Sermon

Continually Close

January 17, 2024 Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

Open publisher episode ↗

Publisher transcript

Transcript

View source ↗

Psalm 71, the passage that we read there.
Last week, we gave our attention to the beginning of that psalm,
from verse 1 down to verse 12, verse 11.
And tonight, we'll follow on from there.
We'll start at verse 12 and take that small section from 12 to 16.
And last week, as we came to this psalm, we saw the psalmist's undergirding faith.
Underneath all these words, his faith was underneath it, his faith in the Lord.
He was holding fast to God in the midst of this great affliction, whatever it was,
and the attacks of the devil.
So it's as if when we read through these words, we heard these personal expressions that he had,
his cry to his Lord, his rock and his refuge, to protect him, to rescue him, to save him.
And we give our mind to three points of his vision.
He looked to God.
He looked also to himself.
And he looked to the situation around him, which are all aspects that we should be mindful of as believers.
Who we are to others, who we are within ourselves, and who we are before God,
primarily with our attention to our God and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
And last week, we also mentioned that when generally, when you come to the psalms,
it is believed the main point is found within the middle of the psalms.
And this is a section we come to tonight, from verse 12 to 16.
And there's wonderful words in this section,
and words that we're maybe more familiar with in the Scottish Psalter rendering of it.
If verse 14 has the words,
but with expectation, I will hope continually.
And verse 16 is,
and I will constantly go on in strength of God the Lord.
These words are well known to us,
and they speak of faith in general,
and holding on to God,
and constantly remaining with him,
and clinging to him,
when things are rough,
as if we're in the roughest of seas,
and holding on to this one rope,
as it were.
When there's no,
there's no signs of dry land,
there's no signs of hope,
and the evil forces
suppress us.
These waves keep battering us,
and it's relentless.
They come,
and they come,
and they come,
and we feel beaten.
This was the psalmist's cry,
in a sense.
He's feeling as if his strength is spent.
He's got nothing left to give.
He's running on empty,
and he's crying out to his Lord,
in his need.
And as we saw his personal faith,
in the psalm,
clinging on,
we saw that,
the greater faithfulness of his Lord,
that God was so faithful to him,
that was his assurance,
in his own faith,
to cling on,
because of God's faithfulness,
through the years,
the years as he had gone on,
God who had been with him,
his Lord,
as we saw in Isaiah,
he was the Lord's,
and he knew he was the Lord's,
and he knew the Lord had made so many promises
to his people and to him,
and the Lord had not let him go thus far.
And so why would he let go of him now?
He's holding on faithfully to the Lord,
when everything else,
every other offer of salvation,
is hopeless.
But the hope that he has in his Lord
is an anchor for his soul,
both sure and steadfast,
a refuge and a rock to him,
could hold on in that hope.
And we can hold on to that hope,
in the storms that we face in our life,
too.
But as we acknowledge,
there are many times and days
where we feel maintaining that hope
and maintaining that faithfulness
is the most difficult thing.
And it's so attractive,
when we look at the world
and the way they live,
almost just to be washed away,
to let go,
and to let the waves take us,
to let the sweeping movements of the world
and go with them.
But we know all these things would be in vain.
It would be us chasing the wind.
It would have no hope within it.
And it's like the psalmist in Psalm 73,
but he assessed all these things
that the world had.
And then when he came back to the Lord's house,
he saw the difference view on the world.
Someone once said that
when faithfulness is most difficult,
it is most necessary.
When faithfulness is most difficult,
it is most necessary.
That's a very true statement.
Faith in God,
holding on,
will never put us to shame.
We will be honoured
for having faith in God.
We will be honoured
by entering into his rest
as adopted sons of God
for being faithful.
Well done,
good and faithful servant.
And in this section
from 12 to 16,
the writer,
composer of this psalm,
not entirely sure
if it is David or not,
but he has these
three views of God himself
and others.
