The desires of those that fear the Lord (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Psalm 145 and the 19th verse He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him He also will hear their cry and will save them He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him He also will hear their cry and will save them The Word of God here is written concerning a people and a gracious God It is spoken, it is written to those that fear Him The psalm is a good psalm, as all the psalms are Much of the Lord's promised appearance and mercy and blessing is described in this psalm to His dear people and they are described in the text as those of them that fear Him

[1:16] It's not written to anyone else There's an abundance of desire in the world but it's for worldly things But these that fear Him it isn't a desire for worldly things It's for spiritual things And that they should fear Him is His work They never chose the path of one that feared God No more than you chose to be who you are in nature God's own mercy and work in the soul of each that fear Him brings them into this place and it brings them into this blessing this promise that we have this morning Because it is a gracious promise It's one of God's shells and wheels

[2:18] It is as certain as He is and I say that in all reverence As God is so this promise will be performed And He is eternal And these desires that those that fear Him have are desires that are found in the soul and upon the spirit It is the content of their prayer and it isn't only for time it is for eternity these desires Because those desires of those that fear Him will take them to glory at last And in glory at last I fully believe that He will fulfill the desires that they have not as yet known not in the fullness not in the length or the breadth or the height or the depth But I believe eternity will be such that will be continually the fulfillment of these desires as you and I never learn all that we have to learn spiritually in a lifetime or that we learn if anything at all it takes a lifetime to learn it

[3:37] So I believe that in eternity there will be fresh revelations and fresh mercies shown to such that fear Him they have a place in heaven it is a place that's appointed and while they live on earth while they live spiritually on earth they fear Him because it is of His grace that they do so Now my friends how did it come about?

[4:12] Well it didn't come about because you was born into religion It didn't come about because your parents were godly It didn't come about that way It came about by divine decree from God in eternity past that He would have a people that fear Him Before all worlds the glorious plan My friends this is a part of that glorious plan This is the work of the Spirit of Truth to make it known in time in our souls but it was because of God who created all things for His honour and for His glory and His people for His praise that people that He has created for His praise will be that people that shall fear Him

[5:14] It isn't a dreadful fear I said the other day somewhere when when they came to Sinai they feared the lightnings and the thunders and they they sought that Moses should plead for them that He should stand that He should stand in the breach but this is a fear it's a filial fear it has love and grace and faith found in the heart their affections their concerns their desires are set on Him who was crucified and is now glorified these are those that fear Him these are those that fear Him that have an aching void that the world can't feel these are those whose eyes have been opened to see the foolishness of the world the depraved state of the world and closer home their own evil heart their own unbelieving nature their own lusts and pride and every sin under the sun is in their heart and they are brought to see it and to mourn over it these are those that fear Him and are blessed characters because they are chosen of God and are blessed characters because they are called of the

