Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] The word of God that is upon my mind to speak from, as the Lord may help me this morning, is in the psalm that we read, and the latter part of verse 3.

[0:16] Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. The whole verse reads, draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me.

[0:35] Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. As we read together this 35th psalm, you may have felt, as I have felt sometimes, the language is very strong against David's enemies.

[0:58] He seeks the Lord's interposition in his personal defense from the wretched anger of Saul and so many of the kingdom of Saul that were supportive of his attitude and outlook.

[1:25] Instead of being humbled at God's goodness in granting to them such a man as David, they sought to annihilate him, to bring him to an early grave.

[1:42] Oh, when we think of the ultimate history of David, how contrary was the attitude of the multitude that sought his harm and even the death, an early death himself.

[2:00] But David had a refuge. David had a deliverer. David could appeal to the Lord of hosts to use his sovereign prerogative to protect him, preserve him, and ultimately to deliver him.

[2:21] My friends, I wonder as we think of these things, and not to the same depth, not to the same degree, persecuted, tempted and tried by the powers of evil.

[2:35] What a wonderful thing it is when those things that threaten us, those things that appear against us, those things which would rejoice in our downfall, that they are a means in God's hand of bringing us closer to God as our refuge and our strength and of our very present help in time of trouble.

[3:05] Any enemy that drives us, our souls to the throne of grace and to the God of all grace, to appear for us in our exposure to great difficulty and great danger.

[3:24] I say, my friends, ultimately, we shall see them as very, very beneficial instruments in bringing us into a deeper and more extensive knowledge of the Lord himself in the personal experience of a saved soul.

[3:49] Now, I'm not going into the terminology that David employs and the wishes he exercises in regard to the preservation of his person from the hand of Saul and all the hosts that united in his imminent destruction, except as the Lord had another way for David.

[4:22] Instead of entering into a grave, he was to enter into a throne on earth. And that throne on earth was a stepping stone to an eternal throne of which we've been singing in our hymn, in the very presence of the Lord, in glory forever.

[4:44] Oh, my friends, how many of the enemies of the Lord's people are lost souls. But how many of the Lord's people, a number which no man can number, of every nation, kindred and tongue, is being preserved through the providential and temporal care of the Most High, bringing them through a way that is appointed for his own glory and their good, will gather them unto himself at last.

[5:19] And there won't be a vacant throne, there won't be a missing soul of that great number whom the Lord has chosen to save and is determined in the exercise of his infinite love to have them with him and like him forever.

[5:40] Numbered with them would I be now and to eternity. Is that a sentiment that finds expression again and again in your soul?

[5:57] Not only when you're on your knees, but sometimes as you're following the appointed course in circumstance, in the circumstance of life, you find such a desire to look to the Lord for his salvation.

[6:15] Well now, my principal meditation has been upon this short close with such a comprehensive application.

[6:32] Here is a living soul under great pressure, threatened by great power, with seemingly little defense.

[6:43] He prays, Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. My friends, if the Lord ever speaks with power to our souls and reveals clearly to us that from eternity past he's loved us, he's thought upon us, he's taken the necessary steps in the incarnation of his dear Son, that the way of salvation should be perfected, suitable to the forgiveness of the sinner and the glory of the Savior forevermore.

[7:27] Oh, what favored people we are, whatever may be the situation into which God in his wisdom has brought us, however contrary, however fearful, even however dreadful the situation may be, and you may feel, I can't stand much more of this.

[7:49] It'll soon drive me off my mind, but nevertheless, every detail, every particular thing, every stroke of the enemy, every bad thing that has been thought and expressed, contrary, it's all under the control of the Lord Jehovah himself.

[8:15] We sing the truth when we sing not a single shaft can hit until the God of love sees fit.

[8:27] Now that's the portion of the people of God. And it's the perfection of control and defense.

[8:38] And my friends, the people of God have many, many enemies, perhaps in a temporal way, not so many as David had, but nevertheless, there are enmities expressed in temptation and also in misrepresentation.

[9:00] The people of God hated of the world as Christ himself was hated and it's a great mercy that there is deliverance afforded to those who in themselves feel wretched, ruined and undone.