But he has a particular focus
on being close to God,
a closeness to God,
and a consistency
in his faith.
Closeness and consistency.
Two points that we can use
just to guide us
as we look at this section
from 12 to 16.
We'll begin with closeness.
Now you look there
at the first verse
of our attention,
verse 12.
Oh God,
be not far from me.
And then
his continued cry,
and a more personal cry.
Oh my God,
make haste to help me.
Now even if you were
to take these few lines
on their own,
there's a lot in it,
and there's a lot
we can get from it
to understand
where the psalmist
is coming from.
If you take it on its own,
oh God,
be not far from me.
Oh my God,
make haste to help me.
We can see that he
desires
the presence of God.
He also,
he does not feel
like God is near him.
He's calling out
to God,
be not far from me,
but he doesn't know
how far away he is.
He doesn't,
he doesn't
feel like God
is near him.
He's not sure
where God is.
The third thing
that comes from it
is that
we can see
his personal faith
in God.
Oh my God.
He leans on God
in his faith
and his trust.
And the fourth thing
we see is that
there's an urgency
to his need.
Make haste
to help me.
And they are
all at times
truthful elements
for the Christian,
for ourselves.
I'm sure we can
associate with
these topics
that we've touched
on there.
But is it surely
true
that it is
one of the
greatest desires
of the Christian
to know
the presence
of God,
to know
his closeness
to us,
to feel
his hand,
to hear
his voice
and to see
his outworking
in our lives.
His presence
to the Christians
is a comfort
and a joy
to each of us.
and the believer
they long
to be with God.
They have this
longing
to be with him,
to have that
communion
restored,
that we would
know something
of what it was
like for Adam
to walk with God
in the cool of the day.
That it was just
something so natural
and something so pleasant.
And we know
that,
well,
this side of glory,
while we live on earth,
our communion
with God
will never
be so rich
in our experience.
For sin
has come
into our lives
and sin
is a great
separating
element.
Sin
in a way
produces
maybe a fear
of God.
where
because of
our sin
and we look
at ourselves
and we see
our sinfulness
and we come
before this
holy God,
there's almost
a fear within us
of what God
would do
to us,
of how God
would treat us.
And you kind
of hear of that
and I think
it was one of
the revival stories
from Barbra.
us.
They were
speaking
that the
presence
of God
was
so prevalent
in the area
and so prevalent
with the people
and it's almost
like we desire it
but the person
was saying
it was a
fearful thing
to know
that God
was so
close
to us.
But nevertheless
we long
for this
communion
to be
restored.
It's something
that's planted
within the
believers'
hearts
to be
near to God
and we can
remember
Paul's words
where he says
he is hard
pressed between
the two.
My desire
is to
depart
to be
with Christ
for that's
far better
but to
remain in the
flesh is more
necessary
on your
account.
There's
something in
this at once
we want to
see
our Saviour.
We want to
see our
Lord.
We want to
have a
restored
communion
with him
but surely
it must be
true that
as we
long for
it
so God
desires it.
God desired
to be with
his people.
God
had them
build a
tabernacle
so he
would be
with them
and that
was even
taking place
as they
were creating
their own
idol at
the bottom
and he's
giving Moses
at the bottom
of the mountain
and he's
giving Moses
instructions to
build a
tabernacle
so that he
could dwell
with them.
