Isaiah

[0:00] If the Lord should be pleased to help me, I shall seek to continue with the morning subject, the book of Isaiah, chapter 41 and the 10th verse.

[0:24] Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God.

[0:36] I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee, with the right hand of my righteousness.

[0:51] The book of Isaiah, chapter 41, and the 10th verse. How good it would be, if you and I could have grace, all sufficient in everyday life, to live in the light, of such a wonderful word, as this is.

[1:21] A word which, whatever our circumstances may be, would ever allay our fears, and it would enable us to see a shining bow in every dark cloud.

[1:40] We should discern to each one a silver lining. We should understand what the hymn writer does mean.

[1:53] Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take the clouds. Ye so much dread are big with mercies, and shall break in blessings, on your head.

[2:07] Alas, dear friends, when the matter is weighed up, whether it be the preacher, or any of you who hope in God, we're very poor lots, very poor specimens, of what people, who are pilgrims to Canaan bound, really ought to be.

[2:33] Because when all is said and done, God is guaranteed to be our God. What could you desire more in everyday life than to do as I said, live in the light of this truth?

[2:53] Fear thou not, for I am with thee. I am aware of every detail of what is happening to you, every jot and tittle, whether it emanates from earth or hell, whatever may oppose you.

[3:15] I know it. I have made all provisions to deal with it. I have guaranteed you a safe conduct that having begun the good work in you, I will carry it on.

[3:30] I will complete it. And you shall find it to be with you as it was with Israel of old. To the land of Canaan, they went forth, and to the land of Canaan they came.

[3:48] Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.

[4:00] And now, taking up the subject again, not going over the ground, taken up in the morning sermon, only to link up as it were.

[4:13] as you ponder this subject, as you ponder this subject, and I do hope you do ponder the subjects that are given out, and which one attempts to unfold as grace is given, you ponder it in your heart from your own viewpoint of it.

[4:35] And now, it may be, as you are here before God, there is some special matter that is a matter of great importance to you.

[4:50] Important in your everyday life, it may be to do with you, or your family circle, or your business, it may be something which is to do with what may be on the moral, and you are dismayed.

[5:12] And now, you will be dismayed more and more if you look at your circumstances as they appear to be in all their complications, and allow your thoughts to dwell upon them as to what may be the outcome, how shall we do in this matter, and in that.

[5:38] This is the root of all our trouble. The word of God tells us that just shall live by faith. And you and I, if we are taught of God, we have got to learn, do listen.

[5:58] I say, we have got to learn to be content with such things as we have. And if we have God to be our God, surely, you and I should be content with that sweet, blessed knowledge.

[6:15] You may say, I am not as sure as I should like to be, that God is my God. Well, if the God revealed in the word of grace, and he who speaks in the text before us to the Israel of God is not your God who is.

[6:41] You see, everyone beneath the sun has got a God, but the great majority have got a little G God. the great I that dwells inside, self, the little G God.

[6:56] And now, is that little G God your God? Or, do you see the God who does say to poor sinners, fearful-hearted sinners, fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God.

[7:24] And now, I want to look at that. You will remember I said just a little about how it might be known that the presence of God was with us.

[7:37] I touched on one or two characteristics, and I said that if God was our God and the presence of God was with us, you would find that the things of God would be uppermost in your thoughts and attractive to you.

[8:00] And you would feel that above all things beneath the sun, you would desire like the hymn writer to know my Jesus crucified by far excels all things besides.

[8:19] Another characteristic I just hinted at was that the word of God would be very attractive to us also.

[8:32] You may read it, I hope you do, you may read it day by day, but when the presence of God is with you, oh what a difference there is in looking into the sacred pages then, than when you just read a chapter here and a chapter there, and it seems just cold black and white letterpress in the reading of it.

[9:00] Oh, when you are helped to read the word of God and feel he who is the author of it is granting you a little light thereon you feel thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and as you get something making plain the dealings of God with you in your own soul's experience, you can say with Jeremiah thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

[9:47] I like to think of those words of Jeremiah and I have sometimes reminded you how he uttered them he was inspired of God to record them and he says thy words plural were found and I did eat them and thy word singular was the joy and rejoicing of my heart and now thy words mean the written words thy words the written words were found and I did eat them and thy word he of whom the word of God tells the incarnate word he who declared to his disciples in the volume of the book it is written of me thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart and remember how the hymn writer prays and he goes right down to that bedrock truth divine instructor gracious lord oh be forever near help me to read thy sacred word and find my savior there and when you find through the word of

