Psalm

[0:00] Psalm 119 and verse 8. Psalm 119 and verse 8.

[0:15] I will keep thy statutes, O forsake me not utterly. Psalm 119 and verse 8.

[0:30] I will keep thy statutes, O forsake me not utterly. When I came to the close this morning, I felt I had finished with this subject.

[0:54] I didn't know what else could be said. But I have nothing else to come with. I realized my poverty, for there is a fullness in him to answer our needs.

[1:17] I realized that if the light is given and grace, there's many sermons could be preached from this world.

[1:30] But I have not the ability of myself. But I trust the Lord will open it up a little, that we might look at it again this afternoon, and I hope and trust it may be made profitable to us.

[1:54] It is a solemn pathway that we have to walk in from time to time.

[2:06] And that is feeling, fearing that the Lord will, is forsaken us, or has forsaken us.

[2:20] I often wonder where we would be if God's people, those that have gone before us, the psalmist and many others, had not entered into these various experiences, and the Lord had not constrained by the power of his Spirit that these things should be written.

[2:56] I wonder where we'd be. I feel it would leave us in despair sometimes, many times. But we have these various things recorded in the Word of God for our instruction, for our encouragement, for our help.

[3:16] And so, I would that this Word might be of some help to us here this afternoon. Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[3:32] Friends, we, at times, we have to be weaned absolutely from our own strength, our own wisdom.

[3:55] We have to be emptied of self completely. no one can we go to or lean upon.

[4:08] All props are taken away so that we have to come to the Lord, Lord, help me.

[4:19] The dear woman came there, didn't she? I believe I referred to it this morning. But friends, what did that dear woman find?

[4:30] At first, she was discouraged. she was discouraged by what was spoken.

[4:42] And the disciples were for sending her away. but the Lord did not send her away.

[4:58] He was trying her, proving her. and he blessed her. And friends, if we are his children, we should be tried, we should be proved, we should come in those spots and places where we can find no encouragement, no encouragement in the word of God.

[5:26] Though it's there. It's there. I believe there's something there for every case that you and I come into. But there are times when we are blinded to it and we can't see it.

[5:43] We need the Lord to lead and direct us to his word. There's many times that you and I come into these spots and places and we don't know what to do.

[5:56] And we need the Lord to guide us. You see, there may have been times, there has been times with some of us when we have gone to man and would go to man.

[6:12] But friends, the Lord will wean us from that. It's Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? That's where you and I have got to come.

[6:23] And that's why there are those times when we're brought down, we're emptied, we're, and the Lord hides his face.

[6:38] You might say, well, why does he do that when he knows we want him? He knows we're seeking him. friends, it is to make him more precious.

[6:53] It is to make us more fervent. It is to make us more, our case, more urgent. Then, friends, we will seek him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength.

[7:12] friends, and this is what is required of us. But our nature fights it, it resists it, it doesn't want to come that way.

[7:25] But the Lord, he brings it about. Yes, he knows, blessed be his name, he knows what he will do.

[7:38] Yes, with you and me, he knows. He knows the end from the beginning. Oh, friends, we have, we have many fears.

[7:57] We are often bewildered because we can't see ahead. We can't see our way clear. We don't know what the future holds.

[8:13] We get discouraged. We get concerned. We are filled with fears.

[8:25] The Lord knows what he will do. Yes, he knows everything. nothing is hid from him.

[8:37] But how backwards we are to put our trust in him. Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[8:57] Ah, friends, there's many things in our religion that bring us into this experience.

[9:11] Forsake me not utterly. Have you got a case, a concern? Have you got a weight, a burden, an exercise in your heart?

[9:29] Are you calling upon the Lord that he would direct you, that he would show you his way? Ah, and you sometimes find he is silent.

[9:47] The woman, again, the woman that came to him, he answered her not a word. Ah, friends, oh, how these things make us fear.

