And thou shalt remember all the way... (Quality: very good)

[0:00] I venture this evening in directing your thoughts to a well-known word, the word of God, as found in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8, and reading the second verse.

[0:24] The book of Deuteronomy, the eighth chapter, and reading the second verse. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or not.

[1:06] Now, if we are to be really favoured in our meditation this evening, we need the Holy Spirit to be our remembrance.

[1:26] The Lord Jesus has given to us in this a very wondrous promise concerning the Holy Spirit being our remembrance.

[1:44] And, oh, I do hope and pray that we may be favoured together in this.

[1:56] And whilst it is a great thing to consider or to ask, oh, that every one of us may be led back, first of all, by the Holy Spirit in our lives.

[2:17] And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness.

[2:31] I wonder how many of us will be able to go back this evening to the time in our life when we first commence to feel our need of God.

[2:53] Our need of God in our lives. It may well have been, first of all, in a providential way.

[3:07] I am sure that in many instances the Lord does bring people to the point in their life when they begin, and of course this is the work of the Holy Spirit within the heart, but when they begin to be in want as the prodigal son in the far country, we read of him, he began to be in want.

[3:44] Can we remember when this took place in our life? The Lord knows how old we may have been at that time. Perhaps there are those here who can go back to your childhood in being brought to the same point as Saul of Tarsus, as it is recorded of him by the Holy Spirit, of the fact that he had been born again.

[4:18] And the witness of God's word regarding that man was this, For behold, he prayeth. Do we remember when we first began to pray?

[4:33] It may have been, as I have hinted, regarding some providential need in our life, some felt need of God's help, felt need of God's guidance, felt need to be directed.

[4:52] It may have been even in our very early days of school. It may have been as we grew older, and the time came for us, perhaps even to go on in further education, or, as the time came, when we needed employment.

[5:13] I wonder if any here this evening have such remembrances as this. You see, the word says, And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness.

[5:30] And one thing is very certain, if we possess, and if spiritual life was imparted, and when it was imparted, we commence to feel our need to be led by God.

[5:50] Do you remember how this took place in your life? If the Holy Spirit is indeed our remembrance this evening, I know this, that we can be taken back and have cause to remember all the way that we have been led and brought, and some of us here tonight, many years, others, many, many years, who have been favoured to be led by their God in the changing scenes of their lives.

[6:40] And thou shalt remember all the way. You know, if we are helped just to speak of this in a very simple kind of way for a moment, may we be enabled to consider, first of all, the wonder, if this has been our favoured portion, the wonder of having praying parents to be born into a home where God was feared.

[7:18] now, what a wondrous God-given favour that is. And those of us here this evening that have known it, if we are helped to look back and remember dear parents, and of course, it can be dear grandparents and others, but I say, what a favour to be enabled to really remember such blessing as this for what blessing it is.

[7:55] You well know, as I do, that there are thousands of children in this land today that scarcely know who their father and mother is.

[8:09] And yet, if we have been favoured, even in this way, surely it is something to remember, to remember the prayers of our parents, to remember the care that we receive from them, to remember the blessings of our childhood and youth, and to remember how the Lord in his mercy preserved us perhaps in particular ways in our lives.

[8:45] Maybe those here tonight who, in looking back, may well remember how you were preserved from death, preserved as the hymn writer you may take this up, preserved in Jesus, when my feet made haste to hell, and there should I have gone, but thou didst all things well.

[9:09] Thy love was great, thy mercy free, which from the pit delivered me. Oh, dear friends, if we are given even a glimpse of that very important truth, who from the pit that of course means hell, delivered me.

[9:34] Again, I say, if we are favoured to have the Holy Spirit as our remembrance, sir, I know how we need it. I do not know how it is with any of you here this evening, but I find that I often mourn and feel such need to remember, feel such need to consider the way in which we have been led, the way in which we have been fed, the way in which we have been clothed, the way in which we have been helped in our lives in many ways.

[10:13] Yes, and even to remember how the Lord so overruled our life in one way or another, that at times we were not permitted to go here or there, and yet have lived to thank God when the answer sometimes to prayer was no.

[10:35] Have you been thankful for occasions when even the Lord has answered prayer with no? How good to trace the Lord's hand then in our lives?