[11:16] God being opened up to you that you can feel in the reading of it it is good for me to draw near unto God that is a sure sign you have an interest in this word before us hear thou not whatever your case your circumstances may be for I am with thee and now there is another viewpoint of the presence of God being known and felt and that is when you feel what you do not always feel that you can draw near to God and you can realize a sweet access at the throne of grace and be like the woman in the gospel when falling down at Jesus' feet she told him all the truth oh when I was a lad at school we used to sing

[12:17] I often say my prayers but do I ever pray do the feelings of my heart go with the words I say and now when you realize the presence of God out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and oh how good it is when you can feel that sweet nearness to God the people of God are said by the psalmist to be a people near unto him but alas too often in our attempts to pray it seems so cold and formal and there is not that sweet realization of nearness that our souls desire to know more about fear thou not for I am with thee another characteristic of the presence of

[13:19] God will be that although you may have many concerns in this life you will find deep down in your heart there is a feeling like this Jesus in grave it on my heart that thou the one thing needful art I would from all things parted be but never never Lord from thee you will live in that word unto you therefore which believe he is precious you will taste that the Lord is gracious yes fear thou not for I am with thee and just another characteristic of the presence of God being with you you will have maybe trouble like a gloomy cloud gathering thick and thundering loud and you may have varied reactions to it you may have many fears you may stand much in need of this fear thou not but when you realize at length the presence of

[14:43] God all that you feel in your churnings up within will be subdued and your great concern will be that the troubles that you're in whatever may be the outcome you do want them to be overruled for your soul's peace and profit you say with the selmist let my soul live and it shall praise thee and let thy judgments help me oh it is good dear friends to know the sweetness of sanctified trouble to be able to say it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Martin Luther said in one of his writings that affliction gave him a new bible a new bible yet he was reading just the same one that he had read all the while before but he could see in the sacred pages where the word of

[15:59] God had been made a reality in his soul's experience he could see the why and the wherefore of the dealings of God with him he was instructed in righteousness and so you will see it as you realize the Lord's presence much might be said along that line of thought fear thou not for I am with thee how good it is to feel in thy presence I am happy in thy presence I am secure in thy presence all affliction I can easily endure and now I look at the subject from this viewpoint be not dismayed for I am thy God and now when a sinner is born again and you might ponder the question as to whether you are you know

[17:04] I wish all you dear people the blessing of the Lord for time and eternity too whether in life morning afternoon or evening time but I am bound to question you and I say when a sinner is born again he then awakes to a solemn awareness of his utter helplessness in things divine and he is made to realize that earth and hell are conspiring together to hinder him following on to know the Lord and he turns his eyes within and there he sees an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God I have often thought of our hymn writer when he speaks of the enemies of people taught of

[18:08] God and he says mighty enemies without much mightier within and now you might think on that prayerfully earth and hell are without but what you are by nature within is one much mightier and that is a very solemn truth and when you get old and grey heady you go yet deeper down into the knowledge of it turn again son of man and thou shalt see greater iniquities than these and now these things have got this tendency to dismay you if you just look at these things as they are before your eyes you look within and you see how sad our state by nature is but then this word of the

[19:12] Lord is to encourage you pour not on thyself too long lest it sink thee lower and you be more dismayed than ever look to Jesus kind and strong pity joined with power yes be not dismayed for I am thy God you look at the world without you see it's chaos and confusion you discern that the wicked are doing wickedly and you wonder as you look forward in life's journey how matters will be as the years unfold before you and yours and if you let your thoughts go you will be dismayed at the outlook but then you are not to judge by the outlook you are to judge by the outlook when the outlook is not good you must try the outlook what did

[20:24] David say I will look up and you must do likewise as grace is given and there you will see be not dismayed for I am thy God are you dismayed by what you see in the world about you says Jesus Christ to poor sinners like you be of good cheer I have overcome the world do you look around it and see hell let loose and see the devil working overtime to do all the mischief he can while he can be not dismayed is still the word of the Lord to you for I am thy God in this was the Son of God made manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil do you look within and feel dismayed at what you see there from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it wounds and bruises putrefying sores

[21:36] God has made provision for all that you are by nature and you being the sinner that you feel to be be not dismayed for I am thy God in that day there shall be a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness Jesus blood through earth and skies mercy eternal mercy cries whatever it is that causes you dismay if you will help to look up you will see there is a God given remedy to grant you sweet blessed relief you will learn oil and wine to heal and cherish Jesus still to Israel give nor shall there a sinner perish who in his dear name believes oh how much there is as you journey on through life that makes you feel dismayed but the great thing is not to fall a prey to it and not as it were to settle down in a dismayed state but to remember there is help in