[10:10] Oh, forsake me not utterly. Don't cast me off forever. Ah, you may have to cry before him, but I know I'm not worthy of thy notice.

[10:27] I know I'm a sinful creature. I have sinned against thee. Ah, many things may be squeezed out of our hearts before a holy God.

[10:43] we may well realize that we do not deserve one blessing, one smile from the Lord.

[11:03] But friends, have we tasted that he is gracious?

[11:18] Have we heard his voice? Friends, when the Lord begins the work of grace, he makes the heart tender.

[11:39] He makes the heart willing in the day of his power, willing to serve him, willing to be saved by grace, willing to walk in his paths, they're made tender.

[12:05] And there is a love that is created in the heart by God. Oh friends, has the Lord begun that work in our hearts?

[12:23] And the more the Lord leads his children on in his paths, the more precious he becomes, and the more his presence is desired and wanted.

[12:42] But friends, we find this, as we journey along, we have to walk by faith so much, as we draw nearer towards the end, we want his presence.

[13:18] It is right that we should want it, should desire it. And friends, we are often filled with many fears regarding the end, the end of our life, regarding eternity.

[13:41] Do we not often find the words of Gideon echoing in our hearts? If the Lord be with us, why are we thus?

[13:52] us? Maybe it's these very words that echo in our hearts from time to time.

[14:06] Oh, forsake me not utterly. I'm drawing near the end. In the last days, Lord, hide not thy face.

[14:24] Come again. Speak to us. Oh, friends, I'm sure that it must be so with you as it is with me.

[14:42] We see such a deterioration. We see it in our own hearts. We have to be honest. We have to confess we're carnally minded.

[14:57] Yes, and worldly minded sometimes. Perhaps many times. Can the Lord be with us?

[15:14] Is he with us? Does he dwell within us? He dwells within the hearts of his people. He leads them forth by the right way.

[15:26] Is he doing that for you and I? when we are in darkness, when we go backward and forward and cannot find him, when these words are squeezed out of our heart, oh, forsake me not utterly.

[15:48] Why, friends, we wonder where we are. have we got any grace at all? If the Lord before us were with us, why does he hide his face from us?

[16:06] What a question that is, friends. Why does he hide his face from us individually? Why does he hide his face from us as a denomination?

[16:27] Ah, friends, they're solemn days, they're dark days, they're evil days, where we have sinned against our God.

[16:49] I'm sure, friends, that the Lord's hand is lifted up against us as a nation. We all know the many things that has happened over the years.

[17:05] We're no longer our own. Our empire has vanished.

[17:19] God is dishonored. Friends, oh, it makes us tremble what is coming, what we shall see, what we shall experience.

[17:39] Without a doubt, we're in the last days. we can't begin to think what we may witness or experience.

[17:58] We're told in the word of God that there'll be terrible days, in the last days.

[18:10] we're told that the days will be shortened for his dear people.

[18:26] I say we can't begin to think what we may live to see. that the Lord hides his face.

[18:43] He, as it were, sits upon the circle of the earth. He sees us all. He sees everything that's going on. Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[19:03] Forsake me not utterly. Oh, friends, I'm sure poor Samson knew something of that in his experience.

[19:20] but he was brought to that place where he pleaded with the Lord that he would once more put strength into him.

[19:41] In other words, that he might have the dear Lord's presence once more. And he was granted that desire. And then he perished.

[19:55] He died. His days were ended here upon this earth. He died with many as he, as the building collapsed upon them.

[20:15] Oh, what a solemn pathway. What a sad pathway. But, friends, the Lord, the Lord didn't utterly forsake Samson, did he?

[20:29] We know Samson sinned. Yes, he sinned. Ah, friends, is it not our sins that have brought us where we are into various things?

[20:54] Or are we need to be led by the Lord in that right way? Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[21:10] Friends, where is your faith? Where is my faith? In our Lord God. We said this morning, we refer to Job who said, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.

