to Psalm 42. If you're visiting, we are spending the summer in the Psalms. It's the second time I've done this in the Life of Covenant, where I go through just a series of Psalms over the course of the summer. So today we are at Psalm 42. If you don't have a Bible, as always, I would encourage you to pick one up out in the hallway so you can follow along. If you don't have a Bible and you would like one to take home, you can either take one of those or come see me and I will get you one of your choosing. Now, if everybody would stand with me as we read the word of God together. To the choir master, a mesquite of the sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night while they say to me all the day long, where is your God? These things I remember as I pour out my soul hall, I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and song of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me, therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon from Mount Mazar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock, why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me. While they say to me all the day long, where is your God? Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. Let's pray. Father, as we consider the pages of Scripture, specifically as we reflect upon a fellow saint, a fellow brother in Christ, who went through a very challenging, difficult time of despair in his life, we pray that you would allow us to glean much from this. that Lord as being the God of comfort who comforts us in our weaknesses so that we can comfort other people I pray for specifically anybody here today who is in that situation that they are discouraged they're defeated they are depressed and They're wondering, where are you in all of this? I pray, God, that you would shine light upon their life, that you would help them to see that you are near and they are dear to you. Oh, Holy Spirit, we are dependent. We are reliant on what we're about to do. Unless you be in this time, this is done in vain. May that not be the case. May your word return and accomplish what you have set it out to do. We ask this in Christ's name, amen. If you'd be seated, we'll get started. Have you or someone you knew ever suffered from depression? Have you, or someone you know, ever experienced a season of darkness, melancholy, despair, discouragement where there really seemed to be no end in sight and no hope of any change? July 18th, 2008 is the day that changed my life and my family's life forever. We were on vacation. And we got a phone call from my mother-in-law, who was staying in a different place on the place where we go on vacation, so right down the street. And you could tell she was razzled. She was upset. But we didn't know why. She said, I'm coming over. So she came over. And when she got out of the vehicle, I knew this wasn't just she was upset. She was quivering. She was shaking. What is going on? And over the course of the next couple minutes, we found out what had happened. My brother-in-law was a police officer in Fort Myers. He was handling a domestic dispute. Unbeknownst to him, the person was multiple felonies out there. He was not going away easily. ultimately his death. He was shot and killed in the line of duty. So that day changed everything for our family. So for the next year, I tried to be the strength. I tried to be the rock with my family, especially because it wasn't just that I lost my brother-in-law. I was also the pastor of my father-in-law and mother-in-law. I was the pastor of my wife. I was the pastor of my brother and sister-in-law, who had lost their Andy. So I had this dual role going on. I was the strength, and I was holding it together. And about a year later, I started having chest pains. Thought I was having a heart attack. I started battling crazy anxiety and worry. I started having panic attacks. Never had one my whole life. I was having three to five a day. I lost roughly 30 pounds during that time. People hadn't seen me. They're like, wow, you're a lot thinner. And that furthered my anxiety. I was convinced, one, I was having heart attacks. Two, I had cancer. had all of this just going on. It was by far the roughest season in my whole life. I feel very naked right now even sharing. One writer that I think he coined it well, it's the dark night of the soul. But in the midst of all of that time, apart from I wish I could trade and have Andy here today, I would not undo everything I went through because I am who I am today because I went through that season. It was for my good. It was better. Psalm 42 though, kind of long story short to get to it, Psalm 42 was my rock. the truths in it were what kept me going. Because within this psalm is hope. It's not a quick fix though. There's no guarantee that your problems are going to be removed. Yet we find encouragement that God is with us and one day the dark night will be filled with sunshine. As you can tell, this is going to be my most personal psalm we go through this summer. Next week, we're doing a praise. I will not be doing another lament next week. But I felt led, even when I decided to do the psalms this summer, I gotta do Psalm 42, because I have to share what God taught me through depression, through the darkest night of my soul, because I know some of you here today are there. And if you're not there, you may be going to be there. And I have encouragement and I have comfort to you through this word. Two things as we look at this dark night of the soul. First of all, I want us to see his suffering. We're gonna unpack just what goes on in the life of this son of Korah. But then secondly, We're going to see his strategy, because that's the key. And I want you to understand, I'll testify myself, too often during that season in my life, I played the victim. Too often I wallowed in pity. I didn't fight the lies and the deceit and the deception and the arrows of the enemy. I didn't fight it. I just took it. And I wanna encourage you, friends, like I said, there's not a quick fix, but you have more to your arsenal than you really know. And we're gonna point those things out, all right? So let's begin. Let's look at his suffering. Now, in your translation, depends, some