Claiming Faith in the sovereignty of God - Jason Schrock

Good morning to teach you one this morning and greetings

once more in the name of Jesus. I've enjoyed, appreciated

the service of songs the devotionals Sunday School. But now

we need to continue on with the assignment that I've

got And just by way of remembrance here, this assignment

is sharing on the things that I've learned through grief,

and so that brings us actually to personal stories and

I'm kind of sorry about that. He probably tired of that.

But anyhow, trying to share a few things again this

morning that as I've thought about this faith in the

sovereignty of God, do we really believe in a God

that is overall, that knows everything. I had to think

of the words in Psalm seventy one, verse twenty says

Thou which has showed me great and sore troubles, shall

quicken me again. God, you that have allowed sore troubles,

you are going to make me alive again. And so

you know, we've been talking about the losses in the

deaths of various ones of our family, and after these deaths,

I was thinking back about this quite a bit. Yesterday

after going through an experience of a death, and then

another death, and more and so on. Each time we

had a hard time accepting such a tremendous loss. Where

is the God that we've endeavored to serve? Why has

he allowed this parting that tears that are inner being?

And you know, I guess it's even possible to allow

us to inner mind whether there even is a God

that cares obviously, and so there are storms of life.

And I had to think about the disciples as they

were out there on the sea, and how a big

storm came up and the waves were rocking that boat,

and they woke up Jesus because he was sleeping, and said,

save us, we're gonna perish. What was Jesus' response? His

response was, oh, ye of little faith. And I think

that that just so accurately portrays what I have gone

through so often my faith had just been too little.

Another example I thought of in the Bible was that

of Elijah or Elisha as a servant of Elijah, and

he had gone about with Elijah to various things that

had learned from him, and so on. And in Second

Kings too, it tells a story of Elijah and Elishah

walking from one place to another from Gilgal to Bethel,

from Bethel to Jericho, and Elishah stuck right with him,

And finally they came to the Jordan River, and Elijah

took his mantle and he smote the water and parted.

They went over, and as they were walking along and talking,

I don't know what they were talking, but they were

in comradeship. There all of a sudden there was a

chariot of fire and horses of fire that came and

separated them. And there goes Elijah and Elishah. He looks,

he says, my father, my father, the horseman. See, how

did you see that? The charity of Israel and the

horsemen thereof? And it says he rent his clothes, which

would be a sign of distress and grief. I have

to wonder what was going through his mind as he

retrace those steps back to the Jordan. And he came

to the Jordan. And you know, Elijah told him, if

you're with me when I part, a double portion of

my spirit would be upon you. But I don't think

Elijah felt that. He come to the he took Elijah's

mantle and he smote the Jordan again. He said, where

is the God of Elijah. Did he have faith? Did

he question the sovereignty of God? So? I think through

all the experiences of death, have loved ones that we've experienced.

I don't think I have ever really would say I've

lost faith in God. I did find though, that faith

is not something that we get once and have forever.

It needs to be renewed daily. And there were many

times that I had questions about God. If he is loving,

why does he allow these experiences? Does God really control

the events or are these things just random happenings? Why

do others not experience the same thing that I do?

Or why did the Ungod they prosper? Different things like that?

And you know, the Word of God, the Bible has

many comforting words, and Brother Leland read some of that

this morning. Appreciate that, and it's such a wonderful theology.

But does it really work? Is it really? So? You know,

sometimes we sing that song I trust in God, no

matter come what may? Really do we really do that

we trust in God, no matter come what may? You know,

it's one thing to have a theoretical knowledge of death

and its implications, but quite another to experience it. Wednesday

evening I talked about several anointing services that we had had,

and how it seemly it did not that the prayers

were not answered, just as we would like to have

seen them answered. And so, you know, after going through

the experience of anointing with oil and not receiving the

hope for results, I still thought I had a strong faith,

but I was brought to a realization that my faith

was on shaky ground. At praimity one evening, someone mentioned

in another community of a sister that had cancer and

they were going to have an anointing service. In my mind,

I said, that's not going to work. I was shocked.

I didn't know my faith was that fragile, but that's

I didn't say it out loud, but that was in

my mind. And so if we have a hard time,

if you have a hard time trusting God or believing

in him, tell him. Let him know. It's no surprise

to him. He already knows it. I am quoted the

last couple of messages a few things out of C. S.

