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[0:00] that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou, Lord, hast opened me and comforted me.

[0:14] Show me a token for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou, Lord, hast opened me and comforted me.

[0:30] Tokens are referred to throughout the scriptures. Even in transactions between men, tokens were necessary to the subsequent complete performance of that transaction.

[0:55] David, doubtless, was well aware of the meaning of these tokens, even naturally considered.

[1:09] But how much more when we come to consider spiritual tokens which God gives unto his people as they may request them.

[1:22] Now we come into many places during life's journey where we may pray the prayer that the psalmist does here.

[1:37] Show me a token for good. It is a wonderful mercy and strength to our faith to consider of whom this token is asked.

[1:59] Because we know that since God is requested to give the token then it will be a true token.

[2:12] We read of one in the scriptures that asked for a true token. Now if it is a matter of life and death if it is a matter of our eternal state then our anxiety will be that we might have a true token.

[2:38] But if we ask of God he can give us nothing else but a true token because he is true. He indeed is the truth and whatever he gives must be true.

[2:55] It may so to speak if we have the plumb line dangle by the side of it and you'll see that it is upright and it is straight. Then again if we should take the level we shall see how accurate is the word that is spoken.

[3:16] Show me a token for good. Now God I believe puts it into the hearts of his people as to what they will receive as a true token.

[3:37] Do we not have something in mind when we would present a prayer like this? A true token. May we suppose ourselves to be in great danger as the children of Israel were in the land of Egypt and God gave them a true token.

[4:00] Quite different from what they might think about possibly in this case and that token was the blood upon the lintels and the doorposts.

[4:13] And as we have just sung much we talk of Jesus' blood yet our little is understood. when we ask for a token it does not mean to say that we shall always understand the profound value that is in that token.

[4:35] Whether the Israelites did or not well it may be difficult to answer that but there's one thing that it was a token of God's faithfulness and are we inquiring this evening of a token of God's faithfulness and where will you find it?

[5:02] You will never find it more clearly displayed than under the blood a revelation of the blood and certainly it was a token of the revelation of God's faithfulness God looked upon it this token of the blood and the people that dwelt in those houses were safe we shall not have sprinkled blood upon our lentils and door posts but it is good for us to feel that our dwelling place is under the blood that is under the preservation of Jesus Christ so that we may indeed lie down with all safety feeling that the eye of

[6:02] God is upon it it is worthy of our attention to remember this that the scripture declares that the Lord looked on the blood now we may look on it but if God never looks on it well what use will it be but God does look on the blood and what a mercy if we have felt that the Lord even the Father has looked toward Jesus Christ when he has looked upon us and looked upon our dwelling place and in a sense as faith may be active he sees the blood sees that we are under the blood eminently when we think of showing me a token for God surely this must be the case am I under the blood am I sheltered from the wrath of

[7:04] God am I preserved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation salvation now the desire of the psalmist is show me a token for good you see sometimes we may as it were believe the truth we may believe the truth that we have been singing about concerning the lamb of God and repentance and the blood that was shed but we need to be shown it religion is lacking if there is no seeing and if there is no seeing well may it not be because there is no showing well what would you mean as I'm sure some of you have prayed this at times show me a token for good is it not that the Lord would show us our interest in a saviour's blood show us that we are sheltered not only so but show us that we are cleansed not only so but that by this token we are brought nigh for the blood of

[8:34] Jesus Christ shall bring us nigh unto God and then this will also give us a token that we are delivered from death religion without the blood of Christ in it is incipient indeed but real religion must have the blood of Christ in it in the 56th psalm the psalmist says for thou hast delivered my soul from death how was he able to say that was it not because God had shown him a token a token of the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse from all sin and to save his soul from death so then he was quite secure and in this moment of uprising faith he says for thou hast delivered my soul from death from eternal death and the token that he had been shown and which his renewed eyes saw and feasted upon and rejoiced him enabled him to produce a gracious confidence toward

[10:03] God and not only so but it enabled him to leave so many other things if we get this right we can leave so many other things in life and so we may repeat these words from psalm 56 for thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living an assurance here will give us a confidence that God will help us on our journey through the psalmist decide a personal showing show me a token for good do we not feel this to be so if it was shown to somebody else that sometimes it is that we are sons and daughters of God well that would not benefit us personally though