[10:49] And surely we cannot leave out another thought and that is this, how favoured we are if we have been granted a God-given husband or wife.

[11:08] isn't it needful for us to remember this here this evening? For what a favour that is.

[11:23] What a favour. And do we not have to trace the hand of mercy in this? The Lord's mercy to us in the way that he was pleased to grant us this blessing in our life and all that it meant to trace God's hand in the guidance in the preserving care and mercy in all kinds of ways.

[11:58] So let us then consider this also. And it is such a blessing to be granted a God-given husband or wife.

[12:12] A prudent wife is from the Lord. And of course it could be said the other way. But haven't we need to go back then in this?

[12:26] And those of us here this evening to whom God has given children, children, and that of course is another of his gifts. Lo, children are the heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

[12:44] And the Bible says happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, for they shall speak with the enemy in the gate. And it is a gift, not all of course are favoured in this way.

[12:57] And those of us that have been blessed with children, the Lord alone knows the heartache, he alone knows the burden of our souls in these matters.

[13:09] But on the other hand, can you trace God's hand in these things? I know that I'm speaking about the path of providence for a moment, that we can never separate the path of providence and the Lord's dealings with his people in a gracious way.

[13:30] They're bound together. And there are those of you here tonight that have proved it. When the Lord has mercifully sanctified your providential path as a means of grace to your souls, and when you, and if we're favoured to look back and to remember, and thou shalt, really, you know, this is a command from God, and thou shalt remember all the way, not some of it, but all the way.

[14:10] And that, of course, will take in many things in our lives. And yet, isn't it true to say this evening, on this New Year service occasion, having therefore obtained help of God, I continue, we continue, unto this day?

[14:32] Where should we have been without it? Why, we would have sunk beneath trials and troubles that the Lord has brought us through, but for his merciful help, and his loving kindness, and his tender mercies.

[14:52] And then, isn't there also the need to consider the Lord's provision for us in our lives?

[15:06] Let me remind you of what the Apostle Paul had to preach as he came to that inscription on Mars Hill to the unknown God.

[15:20] And among other truths, of course, he could say this, Whom therefore, whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you, God that made the heavens and the earth and all things that are therein.

[15:37] But among other things that he did preach on Mars Hill was this, the bounds of our habitation are fixed. Have you had to prove that?

[15:49] Is that something that you can remember this evening? The bounds of our habitation are fixed. You think of the Lord's guiding mercies even in this.

[16:04] You think of the home that you may have at this present time. Can we acknowledge and can we trace the Lord's hand in these things?

[16:17] to know that he has given to us our home? Have you been favoured to know it to be a Rehoboth? So that you've been able to say the Lord hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land?

[16:33] You know our homes are one of God's good gifts to us and how we need to be thankful for them? How we need to be thankful and of course that takes in everything to do with us.

[16:52] Some of you here this evening and we can go back in our lives to our childhood. You think of the way that God has provided for us through the years of our lives.

[17:08] I'm sure some of us would be able to say yes. The good hand of God has brought us thus far and it is by his favour we are what we are.

[17:24] But think of how we've been provided for. And you may well look back to occasions when you were in very great need providentially and you may well remember how and perhaps in a most mysterious and most remarkable and most wondrous way the Lord appeared for you and provided and sometimes it may well have been that you didn't even know where the help had come from but it came.

[17:58] how good it is to be able to trace then the hand of God in all these different ways and then of course there's this the hymn writer has expressed it in such words through many dangers toils and snares I have already come.

[18:23] some of us here this evening lived through the second world war and all that that meant and we certainly have our remembrances haven't we we have our memories of that time and the conflict and this year of course is going to be a remembrance year regarding the Lord's mercy to this land of ours in granting victory as he did and some of us well know that God gave the victory and how we need to remember this now I leave that side of the subject and desire to come to what is couched in these words and thou shalt remember all the way which the

[19:30] Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or not my thoughts go back for a moment to the occasion when our two friends Mrs.

