only a

voice of one crying. In the wilderness, you see, in

the wilderness we should. Focus on the.

Lord. In In the Wilderness.

We should focus our mind and where we're.

Really at? Charles Spurgeon said this Psalm

102 is like a. Typical weather forecast.

For the United. Kingdom it begins with.

Wet. And wind.

And rain. It clears up at noon, then the

sun. Shines.

And then there's. Another wee shower or two and

then the warm sunsets in toward the evening.

And it climaxes. With the best sunset.

Ever this Pelican, this awl. This Sparrow.

It's not meant to live in isolation and solitude, it's

meant for fellowship with others.

And God has made us. For fellowship.

With one another. He.

Sets the solitude in. Family.

We we could talk. This.

Morning about the condition and the cause and the cure of the

loneliness. We could talk.

About the cause being sin and we could talk about the cause being

selfishness and the cause being. Shame and each one of these

little birds all tie into that the condition, the cause and the

cure for loneliness. Let me say this as we finish

this morning, the Pelican and the Isle.

And the Sparrow. Is devoted to their young.

It weeps. For the young, the.

Pelican, you and I should have a special place for the children,

be burdened for them because they're the future.

They're going to carry the torch whenever we're gone.

There's a story. Told about a man.

His name was George Matheson. George Matheson was engaged.

To be married, Lovely. Girl.

And then something happened. His eyesight.

Some sort of defect and he went to the medical doctors at that

time and they said. That he was going to go blind.

Now you remember he's on the verge of getting married.

So he's. Honest with his fiance, he he.

Tells her. Of something.

To tell you I've been. Diagnosed with this, whatever.

Disease. It was in the eyes.

And I'm going to go. Blind eventually and you know.

What? She said.

I can't marry a blind man and she didn't.

He was heartbroken. He felt alone and isolated and.

What was his cure for that condition?

The cure was the word of God, and you know the Pelican uses

it's beak. And so does the.

Isle. To feed.

It's young. And what do we feed on?

We feed in the Word of God, George.

Mathewson went on to become a preacher.

Of the gospel set forth Christ and him crucified.

Filled his mind. With Christ's person, passion,

pardon, promise, purpose. See, God is a plan for you, but

it's connected to Christ. Not apart from.

Christ. It's with Christ.

And I pray this morning that something of.

The concern and the care. That God has for you, you'll

experience. That in your soul.

And you'll be delivered from the.

'Cause you'll discover the cure. For a lonely existence, don't

live without the Lord, because the reality is you can't live

without Him. May the Lord take these few

thoughts and bless them to our understanding and help today.