[9:27] Say unto my soul, now let me turn particularly to this, do you know you've got a soul? Do you know you've got a soul?

[9:41] You say, well I know I've got a body and I know it's subject to various situations, some of them most threatening and I fear I might become the subject of ill health with all sorts of necessary afflictions to be dealt with and yes, there is sometimes a heavy cloud of sickness and infirmity overhangs the child of God.

[10:21] we know we've got a body, we know we've got a mind, we know we've got a spirit, do we know we've got a soul?

[10:34] Do we know we've got a soul? For as I gather together these indisputable facts relative to our natural part, part the most important consideration is your soul, your soul and every person under the sun I don't mind what they may say what they may do how they may hold up in ridicule the simple faith of believing souls my friends they may be bitter in their language they may be contrary in their attitudes they may make such a situation that's hard and difficult to live with nevertheless they have a soul who must live forever and there's not a person on earth but what will be held accountable to God for the condition and position of their souls when they pass from time into eternity say unto my soul the Lord communicates with the souls of his people in a very personal way we communicate together don't we by talking the same language and entering into the same interests and we find much comfort and pleasure in those natural communications through our voice we are favoured to hear the voice of others and sometimes we find great pleasure in sharing subjects common to both with others of our fellows round about us my friends those things appertain to the natural side of life but there is a spiritual side of life and that spiritual side of life is the most important because the effects of it are eternal no matter how many people may say naughty things about us when we die that will be the end as far as we're concerned but how wonderful if the Lord has spoken to our souls and said despite all the contrary judgments that sometimes come in so powerfully and fearfully to our condemnation if the

[13:40] Lord over and above all that is adverse to us and the prospects of our future if the Lord says I am thy salvation my friends it's a great great invaluable testimony that will do to live by and do to die by yes if once the Lord has spoken to us in the saving authority and efficacy of his lips heaven I am thy salvation I say we're in the narrow way to heaven when the journey appointed for us is complete the Lord will perfect that which concerns us and gives us our appointed place in his presence heaven forever say unto my soul

[14:49] I am thy salvation this is one of the jewels of Christian experience this is one of those things that stands out simple expression with an unfathomable depth of meaning because the comprehensive love of God in Jesus Christ is beyond our finite ability to comprehend but the sweetness and influence immediately conveyed by the answer to this prayer will indeed give us joy and rejoicing in the Lord and in his great salvation I reiterate do you know you've got a soul say unto my soul the

[15:57] Lord speaks to the souls of his people he doesn't speak in a way that perhaps someone sitting in the next seat to you in the chapel will hear nothing of his voice but if his voice is directed to you in answer to this prayer you'll hear his voice you'll know that there's something distinct and peculiar about it that never can be imitated by anything apart from God himself oh my friends what I'm really saying is a personal religion God's dealings with his chosen he speaks my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voice of strangers what a mercy to know the shepherd's voice you know even in nature it's a wonderful thing that a flock of sheep can get such an understanding of the voice of the shepherd when the shepherd goes toward the flock and shouts the sheep will turn their heads to the direction from which the voice sounds and my friends in the church of God this place here below where the sheep of

[17:53] God gather together where they're hopeful and attentive to the presence of the Lord and his voice sounding forth with sovereign power to the souls of sinners I say what a wonderful thing to know something of that distinct characteristic of real religion to know the Lord's voice when he speaks to you say unto my soul I am thy salvation one more consideration is this say unto my soul I am the Lord speaks of himself I am that I am has sent me unto you what a mercy it is when the

[18:59] Lord in his sovereign appointments directs his servants to bring his word in the power of it clothed with such effect that you hear not just the voice of a minister but through the minister the voice of the Lord and the voice of the Lord constructively not as it were in that way that makes you sick in condemnation because the sins of your heart and life as it were brought forth in the light of an impending judgment but there is the constructive aspect of the Lord saying I am thy salvation salvation is of the