[20:04] Branca and her daughter Margaret were to be baptized here and I still remember the word of God that we had to venture with on that occasion and it was this the word of God to Moses at the burning bush put off thy shoes from off thy feet the place whereon thou standest is holy ground you know I still remember that these that this line or two came to my mind on that occasion and I've been reminded of it and it's this dust know the spot of ground where Jesus did thee meet do we have a spot of ground do we have a few spots of ground in our life where the

[21:06] Lord in his great mercy met with us can we remember how the Lord was pleased to call us by his grace you know when that is fulfilled in the lives of sinners it will have a gracious effect upon them their whole attitude in their life will change do you remember how it was with you when the Lord met with you and called you by his grace what did it do well it did this it changed your heart it renewed your will and it turned your feet to Zion's hill you may have been favored to have been brought up to attend the house of

[22:08] God from your very early days do you know that in itself will never change our heart that itself will never renew our will or turn our feet to Zion's hill but you know when the grace of God reaches a poor sinner's heart it will certainly do that and thou shalt remember all the way oh do we remember when we were when we were feelingly brought to begin to pray yes as I said earlier on it may well have been in connection with our life in one way or another you know if we possess a new heart and a new spirit we shall not be a stranger to the truth that you can read over the top of hymn 1003 in our hymn book and it says this breathing after holiness breathing after holiness and if we have really found that one hymn and the language in that one hymn is the very exercise of our soul then there's an evidence that we possess spiritual life and we shall certainly join with that hymn and among other things that we shall desire it will be this make me to walk in thy commands tis a delightful road nor let my head or heart or hands offend against my guard but do we remember occasions when the

[24:01] Lord did meet with us have you a few spots of ground the Lord knows if this is so in our life do we remember when we were brought to a felt knowledge of our need as sinners as in the sight of an holy God do we remember when we first became a companion with the publican and the publican's cry was ours oh you may say yes I can and it's still my cry today and I believe it will be to the end but we shall be a companion with him do you remember when you first really had to pray God be merciful to me a sinner are you taken back in your life this evening to when you first really prayed with the publican God be merciful to me a sinner but then you know those that are brought to cry as he did they will be brought by the

[25:13] Holy Spirit to Jesus have we remembrance of being favoured in being brought to Jesus and you may well have come like this just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bidst me come to thee O Lamb of God I come have you known what it is to be favoured as the dear woman spoken of in the word of God with the issue of blood and you may remember that it is recorded in one of the gospels concerning her that she had spent all that she had on many physicians but rather grew worse have we known something of this have you known something of what is recorded of God's servant Ezekiel turn thee yet again son of man and thou shalt see greater abominations than these do you know that dear woman it is recorded of her that presently she heard of Jesus well she spent everything that she had she still had her disease and what are we told about her well she was given faith she was given faith in believing and what do we find her saying have we ever been brought to the same place do you have this remembrance she was brought to this if I may but touch the hem of his garment

[27:00] I shall behold well she had to press through the crowd didn't she and if unto Jesus we are bound a crowd about him will be found attending day and night a worldly crowd to din our ears and crowds of unbelieving fears to hide him from our sight but you know do we have this remembrance if thou press on the crowds will fly and if thou faint to Jesus cry and he will send supplies well did she press through the crowd in vain oh those wondrous words that Jesus he knew do you remember how his own disciples said master why sayest there who touch me but Jesus said this didn't he about her somebody hath touched me somebody hath touched me do we have that remembrance in our life when you too had to press through the crowd oh you felt if only

[28:16] I can touch the hem of his garment I shall be made whole and you know she did touch him or she did touch and what do we read about that occasion we read this Jesus said somebody hath touched me for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me and what did it do for that dear woman for it brought her to this peace and when she saw that she was not hidden she came trembling and falling down before him and before all the people she told for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately you know when a poor sinner is brought to Jesus Christ and has contact with him and receives virtue from him that will always do the same thing as it did for that dear woman and what was it it was this and when she saw she was not hid she'd been hidden up to that point but she could no longer remain hidden and why because she'd received virtue and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague have we known a little of this have there been the times in your life when you have known this you received virtue through the precious sin atoning blood of

[29:53] Jesus Christ and all you've known that you've received it because it has come right into your heart and you've known what it is to say with the hymn writer I'm blessed I'm blessed my rags are gone and I am blessed brought into union with the church's living head and thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness when will my saviour come when will my saviour come you know there's a vast difference between the