[11:13] God's election is a truth small comfort there I see till I am told by God's own mouth that he has chosen me therefore show me a token a true token a clear token a token from heaven of thy faithfulness and not only of thy faithfulness but also of the mercy of the Lord for his mercies are great can we just accept them as a doctrine that we believe there's something to be said for that but it will be much better when God shows us a token that clearly shows to us his great mercy which so clearly reveals to us that the Lord is faithful who hath promised now may we not present this petition in order that we might be established in this word

[12:29] God is faithful who hath promised all spiritual declarations and assertions are the result of God's having given tokens earnest indications little steps by the way so that you know that God is true and if there should be an application in a special way of the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse our sins away from us what a token my soul looks back to see the burdens they'll disbear while hanging on the accursed tree and hopes her guilt was there and so there is token even in hope and what a blessing when God seals it and says that your hope is a good hope and that's a good token so show me a token for good for my benefit for my consolation for my strengthening for my upholding now God knows where each of us are today whether we need a token you see the devil sometimes comes in like a flower and how are we going to combat his suggestions we can only combat them as we may be favoured by God that we are shown a token for our good a token that the devil cannot bear to look upon a token of the love of God to us that would mean a token that we are chosen of God a token of the father's love that we are redeemed by the son a token of the son's love and that we are regenerated by the spirit of God a token of the spirit's love and those tokens would be all for good show me we are now in the realm of personal religion that which takes place between the soul and

[15:13] God which is only known between the soul and God each of us must have a personal religion it's good for us to congregate together in public worship but if this is the extent of our religion then how poverty stricken we are now David had a personal religion but he was found in the house of God he says how I was glad when they said unto me let us go up to the house of the Lord but there was this personal this secret side wherein he had communion with God and desired tokens from God now this was a man after God's own heart are we men and women after God's own heart can we echo the desires of the psalmist can we speak as he does here show me a token for good now the fullness and glory of this token is

[16:21] Christ himself show me Christ is this what we are seeking for show me Christ that it may do me good Christ in all his blessedness and glory Christ in his love and in his mercy and his compassion in his tenderness in his gentleness in his kindness yea in his loving kindness show me such a token show me Christ for good for my benefit for my spiritual health for the lifting up of my head for my encouragement that I may truly feel renewed within another psalmist said create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me now that would be a token wouldn't it if God did that it would be a token to you that God had a favour toward you because prayer had been answered we may look at these words from that aspect show me a token prayer indeed but is this the extent of our prayer can we continue and enlarge upon it will it not only include the verse that I have already mentioned but may it not include some of the other petitions that we may find in the book of

[17:57] Psalms the observations that are made so that we may say for the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly and this will encourage us to pray unto God and all the while God is showing us a token now he will show us a token for good if he gives us prayer and if he answers prayer now it may be that sometimes we may not be wise in asking for a certain thing show me a token for good now God gives the tokens God gives the tokens and sometimes if we have asked for a certain thing we might doubt upon it but let us remember this that we are called upon to walk by faith and not by sight and therefore

[19:09] God may sometimes answer us and say I've given you a token I've given you a token let us look at the case of Jacob the Lord said to Jacob I will be with thee in all places with us wherever thou goest now that was a token a token in promise also a token in performance but it was a tried token and we find that Jacob came into a place when Esau was approaching him that he has to bring this before God and he said didst thou not say thou wilt surely do me good what about the token well God had manifested the token all the time in that God had fulfilled the promise now when it was put under trial

[20:09] God still fulfilled the promise and in a far greater degree than Jacob could ever have expected because now the Lord gave him a remarkable token an enlargement as it were of the first token I will be with thee in all places whither thou goest and on this occasion it is this as a prince as thou had power with God and hast prevailed what a token to be an overcomer when you look at it toward the end of the in the revelation he that overcometh oh there were many blessings to such that overcame therefore we may well say Lord show me a token for good to ensure me that I will be an overcomer we read concerning gad a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last there are many blessings to those that are overcome overcomers

