Would you open back to Isaiah 27. In that day sing to her a vineyard of red wine. I the Lord keep it. I water it every moment lest any hurt it. I keep it night and day. One of the great problems and perplexities for the generation that Isaiah was recording these prophecies for was that their prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears. And you know what that's like, don't you? To pray, to pray, to pray, and the deliverance that you want does not come. In verse 16 of 26, you read this explicitly. I'm going to read from the ESV just because it captures the Hebrew better in this particular instance. He says, O Lord, in distress they, that is the people of God, sought you. They poured out a whispered prayer, is literally what it says, a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them. But like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord. You see, Israel as a nation had turned their back on God, as a nation. And there was massive idolatry and rebellion. But that doesn't mean every single individual in Israel was guilty of that sin. And here is a cry from the people of God who care about God, who have a longing for God's honour and glory. They are crying to be spared from the judgement that is to come. They whispered out a prayer. They were so troubled and burdened about the threat of invasion from Assyria that they could literally whisper their prayer. But what happened in response to their prayer? Deliverance? Oh no, more pain. More pain. As a woman in childbirth who's about to enter into labour, so were we. Because of you, oh Lord. You have ordained this. You have allowed this. You have put me through this. They're in such anguish they can barely pray. Verse 16 tells us they're under the discipline of God. Our translation is even stronger and says chastening. And the pain they're experiencing is from God. And I think for us there were times in the Christian life where despite all our prayers and petitions our circumstances remain the same, the struggle is not lifted and indeed perhaps it only gets worse. The pain worsens, the suffering intensifies, we can only whisper a prayer but the more we plead the worse it gets and it can feel often for us in the Christian life like God has set his face against us, that God himself has put us in the dock and is taking us to task. like the Apostle Paul, who pleaded with God three times for that thorn in his flesh to be removed. There was no answer, but my grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. But what was even more painful for these children, these believers in Israel, was not just that their prayers weren't answered, though that was a great problem for them, But it was even that the trouble that was coming was so confusing and disorientating in light of all the promises God had given them. These verses come in a context of chapter 24 where God is promising to bring judgment on the nations that forget God. Now you've got to remember, although we know that it was obviously about the last day, that was not obvious to a Jew. And when prophets were speaking of these things, they seemed very near at the time. They couldn't necessarily tell that there might have been a valley between the mountaintop they're seeing of thousands of years before the fulfilment of what they're speaking. So the Jews may well have been hearing these wonderful promises and going, well, hopefully in the next few weeks or in the next month, or at least maybe in the next 50, 60 years, we're going to see God intervene. But all these promises of chapter 24 of judgment coming, think of verse 21 of 24, it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones. He will punish the proud and the arrogant. And on the earth, the kings of the earth, they will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and will be shut up in prison. After many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his elders gloriously. That's a long way off. It is not the nations that are in the dock but Israel that is in the dock at the hands of the nations. God is using, in history, at this moment in time, a wicked nation called Assyria, and he will also use Babylon for southern Israel, for Judah, nations that hate God, are proud and arrogant, and he is using evil empires to discipline and chasten his people. For a Jew, that was like, this isn't right. Where's the justice in this? Where's the righteousness in this? And then in chapter 26 you have these wonderful promises, you'll keep him in perfect peace, his mind is stayed on you. But no, hear what I'm saying here, I know this is God saying it, because this is God's word, so God inspired this. But in terms of the narrative, in terms of how it flows, these words are God's people saying to one another. you will keep him in perfect peace. It's a bit like I might quote scripture to you and say, God says to you, and Isaiah is saying this, but at this stage, it's not God saying, I will keep you in perfect peace, it's believers exhorting one another that that is what God can do. And yet, where is this peace for God's people at this moment in time? Verse one of 26 tells us that he's their protector. Verse 3 is their provider of peace and wholeness. Verse 4 is their provider of strength for in Yahweh the Lord is everlasting strength. And verse 5 and 6 there's hope. But right now they are facing an invasion from a horrific enemy who