I find
it's
amazing
that God
is so
gracious to
his people
and still
desires to
dwell with
his people
and draw
near to
his people
even when
they are so
rebellious
and so
stiff-necked
and maybe
we see that
in ourselves
at times
where we've
gone our
own way
we've done
the things
that we
want to
do
and we
wonder
how would
God
ever
draw
close to
me
but he
does
and that
is the
wonder
of his
grace
maybe what
we can say
is that in
our experience
it is more
like those
who walked
the Emmaus
road
you remember
that story
from the end
of Luke
the two
men walked
and whilst
they went
on their
way and
they were
consumed
with their
worries
and their
anxieties
they were
reasoning out
what had
happened
in their
experience
who draws
right beside
them but
the Lord
the Lord
is with
them and
the Lord
walked with
them all
the way
and their
own hearts
were put
on fire
and they
longed that
this man
would stay
with them
and subbed
with them
but he
didn't
it's like
that in
our experience
we long
for God
maybe we
wonder why
he's not
with us
but unknown
to us
maybe he's
walking right
beside us
maybe he's
talking with
us through
his word
maybe he's
closer than
we ever
understand him
to be
and maybe
it's only
after that
time that
we realise
just how
close he
was to
us
and he
set it
hard on
fire
and then
we realise
how gracious
he has
been to
us
and how
he walked
with us
and how
he talked
with us
and how
he showed
us through
scripture
who he is
revealed these
great things
too
as it
just
promotes
praise and
wonder
within our
hearts
how
gracious he
is
and how
loving he
is
as we read
in Isaiah
I love
you
and he's
so considerate
of the
people
in that
passage
but we
as his
people
as we
said
we long
for his
presence
and we
long that
God would
draw near
to us
and it's a
great motivator
of our
praise
we may
be familiar
with the
hymn
abide
with me
abide
with me
fast
falls
the
even
tide
the
darkness
deepens
Lord
abide
with me
abide
when other
helpers
fail
and comforts
flee
help of
the
helpless
oh
abide
with me
there's
so many
praises
within
scripture
and hymns
that have
been written
desiring
the
Lord
to be
with
his
people
desiring
personally
that God
would be
there
and would
be known
but often
we doubt
as we
said that
the Lord
would be
with us
and it
was true
in the
psalmist
experience
we saw
that last
week in
verse 9
he said
do not
cast me
off in
the time
of old
age
forsake
me not
when my
strength
is spent
and we
said that
well
even
these
great
men
of
faith
even
these
great
examples
of
faith
in
our
lives
personally
the
doubts
are
instilled
within
them
it is
the truth
of the
Christian
that there
are
doubts
within
our
hearts
and if
we were
left to
our own
devices
if we
were left
to reason
things
out
if we
were to
see our
sin
before a
holy and
almighty
God
we would
see our
feelings
we would
see we
would not
understand
how he
would love
us
how he
would draw
near to
us
because he
is so
righteous
we are
so sinful
it's almost
the echo
of
psalm
13
he
longed
for
God
do not
forget
me
draw
near
to
him
he
was
crying
out
to
God
almost
as if
the
Lord
had
forgotten
he
felt
that
way
and
if
we
are
left
to
our
own
devices
that's
the way
we
would
become
we
feel
like
God
will
have
left
us
but he
doesn't
we come
back to
the word
of God
and he
says that
he is
faithful to
those
who trust
in him
and he
loves us
even when
we
when we
walk away
when we
do
things that
are not
pleasing to
him
and then we
come back
to him
the prodigal
son that
left and
came back
the father
will rejoice
to see
him
the lord
says to
his people
when you
pass through
water
they will
not
overwhelm
you
through
fire
you shall
not be
burnt
the lord
is with
his people
and though
we can
have doubts
in our
experience
it's true
it's an
undeniable
truth
that we
will doubt
and have
doubts
in our
Christian
lives
but the
word of
God
when we
come to
it
the word
of God
is so
important
when we
doubt
when we
reason that
God would
never love
us
that we
come to
the word
of God
that says
I love
you
it
reorientates
our minds
it gives us
a new