of them, I'm assuming, says book two above Psalm 42. The Psalms were kind of categorized in books. There's a really strong belief, and I think it's a pretty good argument, Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 initially were one psalm together. It's possible. With that being said, we're not looking at Psalm 43 today. We are gonna focus in just on Psalm 42. The sons of Korah, they were Levites who helped with temple worship. So that's kind of, and it's gonna make sense as we look at what he says in Psalm 42. And then the setting of the Psalm, obviously as we read it, I hope you picked up on it, it is a lament. It is one of depression, despair, discouragement, some of the most vulnerable words penned in the Bible. With somebody who is really questioning God, questioning God's goodness, questioning the situation that they find themselves in. So we're going to see that first hand with this son of Korah. But as we look at his suffering, let's pick up at verse 1. First thing I want us to see is he is awakened. Did you see that? He is awakened. He says, as a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, oh God, my soul for you. Thirst for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? He goes down in verse seven, actually verse six, it says, my soul is cast down within me. Therefore, I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mazar. What we can kind of deduce from the context is that he is away from Jerusalem. He is away from the temple. We don't know why. It's likely he's away by force, not by choice. There's a really good possibility he is being ushered away into exile. And even the geographical leanings of verse six is the idea, far northeast from Jerusalem, He was looking back as the distance became further and further away from the temple and further and further away from where it was believed that God was. He feels distant from God, but it's important to see through the trial, through the suffering, he is awakened to an appetite for God. Listen to him, as a deer pants for flowing streams. Why would a deer pant for flowing streams? Because of what? Because of thirst. They need the water. They need nourishment. They're not carrying around water bottles, right? But also, water for a deer can sometimes be a refuge from predators. that they're so swift that they can kind of burst right through the water where maybe a predator's not gonna be as swift going through, so it provides nourishment, it provides protection. He's saying, God, I desire you like that. And I think that's crucial because we sometimes don't realize what we really need. A mild dehydration. Did you know this? Is often masked with feelings of hunger. What's the problem if you're mildly dehydrated and you feel hungry? What do you do? You're hungry. You're gonna keep on what? Eating. Are you really hungry? No, you're actually thirsty. You're confusing what the need is, what the desire is. I think when you and I, we read his circumstances, we think his need is what? Better circumstances, less affliction, less hardship. You and I, we look at our circumstances. What do we need? We need more money. We need a better job. We need a relationship. We need, you fill in the blank. We have all these things that we think, that's really what I need. But when heart to heart, what you need, What I need is God. Psalm 73 verse 25, he says, Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. Did you just hear what he said? That there is nothing, there is no rival to the need that God has implanted in each and every one of his image bearers. And that need can only be fulfilled in Christ, in the Lord. Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee. The world lies to you about that. The world tells you, just flip on the television. Look in a magazine and it's telling you, you need this and you need that and it's gonna fulfill you and you're gonna feel so satisfied when you drink of these things and eat of these things. But friends, every time you drink, every time you eat, you're gonna do what? You're gonna be hungry and thirsty still and this psalmist was awakened that I need God. In the valley of valleys, in the night of despair, He says, I need you. My soul thirsts for you, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before you, God? What do you long for today? What do you thirst for? Are your taste buds off? What do you truly need? What are you consumed by and focused on? Too many of us live our lives pursuing and seeking to fulfill desires that God has not intended for you to desire. God did not create you to desire the creation. He created you to desire the creator. Do you realize that He alone will fulfill that? That's why so many of us are so discontent and unsatisfied because you're trying to fill a need that only He can fill. This season in your life that you're going through that maybe you can identify with the psalmist is God's grace and mercy to you to awaken you. Because in times of prosperity and abundance, we don't feel like we need God that much. So he is awakened, but then secondly, he is afflicted. Read verse three with me. He says, my tears have been my food night and day while they say to me all the day long, where is your God? He needs God. He feels distant from God and he is in pain. First of all, notice the tears. He says, my tears have been my food night and day. And I think it's important to acknowledge that because we somehow have this misguided understanding of Christian maturity that Christians don't get sad, Christians don't get depressed, Christians don't cry. Never actually saw the movie, but I remember the quote so well, League of Their Own. It was a movie about professional baseball for women. Tom Hanks, the accomplished actor, starred in it, and I just remember the commercial. I saw it as he's coaching, and he's a little bit intense as a coach, as often coaches are, and all of a sudden, he says something that unsettles one of his players, and this woman begins to cry, and he's like, He's not sure what to do because his time coaching men, they never cried at practice or in a game. And he says, there's no crying in baseball. And I think too often we think there's no crying in the Christian life. And that is a