[6:52] Holy Spirit those days of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth and I mean His 33 years in the wilderness there were those that feared Him who were they those that were chosen those that were called Him that is Christ God who is holy and just and righteous the Holy Ghost whose work it is is to quicken every vessel of mercy into divine life what is the mercy of it all if we could only have the ability to preach in the way that we would is this that He often takes if He does not always take those that are in nature so opposite to this you look in your own heart to know the answer to that but in the word of God there are those who by their own nature were enemies to God through wicked works every child of God has an old nature that is like that but some of the extreme cases in the scriptures of truth who are brought by divine grace by the new birth by the quickening effect of spiritual life within by the leading of the spirit my friends are those who in their old nature was as far from God as sheep can row and whether it's you you're thinking about now or whether it's Saul of Tarsus for an example a religious man dead in trespasses and sins totally misguided totally ignorant of Christ and his gospel a hater of the truth a despiser of godly men and he went about to do the devil's work but he was amongst those people who by sovereign grace shall fear him and that fear is a principle as well as a blessing because that fear that is in the heart that grace that is in the heart is a preserving fear a preserving grace and it should be seen in the walk and in the conversation and it should be seen in relation to the things that they once walked in and in the things of the world it should be if I may use it a preventative grace my friends those that fear him should seek for that grace will seek for that grace to walk in heart and affection separate from the world these are those that fear him then these are those that fear him fear no one else there's no need to fear anyone else these are those who fear him that do not now fear the holy law they know what it is and they know the solemnity of the holy law but they know also that the lord jesus christ has gone to the end of the law for righteousness sake in themselves they are poor and needy sinners and the fear of the lord will keep them there if they rise an inch above that then they will be taught continually their sinful state i believe every child of god doesn't rise too far above what it is to be poor and needy in one's own soul oh they'll know the riches of his grace but that won't lift them up not in pride in arrogance in possession not at all the effect of the graces of god is not to lift up but rather to keep down and to walk as humble followers of the meek and lowly jesus those that fear him they fear him as they attend the means of grace they desire to hear from him they desire to see him they desire to follow him they fear him as they worship at the throne of grace in this and that they plead his holy name as their only acceptance in themselves there are nothing in themselves they're worthless in themselves they are fallen corrupt and undone sinners but it's him and it's grace and grace brings a sinner to a saviour they fear him they have a love in their hearts to him and they long for a visit from him they long to hear his voice and grace as I said will be that in activity in the soul that will give them holy desires heavenly desires their home is now not in this world but in that glorious place which is yet to be revealed to them now they're also blessed with desires you might say what comes first oh my friends it's abundantly clear what comes first there will be no desire if there was no fear it can't be no desire for holy things gracious things the things of Christ the fruits of the spirit heavenly things there'd be no desire for them if the fear of

[13:05] God wasn't near none at all this doesn't grow on nature's barren soil as we said when we began there's plenty desire in the world but it isn't for Christ it isn't for Christ I said in prayer there'd be thousands of this season of the year are spending and spending and spending to commemorate the birth of Christ and you know my friends he won't be commemorated as the saviour they might take part in some of these religious gatherings but it will be not under the fear of God my friends it's only grace that will see salvation in the babe of Bethlehem it's only faith that sees in that little child that lay in a manger the saviour of their souls oh there'll be many desires filled or unfulfilled at this season of the year but the gracious of those that fear him are blessed with holy desires and then we have then the desires let us look as the

[14:19] Lord will help us because it is commenced with a promise he will not he won't he will if he's put a desire in there if you carry an exercise in your soul then he will fulfill it if it's his he will bring it to pass nothing will prevent it nothing can overthrow it you may be taunted taunted by Satan tempted by Satan and by your own evil heart that you are too black too far gone as a sinner too lost too ruined my friends desires never come from Satan for holy things it is God's work that puts a desire there and it is the promise of that desire that it shall be your comfort today if you go home tonight and there's no fulfillment of this promise believe in the word as grace has given you plead the word lay it before the

[15:26] Lord tell him what he said he will do with respecting to these desires that he will fulfill it he's not my friends a debtor to any one of his children he's not a debtor to any one of his children he will and he will in his own time and way and it is and that and means and mode and place is in the Lord's hand he will bless his people with the fulfillment of his of his desires and it may be in the most unusual places or the most unlikely places the blessings of the Lord don't rest in Zorah only that they would rest in Zorah I trust they do it would be a mercy to hear that they do but my friends the Lord is a sovereign and he will dispose he will give he will lay he will bless his blessings upon his people as and where or when he sees fit desires what are the desires

[16:37] I went to bed with a different text last night it isn't so far away from this text but it was this he satisfies the longing soul and fill the hungry soul with goodness that's in the 107th psalm well we haven't got a word which is so far from that it speaks of a desire I might say this about the word too the child of God often complains that he's not got what others got they see others walk at large or at liberty and there is you know such a thing as a spiritual envy a spiritual jealousy that's not a sin that's not jealousy as we know it in the world amongst the world or an envy that's a sin against