[21:33] God shows his people sometimes the manner in which they have been overcomers and God has been giving them tokens all the way along the line so in those epistles to the various churches the Lord speaks to them and he says what he will give to those that overcome be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life how shall we be faithful unto death God gives his people true tokens every day if we only could observe them in that he delivers us from death every day keeps us alive every day but then we may read of that occasion when the

[22:37] Lord spoke to one of the churches and he says he that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment now we may seek a token in respect to this am I covered in white raiment shall I be an overcomer well God will show to you that the victory is through him that the white raiment is provided by him not for works of righteousness that we have done but by his mercy and by his favour by his kindness and graciousness show me a token for good well now if God gives us a token for good he will give it to us to look at from time to time that we might find encouragement from it perhaps we may have a token for good in a passage of scripture taken from the prophets my mind goes to one in the 41st chapter of Isaiah where we read several of them for that matter fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy

[24:00] God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness now if God has given us that token for good how have we known that we've got it has it not been as we've looked at it and we've found that when we've been dismayed there'd be no need for it because God has been with us and then when we've been weak we've felt God strengthening us and when we've needed help God has been our helper so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me and then there is this word behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they shall strive with thee they that strive with thee shall perish this is a token which

[25:00] God shows his people this is my word and I will perform it and then again for I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee what a token this is if you feel that God holds you by your right hand because if you slip if you fall then surely the Lord will hold you up you will not fall out of his embrace there are many such passages in the scripture that one and another might have been made over in enlightening this word show me a token for good for good now the token under these circumstances being shown by God and coming from God it does us good insofar that it revives the drooping spirit and it encourages a fainting faith and it brings to life that which may seem sometimes almost to be dead and so there is vitality put into the soul when God shows a token vitality is our faith weak perhaps it's hardly seen strong enough to us even to observe a token if God showed it but whatever

[26:55] God does you know is done forever there is power in what God does show me a token for good but then this is not only a token for good inside but it is a token for good to be displayed we may turn to one of the other psalms where we find that the psalmist speaks about is the people of God being shown hard things that has made them to drink the wine of astonishment but that's not all God gives them a token for good how is it described in the scripture but thou hast given them a banner that they may display it because of the truth if God gives us a banner of his love and of his mercy we may indeed sometimes say well how came

[28:16] I by this well God has given it and a banner is not to be kept rolled the word of God said it is to be displayed because of the truth therefore since the Lord desires truth in the inward parts he only desires it there in order that it might be displayed outwardly for that which is done in secret shall be spoken about from the housetops and that which is done in the heart is to be declared to the honor and glory of the name of God himself show me a token for good Moses when the Lord spoke to him about leading forth the children of Israel through the wilderness to the promised land he wanted a token for good and he wasn't without tokens either because in his speaking with the

[29:36] Lord he told him that yet thou hast said I know thee by name and thou hast also found grace in thy sight what tokens now therefore I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight show me now thy way and here we may discover another token for good show me now thy way that I may know thee the way wherein thou art the way we walk cannot be wrong if Jesus be but there that I may find great in thy sight and consider that this nation is thy people and what a token was shown to Moses as a result of this petition my presence and he said

[30:45] I often feel it's important to make sure of including these words and he said God said my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest then it was that Moses dare say if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence we should be very unwise and very presumptuous to use the latter expression unless we had the assurance of the former but Moses had it he had it as a token but he was to prove it you see God's tokens are given us that they might be proved that they are of God and forty years Moses was improving it some of God's tokens last all our life perhaps there might be some tokens that refer to some specific incident in our life some deliverance but how many of

[31:56] God's tokens last all our life now this was one my presence shall go with thee we think of another one given to Joshua I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the word of God is indisputable God will never dishonor his word he will always recognize it he will always accept it and it will be therefore a true token and how many of God's people have had to come again and again with just the same word now show me a token and perhaps here we might make this point the psalmist does not say show me many tokens he says show me a token only one a sign an indication a witness that I am thy child oh how good a token that would be if

[33:05] God gave to a person that witness that that person was a child of God well has he given it to you then it's something you can plead it it's something you can take out of your pocket so to speak and look at from time to time and say thou did surely say I know thee by name thou art nigh now if we get these spiritual tokens afforded to us then may we not confidently not presumptuously but confidently leave all our cares in his hands has he not commanded us seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be handed unto you a token that the kingdom of