understanding
it gives us
a different
it gives us
an eternal
perspective
it changes
our view
this is
the word
this is what
the word
of God
does
almost
just what
we said
in Psalm
73
the psalmist
had been
seeing the
things that
the people
were doing
in the world
and wondering
why everything
was going
so well
for them
and he
was struggling
alone
until he
went to
the Lord's
house
where the
word would
have been
read out
and he
considered
God
and he
heard of
God
his
his view
was
reorientated
to
to view
things
eternally
not
in
temporal
means
and that
that changes
things
for us
as believers
Mac Shane
says that
to live
near to
God
all things
will appear
as little
in comparison
to eternal
realities
all things
will appear
as little
in comparison
to eternal
realities
we can be
so consumed
with the
little at
times
and we
focus on
the
we focus
on our
own
what's
happening
in our
lives
we kind
of get
bogged
down in
that
the
difficulties
of the
challenges
of it
whatever
it may
be
the word
of God
makes us
take a
step
back
view things
differently
in light
of eternal
realities
eternal
truths
eternal
words
that the
Lord has
spoken
to us
to draw
near to
God
we all
desire it
and the
Lord
draws near
to his
people
we see
there
that in
verse 13
that he
he
addresses
his accusers
so they
would be
brought to
shame
and consumed
with scorn
and disgrace
they may
be covered
who seek
my hurt
and I
don't want
to really
I don't
have time
to go
into this
but really
he speaks
of shame
through this
psalm
that he
would not
be put
to shame
at the
beginning
and now
he's
saying
that his
accusers
would be
put to
shame
he wants
them
to feel
shame
he wants
them to
know
they've
done
wrong
for all
they've
done
but he
wants
them to
understand
I believe
this is what
he is saying
he wants
them to
see God
he wants
them to
see the
glory of
God
and what
the Lord
has done
for them
that they
would might
also
know him
and as
he
in verse
12
longs that
God would
not be
far from
him
come down
to verse
16
with me
with the
mighty deeds
of the
Lord
God
I will
come
I will
remind them
of your
righteousness
your
shalom
that speaks
of
drawing near
to God
or being
close to
God
but
he doesn't
in verse
12 he
seeks
God to
come to
him
verse 16
he says
I
will
come
he
constantly
declares
that he
will
come
with the
mighty
deeds
of the
Lord
for evil
seeks to
divide us
from God
but the
strength of
God
will reunite
us with
him
he remembers
who God
is and
what he
has done
for him
throughout
the years
of his
life and
he is
confident
knowing
that God's
hand is
mightier
and stronger
than the
hand of
the evil
one
and it
is in
that name
and in
that power
the Lord
is God
that he
will come
with confidence
remembering
who he is
and all
that his
word
has taught
him
but he
will not
forsake
him in
this time
of need
he will
draw near
to him
when he
is broken
hearted
if he
draws near
to God
he will
draw near
to you
let us
then with
confidence
draw near
to the
throne
of grace
that we
may receive
mercy
and find
grace
to help
in the
time
of need
let us
draw near
with a
true heart
and full
assurance
different
scriptures
say
that
draw us
near
and call
us to
draw near
the Lord
will draw
near to
us
and it
is done
in mighty
deeds
and again
this is
true
that
it is
only by
the power
of the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
that we
can come
at all
it is
through the
mighty
deeds
that he
has done
for us
at Calvary
that we
have any
confidence
to come
and his
faithfulness
to go
and give
his life
for us
gives us
assurance
in our
own
faith
that he
loves us
the Christ
that was
that sacrifice
to atone
for our
sins
to pay
to pay
for sin
to separate
us from
sin
so that
we may
be
reunited
with our
God
so that
we may
come and
commune
with God
again
Christ
dealt with
that great
dividing
element
Christ
Christ
has restored
our
communion
with God
and it
is through
his
mighty
deeds
that we
can come
at all
and we
go
we go
on
we come
to him
in the
strength
of the
Lord
our God
we draw
close to
God
but we
come
we
constantly
go on
there's a
consistency