will show no mercy. Where is God? Where is God? They're being plunged into darkness and suffering. And though I'm sure they all believe those things were true, because every Christian and believer has to say it's true, it may have felt like a distant fantasy. Rather than being exalted above the godless nations, they are being threatened and judged by these godless nations. their present circumstances, rather than being those one of peace, strength and prosperity, is one of war, pain, poverty and weakness. Many of them naturally wondered, what is God doing? Where is God? Okay, we know the nation has been unrighteous, but we haven't all been guilty of the same sins. Why are we being chastised as the whole nation is? Why did some of the prophets who warned of coming judgement have to go into exile? Isaiah, we're told, who wrote these words, was sawn into. The record has it, the Jewish tradition has it, that he was put inside a tree trunk and they sawed the tree in half. Where's God for Isaiah? And to make it worse, they know that this is happening because of the Lord. Are you a Christian? Do you believe in the sovereignty of God? Well as Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God this is what we believe isn't it? I hope you will agree with me. We believe in a God who decrees in eternity according to the counsel of his will for his own glory whatsoever comes to pass. And whilst it is a comfort to know he is in control and that whatever does befall us is according to his good wisdom In the moment it is still deeply confusing to know that my heavenly father who tells me he loves me is allowing me to go through this. What kind of father could allow me to go through this? It's a human question, isn't it? Whether it's pain, heartache, mental struggles, poverty, unemployment, sickness, We are all tempted to say, does God care? And we're ashamed to say it because we know the scripture tells us he takes care of us. But sometimes the darkness is so tangible that the promises seem to elude us. And it was no different for Israel here at the threat of invasion. Rather than acting to deliver them from their cry things only get worse. And in fact, God tells them it's not going to get better any time soon, by the way. Notice verse 20. Come, my people. And it's chapter 26, of course, still. Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation is passed. Now, you could read that two ways. You could read that positively if you're an optimist and you're a sort of half-full kind of man and say, well, at least it's going to end. But if you're a bit more like me and you're a half-empty kind of man, you'll probably say, yeah, but I've still got to go through it for quite a while. There is indignation and I'm not going to get away, I'm not going to avoid it. I've got to hide in the secret place and seek the Lord and seek his comfort and seek his strength. And Christian, dark nights come, dark times come. We have got to get it into our heads that all who desire to live a godly life will suffer and face persecution. We have got to accept this. We have got to accept the good from the Lord as well as bad. Job says that, doesn't he? When he's slayed, he says, shall not we accept good and evil from the hand of the Lord? We have been so influenced by the American dream. I know we're not American, but the American dream is a concept that exists here. We are pursuing, as Christians, we do get caught up in the culture to pursue temporal happiness here. And the minute we embrace that in our hearts, we are destined for disappointment and confusion and depression. Because Jesus very clearly said, that joy does come in the morning, but the morning is not yet. That we are this side of eternity, we will experience what our Lord experienced. Serving is not above his master, Jesus said. And he was a man of sorrows, and so you will be too. He was a man who knew pain, and so you will too. Becoming a Christian is not a ticket out of suffering. It is an entrance into suffering before glory is revealed. And we've seen in previous weeks, I hope the Lord's willing to pick this up tonight again in Luke, that we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross. To take up the cross is a symbol of suffering. that Christ came into the world and there was always a cross waiting for him. The will of his father for him was a cross. And so it means many things, that statement, but what it certainly means is that we as Christians take up our cross. We say, not my will, but your will, O Lord. You now are the pilot of my life. And you hold the reins of my life, and if you ordain suffering in my life, I take it up. I embrace it like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. But, of course, we can say all the clichés, and I'm not saying we shouldn't say the clichés, we should, but, you know, well, suffering is temporary, and eternity is long, and what will feel like a pain in a moment will be outweighed by the glory, and that's certainly something we could say, but in the midst of it, it doesn't take away the pain, though, does it? It doesn't. We mustn't be stoic about this. We mustn't sort of try and be macho and say, well, you know, because there's glory to come, I don't feel anything now. We do. And life's trials, challenges, temptations, circumstances can cause us to become weary, dejected, confused, disorientated. And here we have a