[31:09] Lord's own dear people that possess his grace and those that are graceless and the difference between them is this that when they die the Lord's people they go home and when those that are graceless die they leave their home but the Lord's people go home you see the difference they go home those that live and die without God and without home they leave their homes they leave and that's all they have the child of God has a home an eternal home in the heavens and with them it is true to say that they are with Christ which is far better well do we prove them that this world is a wilderness you know the Bible speaks of those that are seeking a better country that is and heavenly and what does the

[32:23] Lord say about such people that they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth but they are seeking a better country that is and heavenly and then what does the Lord say about them he says this wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city this God is the God we adore a faithful unchangeable friend now have you proved this have you had to prove it could you do you desire do we desire even this evening to set up an Ebenezer and to say with Samuel he set the stone didn't he between Mishpah and Shed and he called the name of it Ebenezer saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us well wouldn't we have to add this evening yes Lord and we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for thy merciful and gracious hell and what did we sing in our second hymn he that hath helped us hitherto will help us all our journey through and give us daily cause to raise new

[33:42] Ebenezer to his praise and thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness now what does the Lord say to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no have we known something about this in our life you will if you belong to Jesus Christ you will if you're a member of that family whose father fills the thrower could you say this evening yes Lord I've known something about this to humble thee have we known what it is to be humbled let me put it another way do you feel your need to be humbled oh how we need to be humbled under the mighty hand of God how we need to be brought into the dust and I believe it's in this place that we shall understand even more of what this word says and in looking back over our life you think of all that the

[35:18] Lord has done for you you you think of the way that he's led you and what has his purpose been what is his purpose right through to the end of our life well it's this to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart and what have you had to prove about it have we really learned something of what the prophet Jeremiah had to declare in his day in the word of God and it's this the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it well only those that possess spiritual life turn thee yet again son of man and thou shall see greater abominations than these do you find it so in your life have you had to prove it but what will it do for us well it will drive us to the throne of grace it will bring us to our

[36:27] Lord it will make us so aware of our need I remember dear Mr. Brunker the dear deacon that was here and was indeed a pillar in his day and generation and I remember him telling me that on one occasion in his life he was in such great need he was a gifted man in his life in business life and the Lord brought this right into his heart on this particular occasion and it was this you've heard it before he that is down need fear no fall he that is low no pride he that is humble ever shall have God to be his guide and how he saw the hand of God on more than one occasion but how he saw the hand of God working on his behalf now haven't we seen it haven't we seen the hand of God working for us hasn't he at times made the crooked straight and the rough places plain haven't you seen his hand and you might say to me this evening but oh

[37:54] I've come to this new year service and perhaps you may even say and feel in greater need than ever but oh that you may be favoured may we may we go home from this service oh that we could have just a little of the fulfilment of this word and thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness and to know this to be true to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or not I just think for a moment of King Hezekiah you may remember that it is recorded of him at one particular time in his life this is what it says the Lord left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart have we known something of this oh you see he was a very favored man and you may remember how in that sore affliction that came upon him when

[39:15] God sent his servant Isaiah to him with this set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live and he turned his face to the wall and prayed but you know presently he could say this behold for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back Zeus he and hear his heart do he know something of him and what will it do for us it will bring us more feelingly than ever to the feet of Jesus and I believe it will create such an exercise as this take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee however much time we may have left is that your desire that you may live to him that you may live to his glory well I must leave these thoughts with you but of course it says in the third verse and he humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live oh have we proved something of this the Lord has supplied our need providentially and he supplied it spiritually you have received a few crumbs from the master's table haven't you and hasn't the Lord granted you an handful of purpose from time to time haven't you received blessing from his hand on one of our calendars yesterday morning morning I saw these words thy raiment waxed not old upon thee neither did thy foot swell these forty years and that is how I was led to this word here this evening and as I looked at that word you know I just felt

[41:52] I must go to Hastings with this tomorrow evening and thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness and humbled thee and to prove thee that thou mightest know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no is there someone here tonight that needs as it were to know the Lord's will well the word comes to my mind I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it Amen