in our
lives
of coming
to God
and we'll
just touch
on
consistency
of the
time
that we
have left
verse 16
of the
Psalter
is maybe
the one
that we
know
and I
will
constantly
go on
in strength
of God
the
Lord
the
wording
it's
slightly
different
it's
quite
different
actually
in
verse 16
of the
written
Psalm
but it
carries
that same
emphasis
in the
strength
and the
mighty
deeds
of the
Lord
he will
come
and the
constancy
of coming
comes through
in the
Psalm
there
from
verse 14
in the
central
part
of the
central
verse
of the
central
part
the
main
focus
I
but I
will hope
continually
and will
praise you
yet more
and more
the great
confidence
is evident
in his
life
I
I will
I will
hope
continually
his faith
in God
to deliver
him
trusting
that God
will not
put him
to shame
and he
will not
fail him
in his
promises
I will
hope
continually
and will
praise you
yet more
and more
and maybe
this great
resolve
this great
faith
this great
confidence
has been
something
that's
over a
life
as he
has lived
he looks
back now
as he
comes to
old age
he says
I will
hope
continually
the Lord
has been
with me
thus far
and the
Lord
will not
forsake
me
now
the Lord
will keep
me
and protect
me
as he
did
in the
womb
as we
saw last
week
when he
was so
vulnerable
and fragile
when he
had no
strength of
himself
the Lord
kept him
there
and so
the Lord
shall
keep him
now
when he
feels
like his
strength
is likewise
spent
he will
praise him
more and
more
there's
an increasing
praise in
his life
as he
as he
grows in
age he
grows in
faith he
grows in
praise of
his Lord
consistently
praising his
Saviour
and continually
relying on
the strength
that is
given to
him
such as
you find
in Isaiah
40
that those
who wait
on the
Lord
shall renew
their strength
they shall
mount up
like wings
like eagles
they shall
run and
not be
weary
they shall
walk
and not
be faint
waiting
in faith
upon God
it can be
a great
test of
our faith
and the
hardest of
circumstances
it can be
in the hardest
of circumstances
when as we
said when
faithfulness is
most difficult
it is
most necessary
and in
our times
when we
feel like
we are
just
holding on
people are
going to
be looking
at us
and watching
us to
see how
we react
and what
we do
faithfulness
isn't
holding on
until it
gets bad
and then
letting go
and doing
what we
want
or doing
what we
think is
right
faithfulness
is holding
on
every day
every hour
all the
day
and all
the hour
and all
the year
all the
time
consistently
holding
on
to the
Lord
holding
on
to all
that we
as believers
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
have in
his word
and his
promises
that he
has redeemed
us
and that
we hold
on to
that
every day
every year
faithfully
whatever the
circumstances
for us
and he
proclaims
his mouth
it's a
thing of
praise
more and
more and
his mouth
in verse
15 tells
of all
these
righteous
acts
your deeds
of salvation
all the
day
for their
number
is past
my
knowledge
it's
almost
as if
as his
praise
grows
more and
more
his cup
is overflowing
it's just
been filled
to the
top
his
praise
is so
abounding
that it
is
I remember
an image
of that
cup
overflowing
and the
water
is making
such a
noise
as it
comes
over the
sides
the
faithful's
proclamation
and praise
of how
their cup
has been
so filled
by the
Lord
and
the
psalmist
he's
unashamed
before his
enemies
he feels
no shame
for trusting
well
he may
feel shame
but he
knows that
he will
ultimately
not have
shame
before his
enemies
he knows
that the
Lord will
not put
him to
shame
and he
knows
that the
Lord
will
honour
him
and yet
at times
we acknowledge
it
there may
be an
element
of shame
that we
feel
for trusting
in our
Lord
it's a
truthful
thing
but ultimately
when we
have
that
perspective
that the
word of
God
gives us
we can
see that
it won't
be shame
it will
be honour
we need
to have
that
eternal
perspective
that the
word of
God
brings
to us
to rely
on our
own
understanding
and he
has this
praise
within his
heart
all the
day
he proclaims
these
things
and this
phrase
all the
day
it's
something