people who are utterly dejected in their suffering. And it's not going as they hoped for. Where is the new era of peace? Where is the establishing of God's honour? Everything's dark and homeless for the people of God, and great for the enemies of God. And I think here, for these people, you see Isaiah's prayer here. Do you see that? He says, in verse 8 of 26, Oh Lord, we have waited for you. He's speaking on behalf of those who love God. And he's saying, we want you to intervene. The desire of our soul is for your name. We want you to be honoured and glorified. Perhaps what they didn't realise is that God would be honoured and glorified not in that way, but in judgement, in discipline and in suffering. As they hold on to him, they vindicate him and his greatness in the trials. But, you know, they're praying that, they're longing that, and I think we find ourselves asking why in our lives, don't we? I want to serve you. I'm not sinless. I'm not perfect. I know at one level, yes, this is less than I deserve. I want to glorify you, but you have laid me low. Why? We ask this question. Why? Now, how does the Lord respond to this understandable feeling that they had? Well, at one level he does give them the long-term goal. In verse 21 of 26 and verse 1 of 27 God tries to bring a bit of perspective to the present troubles. He guarantees them once again, he reaffirms what he's already said, that the Lord will come with his great sword. and will punish Leviathan, the fleeing servant, which I take to be symbolic language of Satan himself and his heavenly hosts, all the spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. God is saying, I will come and I will slay them. Because ultimately, it was Satan who induced Assyria to attack Israel. God allowed it, therefore it's of the Lord, but he was not the instrument of the wickedness. Satan was the instrument of the wickedness. And two, when we suffer, I want to say this to you, when we say God has allowed it, and therefore at one level we're saying God has done it, we are not saying God himself personally administered the suffering. Satan is the destroyer, Satan is the murderer, and sin is what brings suffering into the world, not God. God allows it, God ordains it, and therefore all things are of Him. but he is not the acting hand in our suffering, in that sense. Remember Paul, notice God allowed the fall in the flesh, but who was the one who brought it? Paul said, a messenger from Satan gave this to me. But so he promises them, as you would expect, that this is not permanent, Israel. It is coming. Hold on. I will bring relief. Keep your mind stayed on thee. Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. And this is helpful. At one level we are to fix our eyes on what is unseen and not on what is seen. But God knows we need more than just the promise that one day all things will be better. God understands that often in our lives the struggles that we endure are so acutely painful that sometimes our ability to even perceive that future glory is utterly gone. If the gift of faith has been handicapped, or if the windscreen through which you look at is covered with muck, it's very hard to look with the eye of faith. And then God has to come then and speak something to your present situation. And I believe that that is what we have in verse 2 and 3 of chapter 27. Because though Satan will be crushed, and we must not forget that when the promise said that the Lord would crush Satan, it still said that Satan would bruise his heel, didn't it, in Genesis 3. And though the Lord knew that glory was to come, so though even Jesus himself, we're told, for the joy set before him, injured the cross, Even he, with that long-term perspective, still found himself dejected. Do you remember what he cried on the cross? Why have you forsaken me? I'm sinless, Father. I have never, ever, ever dishonoured you, and yet you're slaying me. Why? And so when we ask this question why, Really, the only one who ever had the right to ask that question is the Lord, but really, we can take comfort that our Saviour knows what it is to ask that question. Why? You see, I think when we endure struggles, these are the three questions that come into our mind. There may be others, but these are the three pressing ones. Does God love me? If He does, how could He allow this to happen to me? Two, does God care? In what sense is this affliction proof of the Lord's care? Three, what is God doing? How is all this pain, all this mess working out for good? We're told it is, but sometimes we want a bit of help to try and figure out how, don't we? And it is to those questions I believe the Lord speaks into in Isaiah 27. Because sometimes what we need to know in the midst of suffering is how the Lord feels towards us or about us, is acting towards us and what he assures to us in the midst of our suffering. Because in our suffering there is often a massive contradiction between what we intellectually know the Lord feels towards us and what the circumstances tell us he feels towards us. And sometimes you just need to hear God himself say, I love you. I know my wife loves me. I know that she takes care for me. I know that she promises to be with me to the end of my days. But even though I intellectually know that, sometimes I need her to tell me that. I need to hear it from her voice and she needs to hear it from me. And