Before we come to the Word of God, let me say again, it's a privilege to be with you here, home from home. It's a joy to be here and to know of your love and fellowship towards me and our congregation back at Ipswich. May the Lord continue to bless you, lead you and guide you. Let me say again, be assured of our love and prayers. We may come from local congregations, but we're not on our own, are we? We're part of the body of Christ and we enjoy fellowship with like-minded congregations. We're not isolated, are we? We never see isolation in the New Testament. We see brethren, congregations being together, particularly in prayer and working together for the cause of the Gospel. And it's a blessing to consider these things. I do thank you for your love and support, not only in prayer but in financial ways as well. May the Lord continue to bless you. May he go before you, lead you and guide you. Well very briefly tonight if you would turn with me first of all before we go to Psalm 27 to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 13. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 13. I just want to set the scene. We're thinking of strength for the journey. Well just turn with me to Hebrews 11 and verse 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. You see their confession, what they make known. They were strangers, they did not belong to this world. And neither do we, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. This world is not our home. We don't belong to the world, do we? And we're thankful for that. We belong to heaven, and the heavenly world to come after the great day. We're strangers. Consider also we're pilgrims, and that focuses that we're on a journey. What a blessing, we're on a journey. It began with Christ, it continues with Christ, and it ends with Christ. He's the author and the finisher. It began with him. A wonderful discovery we considered this morning was made because of the grace of God. Jesus drew near and we were found looking unto him. It will end with him when we are received into glory on the way he is with us. Well, we consider a journey. There's a number of things as we consider the pilgrim's journey towards heaven. One of the things is this, that we daily need new strength. And I'd like us to consider that tonight as we turn to Psalm 27. Psalm 27, we'll note one or two things, but particularly verse 14. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen my heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. See here the psalmist, Not only exalting himself, we'll note that in a moment, but he's encouraging others to wait on the Lord for those in need of fresh supplies. And we recognise that, don't we? We need new strength. We're thankful for the strength we have known, but we need fresh supplies, do we not? If the Lord spares us to the morning, we need new strength. And we're thankful that new every morning. his faithfulness. Well let me read verse 13 and verse 14, set the scene here tonight, Psalm 27. I have fainted unless I have believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen my heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Dear congregation, the believer on their journey towards the heavenly city enjoys certain privileges in which they rejoice. It's not all valleys, is it? There are the green pastures, and there are those times we enter a green pasture, and the Lord makes us to lie down, left to ourselves, we wouldn't lie down, would we? We can be in a place of worship, we can come to our quiet times, and left to ourselves, we wouldn't lie down and receive the benefit, but he makes us to lie down. He knows everything about us. He knows our struggles. He knows how we get distracted. He knows our sin. So He makes us lie down in the green pastures. He leads us by the still waters where there is the refreshment for the soul. Now in Psalm 23 we think of the valley. Thou art with me there in the valley, and I will not fear. And as you think of the valley, the Hebrew word which is translated valley, rightly in the authorised version, has a little more for our learning. At the bottom of that valley there is flowing water. And that implies it's not so easy, it's hard work. And the contrast there is the still waters. So in verse 4, the valley, there is flowing waters at the bottom. And it's not easy. And rightly we can understand the valley of the shadow of death. It's not easy. But there are the still waters in contrast. And are we not thankful he leads us to the still waters? And we know refreshment and how we need refreshment. We so often can be thirsty, weary, how we need refreshment. There are times of refreshment. So there's the green pastures, there's the still waters on the way towards heaven. But how often we can be weary on the journey. You recall the Lord Jesus Christ in John 4 verse 6. On a certain day he was weary. Turn with me to John 4 verse 6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore being weary with his journey sat thus on the with his journey. He knew what weariness was and so he's touched when you are weary on your journey. Note those words there, being wearied with his journey. He knows what it's like. We do get weary on the way towards heaven. Yes, we look up and we're so thankful that heaven is our home and what joys and delights we will know in heaven but on the way. It's not always the green pasture, is it? There's the valleys. And we get weary. Well, He knows. He understands. Reading a book a few years ago, and I'm rereading it at the moment, 31 reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world. We know the great reason. Matthew 1, verse 21, Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. There's over 30 other reasons. I hinted at one tonight in Psalm 147, cross-referencing Isaiah 61 in Luke 4. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. What a precious reason that Jesus came. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. He accomplished redemption so that he heals the brokenhearted when they're crushed because of their sin and effectual calling, but also when they're in trial and affliction, He comes. He has the power to heal the brokenhearted. We consider that he took human nature. He understands us. He understands us in a special way. When you're wearied on the journey, he remembers that time when he was wearied with his journey and he sat by the well. He understands. There are times when we feel our weakness and so we cry out to the Lord, but let me say right at the outset, don't misinterpret something. When you feel your weakness and you cry out to the Lord, that then is actually a sign of growth and strength. When we go on the way in our own strength, we're not growing, are we? When we're brought to a situation, we feel our weakness and we cry out to the Lord, Lord, help me. That's a sign of strength. Oh, that I might recognise every hour, every day, that I so need the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord sometimes lays us low. So we look up to Him and we cry out for strength. We see our need of Him at that time. You're growing because you see your need of Jesus. do nothing. How often I forget that if I'm honest. How often you forget that. But when we feel our weakness and we cry out to him, oh that's an evidence of strength. But we do feel weak, we do feel weary. The psalmist feeling his weakness cried out to the Lord in Psalm 119 verse 28, my soul melted for heaviness, strengthen now me according unto thy word, my soul a moment. It's one thing when we feel physically rather weak, the frailty of the flesh, but it's another thing when we feel the weakness in our hearts and we can identify with the song, it's my soul melted for heaviness. Do you feel that at times? Perhaps you're here tonight, your soul is melting You just feel strength is being drained out of you and you're heavy. My soul melted for heaviness, there's such a burden. Will you wait upon the Lord? What is the promise in verse 14? He shall strengthen thine heart. Now it's evident here that David again was in some difficulty when he penned this psalm. It wasn't easy for him as he pressed on with his journey. There were the battles he faced with his enemies. He longed just to be in the house of God. Just notice verse 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. He longed to be there because he was weary with the battle on his journey. Now with this in mind, just come to verse 13. I have fainted unless I have believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I have fainted. Wait on the Lord. Now rightly, as some of the old commentators have pointed out, first of all, it's a word to himself. I have fainted unless I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord. David, encourages others to do so. Wait on the Lord, literally from the Hebrew, to expect, to look, to tarry. How often we, like Peter, what do we do in the storm? We look at the wind, boys, we've all done it, haven't we? We're human, aren't we? We're looking unto Jesus, we're resting in him, we're believing the promises, but the storm catches our eye. And what happens, we begin to sing. Oh, to wait on the Lord, to refocus. And it's my prayer tonight. The Lord would help me and the Lord would help you to refocus. To be waiting on the Lord because we need strength. Well, he will send strength towards you and you will know it in your heart. Wait on the Lord. David's writing here under inspiration. He's been struggling. You're to wait yourself before he encourages others to do so. And there's a lesson there, isn't there? It's right we encourage others to wait on the Lord. We need to be doing it first of all, do we not? And that will be a help to someone. You may be struggling, but you're looking to the Lord. That will be a help. Someone looking on, they're struggling. Look at them there, they're waiting. Before you encourage someone to look to the Lord for strength, you be looking yourself. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. He says it twice, and we need to keep hearing it. Wait on the Lord. Now note these words here. He shall strengthen. thy heart. Without any further introduction for the remainder of the time tonight, I'd like us to consider first of all strength our need. That's why we're to wait on the Lord. Strength our need. But then secondly, strength we receive. Strength our need and strength we receive. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, He shall, we'll come to this in a moment. He will fulfill his promise. You will know more strength. When they say that, what about one in the last valley? Well, he will come. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. One may be unconscious, but if you look at that psalm, there is the comfort that the Lord will come before The beloved one leaves this world and goes to heaven. The Lord will come and there will be the comfort and there will be that strengthening. But then consider further what strength you will know in your soul as you see Jesus in heaven. You may be weary in the valley. He will strengthen your soul. Your soul will leap for joy when you see him. Your heart of love will so boil over towards Him. What strength we will know! Well as we think of this, He shall strengthen thine heart. It's implied, isn't it? We need strength. We need strength. We tell the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen thine heart. We need strength particularly where? In our hearts. It's a blessing, is it not, to know strength in our bodies? We might be able to do certain things, but where do we so need strength? It's within, isn't it? It's in our hearts. The psalmist said in Psalm 138, verse 3, What a blessing when the Lord strengthens us where we so need it. We know what it is to have a broken heart. We'll touch on this in a moment. weak? Where do we so need strength? It's in the soul, isn't it? He will strengthen me. I will strengthen thee. We read earlier in Isaiah 41 verse 10, I will. I will strengthen thee. You feel your weakness. You need strength. I will come. He knows everything about us. He knows our frame, remember those words from Psalm 103, verse 14. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. He knows our frame. He knows everything about us, now that's humbling, isn't it? But he also knows the trials we face, the afflictions we endure, the struggles in the soul, the broken heart. He knows our frame, he knows it all. One or two were talking of my daughter today, Joanna, when she had meningitis 21 years ago. When I was in the hospital at Salisbury, I phoned up the Reverend Malcolm Maltz, and he quoted those words in Psalm 103. He knoweth our frame. He knew Joanna's frame. He knew my frame. He knoweth our frame. He remembereth we are thus, that our lives are so short, And our bodies crumble. He knows the weakness, the frailty of our bodies and the struggles in our soul. He knows we need more strength. He knows there is the need. You remember the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Our Lord was in agony, praying. He came to his disciples and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. They needed more strength. They were asleep because they were weary. Their eyes were heavy. There's times when we're just so exhausted, and our eyes are heavy. You know what it's like. You're trying to focus. You're trying to do something. You may be reading something. The Word of God, and your eyes are heavy. The Lord Jesus Christ saw and knew that the eyes of his disciples were heavy, and he knows when our eyes are heavy. He knows when we are weak and we need physical strength, but particularly strength in our minds, in our hearts. It's the weakness within that can be such a burden to us, isn't it? Psalm 73 verse 26, my flesh and my heart fadeth, but God is the strength of my heart. My flesh and my heart fadeth. He speaks end, finish, spent, faint and so it can be at times under the heat of affliction. Many a day in the summertime in my first employment on the nursery I used to work for it was my job to go up and down the beds checking if the plants on the edge of the bed had enough water. There were hundreds of thousands of plants, and I used to have to go up and down. And in the heat of the day, I used to get so weary, and I longed for the shade and a glass of cool water, where we can feel physically weak, but oh, the fainting within. Just notice verse 13, I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. The fainting within. You know, I've never fainted physically. I do not know what it is like. My wife has fainted often, but I haven't. But it gets dark, doesn't it? They tell me. One feels the weakness. Well, I've never fainted physically, but I've fainted inwardly. And it's hard, isn't it? One can be focused, looking to the Lord, but this melting of the soul, this fainting within, we feel so weak, we can be exhausted within, we can have a heavy heart. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ again in Matthew 26, verse 37, and he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. To be sorrowful, but not old. Be very heavy. What heaviness? You know what heaviness is like in your heart? It's hard to keep going at times. There's heaviness, but the Lord Jesus Christ understands you. He took human nature, so as the Westminster divines put it, he might have a fellow feeling of your infirmities. You just think of this, one of the reasons he came into the world, that is he might understand you in your present trial in a special way. Now let me say this carefully, as God, he knows all. But consider having human nature, he understands. And his touch, when you're heavy, he remembers the Garden of Gethsemane. weakness he knew when he was growing up. Oh, consider one of the reasons the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world is that he might in a special way understand you in your present trial. What a high priest he is, touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He feels, he knew what it was to be exhausted. He was wearied with his journey. Are you weary with your journey tonight? The Lord Jesus Christ is touched. He knows what you're going through. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Note those words, he began. Well, it got more intense. Oh, he was so burdened. He was so heavy with him. Literally down the Greek, full of heaviness. Such trouble. There's times when our hearts are so heavy, full of heaviness, there's such a burden. He felt the weakness in the garden, how do we know that? Luke 22 verse 43, and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. He was sorrowful, he was so heavy, there was the need of that angel to come and strengthen him. Oh, there's a need of strength from heaven. because we get burdened. We know weakness on the journey. There's the battles we engage in, and it's not easy when the fiery darts come. You know how it is. You're trying to worship the Lord. You're trying to pray. You're trying to read, and the fiery dart comes, and another dart comes, the whispers. Are you really going to get through? Where is God in this situation? One of my members wrote to me in the week. And he noted something I said in the sermon. And he said, sometimes I forget the power of God. And we do, don't we? Oh, to remember the power of God. But the devil comes, where is God in this situation? There's the battles we face, people can be unkind. A word said to you in the workplace can just sink you. It can just hit you. Maybe in other situations we're battling on. Maybe a perplexing situation. A godly couple came to me after I preached in Cardiff a couple years ago. A pastor and his wife. And the wife said, which way next Lord? And that's how it can be. We say to the Lord, which way now Lord? a perplexing situation. Storms, they drain us. Think of those disciples on the lake. They were toiling in rowing and there's times when we're toiling, we're just trying to go forward, yet we take one step forward and we seem to go back. Are you toiling tonight? Wait on the Lord. Oh, there is a storm. And then just consider a general over all tiredness. We can be burdened about one situation, burdened about another situation, and we're just tired. You know what that's like? You know what the psalmist said in Psalm 119, verse 28? My soul melted for heaviness. This is overall tiredness. Situations are on top of us, and our soul is melting. tonight, wait on the Lord. There's the heat of affliction and it melts our hearts. Matthew Henry wrote, heaviness in the heart of man makes it to melt, to drop away like a candle that wastes. The penitent soul melts in sorrow for sin and even the patient soul may melt in the sense of affliction. We're burdened. It's getting on top of us. Consider further the broken heart. The shattered heart. Has an awakening effect on the mind, doesn't it? It's hard to focus. Listen to Psalm 69 verse 20. The Psalmist reproached, I've broken my heart and I am full of heaviness. He's got a broken heart and that's made him so heavy. One thing after another. A broken heart. with that? The Lord did. Psalm 69, so much of Christ as we considered this morning. Reproach hath broken my heart and I am full of heaviness, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. A man of sorrows, a broken heart, the need of strength, As you think of the broken heart in Psalm 69 verse 20, literally it means to break, to crush, to hurt, to tear, to shatter. How descriptive of our hardship time. Is your heart torn tonight? Wait on the Lord. Look to Him. Oh, there's a need of strength, but let's consider it a little further. One can be cast down. repressed, anxious, some believe us suffer with that in the mind. We can be fearful. Our enemies can speak against us. There's many things we can consider that show to us we need strength and we need it. We need strength do we not to focus on the Lord because Sometimes doubts can arise in the believer's heart. Remember that father in Mark 9, verse 24, the father, the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. I'm believing, Lord, but I'm struggling. And the tears come down my face. Help me, Lord. I feel my weakness to focus on thee. Don't be ashamed to say it to the Lord Jesus Christ. Help me, Lord. Help thou my unbelief. I'm struggling. I'm weak. I just don't seem to be able to rest in the promises, Lord. I get distracted. Help me, Lord. Wait on the Lord. I remember a couple of years ago, raking up leaves this time of the year. I do a lot of raking, but also as leaf blowers. I'll be doing it, Lord willing, on Tuesday for four hours. Well, I remember a couple of years ago, raking up these leaves, and I was crying as I thought of a certain situation. Lord, help me. I feel my weakness. Lord, strengthen my faith that I might focus upon me. But need of strength, don't keep back. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ here upon earth, what did he do? Jesus wept. Don't keep back your tears before the Lord. Don't be ashamed. Come to the Lord. Lord, I'm struggling. I'm weak. Here are my tears, Lord. Put down my tears into thy bottle. Psalm 56, verse 8. Here they are, Lord. Take my tears. Remember my afflictions. I'm so weary. I'm so weak. Strengthen thou me. All we need is strength on the journey. One of old wrote, are we weak and heavy laden? Cumbered with a load of care, precious saviour, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer. Pour out your heart, do you feel weak tonight? Or weak in this situation, you're perplexed, take it to the Lord. He has promised to strengthen you. Weary on the journey, look to your guide, ask him to help you. Well as we draw to a close tonight, send me strength, we receive, strength we need, but in strength we receive. Verse 14, wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen mine heart. He shall. It's a wonderful promise. And if you look back over your lives, has he not again and again strengthened you? You're here tonight because of the power of God. And he will help you. He'll help you in those dark days. He'll help you when you're so struggling. And you will get to heaven, the celestial city. We have a wonderful promise here. He shall strengthen thine heart. He shall. There's no question here. God