[17:41] God but this is a spiritual jealousy a spiritual envy and they would say well I know I've not got what they've got and they judge themselves to be out of the secret because it is so or because they think it is so but my friends I was going to say the gospel is such and the word of God is such that somewhere in the word of God if the Holy Spirit is pleased to unfold it to you there is a word of encouragement though you're not in possession of what you pray for and long for the question must be asked and you're the only ones who can answer it before the Lord that is is there in your heart a desire some say well you can't get much less you can't get much lower than a desire well we shall see we shall see we can't judge dare judge but the

[18:49] Spirit's work in the heart is known by various feelings various ways and it has this intent that there is a bringing to pass the will of the Lord because my friends if you are blessed with a holy desire in your soul it is for something you've been brought to see that something that is needful and there's a desire formed in your heart for that something then it is surely the fulfilment of the will of God that the desire shall be brought to pass he will fulfil the desire of them that fear him if by divine grace you carry a desire about in your upon your spirit then the Lord has put it there you know whether it's and I'm not going to at the moment anyway speak of the exercises of believers not at the moment but for instance we just want just we might say this when

[20:02] God raises up a servant of God before the day that he has sent forth into the ministry of the word put there an exercise and God lays that exercise with weight upon the spirit but the exercise comes from also the desire you know my friends I want to be understood here when God exercises his people he begins with a desire in their soul now desire for the ministry the exercise for the ministry is of God's work it is the fulfillment of that desire and exercise that we have here in a general sense of the word but my friends it is also the evidence of the will of God being done because you can't tell me that a man carries an exercise to the ministry and it's not the will of God if God has put it there

[21:03] I'm talking about I know all sorts of people get in pulpits and all sorts of people shouldn't be in pulpits because they've never been sent to the pulpit and their desire doesn't come from God but from perhaps their own proud heart and nature now that's entirely a different thing but if God puts a desire there he is to fulfill he is to reveal he is revealing his will in the exercise in the desire and there will be a fulfillment of that will and the soul will come into the time when they shall see it come to pass well we will try and look at some of these desires that those that fear him have because they differ as north from south in respect to natural desires because the desires of a child of

[22:04] God of them that fear him are spiritual desires and it is God in heaven that has promised he will fulfill I love that word fulfill because it's not he will do it when he fulfills it it's complete there's not a shadow left behind it's a complete fulfillment now the desires and really dear friends where do we begin with these desires my thoughts went as I I've had precious little moments today to look even at the text I didn't know where it was precious little moments but as it comes to the mind the desire where we must start I believe if it is a right exercise upon my soul we must start where

[23:07] Job was oh that I knew where I might find him that's where I must begin because he is the sum and substance of Job's religion he was a man who feared God and eschewed evil and was brought into a great great trial of faith where everything that he possessed including his health and strength was removed but his God did not leave him his God maintained him through that trial and brought him out into a wealthy place I believe a child of God can't live without their God I believe this that if you fear the Lord it will be him that you desire to see oh that

[24:08] I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat I would order my calls before him I would fill my mouth with arguments will he plead against me with his great power no but he would put strength in me that's what Job wanted I've often wondered at Job's lot in this respect that he kept his integrity because not by any will of God any will of man but of God he had enough trouble to send him off his head didn't he he had enough trouble to curse God and die but he was preserved from both and upheld and supported condemned by his miserable comforters corrected by Elihu and delivered by his gracious God the desire my friends having lost all he longed for his

[25:14] God oh that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat you know there's such a thing as the blessings of faith in the soul and there's such a thing too as the trial of faith you know you can lose sight of your God but he doesn't lose sight of you you may by temptation by the trial by the darkness of the way and various other things that come into your spiritual existence pathway and experience you may for a time lose sight of your God and I believe Job did in that 23rd chapter but further down in that chapter he said this he knoweth his faith hadn't gone at it it still clung to his God he knoweth the way that I take and when he hath tried me

[26:16] I shall come forth as gold he will fulfil the desire of them that fear him do you long to see him child of God because though it's so dark and so downcast and so distressing and sins and iniquities now trouble and try you but you know the blessed remedy is in that word oh that I knew where I might find him having lost sight of him as it were the Lord had withdrawn his felt presence not his presence his felt presence there was to be a time when a child of grace will long to see him long to hear his voice thy pardoning voice oh let me hear hide not thy face far from me God not of me tonight

[27:32] It was as if Job would say, everything would be right then, everything would be right if he could but see his God, feel the presence of his God with him.