here we have the Lord, see as I said in 26, it's kind of Isaiah speaking to God's people, obviously inspired by God to say it, but in verse two and three, you have God himself now saying to his people what Isaiah's already told his people in chapter 26. In that day, sing to her. Who's the one singing? It's the Lord singing. To her, his people, his bride, his vineyard. In that day, sing to her a vineyard of red wine. I, the Lord, keep it. I water it every moment, lest any hurt it. I keep it day and night. Fury is not in me. And the first thing I want us to see, I have two points, but first is the Lord's thoughts concerning us. And that day sing to her a vineyard of red wine. Now of course this is speaking of a future day. the ultimate day, and this is what God's people will hear God sing over his people. This is a picture of when Israel is restored and come out of the fires of affliction. Some think this is fulfilled when Israel returned under Cyrus, but some say, no, it perhaps pictures the end of all time, when all God's people come out of the great tribulation and Jesus comes again. Whenever it is, what is true is whatever God sings to his people on that great day is what he's always sung about his people. Because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I, the Lord, do not change. If he loves us then and sings about us then, it's because he loved us before time was and sang about us before time was. And so what we see of God's sin over his people, what he tells his people in their suffering, what will be said in that day is actually in effect what he feels towards them always. It will be obvious in that day with hindsight that that is what God always felt. But they're given a little glimpse here of the Lord's thoughts concerning his people. Now for this to be grasped We're going to have to see the context of this. But just a comment on this statement, a vineyard of red wine, because you may be thinking, well, what's the significance of that? Well, the ESV translates it, a vineyard of pleasant, sorry, a pleasant vineyard. The Hebrew can mean that. So he's saying that God's thoughts of his people are, they are pleasant to me. I delight in them. That's what the idea of red wine conjures up, something that brings joy and great happiness. The Lord, when he thinks upon his people, rejoices over us with singing. And he loves us. And he's saying to his people here, you may feel that I'm against you right now, but one day you will see what I've always thought concerning you, what I thought before I saved you, what I thought once you were saved, and what I will think of you forever. I am not against you. You are a pleasant vineyard to me. You are my delight. And you see, our father may chasten us, he may slay us, he may lay us low, but even that is actually an expression of his delight in us. The Lord chastens those he loves, my dear friends. Now to see why this is so amazing, turn back to Isaiah chapter 5. Because God speaks of Israel as a natural vineyard, as they are in their state of sin. in chapter 5, notice the contrast between, in that day it will be said, a pleasant vineyard, a vineyard of red wine, to this, verse 1. Now let me sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My royal beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in the midst and also made a wine press in it. So he expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes, not pleasant red wine. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between me and my vineyard, what more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned, and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste, it shall not be pruned, but there shall come briars and thorns, I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. That is a wonderful picture of our state in sin by nature. That without God's redeeming grace, God cannot delight in us. But here in chapter 27, what a change. Here is how God views his nation, his people, transformed by grace. Here is how he views all who are truly redeemed in Christ Jesus. That you were once a wild olive tree, you once brought forth no fruit to God, and now, in Christ Jesus, you are his delight, you are his great treasure. And he sings over you, he delights in you. This is how God feels concerning us. And when we feel like our circumstances tell us that God is angry with us, we need to remember how God views us in his Son. He looks at us, he looks at you, even in our mess, and he sees someone he values so much. Someone clothed in the righteousness of Christ. sealed with his blood, paid for at great expense the price of his son. And therefore that is how precious every saved sinner is. He purchased you with his blood. And if he purchased you with his blood, there is nothing he will not give to you that will be for your good. And as a winemaker or a vinedresser will work tirelessly day and night to tend and care for his vineyard to ensure it produces pleasant wine. The Lord will work day and night as we're going to see in his acts towards us to ensure that what we are in Christ we become in ourselves. Do you understand the difference? We are righteous objectively in Christ and God is working so that what our legal standing is in Christ will become our experiential standing. That we who are once dead in our trespasses and sins and have been made alive in God will produce fruit to God for his