Lewis's book, just by way of review. He was a

single man for many years. He married. After four years,

his wife died of cancer, and he nearly lost his

faith and this it's a grief observed. If you get

a chance to read it sometime, I think it's well

worth it. And it's basically just his jotties, his thinking

and as he went along, And here's a couple of

things that he had to say. What reason have we

accept our own desperate wishes to believe that God is

by aner standard we can conceive good? Now? Just this

was a man of deep faith. How can we conceive

that God's good? Another thing he said, talk to me

about true religion, and all listen, gladly, talk to me

about the duty of religion, and all listen. Submit, But

don't come talking to me about the consolations of religion,

or I shall suspect that you do not understand. As

I think of this message of the sovereignty of God,

my mind goes specifically to the event of the death

of five of our grandchildren, Ernest and Louise. They experienced

this as well. There we share those grandchildren, and I

had to struggle to fit that into the picture of

a sovereignty of God. Probably most of you know I'll

just briefly recount the story. Probably most of you know

that my son Jeff, he had picked up his three

daughters at school, and then there were the two preschool

boys were staying with Melody Stallsfus for the day while

the mother, Carolyn, had gone to Spoken to do some shopping.

And so Jeff picked up the girls and then the boys,

and then on the way into Spokane had a tremendous accident,

a head on accident that killed all five of those grandchildren.

And I could tell you lots of things as were

we had heard he was in an accident. We didn't

know what was wrot wondered and finally we got a call,

and you know, maybe one or two might have been killed,

we didn't know. But to find out that all five

were gone, that was a tremendous blow. And so in

a case like that, you think about it. You know,

just three seconds difference probably could have or would have

made a difference. So if Melody, Melody had apologized to

Jeff when he got there, you know, I should have

had these boys ready, but he didn't quite have him ready.

I'll get the ready real quick. Had she had them

ready when he got there, maybe this wouldn't have happened.

Or Jeff stopped at the bank at Chewela after leaving,

or they stopped at the rest area in Deer Park.

All of those things, just a few seconds difference could

could have made the difference. So is it fair to

say that God's sovereignty was over all of that? I

think it is well. Anyhow, Ernest and us we headed

up to Spokane yet that night, leaving about midnight, arriving

about eight o'clock the next morning. And let me ask

you this as you think about that. So we got

there about eight. Carolyn was really waiting, wandering, hoping that

we get there. How do you break the news to

your son that all of his children have been called?

Ernest and I went in and that was what we

needed to do because they had not told him yet.

Leave that with you. And so the next day was

a blur, as or the next days, I should say,

just as I think back, just quite a blur. As

there were plans made for the funeral, there were concerns

of Jeff's recovery. He had seriously injured. And I can't

go into all the things that took place and all

the kind deeds that were done for the family, But

there was a visitation then at the Pinegrove Church Sunday,

evening and then Monday there was a funeral at a

large church in Spokane, and I'm not sure they said

the church would hold I think fifteen hundred and I

think it was close to full. So then we drove

from Spokane all the way up to the church at Valley.

I'm not sure how many miles that is. I was

going to look that up, and I kind of feel

to do that. And there were five little caskets that

were that were there and put down in the ground

and buried, and so at the close of that graveside service,

here is a song that was I believe it was sung,

or at least the words were shared. Jesus, while our

hearts are bleeding or the spoils death. As one we

would have this solemn meeting, calmly say, Thy will be done,

though cast down, were not forsaken, though afflected not alone,

Thou didst give, and thou hast taken. Blessed Lord, thy

will be done. Though today we're filled with mourning, mercy

still is on the throne, with thy smiles of love returning.

We can sing Thy will be done by the hands

the boon was giving, thou hast taken, but thy own

Lord of Earth and God of Heaven, evermore, Thy will

be done. And then I had quoted this in the

book that I had written, And here's the way I

kind of closed that chapter. Yes we were cast down,

but we were not forsaken. We were reflected, but not alone.

Our profusely bleeding hearts could say Thy will be done.

The Lord had given, and the Lord had taken away,

trusting his higher purpose did not take away our deep

pain and grief, but it gave us peace, excuse me,

and hope as we walked away from the secretary, leaving

the five bodies of our loved ones in the ground.