cannot lie. Turn with me to Titus 1 verse 2. In hope of eternal life which began, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. He promised before the world began. There's eternal life. And as you think of eternal life, that great promise under that great title, there are all the other promises. We can think that he will keep us. And as we think of his preserving and his keeping, he will keep us to glory. He will again and again strengthen us. Well, here's his promise. He shall strengthen thine heart. Strength will return. Tomorrow is the beginning of winter, and it can get very cold down south, and I know it can get very cold up here. But if the Lord spares, In the far north of Sweden, the sun does not rise above the horizon for about a month. I'm not sure if I could live in Sweden. Just think of it, dark times. A month of darkness in the depths of winter. But what happens? The sun returns. What do we read here? He shall strengthen thine heart. Strength will return. Now turn with me to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew. There is a renewing, a change, a springing up, a sprouting. Think when the snow comes on the fields. But at the end of the winter you see the grass sprouting through, the little blades of grass, and the spring comes and there's more growth, there's a renewing. We feel so weak at times and weary, but He will renew. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, a change for the better. I often say to my people back home, blessing follows difficulty. Some always seem to put it, blessing down difficulty, but if you look through the scriptures, blessing follows difficulty. Weeping may endure for a night, says the psalmist, but joy cometh in the morning. We show our weakness, but strength will be renewed. In the last valley you may be so weak, but what strength you will know in your soul when you're in the immediate presence of Jesus in glory above. there will be a change for the better, a turning of the corner. One may be dangerously ill with a fever. You think of many children years ago before paracetamol, fevers, and they could be dangerously ill. And the family, the mother and the father would watch on, hoping that the fever would break. Not always did it. But there were times again and again when the fever broke and there was a change for the better. Let me tell you, there will be a change for the better. A renewing strength will return. What a mercy it is. It may be the Lord uses a verse of Scripture to excite the grace of faith within. We have a duty to exercise faith, to be looking unto Jesus, but consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As one of the old writers, John Brown of Haddington, puts it, he excites the grace of faith. The verse he takes and applies and you're far looking to him. You're just aware of him and you know all will be well. Yes, there are the struggles, but all will be well. Just a verse, just a few verses. They come to our soul, don't they, at times? And you can look back, how the Lord helped me. I was brought low, but he helped me. Some verse of scripture, I read it many times, but on that occasion, it hit my soul, and I was found looking unto Jesus. The Lord stirs our hearts, and warmth comes. You remember the road to Emmaus, they were sad. They were perplexed, confused, they felt a weakness. What did the Lord do? He drew near and He opened up the scriptures. And what did they say after He had vanished out of their sight? And they were aware who it was. Did not our heart burn within us? Now what's amazing, when the warmth came, if you follow it through, they did not recognize it was the Lord Jesus. Oh, how their hearts must have been on fire when they knew it was the Lord after He had broken bread. How the Lord can use His Word to bring warmth to the soul. We can feel the coldness within, we can feel weak, but He warms the soul and there's this strengthening within. How the Lord can touch our hearts and affection arises. It's precious, isn't it? The reviving of the soul. It's so amazing, isn't it? We can feel so weak. just one word from the Master can lift us. A promise comes that the Lord will strengthen and help, and we find that strength within. We can be so weak, but then suddenly, oh, the Master has come, and calleth for thee, and he speaks, and we know the strength again. Strength for the battle. Strength for the storm. Strength just to take another step on the journey. Strength to serve the Lord. The Lord comes and he helps us. Sometimes, and I say this carefully, we're just plodding. We're just plodding along. I remember there was a certain walk many years ago. My mum and dad took me on this walk. It was to visit a place And it was a cobbled beach, and I found the way hard. And after half an hour, you know what I did? I sat down, and I saw my dad and mum go ahead. And they got smaller and smaller, and I saw my dad coming back. What are you doing? But I found the way hard. I was just plodding along. That's how it is. But then the Lord could come, and He renewed strength, and we were able to pray just a minute longer. We're able to focus on the Word just a little more. Oh, He needs to keep coming to me. I'm sure you would say He needs to keep coming to you. He will. You wait upon Him. He is able to strengthen you. His power and strength is infinite. Isaiah 40, verse 28, Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? He fainted not, neither is he weary. We faint, we get weary, but the one who strengthens you knows nothing of these things. How he is able to help you and