glory. It's like God is saying to Israel here, I remember what you were like, but I will in that day, it will be said to you, I will delight in what you are and what you have become by grace. He delights, Christian, in the fact that you love him. You once didn't love him. You were once cold in your hearts, dead in your hearts, and he looks at your heart and it pleases God. It is like a pleasing aroma to him to see a sinner who now loves God in Christ. He delights in the fact that you once felt nothing about your sin against God, and he delights when he looks at you and sees this poverty of spirit. You don't realise how much it pleases God to look at a sinner and see that there is a broken and a contrite spirit concerning sin against him. He looks and says, there's a work of my grace. There was a hardened sinner who now is soft and sensitive to the things that grieve me and please me. I delight, he says, in the fact that you once loved the world and now you feel uncomfortable in the world. and you don't feel you belong in the world. And you have this very real sense that I belong in another place. That causes God delight. He skips. The Bible tells us that when every sinner repents, there's great joy in heaven. There's a great party. And every time God looks at what his grace is doing in us, in Christ, it's pleasant to him. It pleases him. God sees wonderful things in his people. He would say, I see a soul that even in the darkest times is seeking to bring fruit to God, where before you brought forth wild grapes. He would say, I see in a child of God someone who was once wild, an olive tree, wild by nature, who has been grafted in to the vine and is altogether lovely in the son whom I love. I sing over you concerning what my grace has done and is doing in you. Even though you are struggling, the fact that you are struggling and you are holding on delights me. Because his thoughts towards us are as we are saying, it means his intentions towards us are only good. How reassuring it must have been for these people. when they felt like God had literally churned them out of his mouth, to hear a picture, to hear how God feels concerning those of his people who are saved by grace. Though he may have hid his face from them and though he hides his face from us, he never changes his thoughts concerning us. It's the wonder of the gospel. that the steadfast love of God endures forever. His mercies are new every morning. God is unrelenting and unchanging in his favourable disposition to his people. Even the hiding of his face and even the giving us over to enduring suffering is an expression of his love to us because he has a greater goal in mind. He has that we would be a pleasant vineyard. that we would bring fruit to God. And you see, there's something else in this I want to say before we get to our second point. What you delight in and what you love you love to spend time with, don't you? Red wine was something that Israel would enjoy in fellowship together, in celebration. You think of Jesus at the wedding of Cana. The red wine came out. It was something that was to be enjoyed in fellowship. Well then, for God to say that to me, you are a vineyard of red wine, is an expression of his longing for intimacy with us. You know the scriptures, don't you? In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And it shall be said, behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrowing, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Something I've learned in the last eight weeks, I think one of the reasons God sends storms to us is because he wants us to seek him. It's in the storms we seek Him, because in the day of prosperity and ease we forget Him. And I think what I learned here is that our Father so wants our company, that when He sees us in comfort and ease forgetting Him, He sends a storm our way to bring us to His arms. Because it is in the day of trouble that we seek Him, that we call upon Him, that we draw near to Him. And when we drift away from him, this grieves his heart because he saved us in Christ who bring us near to him. And so the storm comes to fetch us. Jonah knew this too well, didn't he? Jonah chapter one, we're told Jonah heard the word of the Lord and he ran from the face of the Lord. That's a picture of he's running away from intimacy with God. He is saying, I want to run away. I want comfort and ease. I don't want to go to Nineveh. And he sends a great storm. He sends a great fish to consume Jonah. And you know the rest of the story. But you see secondly then and lastly, God's thoughts towards us lead us to consider God's acts towards us. The Lord's thoughts towards us logically brings us to the Lord's acts towards us. Verse three. Because my vineyard is a vineyard of the light, I the Lord keep it. I water it every moment, lest any hurt it. I keep it night and day. It is because we are precious to him. that all his acts towards us are good. It is because he feels a certain way about us that he can only act a certain way towards us, that his thoughts concerning us inform his acts towards us. You know this, don't you? As a father, I treasure my boys so much, and because I treasure them, and because they delight my heart, I only want to keep them, to tend them, to look after them, to provide for them. Every moment of their lives there will not be a day when I don't want to do them good because