And so as I was processing this whole thing, trying

to process, and mind's going every which way, my mind

focused on Psalm forty six, And I think I'll just

ask you to, if you care to, to turn to

Psalm forty six, want to look at that just a

little bit. And I guess the reason that it really

stood out to me is well, several reasons, but one

thing is the first verse says God is our refuge

and strength, a very present help in trouble. But where

was he was he present? Where was He when the

five grandchildren's lives were stuffed out? Was he a very

present help? And so the first sermon that I preached

after that event, close to a month later, was thoughts

on some forty six, and I'm going to just kind

of mentioned a few of the things that maybe helped

to get a little bit of my thought processes at

the time. And so I just said that for comfort

and solace, I turned to some forty six and found

there's some profound thoughts and they were thoughts that not

only comforted, but also encouraged and gave me new strength

to face this terrific laws. They were thoughts that helped

to solidify in my mind that God is God, that

everything is still in his control, that He has a

plan and purpose for everything, and that in the midst

of calamity, he does not forget and he does not forsake. Now,

one thing we heard about in that accident. We heard

about the first responders, the first responders that came and helped.

They were wonderful, I'm sure, and we've heard about that

in years since Jeff and Kellen's run onto some of

these first responders with the thing. The thing that impressed

me as I thought about that, who was the first

responder at that accident. It was God. He was a

one that was there. He was a one to bring comfort,

and so Verses one and six and ten actually stood

out to me. I'm going to read those at this time.

God is our refuge, to strength and very present help

in trouble. Verse six, the heathen rage, the kingdoms were moved,

he uttered his voice, the earth melted. Verse ten, be

still and know that I am God. I will be

exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.

So that first verse say God is a present help

in time of trouble. I have kind of dissected that

a little bit between his external presence and his internal presence.

God is present. His external presence is that he's a refuge.

He's our fortress. He's a place that will we hide

and can be protected under his wings. God is there,

He is everwhere present. He never removes himself, even though

in our way of thinking he's forsakenness. But you know,

to know that and to feel it are two different things.

It's wonder too, it's wonderful to have the knowledge of

His nearness. And yet in humanity we cried out, Where's God?

But you know it was a comfort to me to

think about it that even Jesus, the Son of God,

as he hung on the cross, he said, my God,

my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Where was his? God? Was God any less present? Then?

Was he any less present after that accident? And so

we wondered where was God? Or maybe even is there

a God could be something that could be wondered. The

second thing is is his internal presence. God not only

is our refuge, but he is our strength. And that

strength is an internal presence that God would have for us.

And we know that that comes through the indwelling of

the Holy Spirit. And so regardless of our actions, God

is president externally. But it depends on our response to

that whether God will dwell with us internally. I'd like

to read if you have it open there, I'd like

to read verses two and three. And though the unthinkable happens,

think of that. Therefore, will not we fear though the

earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the

midst of the sea, though the waters are of roar

and be troubled, though the mountains shake with a swelling.

Thereof the Psalms was still going to have faith that

there is a God, that he cares, and that he's

a refuge. He's just strength and very present help in trouble.

And so then so what he's saying, though the worst

of the worst takes place, God's children need not fear

because God provides a place of refuge. Then I'd like

to read verse five. God is in the midst of her.

She shall not be moved. God shall help her, and

that right early. And so God dwells in the midst

of his people. He doesn't allow desolation and then walk

off the scene. He doesn't look around the corner and

just see how we're going to respond. He is not

satistic and just want to see what we're going to do.

He is very present. He's a present and a help.

He doesn't wait a month or two. His help is

right early, which I believe is immediate. You know, the

words right early can also be translated when the morning appears,

and we know a little bit how it can be

when there's a dark night, but when the dawn appears again,

and I think in a way that is a picture

of grief, such dark nights. But eventually there's the streaks

of dawn that come as we realize more and more

the purpose of God. All right. Then going to verse six,

another verse that really stood out to me at that

time was the heathen rage. The kingdoms were moved, he

uttered his voice. The earth melted, he uttered his voice.

After we got word of the accident and the five deaths,

as I said, we headed up to Spokane, and we

found out then then in the coming days, that the

kingdoms were moved and the earth melted. And I don't

know how many people expressed that when they heard of

this event, they wept, even those who didn't know the family,

their hearts were melted. For some reason, this event riveted

the attention of the Spokane area as well as people

across the country and even around the world. And I

think it's fair to say in a case like that

that the kingdoms were moved. Even the Kingdom of Darkness

took note. This event moves some what we would call

some hard hearts. The woman detective that told Carolyn about

the death of the children, and that was we talked

to her at different times during this time. She said

that in her profession, they need to steal themselves against

tragic happenings because they see it all the time. But

she said, in her twenty years of being in the

police force, nothing had affected her like this. She said

she needed this to check her in at the door.