strengthen you. I can't do it now, but when my girls were smaller, I could pick them both up at once. I've never tried all four of my children, but I could do the girls. I couldn't do that now. But you consider the Lord. He's the shepherd that gathers the lambs in His arms. He has so many in His arms. He has you and me. He has every child of God here upon earth in His arms. How strong He is. He's able to keep and preserve all His people. Defence not, neither is weary. He is able to support you. When you get to the very bottom, as it were, you're right in the depths like the psalmist in Psalm 130. He's able to meet you there and lift you up. He's able to support you. That's why the psalmist says, wait. Wait on the Lord. He knows the one that can strengthen him. So do you, dear child of God. You wait on him. Is there a cloud over you? Is there a perplexing situation surrounding you? You wait on him. You look to be in expectation. Yes, you may say, as I said earlier, with that father with tears, Lord, I believe, I'm looking, but help my unbelief. You focus on him. He shall strengthen your soul. How he uses his word, as we considered earlier. Psalm 15, Robert Jeremiah 15, verse 16. Listen to Jeremiah. Thy words were found and I did eat them. And thy word was unto me, the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Strength he knew, he received the word spiritually within and he knew strength and he was found rejoicing in the Lord. Oh look to the Lord, how he uses his word. Don't neglect your daily readings. We need strength every day, don't neglect your daily readings. The Lord uses his word. according unto thy word, in light of the promise, and through the word. The Lord applies the word, the promises bring comfort, and strength is known. Look to Him. That's what the Apostle Paul did. Philippians 4, verse 13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. I can do all things. Now, what's the plain meaning there? Well, the Lord is the strength, the source, And Paul was saying this, I will be given strength to worship the Lord, to perform those duties, those Christian duties. I will know strength to be content, strength to submit. What a blessing when we know strength to submit in the trial. We feel our weakness. But the Lord will strengthen you. You wait upon Him that you might submit. We fought at the Garden of Gethsemane tonight. The Lord was sorrowful there. He knew heaviness there. But what's one great lesson we learn from the Savior in the Garden? He submitted to the Father's will. And you know that was strength. And it's a strength when we can submit. I can do all things. It's not easy to submit. When everything's against you, but submit him to the Lord, thy will be done. Thy will be done. Strength to say that. Well, on we could go. Strength in my soul he will grant. Psalm 130 verse 3, in the day when I cried, thou answerest me and strengthenest me with strength in my soul. And it's a precious thing, isn't it? When we're just aware and we feel the strength returning in the soul, we were weary, we were weak, we were perplexed, but the strength came. And we're focused on the light. and we know that he will see us through. It comes this reviving in the soul, a quickening, Psalm 119 verse 25, quicken thou me according to thy word, this quickening and its preciousness. A number of years ago I was cycling to school, the sun, it was wintertime, it was low in the sky, And I was looking at the ground as I was cycling. I suddenly looked up and saw a car and my brakes weren't working and I went over. Oh, if only I looked up. But there's times when we look down, but equipment comes. We're then found looking up to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour. And we think again of what he did for us here upon earth. And that he shed his precious blood at Calvary. And we find his strength. to go on. A number of years ago, every day, something came up on my phone. The cross is the final word, and I was thankful to be reminded of Calvary. And you know, we can be refocused, and we think what Jesus has done for us, and that brings strength, does it not? There's a quickening. He will quicken. Literally, the Hebrew word at the root means to restore, to revive. We pray for church revival, do we not? Revive us in the midst of the years. We know what declension is like. Look out. Look at the compromise. We look to the Lord to revive us. We know personal declension. Oh, come and quicken me, Lord. Revive me, restore me. And what a blessing it is, when strength is renewed, that we lean more On Jesus, we lean more on him. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning on the beloved? That was us, wasn't it? We're in another wilderness now, the wilderness of this world, not the wilderness of bondage, but the wilderness of this world, leaning on the beloved. Blessed are the times when we know the strength to lean on Jesus more. He will renew our strength. He puts strength within for us on the journey. He takes you up. He holds your hand and he revives. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. He will not break his word. Are you weary tonight? Look to Jesus. The physician of the soul will come and heal your broken heart. Those who may have some scars to heaven, but he will bring healing and he will bring strength. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Wait. Be in expectation. Oh Lord, come. quicken me, restore me, revive me, put strength in my soul for a new day and put strength in my soul to lean on thee more as I make my way towards heaven. Amen.