that comes
through
in this
psalm
three times
maybe
you've
maybe not
noticed
it
maybe you
have
it comes
through
in verse
eight
his mouth
is filled
with praise
and glory
all the
day
we have
it here
in verse
15
all the
day
proclaiming
what his
righteous
acts
the deeds
of salvation
all the
day
and then
we have
it there
in the
final
version
verse
24
my tongue
will talk
of your
righteous
help
all
the
day
it's a
characteristic
of
a life
of faith
a person
who is
wholeheartedly
holding on
to his
Lord
and knows
that his
Lord will
not forsaken
that he
will speak
of his
Lord
all the
day
and he
will continue
in his
worship of
his Lord
all the
day
he will
hope
continually
verse 14
the main
point of the
psalm
it's a
continuous
thing
in his
life
and when
he thinks
about all
the Lord
has done
for him
all these
things that
provoke
praise in
his heart
he comes
to realize
that well
for their
number is
past my
knowledge
all your
deeds of
salvation
I don't
grasp
them all
they're
beyond my
understanding
and you
may know
that yourself
I've seen
it to
Fiona
when we
tell her
testimony
we can
go so
far
and then
it's like
we just
don't
know
how the
Lord has
worked
and why
the Lord
did the
things that
he did
we do
not
know
and
we're
just
left in
wonder
at the
things that
the Lord
has done
his deeds
of salvation
they are
beyond
their number
is beyond
our knowledge
yes there are
things that
we look back
and we see
the Lord
was with me
then and
they're here
and there
he guided
me here
and showed
me this
but equally
we don't
know
exactly
when he
was there
it's like
we're walking
the road
to a maze
and we
don't know
he's there
and we
don't even
remember that
he was
there with
us
but he
was
and he
guided
us
and he
showed us
the way
and these
things that
we have
no knowledge
of
it's just
like our
footsteps
poem
where they
looked back
together
on the
two
pairs of
footsteps
then there
was one
and
he asked
why the
Lord had
left him
but it
was that
the Lord
had carried
him
and he
knew nothing
of it
but the
Lord told
him
it's
we don't
know
how close
the Lord
is to us
at times
and we
wish we
knew it
we wish
we
we
felt
that
presence
of
walking
with God
every day
but the
reality of
the Christian
life is that
it comes
and goes
at times
yes
we know
it
there's times
where we
don't feel
it at all
but nevertheless
whatever we
feel
the Lord
is with
us
the Lord
draws close
to us
even when we
don't realise
it
the Lord
is
often
walking
with us
in our
difficulties
as the
psalmist
he had
held fast
to the
Lord
he asked
the Lord
to draw
close to
him
and he
declared
that he
would come
it's
almost got
a relational
element to it
our faith
is relational
and the best
of relationships
are when
each party
longs to see
each other
when each
side
desires to
be near
again
to talk
and commune
with one
another
long lost
friends
or relations
that's what
Christ has
done for
us
he will
bring those
who have
been separated
back together
and we
shall
commune
again
with our
Lord
we draw
near to
God
in worship
as we
come to
him
and we
continue
to do
so
we come
to his
word
to be
guided
by it
we pray
that we
would know
and be
encouraged
by feeling
his presence
with us
and that
as we
gather
together
we may
know
his blessings
coming upon
the people
as he
promises in
Psalm 133
where the
people gather
he will
pour down
his blessings
upon them
so we go
on in
faith
we may
feel like
our strength
is spent
we may
feel like
we are
running on
empty
but we
go on
we go
on
we go
on
just as
Ali was
praying
we step
by step
we feel
like we're
slipping
we feel
like we're
dragging
our heels
we feel
like we're
walking
through
sludge
but we
go on
we constantly
give on
with the
strength that
the Lord
gives to
us
it's not
in our
own strength
the Lord
strengthens
us
along the
way
and
his
faithfulness
to us
is our
assurance
in our
faith
as we
as we
go on
to continue
every day
when faithfulness
is most
difficult
it is most
necessary
I think
that's
something
that we
should all
remember
worth
beneficial
for us
to remember
that had
got
a
go on
person