and we've got an instruction from His Holy Word. Now let's turn again to Psalm 119 and this evening we'll meditate upon verses 53 to 56. So we'll read together those four verses this evening. Psalm 119 verses 53 to 56. Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. Thy statues have been my song in the house of my pilgrimage. I remember thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had because I kept thy precepts. where the psalmist commences with really a very solemn statement. He tells us, horror has taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. And it's good really for us when we realise what the condition and situation is of those who forsake the law, the Word of God, those who turn to their own way, those who say, we will not have this man to reign over us. It's a fearful thing to consider the state of the lost. Those who forsake the Word of God, who turn to their own way, want nothing to do with it. And what a horror it is to consider what it will be like for such who end up in eternity in hell. It's good sometimes to just think on these things and to realize what a great blessing it is if we are delivered from that condition and if we're blessed with a good hope in the mercy of our God so that we won't be amongst those who have to endure an eternal hell. And we pray that it may be so in our own lives, that we may really consider these things. Often perhaps when you hear of one being taken and another dying, I suppose almost the automatic consideration is, where is their soul? Where is their soul? And of course we know that sadly the majority of people in the world today die as unbelievers. And that should register with us and fill us with horror to realise that those are in a lost eternity, never to escape. If we think or try to think what eternity is, It is a horror and it is something to fear but also something to not just pass over so that it may influence us in our lives, influence us in who we speak to and how we speak and what we say. And to be concerned that there may be those opportunities granted to us that we can speak to those who fear not God those who are going headlong to a lost eternity. Well, says the psalmist, horror hath taken hold upon me. It's gripped him. He realises the terror of the lost soul. And it would be good for each of us if such things take hold of us, put things in a right perspective, makes us consider our latter end, makes us concerned about our loved ones, makes us concerned about those we meet with. And when we ponder and think of the end of such, surely it fills us indeed with horror. John, in his epistle, he said in the fifth chapter, verse 19, And we know that we are of God. What a wonderful blessing that is. If God has shown to us that we are his children. It's amazingly humbling, isn't it? To think that although we deserve to be passed by, he hasn't. He stopped and said to us, live. Well, it says, John, and we know that we are of God. And he says, and the whole world lies in wickedness. The whole world lies in wickedness. Well, it's a very, very sad and solemn situations, isn't it? But then he goes on to say, thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. Well, again, he was able to be thankful for that. He was able to rejoice in it. He was able to bless God for it. And as he was on pilgrimage, may we be on pilgrimage. May we realize that we are strangers and pilgrims on this earth. This earth is not our rest and it's not our home. We're passing through time to our home. And what a great blessing that will be to realize that God has prepared a place, a place of absolute happiness. And the word of God, the statutes, the laws of God direct us to the great truths which are contained in scripture. And so he says, those things shall be our songs in the house of our pilgrimage. We may be able to truly sing from our heart the wonderful, wonderful truths of God. And remember, as we read in the Hebrews, there remaineth a rest to the people of God. You see, we live in a restless world, but it's good we can look forward to that place of eternal happiness and eternal rest and what a wonderful blessing it is and the Apostle Paul goes on to tell us he says in the Corinthians therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we're at home in the body we are absent from the Lord that was A grand statement really, if you think about it carefully. Therefore we are always confident. He was confident. He had a good hope. He had the evidence in his heart that God had called him out of darkness into the glorious light of the gospel. And therefore he was humbly confident. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we're at home in the body, we're absent from the Lord. And therefore to realise, yes, we have a good prospect, a wonderful prospect if we are those for whom the blessed Saviour has died and to remember that we are pilgrims and strangers. We're passing through time and may it really be to our eternal home. May we not leave home. May this world not be our home. May we not be found settling down here and setting our hearts and affections upon the things of time. But given that grace to set our hearts and affections upon things above so that we may have as good songs. The statues have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night." Well, you know, it's good if we can remember the name of the Lord and the psalmist said, if so be ye have tasted the Lord is gracious. And what a mercy that is, if we've tasted that the Lord is gracious to us. And therefore we desire to truly think upon the great and glorious truths of God. And therefore, if we are awake in the night, to consider the Lord, to consider his truth, consider all that he has set before us, in his word." Well, says the psalmist, I have remembered. It's good if we have remembered. It's good if we have things that we do remember. I have remembered thy name, O Lord. What a great and wonderful blessing that is. Again, in the Proverbs, Solomon says, the name of the Lord is a strong tower The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. That's a good thought, isn't it? At night, to be concerned, perhaps about many things, and to be able to come to that strong tower. The Lord Jesus Christ, the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runneth into it, and is safe. The safety in the Lord. My friends, there's not safety in the things of time, but there is safety in the Lord. And if we are in Christ, we are eternally safe. What a wonderful, wonderful blessing it is. I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept my law. The desire will be to keep God's law, to walk in his paths, to follow his wonderful example which he sets before us, and not to wander away, that we may be amongst those who truly Fear the Lord. There's two wonderful verses in the 50th of Isaiah, or the last verse, rather, the 10th verse, and this is what it says. It's familiar, perhaps, to you. Who is among you that feareth the Lord? Well, that's the first question, isn't it? Who is among you that feareth the Lord? And you and I have to answer as individuals. And then he says, it goes on. It doesn't stop there. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant? Well, it's a great privilege if you and I are able to obey the Word of God. And we may therefore think, well now, everything will be smooth without any difficulty. But Isaiah goes on to tell us that walketh in darkness and hath no light. We think surely such a character who fears the Lord and obeys his voice will always be walking in the light. Well, says Isaiah to encourage us, I remember thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law to be strengthened by such words. And then Isaiah goes on to say, if that's the situation, what are we to do? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. That'll bring relief. That'll encourage us. That'll strengthen us. And we should be very thankful then to have a God who's near at hand and not afar off. And then he said, this I had because I kept thy precepts. He tells us he had this blessing. And again, it's wonderful if we're able to confirm, you know, it's so easy to doubt the wonderful work of God. It's so easy to turn away from what God has done for us. But here, the psalmist says, this I had. He was blessed with this wonderful knowledge. And what a mercy it is if we're blessed with this wonderful knowledge. The psalmist says, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. What a blessing this I had because I kept thy precepts. To be those who truly desire to do the Lord's will, to follow his wonderful example, and not to listen to the evil insinuations of the devil, who would always desire to turn us away from the way of God, from the truth of God, and to follow that which is not right. Well, there's great truth in these verses. You might be able to go home and ponder them and realize how relevant they are to our lives today. The Word of God is relevant to our lives today. Sometimes we perhaps pass over it a bit quickly, but it is true. May the Lord bless us and remember we have a God who is near at hand and not afar off.