[21:36] That's what we want, friends, that faith. That when the Lord is hiding his faith, we still believe in him, we still trust in him, we still love him, we still are able to fall into his hands, to lie passive in his hands and know no will but his.

[22:04] Though he's hiding his face, yet, friends, it's that faith we want, to believe in him, to believe that everything is in his hands, that he is in control.

[22:20] will, yes, he leads his children forth by the right way, he has his up their way when they're wrong, he confirms it when they're right, that's what we need, we need it, especially in these evil days, because it's so easily to be deceived, it's so easily to go the wrong way, it's so easily to go a little to one side, to stray a little, it's so easy to lower the standard, friends.

[23:10] and I believe these are, that is one of the things I believe that's causing the Lord to hide his face, a lowering of the standard, a listening to the devil, deceiving, all friends, how we need to be kept, how easy it is to be deceived, Satan is powerful, he speaks, he speaks with power, he knows when we're swaying, all where we need, to be rightly exercised, rightly concerned, how we need to have those confirmations, those evidences of the

[24:28] Lord's approbation regarding the pathway that we walk in, regarding our profession, regarding our religion, how we need to be made right, how we need to be found building upon that solid rock, there's so many that are left to themselves, will build upon sandy foundation, and it will never stand, it will, it will bring us to hell, unless we are enlightened, unless we are brought to repentance, to confess our sins, unless we're brought to that place where the language of our heart will be, give me

[25:39] Christ, or else I die, oh, forsake me not utterly, forsake me not utterly, forsake me not utterly, forsake me not utterly, how many times, friends, have you and I come to that place where we've felt we couldn't pray anymore, can't pray, pray, without the spirit, without life, you see, we might be able to pray formally, but we can't bear it, if there's spiritual life in us, and we're rightly exercised, we cannot bear formalities, they're a mockery to God,

[26:41] God looks at the heart, he sees where our prayer comes from, he sees at the end of the day off times, let's be honest, friends, he sees us at the end of the day off times, when prayer is a task, we're weary, weary, we're faint, we're half asleep, our heart isn't without words, but the Lord knows, friends, he knows, oh, how we, how we need the Lord, to quicken us, again and again, to keep our souls alive, to keep our hearts stayed on him, we have to prove what the hymn writer said, myself,

[27:48] I cannot keep, oh, forsake me on, utterly, have mercy upon me, Lord, cleanse me from my sins, create in me a clean heart, oh, God, and renew a right spirit, friends, I don't know about you, but I need that more and more and more, as I journey along, for the Lord to create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me, my own nature's there, it's not clean, it's unclean, it's vile, it's deceitful, but friends, we cannot deceive our God, and he sees our spirit, he knows when we want to get to the house of God, he knows when we love the house of

[28:55] God, and we want to hear his voice, he knows when it's a task, he knows when, he knows those times when, if we could escape it, we would, we wouldn't go, we would go somewhere else, we would hide ourselves, but, friends, let's be honest, are there not those times with us, when we go, simply because, we know our friends would miss us, they want to know where we were, so we go, are there there, there isn't a cry in our heart, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do, Lord, save me from this wretched cell, friends, the Lord sees,

[29:58] I say again, he sitteth as it were upon the circle of the earth, he sees every heart, God, we're all individuals before him, we cannot really enter into it, we cannot really understand it, but it is so, we're all individuals before God, every one of us, oh, forsake me not, utterly, where we need the Lord, to keep us alive, spiritually, in our religion, can you and I keep ourselves alive, no, we cannot, we cannot, the disciples knew something about it, they also knew it literally when the

[31:19] Lord was asleep in the hinder part of the ship and they were in trouble, the boat was filling with water, they couldn't stand it any longer and they went and woke him, they couldn't carry on without the Lord, without their blessed Saviour, God.

[31:52] No, neither could Jacob when he wrestled with the angel of the Lord, he couldn't go any further without the blessing of God God.