[22:57] God hope in God yes you may feel dismayed because you are in heaviness through manifold temptations and you may have terrifying thoughts about it lest in some evil hour you will fall a praise and bring a reproach upon your profession of the name of Jesus which you have made and yet if you weigh this word up be not dismayed for I am thy God you will find a word to help you he can succor them that are tempted he understands your temptations in every detail he knows what sore temptations mean for he has felt the same and what do you sing oh if you would only reduce to practice what you sing you would be in a much happier state often in your feelings before

[24:12] God and man trust in him ye tempted saints tell him all your sad complaints here present help will be give you strength and victory be not dismayed I know the outlook may be very gloomy there may be much that you feel I cannot help but be dismayed but then you are to read this in its proper connection be not dismayed for I am thy God whatever it is within or without that will dismay you I understand it in every jot and tittle I have made provision for you to be delivered out of it yes and if you feel dismayed regarding the future what it may hold in store for you there is one way in which you will understand it in the unfolding of it step by step as you go on the way will open up before you when we cannot see our way let us trust and still obey he who bids us forward go will not fail the way to show be not dismayed for

[25:46] I am thy God and now you may be dismayed because there may be things that come into your life which you little look for you never dreamed that they would ever arise things that to you are hard to be understood and yet as they have come into your life you have got to remember first of all they did not come by chance nor are they aphazard but you have got to realize there is an over ruling providence that wisely marshals every circumstance some of us who are old and gray headed look back over the way

[26:46] God has led us along and in his early dealings with us there were some things hard to be understood I thought it was hard to be understood when I was climbing up the top of the ladder in the printing profession and then my health broke down altogether with lead poisoning and I had to give it up and begin my life over again and yet I look back to see how although I felt dismayed as to what the future held in store God had got a future planned for me and he made me what I hope I am one of his own ministers to be upon Zion's walls all the long time he has helped me to preach the gospel to you as a people I think that word in

[27:51] Jeremiah is very instructive and I like you to think of that it might be a help to some of you sometime you dear young people is your life unfolds before you the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying arise go down to the potter's house and there I will cause thee to hear my words then I went down to the potter's house and behold he wrought to work on the wheels and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it then the word of the Lord came to me saying O house of Israel cannot I do with you as with this potter saith the

[28:53] Lord behold as the clay is in the potter's hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel you see in your early life you have got your pleasant picture a lawful ambition a profession it may be you desire to be in as long as you live according to how you feel then in your youth but the vessel is mired in the hands of the potter the pleasant picture is not allowed to come to full fruition but the potter the heavenly potter makes another vessel as seems good to him to make it and and instead of I having the desire of my soul fulfilled to be a printer God allowed the vessel to be marred and then made of me a preacher of his own gospel and now you think on things from that viewpoint when there are things arising in your life maybe you were brought to a standstill and then you have to say our eyes are up unto thee you want them to be inside that word thou shalt guide me with thy counsel but be not dismayed at what the future may unfold for I am thy

[30:32] God and you will be helped to realize he is the sovereign ruler of the skies ever gracious ever wise you will say as he works things out for you all my times are in thy hand all events at thy command and how glad you will be that they are there oh it is a wonderful mercy when you can feel that God is overruling your life as you live it and the government should be upon his shoulder when you can see shines the whole providence of God with love divinely bright and whether he gives withholds or takes all is supremely right but you have got to come to this you have got to be the clay in the potter's hands and be willing to be moulded to what is will what God seems good to make you as you journey on through life that you may serve him in whatever sphere he may ordain the steps of a good man are ordered by the

[31:53] Lord and he delighteth in his way fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God it may be some of you are dismayed and you may be farther on in life's journey you might even be coming on toward the end of it and when you look back and call to remembrance the former days you can remember how God dealt with you and he gave you things that may be outstanding in your soul's experience but many days have passed since then many changes you have seen and nowadays in your soul's experience you often feel far far from those good days that you enjoyed when God began to deal with you first of all and sometimes you were dismayed that you feel as you do in contrast with what you know you did feel in the early dealings of God with you when you did live near to

[33:23] God and when Jesus Christ was precious in your soul's esteem and now you're alas so often feelingly at the ends of the earth and when you try to pray you have to begin leave not my soul destitute take not thy Holy Spirit from me and when you think on this contrast you're dismayed and yet this word is still recorded to encourage you even though you feel as you do be not dismayed for I am thy God and now think again of what you sing all thy waste I will repair thou shall be rebuilt mark that word in the hymn writer as if the nail on the head rebuilt anew and in thee it shall appear what a God of love can do