[20:04] Lord all the salvation known in the world by the church of the living God generation by generation continuing my friends it is the Lord speaking to his people he brings them into situations as he did David here of stress and strain imminent destruction unless the Lord put a hedge about him and defended him from his enemies yes it was such a power which had such an effect that David could find some rest for his soul in the midst of a raging ambition to terminate his existence to bring him as it were under the enmity and bitterness of King

[21:06] Saul to the end of his days say unto my soul I am thy salvation are you concerned about your salvation are you living for time without any regard for eternity are you very very tender in respect of your physical and mental health and if so be anything comes into your path that seems threatening while you're running to the doctors you're going to those that are blessed with qualifications to give advice and recommend certain reactions either with operations or maybe with medicines my friends what about the soul say unto my soul

[22:10] I am thy salvation God as it were indicating positively that salvation that great great gift of God to men is your lot it's your favored portion amidst all the denials that you see some of the rich of this world some of the mighty some of those who are blessed with certain physical abilities and talents and they seem so far above you and you compare and you say well I'm just a poor insignificant creature and the world would hardly miss me if I was taken from it well my friend the gospel is to be preached to the poor and to the needy and what a wonderful thing it is if the tenor of the text is language which is very present in your soul

[23:33] Lord say unto my soul I am thy salvation have you ever felt you could leave everything else in the hand of God if only God would say these words to you personally in the love and grace and power of the almighty to as it were put all your enemies in the right place that none is able to pluck you out of the hand of God because he has chosen you to salvation and he has made payment in the person of the blood of his own son that all your sins should be forgiven that God would be absolutely reconciled to you without any qualification or inhibition the Lord has chosen you to salvation given you into the hands of his son to redeem and his son has gone to the end of the law for righteousness and God smiles with that acceptance of your spirit to be with him and to be like him in glory forever let me quote a text that's very precious in my own soul

[25:02] I sat down under his shadow with great delight great delight and his word and his fruit was sweet to my soul say unto my soul I am thy salvation oh what a happy Sabbath day it would be to some of you in the congregation if the Lord himself bore witness through the simplicity of worship in which we're now engaged and there was that powerful answer to a long expressed need say unto my soul I am thy salvation I had occasion this week to visit a man at Old Hill he sat under my ministry for 32 years and his wife was an excellent woman excellent woman

[26:09] I had the privilege of laying her mortal remains in the tomb when she had gone to glory this man was not so clearly possessed of the salvation of his dear one and I want to be careful how I speak God is a sovereign and he doesn't deal with husbands and wives collectively his husband apart and his wife apart my friends we need a personal salvation it is say unto my soul I am thy salvation but I visited him and he was almost he was dying of cancer we've known that for some time I went into his bungalow there he sat in a chair he could hardly say yes and no to what

[27:12] I said to him but what did I say to him the importance of what I said to him has been confirmed in the days from my visit till now the night after I visited him he died in the night alone in a bungalow and his son and daughter-in-law visited him the next morning and found him dead so I was the last man on earth to communicate anything to him the heaviness of that responsibility brings me to feel a great need of stressing the principle of the text to you because we don't know when we're going to leave time for eternity we can't comprehend the exact dealings and leadings of God in our experience but there'll come a time when the Lord calls us and oh that man how I laboured to set before him yet again the secret of salvation

[28:33] I hoped and prayed the Lord would use me as an instrument to convey that need to him as the only need really that he was possessed of because he was dying he was dying and when we come to die what matters with anything and everything as it were that concerns us my friend I was going to say this and I say it knowing the dependence of every person upon the mercy of God but get right with God and the rest matters little if this prayer is answered and the Lord condescends to speak favourably lovingly graciously to your heart

[29:41] I say it will loosen your hold or loosen the hold of time things upon you when the Lord in his liberating efficacious authority says I've loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee say unto my soul I am thy salvation and I'm going to make a statement and I don't question the truth of it the happiest people that are upon the face of the earth are those that receive an answer from God for this prayer happiest happiest all the happiness arising from the life of grace within when the soul is realising conquest over hell and sin may not have got perfect wording but my memory is a bit threadbare say unto my soul my friend has this prayer got a place in your heart has this prayer got a place in your life time things are demanding modern life is heavy pressure on the commitment of almost every person under the sun but have you got room amidst all the anxieties and responsibilities of life have you got room for this prayer say unto my soul