they mean the world to me. And here we have our Heavenly Father telling His storm-tossed children that whatever you think, and whether you can trace my hand in the valley, I am telling you, I, the Lord, keep you. And I, the Lord, water your soul every moment, lest any hurt it. And I am never taking a day off in my attention to your needs. Every single moment, I keep it day and night. Day and night. It's marvellous, isn't it? The idea of keeping here is doing whatever is necessary to produce the outcome God wants. The same word is used in Proverbs 27, it says, whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit. So what I know is like the hymn, I remember Daniel you cling to this hymn didn't you once, you know, he will hold me fast. What this means is, it means exactly that. It means that God will ensure that my faith will not fail because he's keeping me and supplying me with grace in my time of need. I will not fail to keep you as the vine dresser keeps his vineyard. I will not fail to hold you up. But it's one thing for me to tell you, God will keep you and make his face shine upon you. And that's good to say that to one another. We should encourage one another. But sometimes we need to hear the first person pronoun, don't we? We need to hear in our souls, by the Holy Spirit's persuasion, I will keep you, Tom. Not just because they think I will, I will. And that's what he says here, I will keep you. I will keep you. Maybe, hands up if you've heard of William Carey? And Andrew Fuller? Okay, Andrew Fuller's one of my heroes. William Carey, there was a little network of them, pastor fraternal in Bedfordshire, in Olney, in Northampton, and William Carey had a heart to go and preach the gospel in India, and to preach Christ to the unreached peoples. Massive thing to do, it was overwhelming, and he was frightened, and I'm sure lots of his friends could have said to him, hey, don't worry, we will take care, God will take care of you, God will provide for you, we will remember you, It wasn't until Andrew Fuller, one of his closest friends, said to him, if you go down the rope, down that rope, down that hole, I will hold the rope and I will not let it go. Whatever supplies you need, I will make it my responsibility to ensure that you have what you need. And Andrew Fuller held to his word. There were some days where he said to his fellowship, I cannot preach today, I have got to go and do the rounds in churches to raise funds for my friend in India. And that gave William Carey all that he needed. The first person pronoun. I will do this. And notice then, as it spells out, I the Lord keep it, it then spells out in verse three exactly what that involves. And we're really at the end now, we'll race through this quickly. Firstly, I will water it every moment. Plants can't grow without water. Water is the fuel that they need to develop. Without it, they would wither and die. And he says, every moment I will supply water. That's a subtle contrast, isn't it, to Isaiah 5, where he says, I will shut up the heavens. Here he's saying that to my redeemed people by grace, I will water them every single moment. Many dangers, many dangers for my vineyard, but it will never lack a supply of water. And here is a promise, child of God, to trust in God for future grace. When you meet tomorrow, grace will meet you there. Showers of grace will be there for you next week. All the days of our lives, he will be with us. And we need as Christians daily waterings of divine grace, especially under suffering and trouble and trial. And without the waters of grace we would come to nothing. And there are things in our lives where we actually are not stupid to say, this could crush me, this could take me out. That would be a reasonable thing to say were it not for this promise. I water every moment. Grace will be there for you every single moment. Do not worry about tomorrow. Trust in me for future grace. I came full of grace. Grace upon grace upon grace upon grace. Your goodness and mercy shall follow me. What? all the days of my life. Even to your grey hairs, I am he that will carry you. These are promises of God's word. And of course, a very simple application here is that the primary way God does that is through the ministry of the word. God supplies his strength and grace through the ministry of the word. That's why you have to make, if you're a church member, attendance such a priority of your life, even when you don't feel like it. Paul talks about this. He says, I planted a polos water. It's the language of a vineyard. He's talking about the word of God which we preached and taught was like God's supplies of grace for God's people. You take yourself out of the vineyard, you can't complain when you wither and dry. You need to be under the means of grace and then you will experience his help. And notice that, lest any hurt it, I will keep it day and night. Now this is good because Night, I think, biblically often speaks of the dark times, the darkness, the night, when the night comes and God hides his face. But what we are told is that the Lord does not slumber nor sleep. His eyes are always upon us. You may take your eyes off him, but he will not take his eyes off you. And I don't know then, when he sees you suffering, I don't know why he doesn't say enough. But I know that if he hasn't, it's not because he's taken his eyes off you, he's