[34:06] God is within us a token that our righteousness is in heaven will it not do us good show me a token for good in the particular incident here the psalmist had a special purpose in asking for the showing of a token that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed how many of God's children over the years have been severely tempted tempted about their own standing tempted about their own experience tempted about many things perhaps it would not be wise to enumerate them but you will know how you have been tempted and it's been temptations coming from those that hate you now

[35:15] I'm not speaking about people just at the moment I'm speaking about the devil and I'm speaking about that which comes forth from your own kind of heart sometimes the kind of heart it hates the nature of grace in us and these enemies have got to be silenced that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed and God intends that they shall see it God intends that there shall be such a clear indication of your being a child of God if you are that Satan will see it and he will have to think away he will have to depart but they which hate me may see it are we afraid to display that which God has done for us let us not be slow as grace may be given to us to declare what

[36:27] God has done to our souls Satan may sometimes say and suggest well God hasn't done enough of your soul yet so there's no point in your declaring it but you know we don't have to wait until we get a nice little bundle which we think is suitable size psalmist said come and hear all you that fear God and I will tell you what he has done for my soul up till now we haven't got to wait to the end of our journey and say well now this is what God has done for my soul it's until now and the declaration is worthy of the present we may ask you this evening have you declared what God has done for your soul up till now because if he has done something for your soul up till now however little then he'll continue to do something for your soul in the future but it is good to declare what

[37:39] God has done up to the moment otherwise we might come very close to being numbered amongst the one talent people we ought to be very careful in speaking about one talent people I've heard some people use it unwisely because the one talent person you know he had nothing no idea of the love of his master he knew about the austerity he knew about the law but he didn't know about the law in consequence he wrapped that which God had given to him in a napkin and buried it and in due time when his Lord came again and asked for the result of his trading you see he was in a poor case now we can look at that look at that from this point of view and

[38:40] I would declare what he hath done for my soul has God done anything have we wrapped it in a napkin have we said well I shan't say anything about it have we said well it's not worth speaking about it so small well no God hasn't said that what God has said is this despise not the day of small things so therefore it is right for us to declare what God has done for our soul ever small and the longer you keep it under the more your enemies are happy but God does give show tokens maybe there might be somebody who has said well show me one more token you remember that God was very merciful to Gideon Gideon asked for a token of the fleece wet and the fleece dry that was two tokens but

[39:42] God knew that he hadn't got enough and God knew that he was weak at heart so God gave him a token that he didn't ask for and that was a token when he went down into the camp he was told to go down into the camp of the Midianites and to hear the conversation of two of them and then he said your hands will be strengthened now you see God knows exactly where we stand in respect to the working of our faith and if we say well I've asked for one token I've asked for two I can't ask for any more and God looks at sees how that stands and it is possible for him to show you a token without you even asking for it because he knows you need it that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed but then he gives us a reason for praying as he did because thou

[40:53] Lord hast opened me and comforted me so here we have a person that was known to the Lord and the Lord was known to him if there are two principal ways in which the children of God may discover that God is the Lord and that he is their Lord may we not say that it is found in God helping and God comforting the hymn says upheld by thy supporting hand we pass oh Lord from year to year because thou Lord hast opened me not just occasionally but continually and then and comforted me how should we get along without comfort it is necessary sometimes for us to receive a rebuke but if

[42:11] God gives a rebuke it will often be clothed as it were in a comfortable outside perhaps I can explain it by these lines if he rebuked for pride he'll humble thy proud heart and if for want of love he chide that love he will impart you see God knows we can do nothing good he knows we are but poor and therefore if he rebukes us for the infirmities of our old nature will he not pour him the oil and wine of his grace and of his mercy of the benefits and blessings proceeding from Calvary because thou

[43:12] Lord hast opened me and this puts the whole thing in the right perspective show me a token for good in the psalmist case is the cry of one that knew God that has walked with God that has been helped by God that has received comfort from God no he prays show me a token for good that he might be strengthened will not thou revive us again we have in the previous psalm that thy people may rejoice in thee God's tokens will make us rejoice what a token for good is the rainbow it cheers my heart when I see it because it speaks of God's mercy to me how many people look at the rainbow and say what a wonderful sight how wonderful it is to see the colors blending but it will be more wonderful if you see here the attributes of