[31:32] I am thy salvation Jesus is the one thing needful I without him perish must the consequences are eternal they're not just for the rest of your time here under the sun my friends it's an everlasting concern to be right with God there's only one way for a sinner to be right with God only one way and Jesus said it so clearly himself at great cost to himself I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me his name shall be called Jesus saviour for he shall save his people from their sins your sins are a sickness which is threatening your sins will affect your soul eternally accept the Lord

[32:52] Jesus Christ would he condescend to whisper in your heart even today say unto my soul I am thy salvation now what a wonderful thing to be alive spiritually he was a ruler of the Jews great man doubtless esteemed as a very wise and useful personality the Lord Jesus said to him he must be born again he must be born again what a moment that is when God sends forth his spirit to make a person dead in trespasses and sins alive to the fact that they've got a soul and they've got eternity an everlasting state to enter into in a little while and I say a little while because life is a vapour it appears but a little time

[34:27] I'm now of that age when I tend to connect things that happen in the present with things that happened in the past and it's amazing when you get old how often your mind is taken back taken back perhaps many more times than it's taken forward in temporal considerations but I think of things that happened in my school days I think of things that happened when I first started work I remember very clearly the conditions that prevailed and the parental direction that was sanctified to the awakening as it were of a concern about spiritual things and so we go on and you say well how long ago is that well

[35:40] I'm talking about 80 years 80 years that some of those things took place what are those 80 years my friends it's flown it's flown it's taken wings and it's flown by what a mercy if the Lord had favour to us and said to us in our youthful years by bringing his good spirit to create a concern in our hearts about our souls and it's a good thing to fear the Lord in the days of your youth you'll never regret as it were the beginning and perhaps the dampener that was exercised toward many many pleasures and pursuits in youthful years oh God brought you to a sober consideration of the fact that time is not the all important thing eternity is of greater magnitude by far the condition of the soul and the circumstances relating to your eternal need surely should take priority because your soul shall live forever don't be deceived and say well religion belongs to old people you know that man

[37:28] I visited I mentioned I didn't finish my story did I he died in the night after my visit his son and daughter in law found him dead in the morning and our pastor who has visited him at old hill was so pleased that I said pastor I could only talk to him about Jesus Christ because there was no other subject suited the condition and my friends if I looked along this over this congregation this morning and appreciate there'll come a time when none of us will be here on earth we shall all be in eternity oh sad if we're living out time without any regard at all for the condition of our souls say unto my soul I am thy salvation those with whom we mix we value we value their prayers we value their presence in the house of

[38:35] God we value their loving interest in our welfare if they're true Christians because there's a bond that binds souls together bearing one another's burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ yes my friends but will you be in heaven have you a token it's a token to be exercised about spiritual things it's a token when the Lord awakens you and brings you as it were out of the grave of the temporal to a consideration of the eternal and you say I've got a soul that must live forever and I don't know when I'm going to die look at the uncertainty that associated with my early life the great war was on when I was 18 into the forces the army under the authority of the army

[39:47] I could have been sent to any part of the world but I'm here I'm here it could have been different men that were served with me in the army they never saw the end of the war but I did you see say unto my soul I am thy salvation be prepared listen to the hymn writer prepare me gracious God to stand before thy face thy spirit must the work perform for it is all of grace and my friends the greatest gift that you can receive under the sun is for God with power in the word to say to you

[40:49] I am thy salvation I am thy salvation and the Lord speaks he speaks he communicates with his people he sanctifies them gives them faith to trust in him gives them love to follow him makes them willing to suffer the consequences of his profession even to be as strangers as it were in the world to the world and the things of it as they have been led to choose the better part say unto my soul I am thy salvation I'm going to leave it there for this morning I hope in the evening as the Lord may help me I shall be able to speak of some ways in which the

[41:51] Lord says I am thy salvation and my friends if he says it to you I say from an experience of it you'll be happy in your situation and you won't wish for anything to be altered except the power of the love of Christ and the love of your soul to Christ to be strengthened and increased say unto my soul I am thy salvation Amen