forgotten you. The Lord will always keep us in his remembrance. And I think this is a comfort for God's people in suffering. Our enemies are restless for our doom, but God is restless for our good. But notice also it says, I will keep you in the day. Some of you aren't in suffering right now. Some of you are quite chilled and quite happy, I'm sure. Life's going fine. Do you know there's just as many dangers for a Christian in the day of ease as there are in the day of temptation and trial? Because it's in the day of ease that you're most tempted to forget God and to rely upon yourself and to trust in yourself. and to become consumed with the things of the world. For even in the day of ease, our Lord does not forget us, and our Lord is seeking how he can do good to us. You know the Apostle Paul at the end of his life in 2 Timothy chapter 4, he says, And that can be your testimony. Sometimes even your closest friends, even your own family members won't know what you're going through, but the Lord will stand by you and the Lord will provide comfort for you. But lastly, what if you're not a Christian here? Because what effectively I'm saying is God loves his children, and it's the well-known cliche phrase, verse we use. I shouldn't say cliche, but I'm saying that because it can become a bit like that in the way that we use it. Though it is God's word, and actually we should tremble at his word. But when it says, you know, he works all things for the good of those who love him, that's what this is saying in another way. But notice that last phrase, for the good of those who love him. You cannot claim this promise if you don't love God, if you don't love Christ. Are you a Christian? Can you say, concerning you, that God is working all things for my good? Can you say, with a Christian, that my trials and difficulties come from a loving father? Unless you're in Christ, you can't. The only good God accomplishes in your suffering if you're not a Christian is his glory, in meeting out to you a foretaste of what you deserve. You know, for a believer, the best is yet to come. For a believer, pain and sorrow may tarry in the night, but joy will come in the morning. I will have a new body. You will have a new body, Christian. And there will be no pain. There will be no nerve pain. There will be no back pain. There will be no bad eyesight. There will be none of these things. We will seek him as he is. But for the unbeliever, all God's common grace. You know, you think of all the goodness that unbelievers enjoy, the medicines, the painkillers. All these things won't be there. and God will hand rebellious sinners over to what they justly deserve for their utter ungratefulness, unthankfulness, and stubbornness, and ultimately, hostility in their hearts towards his good and righteous law. And all because they simply would not say sorry. It's hard to say sorry, isn't it? It's hard to say sorry when you fall out with someone. It is hard because what stops us from just simply saying, I'm sorry, is our pride. It's very hard to humble ourselves and say sorry, even when the person that we're saying sorry to may have done wrong. But God has done no wrong to us. We are the only ones who have done wrong. God sends rain and sun and harvest. Isn't it amazing that there's been a harvest this year in the United Kingdom? Do you not find that staggering? Especially when God said in the Old Testament to Israel that if they broke his laws, they'd be given over to famine. It's what we deserve. But the fact that harvest happened again in the United Kingdom. People ate good food and went to the harvester and Toby Carvery and enjoyed themselves and comforted their bellies. I don't know if you believe all the warnings about medicines disappearing if there's a Brexit. I'm not going to commentate on what I believe, whether I believe that or not. But a little bit of me thinks, well, you know, it's what country deserves, isn't it? Can you imagine that? All the medicines being taken away from people. Then they might start to think about things of eternity, perhaps. People realise that pain in this life is hard. And actually, you can't live for this life and put your hope in this life. So do you know this shepherd? Do you know this guard? He says to you, if you just humble yourselves, say sorry, trust in my forgiveness, provided for you in Christ Jesus, you in Christ can become the centre of my care. My sovereign power. The apple of my eye. Because you see, I can't look at all of you at once. I'm having to constantly look around. But God is so amazing that he can make us all individually each the apple of his eye. That's a contradiction. How can he be looking at one thing entirely? How can he be looking at Phil and Paul and me all at the same time to all the same extent? I don't know, but he does. So, you say I'm full of sin. Yes you are, which is why he sent his son. And he scorned his son as the sinner, so he might rejoice in you as if you were the one righteous. And you can know what it is to be loved as the father loved Jesus, because he knew what it was to be the object of wrath. And as I said, I'm hopefully next week going to be able to deal with the remaining verses when we consider some other precious truths. But may we all take these precious truths to heart and keep our minds stayed on God who made them and know very real peace in our time of need. Amen.