I think what she was saying was that she needed

to evaluate her life in the con in the context

of eternal truths. And then she told us about the

officer that was with her, a man officer. She said,

here was a hardened officer that she had worked with

often never shows emotion, and she said, there he was

weeping for the tragedy of that night. And so I

think we could say that there were melted hearts. The

ungodly were not happy about what was going on, because

there were there was there was news that was coming

out how that the family had responded to this, and

so on, and the church people. But it seemed like

the the forces of evil unleashed their powers, and it

almost seemed like there was spiritual warfare in spoke Anne.

In the next several weeks there were letters to the

editor that were raking the editor over the coals and

asking for resignation of the editors because they had used

the headline stating that the mother had said this was

the will of God. I think that was the way

it was. Someone had said that the week following the accident,

as Jeff and Carolyn were at the hospital, it seemed

that there were an unusual number of ambulances coming and going.

And Carolyn wondered about this and asked Tracy Hanson, the detective,

she said, and she said, yes, she said, it's been

a terrible week. There were three fellows stealing cars, wrecking them.

They had a barroom shooting, and plus other events. And

Carolyn just said, it seems the evil forces have unleashed

their destructive power. And she agreed. The detective read the

Heathen raged, and so I thought about this in Psalm

forty six, the Heathen rage, the kingdoms removed, he uttered

his voice, the earth melted, and then we go on,

and God says, in the midst of all of this,

just be still, Just be still and know that I

am God. Don't struggle. Rest in my provincial hand. Let

my wings cover you. Be still, because that's the only

way you'll understand my sovereignty. As long as you thrash

around and try to figure things out, you'll not understand

that I'm in control. Let me hold your hand, Let

me be a shelter in the time of storm, just

be still and rest in me. And so I think

we can safely say that one of the great benefits

of what we call a terrible accident can be that

God has exalted in the earth. This God that spoke

provides a refuge. He gives strength, and he invites us

to quit our struggles and recognize his sovereignty. Now I'd

like to move on from there, continuing on this story,

but about a year later, close to a year later,

and you're probably aware of this, that Jeff's were asked

to go to police to be mission director and house

parents to a number of single staff. And in many

ways it seemed like another loss, particularly to the Pine

Grove Congregation and to us as a family. And so

prior to them leaving from Chiuilah are leaving, you know,

from Washington there, we went up to be with them

weekend before their planned departure, and all of that. This

has brought back so many memories and the thoughts of

faith in the sovereign God swirled in their minds. And

so Sunday then I was asked to bring the message.

And what do you say at a time like this

when there's been tremendous grief and loss when there's been

a change of plans and direction for this family. And

gathered together that morning was a whole congregation that had

faced a tremendous loss. Ten percent of their congregation had

lost their lives and the parents of these children, and

then there were grandparents, and there were uncles and aunts,

each one processing our own loss individually. And now to

the folks there, it looked like another loss to have

one of their families to move on in this way.

And so as I looked at the overall picture, still

grappling without what had taken place, I could help but

meditate on the sovereignty of God. And the title of

the message that morning was living in the security of

God's sovereignty? And can we do that? Can we find

a secure place there? Here's the way I started the

message that morning. I started with the words of the song.

I believe in God even though I can't see him,

even when he is silent, I know he is there.

I know if I wait on the Lord and will

listen in a still small voice, he speaks to me there.

I believe that the sun, even when I can't see it,

is there. When the clouds keep it hidden from view.

I know it will shine once again in its splendor

when the clouds break through and let it shine through.

I believe in the love that is true and tender

for God and his love set it down from above.

I believe in a love even when I can't feel

it in this cold, empty world where few know his love.

I believe in God, and I know that I shall

see him someday in Heaven upon his great throne. I

believe in God, and I know He's with me, will

be with me here till I enter my home. Then

I went on to say that coming here this weekend

brings back vivid memories of what happened eleven months ago

today and our hearts collectively bleed for the low sustained

both you as a congregation in us as a family.

But as I look back over the past year, and

as I was thinking that, as I was thinking back

over the past year and saw how God had undertaken

for Jeff's recovery and so many things, I just in

my heart is filled with how good God is and

how He's shown himself strong, and how near he is

in time of trouble, and what a shelter in the

time of storm. And then I went on and I

expounded some on SOMEB ninety one, and that's one of

my favorite psalms. But you, as I look at that psalm,

there's nothing in there that would even hint that the

child of God is immune to difficulties. It tells us

that we will face storms, enemies, losses, fears, and uncertainties.