[27:53] Feel a little of what he used to feel. If he was a man, and I don't say that in a doubtful if, or rather put it this way, as he was a man that feared God and eschewed evil, he would have had communion with his God, and he would have known his presence.

[28:11] My friends, and that's what he wanted back. David, in that psalm of contrition and repentance, that he prayed before the Lord, it was of such a desire that he cried unto him.

[28:29] Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out my transgressions, and blot out mine iniquities.

[28:42] Cast me not away from thy presence. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Uphold me with thy free spirit.

[28:56] How we long for those renewings. How we long for those revivings. The Lord's presence. You know, my friends, it is good counsel to us all.

[29:10] The Lord's presence is required in everything we do. Everything. Your path in providence. But especially and particularly in the ways of grace.

[29:23] Oh, that I knew that where I might find him, my friends, that he might be revealed. You know, I would say this concerning the day of his crucifixion, the time of his death, and that three days that he laid in the tomb, and the stone was sealed.

[29:46] If there was a word that should describe those dear, sorrowing believers, followers, of the Lord Jesus Christ in those days, would be that they would know him, see him, and communicate with him.

[30:04] He was out of sight. He was hidden from them. And they mourned his absence. My friends, it's an evidence of grace. If you mourn the absence of God, if you feel his absence, Satan will say, well, I'm surprised he's gone.

[30:23] You tell Satan what Satan's foe said of him. Throw back in his face what they threw at him.

[30:35] This man receiveth sinners. Tell them that. Tell him that. Oh, we'll paint a picture that's so black that will distress your poor soul, and he'll give you every reason under the sun while Christ is gone, while he's hid his face, and the Lord's not near, and his voice is silent.

[30:56] But throw it back at him and tell him what he told his followers, the Pharisees, the proud, arrogant, self-righteous Pharisees, and tell him this, that this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.

[31:11] There's the, that is the word you can use against the foe. The desire of them that fear him. His revelation.

[31:22] His revelation. You know, the day of resurrection was the day of revelation. What a change took place in those dear believers.

[31:33] From the castings down of Calvary, from the darkness of the death of the Lord Jesus, till the day dawned, and it was a blessed day when they found the tomb empty, and Christ was risen, but it was a more blessed day when he was revealed.

[31:53] It was in the, in various times during that day, but it comes to my mind in that example where they were in the upper room, the door being shut for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said, fear not, and all the cry, we have seen the Lord.

[32:15] What a wonderful thing it is to see the Lord. You know, there'll be a thousand, thousand, thousand that will see the Lord one day, but I'll see him as judge. But these that fear the Lord see him not as judge, but as saviour.

[32:30] And that's their desire. Oh, that I knew where I might find him. And these weeping disciples could say to all believers, we've seen the Lord.

[32:42] Not to unbelievers, to believers, we have seen the Lord. Here is the evidence. We've seen it with our own eyes. Go back to John's gospel, to that incident when the Lord Jesus Christ sat by the well of Samaria.

[33:05] And that woman came to draw water, that sinful woman who was living in sin. A sinful woman, known to the city as a sinful woman.

[33:20] She said, come see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this, the Christ. But think on in the chapter.

[33:33] Think on, my friends, to when the men said to her, now we believe, not because of what thou said, but we have heard him ourselves.

[33:45] To desire, my friends, the presence of the Lord. We mourn, you know, in the chapels, don't we, because there's so many empty seats.