[32:14] And the Lord granted it to him. Friends, the Lord sees you and I. He knows we come to those times when we can't go on any further.

[32:39] We come to the end. It's Lord help or I perish. Yes.

[32:54] And friends, the Lord brings us into these places. I would not have come here to die with this word, friends, had not the Lord driven me into it.

[33:20] I was afraid I'd come here this morning and have nothing to say. Nothing to say. Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[33:40] You see, the Lord brings us there. It's none but Jesus. None but Jesus can help us.

[33:51] None but Jesus can do us good. Forsake me not utterly. We know in our hearts we're not worthy of his notice.

[34:05] But it's Lord help me. Lord help me. Ah, friends, I say again, we would not come there.

[34:23] But for the work of grace, the Lord empties his children. He searches them. He brings them, yes, he brings them where he brought the prodigal to be in want.

[34:46] The Lord knows those of us here that begun to die in want.

[35:01] He knows those of us that had great needs, who had to come before the Lord and tell them all.

[35:19] Fearful, fearful that they would not find him. Forsake me not utterly.

[35:32] Forsake me not altogether. Ah, friends, me not remember years ago, Mr.

[35:49] Ebbing Clark preaching the word of God and he was speaking of the visits from the Lord but he said, oh, it's the in-betweens of his visits.

[36:03] that's it. That's where the trials are. Forsake me not utterly, Lord. Come again. Restore unto me the joys of thy salvation.

[36:23] And the dear Lord gives a promise for his dear people. you have now therefore sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice.

[36:39] I'll not forsake you utterly in other words. I will come again. You will not perish. You will not be overcome at last by the devil.

[36:56] I'm God Almighty I reign. I will work and who shall let it? Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[37:14] Oh, friends, what a mercy it is that our God is a faithful God. A faithful God.

[37:28] will never leave one of his dear children whom he has suffered for.

[37:40] He'll never leave one of them to perish at last. no. Oh, forsake me not utterly to return again to that prodigal.

[38:06] he was in a bad way, wasn't he? I don't doubt there's many that would condemn one of their own who went that way, that walked in that pathway that he did.

[38:40] He pleaded for the portion that was due to him before he was he was before he should have had it, but he was given it.

[38:57] what did he do? The old flesh said, now I'm going to enjoy myself.

[39:12] And he went into a far country and he spent all that money and righteous living going with harlots and no doubt many other things that were evil.

[39:33] He was yielding to temptations, he was yielding to the lust of his heart. But all the mercy of God he didn't leave him in it.

[39:59] No. And friends, this is how the Lord deals with his dear children. He has mercy upon them.

[40:14] He knew where to touch the prodigal. He touched him in everyday things.

[40:30] He touched him regarding temporal things, the things that he needed to live. The Lord knows where to touch your eye, to bring us, to break us down, to humble us, to make us willing in the day of his power.

[41:01] And the prodigal, he had to return. That was brought home to him how he was, what he had done.

[41:23] He was face to face with poverty. No one wanted him. I will go to my father's house.

[41:38] I'll return. God and he went back in the right spirit, broken hearted, a sinner, not worthy to be called a son.

[41:52] Make me as one of thy hired servants. But friends, he was a son. Once in him, in him forever, the relationship cannot be altered, blessed be the name of God.

[42:14] It cannot be altered. He loves with an everlasting love. God Oh, forsake me not utterly.

[42:29] Come again, Lord. How many times do you and I fear he won't come again? But forsake me not utterly. Friends, all the unbelief of our hearts, it's so great, it's so powerful, that once in him, in him forever.

[42:54] It must be so. The work of salvation is eternal. Oh, friends, the Lord makes no mistakes.

[43:11] Well, oh, may the Lord bless these few things.

[43:23] I hope and trust there may be that which has been of the Lord. May he bless, and he will bless, that which is of him.

[43:41] And may he forgive anything that's been amiss. For his name's sake, amen. Amen.