But it says that our God is a shadow in

the blast of noonday heat. He's a refuge in the

time of storm. He's a fortress in the time of attack,

a deliver from the snares of evil and covering from

the forces intent on destroying. He repels the arrows of

the enemy. He commands ministering spirits to watch over you.

And so then I went on and I said, you know,

the presence of God is a security, and that is

a security whether we're at Cheweela, Washington, or whether we

inm Belice. And talked a little bit about Jeff's going

to Beliee. Then I went on to say that my

mind goes to the accident eleven months ago that has

changed all of our lives. It has changed the church,

the school, and there's been a change for the extended family.

And we had had a reunion that summer and it

was the same. There were five five children that were

not there. But you know that the change had not

affected anyone more than Jeff and Carolyn to lose all

their children, to move out of home, to close their business,

and now move miles away. And I said, there's only

one way to truly cope with life's changes, to dwell

in the security of God's sovereignty. Now, I say, let's

go back to the accident. The only way I can

reconcile what happened is the settled faith in God's sovereignty.

I cannot stand here this morning and answer all the

whys and wherefos. I don't understand God's ways. Sometimes we

wonder did God cause or allow? It's not for us

to know. In the case of Job, God allowed. In

other situations, God brings it about. I was looking at

Job nine this morning. Interesting to read that where he

talks about God's greatness and his wisdom and his might,

and who is a man to contend with him? In

verse twelve, it says, behold he taketh away, who can

hinder him? Who will say to him want to do

us now? And so when God allows someone to be

taken from us, can we say stop, you can't do

this now we He is God, and we cannot. We

cannot change that. Then I uh thinking of the sovereignty

of God. Then I went into another aspect, and I

don't know, Maybe this wasn't fair, but it's something I've

thought about quite a bit. So there was a need

for a director in Beliee. How was God going to

meet that? So did he need to take all the

children of that couple so they'd be free to go

to Bolice? Then I illustrated it this way with my

own experience. After my first wife died. About a year

and a half after that, Ruth and I got married.

And when we had made her plan our yeah, our

plans known that we planned to get married, her father

in law said something to this effect. We've been praying

that the Lord would would bring someone into Ruth's life

for a companion for her and a father to her children.

We're happy God has supplied that need, you know I was.

I was happy too that God supplied that need. But now,

in just a minute, did God need to take my

wife so that he could answer the prayers of Ruth's family. No,

that's not the way our God operates. He has all

the world at his disposal. He didn't need to take

five children to make a couple willing to go to bleeds.

Because there's there's all kinds of I shouldn't say all kinds,

but there's there's lots of ways that he could meet

that need. And so to me, again, I saw the

sovereignty of God in twenty and thirteen. This is going

down the road quite a way further. Now. My sister Julia,

she was four years younger than me, lived in Maryland,

married to Mark Charkilsen, and she had gone as a

single to teach school there in Maryland, and we hadn't

lived in the same community for years, but we kept

in close contact. In fact, when when my wife passed away,

she sent I think she sent something every week, something

in the mail, some encouragement, and so it was quite

a shock to me when in twenty and thirteen she

passed away from a bleeding on the brain. And this

was a great loss to her family, but it was

a great loss to me as well. We had kept

contact over the years, even though we lived three thousand

miles apart, and she'd often shared with me something she found,

some little article about Oregon, or about the seed business,

or you name it, you know, something that she thought

about me. And so we had a lot of these

things in and between us. After she passed away, her

her youngest daughter shared a poem that Julia had shared

with her family soon after she had or soon before

she had passed away. And I found this poem challenging,

especially as I think of the sovereignty of God. I'm

going to just read it here, and the poem is

entitled Wall. Dear Lord, before me is a wall. I

cannot proceed as I had hoped for. There loves before

me a wall, and it is tall and long and strong,

and there is no way over, around, or through or through.

Perhaps there's a gate. A wall could have a gate,

But Lord, what good is a gate, for it is

locked and rusted fast. There is absolutely no way through,

my child. You cannot proceed. There's no way through, my child.

I need not a wall of stature small that I

may boost you over. Neither need I a gate unlocked

that I might point you through, For I am he

who is but the march and shout of faith can

flatten the wall of Jericho. I am he who sends

an angel, and with obedience to arise and follow, can

swing wide the iron gate. And so let's not allow

difficult experiences in life to alter our faith in God.

He is still God, he is still good, he is compassionate,

he is kind. So how can I? How can you?