[33:56] and I believe sometimes we are incorrect. It's right to pray the Lord revive us. Of course it is. Subject to his holy will that he will add to us, such as love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

[34:14] But my friends, do we mourn more about empty seats than we are concerned whether he is there? If you gather in his house and he isn't there, well, excuse me, but it's not worth gathering, is it?

[34:30] There's no point to come together if the Lord's not there. That is what we pray for, that is what we hope upon, that is what we stand upon. That we gather in his name according to the promise that he is there.

[34:45] He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him. They will know his presence. We have seen the Lord. Be not silent unto me, David said, lest if thou be silent unto me I become like them that go down into the pit.

[35:05] Really, my friends, religion is nothing without Christ. and I mean a saving knowledge and revelation of that glorious person.

[35:18] I said the other day, was it here, might have been last Sunday of that Scottish lad that we read of, Yeddy, isn't it, who said, I've seen your lovely man.

[35:32] What did he say? He saw his entrance to glory. He saw him who was crucified and is now glorified. He saw him by faith.

[35:45] And he was to him as what he ought to be to you and I if we fear the Lord. He saw him as one who was lovely. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him.

[35:59] We've not got anywhere this morning. Not too far anyway. We may enter into some of the desires which I hope the Lord has put into your heart a desire.

[36:13] Those things which well, you might say well, it's only a desire but if God put it there it's an exercise now.

[36:25] It's a longing now and it is the revealed will of God you know in the desire that that he will fulfill it. He will fulfill the desire.

[36:39] And then this you know this keeps the soul alive. If you've got a desire that will keep your soul alive.

[36:51] Go back to the Song of Solomon that we looked at last Lord's Day the soul the bride there had a desire and she said saw ye him whom my soul loveth.

[37:04] She had a desire and she wasn't satisfied. Who was pleased to read that hymn that you sung? Satisfied not they indeed till with Christ their living head they in heavenly bliss appear and his likeness fully bear.

[37:21] Heart and flesh may fail is true sin and Satan plague them too hell and earth their powers unite Christ to banish from their sight.

[37:33] For a season they may be left at an uncertainty overwhelmed with fear and doubt scarcely know what they're about yet they feel a panting mind for a God supremely kind satisfied they cannot see but as they his beauty say well it seemed to fit well in this text into what level exercise or leading I had he will fulfill the desire of them that fear him.

[38:05] There are many desires you couldn't count up the desires of a believer you could not add together those desires there are those special desires those exercises those things that lay with a burden upon you and it all begins with this he will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them.

[38:38] But there's just one thing more these desires will come under attack of the temptations of Satan these desires will be the subjects of the trial of faith because these desires are spiritual things that are impossibilities as far as nature is concerned but remember the promise he will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them Amen The notices this week are as follows

[39:38] God willing the prayer meeting will be on Tuesday evening this means there will be no service on Wednesday and our pastor is expected next Lord's Day the amount collected from the building fund box at the door for the month of November was £161 to sing our last hymn 711 amidst the sorrows of the way

[40:41] Lord Jesus teach my soul to pray and let me taste thy special grace and run to Christ my hiding place thou knowest the vileness of my heart so prone to act the rebel's path and when thou veilst thy lovely face where can I find a hiding place why can show my small time or sociedhe Thank you.

[42:10] Thank you.

[42:40] Thank you.

[43:10] Thank you. Thank you.

[44:10] Thank you. Thank you.

[45:10] Thank you. Thank you.

[45:42] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. śала束 ś CHOIR SINGS I hear your grace to Christ the Savior.

[46:52] CHOIR SINGS We seek thy blessing on thy word and thy forgiveness of everything that's been said on this.

[47:14] Lord, be with us through this day in all that we do and wherever we go, do appear and do indeed undertake.

[47:26] Bring us together later, Lord, we pray. Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit remain with us both now and forever.

[47:45] Amen.