[34:29] I will restore to you the years which the locust and the caterpillar and the canker worm and the palmer worm have eaten and the saviour said to his disciples ye now therefore have sorrow I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice oh how much might be said from this viewpoint of the subject be not dismayed for I am thy God and now you may be dismayed because you have asked God to be your God you have asked him for quite a while that he would make it known that he is indeed your God but as yet you have not got what your soul desires what you are going to do about it are you going to conclude then there is no help for you in

[35:31] God no hope oh but then there must be something that you taste and feel at times that should give you encouragement to wait on God oh Lord if thy covenant design no blessing of mercy for me then tell me how is it I find some sweetness in waiting for thee and you have got here a little there a little line up and line precept upon precept in your soul's experience but as yet you cannot climb up to that blessed height my Lord my God and yet he is your God you could not feel as you do otherwise what you feel does not proceed from the flesh does not arise from what you are by nature no it is what you are by grace the root of the matter is found within you fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy

[36:50] God and now let us look at this beautiful summing up as it were I will strengthen thee and now you must read that as it is recorded in the word of God you must not read your own thoughts into it you must not read it like this I will make thee strong and that is you must not think God will fulfill that word so that you feel like a giant refreshed in facing the duties and difficulties of everyday life and that you have got some surplus strength some grace to spare no no it can never never be what says the scripture my grace is sufficient for thee and that means as thy days so shall thy strength be you have got to learn what it means my strength is made perfect in weakness and out of weakness were made strong which is a very humbling life to live and yet it is the life that

[38:20] God has ordained that just shall live by faith and you learn Jesus is the way of strength yet the strong this way can't come and the Lord will prove at length weaklings have the victory won I will strengthen thee and now look that word in the face dear friends each of you who hope in God it must be that this word has been fulfilled to you that you have found what you are and where you are this sabbath afternoon some of you have journeyed far in life's way you have seen troubles not a few you have been brought to wit's end many times and you have had to realise all your wisdom is swallowed up but you have proved this then they cried unto the

[39:30] Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses trouble did you mark how that was worded four times in the Psalms 107 as I read it then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble you cry unto the Lord in your trouble and they did in their trouble and you find all who were taught of God have got their trouble and they only get relief as their help to wait on God and seek his divine aid in themselves as weak as worms how can poor believers stand when temptations pose and storms press them close on every hand weak indeed they feel they are but they know the throne of grace and the

[40:33] God who answers prayer helps them when they seek his face and now you really must tell the truth as you are here before God this word has been fulfilled to you and yet it may be this sabbath afternoon you feel as weak as ever you did before God regarding his dealings with you and yet you have lived your life hitherto since you were born again inside this declaration I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee did ever trouble yet before and God refused to hear thy call much might be said along that line of thought and now regarding this strength and this health how is it obtained the word of God says I will be inquired of by you all house of

[41:37] Israel to do these things and you know as you look back over the way you have come along many a time in a secret place by day and many times on your bed by night you have sought divine aid yes and what have you found let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need and thus it is by the grace of God you are what you are and where you are having obtained help of God I continue unto this day and the word of the Lord in Jeremiah is applicable they shall ask the way to Zion with their faces dither was and that is how you come to be in the attitude of worship for if you came aright you came asking the way to

[42:47] Zion which is to say you were seeking some further way mark to set up therein some fresh evidence that you are indeed a pilgrim to Canaan bound I will strengthen thee look at thee I will and think who it is that declares it the God of Israel with whom you and I have to do fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and you know in the means of grace here a little and there a little he has strengthened you he has helped you if you were to try to sit down and reckon up what

[43:48] God has done for you you would not get it done this day or tomorrow there is a tendency I have observed it I am making no reflections on any of you I say I have observed it there is a tendency and I am sure the devil will assist people in it and that is for people who are indeed taught of God and real heaven bound pilgrims to belittle their religion and call into question what in reality is their soul's experience and of which it can be said what hath God wrought I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness

[44:51] I will uphold thee and now who can sink with such a prop as holds the world and all things up the meaning is and he led them forth by the right way and surely surely if you say what you ought to say concerning the dealings of God you will admit that the way you have come along is indeed the right way whatever difficulties you have met therein whatever troubles have made you oft times dismayed whatever fears have arisen as to how you would endure yet you must admit this our good guidance saviour has helped us thus far and tis by his favour we are what we are when regarding tomorrow you must remember

[45:55] God guarantees tomorrow that he will be to you what you have found him to be yesterday and today seeing he is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever I will strengthen thee I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness and now dear friends oh that God would grant to you and to me grace all sufficient to live out our lives in the light of this truth and whatever the future may unfold do remember should poverty or loss of all created good conspire to make our weighty cross our helper still is

[46:58] God Amen Amen