How do we retain a faith in a God that

seemingly turns a deaf ear? About eleven months after my

first wife's path passing, and I think I'd said last

week that I did quite a bit of journaling. Then

here's something that I wrote in my journal about eleven

months after she passed. I must honestly say that as

long as we are in this life, faith is a

battle never completely won. I still go back over our

faith and prayers from Marland's healing and have to wonder

what was wrong. At times, I still look at my

life to see what is there that God could not

answer those prayers. I sometimes wish faith could be gotten

all one time and kept without loss, But it must

be gained gradually and then carefully guarded lest it fade away.

Oh Lord, increase my faith. You know. The prophet Habacca

had things figured out just right. I like to read

just a few verses from Habacca three verses seventeen and eighteen.

He says this, although the fig trees shall not blossom,

neither shall fruit be in the vines. The labor of

the olive trees shall fail, and the fields shall yield

no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold,

and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet

while I rejoice in the Lord, I will join the

God of my salvation. He said, Oh, if all these

things are taken, no figs, no fruit on the vines,

no olives, the yels fields, Ye'll know, meet the flocks,

I guess die or whatever, no herds in the stall.

Yet I will rejoice. I will joy in the God

of my salvation. I'd like to share just a few

thoughts yet, in relation to the passing of Ruth, my

second wife, and some things that went on there and

again after having experienced the death of my first wife,

five grandchildren, my parents, my brother, my sister, some of

those things, so then some of these things came back

to me. But she was in the hospital for about

twelve days, and at the end of her life she

passed away. There in the hospital, and of course my

mind was in a turmoil. I would go and be

with her. Then i'd go home at night and try

to get some sleep. I'd sleep a little bit till

about three o'clock in the morning. Then I'd wake up

and my mind would just churn, just go around and around,

trying to figure out, trying to see what's going on.

So one of the first days in the hospital there,

I I felt like the need of direction, comfort from

the Word of God. And so as I was sitting

in a room in the midst of turmoil of thought,

I felt I needed encouragement, and so I picked up

my Bible. Where do I read? What shall I read here? Oh? Well,

probably somewhere in Psalm, And my mind my eye fell

on Psalm seventy one. And actually that's the Psalm that

I spoke from then following following her passing away. And

so I opened it and I read in the O Lord,

do I put my trust, let me never be put

to confusion? Verse three, be thou my strong habitation, wherein

two I may continually resort. I read that Psalm every morning,

every day in that hospital. I read it every day,

probably for the next month. There. Every day there was

a new encouragement to me in the old Lord to

put my trust. Never let me be put to confusion,

Never let me forget your goodness, never let me have

those thoughts. Be my strong habitation where I continually resort.

And well, then I found a lot of interesting things

in that psalm. You're probably wherever. It's kind of a

psalm of an older person. Let's see. Maybe I'm going

to just read a few more verses here, but I

will hope continually and will yet praise Thee more and

more Verse sixteen. I will go in the strength of

the Lord verse eighteen. Now also when I'm old and

gray headed, Oh God, forsake me, not until I've showed

thy strength under thy generation and that power to everyone

that is to come. Verse twenty. Thou hast showed me

great and sore troubles, which has showed me great and

sore troubles, shall quacken me again. And that's the verse

that I start out with here this morning. And so

there's just a lot of things in that song, that

psalm that I appreciate. So when when I got to

the close of that message, that of Psalm seventy four,

I read another poem which I like to close with.

If I can find it here, well, maybe I can't.

Find it, got too many papers.

All right, here it is. And this is a question

I think that I had in all of these experiences.

This is the title of this poem. Is is this

the right road home? Is this the right road home?

Oh Lord? The clouds are dark and still, the stony

path is sharp and hard. Each step brings some fresh hill.

I thought the way would brighter, grow, and the sun,

with warmth would go, and joyous songs from free hearts flow.

Is this the right road home? Yes, child, this is

the very path I trod. The clouds were dark for me,

the stony path was hard to tread. Not sight but

faith can see. But at the end the sun shines

bright forever there will be no night, and glad hearts

rest from Earth's fierce fight. It is the right road home.

And so one faces the mortality and the eminent death

of loved ones. It's hard to understand all these things,

and so there can be a struggle, there can be

a difficulty in understanding the purposes of God. But I

would like to say that in all of life, we're

facing grief, whether we're facing even a good times in life,

we need to dwell in the security of the sovereignty

of God. Let's have a closing the song