[44:21] God blending I've set my bow in the cloud and this gives us that assurance that the earth will never be overthrown with water anymore and so we come back to this token as being a token of God's faithfulness and I do set my bow in the cloud may have its reference sometimes to the blessed and glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ who is an evidence to us of God's being pacified God being pacified being pacified now there's a sweet word in the Romans I think it is that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself

[45:23] God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself what a token is there have we ever seen the rainbow so to speak in Christ walking upon the earth doing all that was necessary to pacify the anger of God and to reconcile us unto God because thou Lord hast hope in me and comforted me have we therefore in our own little lives and evidence of God's help he helps me on him to rely and that's wonderful help that is you know because it's the last thing human nature will do to rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ but what a help and what a token if God has helped you to rely upon the merits of Jesus

[46:26] Christ and not only so to rely upon the ability of Christ to intercede and to rejoice in the scripture he ever liveth to intercede for his people in heaven and the psalmist words indicate to us that it is presented as a reason given because thou Lord hast hope in me and comforted me what comforts the people of God well the word of God comforts them no doubt some of you from time to time could bear your humble witness to the comfort of God's word but then the presence of God comforts them because do not we read do not we sometimes sing in thy presence

[47:31] I am happy in thy presence I am secure in thy presence all afflictions I can easily endure oh what a benefit what a comfort it is to feel that God is near and then the smile of God comforts the people of God do we ever know what that is to feel that we are under the smile of God it is a remarkable expression and the Lord was pleased with me well if the Lord smiles upon you what else can you think when a man's ways please the Lord he make it even his enemies to be at peace with him when you look up to give thanks what do you see do you not see the smiling face of God by faith of course the

[48:38] Lord is pleased with you that is not for what you do but because he has a love to you an affection towards you and he sees his work in you and he's pleased satisfied and pleased because thou Lord hast opened me and comforted me there is the consolation of the life work of Jesus Christ as well as the conquest at his death spiritual things spiritual blessings brought into the soul to strengthen us to help us and to comfort us will enable us to ride many a storm there are those that are satisfied with a mere providential deliverance and I would speak carefully here because we would not despise providential deliverances but we would consider this point as to whether in our providential deliverances we've had a spiritual blessing you see

[50:08] Jacob had several providential deliverances but if you look into the script you'll see that he had a spiritual blessing you will see that God was speaking if we take the perhaps unusual case of Laban coming after Jacob you see God spoke to Laban well now there was a blessing in that because Jacob saw that even his enemies were in the hand of God and they couldn't do what they would wish to do and with all the venom that was in the heart of Laban on that occasion he couldn't do anything he had to be quiet and sometimes that is a token that is a token when the children of Israel came out of Egypt God gave them a remarkable token and that is that not a dog should raise its voice now when people are moving dogs will surely bark but God silenced the dogs and God gave them a true token in that way and perhaps we might have had over our lives at some time that kind of token and then we can look back on it and we can say because thou

[51:44] Lord hast helped me and comforted me and these two go together help and comfort help itself is comfort and comfort is found in the help and the strength that help gives now perhaps coming again to another difficulty in the pathway being emboldened by what we have had in the past we may say show me a token for God here is a new situation and I need a token now how will it be what will thou say or rather perhaps we may inquire what will thou do you see God's tokens are sometimes conveyed in his sayings and they are sometimes conveyed in his doings it was a wonderful token to manoa and his wife they looked on while

[52:49] God did wonder a token that's a token now when you're asking God by the power of the spirit show me a token for good may you have grace to leave the token in his hands whether it will be a word that he speaks or whether it will be an action that he performs and you will say this is God this is the hand of God this is the finger of God the action speaks you know we have that expression in the world actions speak louder than words now we value a word from God but are there not times when in our experience actions are spoken louder indeed whatever God had said couldn't speak so loudly as the action that he performed and thus God showed us a token for good and since it was an action it couldn't fail to be observed therefore they which hate me may saw it and were ashamed because their Lord has opened me and comforted me may we be in the psalmist experience and prove the faithfulness of God and the goodness of

[54:10]  God in the land of the living amen