lie. That is so untrue. Christians do get discouraged. Christians do get sad. What's the shortest verse in the Bible? Jesus wept. Jesus cried. That's why we have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Elijah, he calls down fire from heaven. They slaughter the prophets of Baal. I mean, talk about a victory. And the very next moment, he's out in the wilderness, 1 Kings 19, 4, and he pleads to God that he might die. It's enough now, Lord. Take my life, for I'm no better than my father's. Mountaintop to valley, the dark night of the soul. There is a long line of godly men and godly women who have battled over a lifetime depression and discouragement. One of my favorite people who've come before was Charles Spurgeon. God used him mightily. He had the nickname the Prince of Preachers. He battled depression. he would sometimes leave the pulpit and go into his study and he would just fall on the ground in a fetal position in tears. I mean, I share all that to let you know you're in good company if you struggle. You're not even less Christian, you're not even less mature if this is a battle for you, but not only do you notice the tears, notice the taunting. What are they doing? Where is your God? Where's this God you believe in? Because he's not stepping in, he's not intervening. Jesus is on the cross, they taunted him. If you're the king of the Jews, save yourself. You remember when Nehemiah was building the wall, when we studied through Nehemiah, they consistently jeered and despised them. Satan will do everything to put doubt in your mind, to question God's goodness and presence. Well friends, do Christians get depressed too? Everybody nod your head yes. I don't want you leaving here misguided on that. Will we mourn in this life? Think of the Beatitudes, blessed are the mourning, those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Will we battle discouragement and despair? Are you prepared to be taunted to see the attempts of Satan to defeat you? Because he is not only awakened, he is afflicted, and then lastly, he is aware. Read verse seven with me. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and your waves have gone over me. So he uses the imagery from nature, the idea of tumultuous, powerful, overwhelming waters. They're dangerous, they're strong, likely putting you in peril and in harm's way. Not many people are jumping off of the Niagara Falls, right? Because there's not a very good chance you're going to live at the end of that ordeal. And he's saying that I am being pounded by these waters. I am nearly drowning. And then notice who he gives credit for all of this. We just had a recent transition where I live with our trash. We have new trash cans, which I love. I mean, the little things that you appreciate when you get older. Like, we got new trash cans. It was like Christmas morning when they were finally there. They're huge, they're like 90-something gallons, which my family fills one week. I'm actually gonna have an awkward conversation with my neighbor tonight asking if I can put some extra trash in her because 90s not enough for me but prior to that I was having an issue a couple of my trash cans were just falling apart but I knew the new trash cans were coming and I'm like I don't want to buy a new one so we're gonna but something was getting in my trash so I would come out and there's a food and mess and I'd have to clean it up and And I'm also a gagger, so I don't have a strong stomach. So it's lose-lose for Joe. In this situation, it's bad. And I was convinced, because I've seen him, when I've driven around, I've even seen one get hit, that we have raccoons in our neighborhood. So I kept blaming. I'm like, I'm going to trap this raccoon. I'm going to get it. My boys are like, we should get the bow and arrow. I'm like, I am not that accurate. I don't end up in the neighbor's yard, or I'll end up in the neighbor. So I was convinced, totally raccoons, last week. I'm locking our one patio door and I look out and I notice something move by. I was like, what did I just see? And I open there and there it is. I don't think it was a raccoon. It was a skunk. It was a skunk and I was like, oh my goodness. I like jumped back. I was afraid to move because I was like, what if it sprays the house and it stinks forever? Then I wake up and Abby and me, I'm like, come here, come here, hurry. She's like so confused and she comes and she's like, thank you, now I'm awake. Why did you wake me? I think you and I, we blame the raccoon. We blame our trials. We blame our situations, often on ourselves, maybe on friends, family members, our enemies, Satan. And they all probably play a part and have a role in all of it. But notice who, it's so important, this is life-altering for you when you begin to understand the theology behind this. Who does he blame? Who's the your, in verse, Seven, your waterfalls, your breakers, your waves. Who is the your? Everybody. It's God. He is blaming God, and it's not a bad blaming. He is acknowledging. He is aware that God is the one active in his trials. Job did the same thing, Job 121. Naked I came from the womb, naked shall I return. The Lord gave and the Lord took away. But notice it was Satan who's doing everything. And yet Job is like, the Lord did this. Job 2.10, his wife says, won't you curse God and die? And he says, woman, you speak as a fool. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil? It doesn't take away the wicked's responsibility. It doesn't take your poor decisions away from you and the culpability. But trials and struggles in your life are God's doing. You have to embrace that. You have to come to grips with that. Friends, when you start encountering the difficulties of life and you have this warped view that it caught God off guard. When July 18th hit my family, 2008, the last thing that I would have wanted to believe is that God was busy in the Middle East and he didn't watch over my brother-in-law. No, before my brother-in-law lived one day God had his days numbered and he knew that was always going to be his day. Not one hair falls outside of his sovereign will. Well, who ultimately has you where you are today? Who is the ruling and reigning one over all of your circumstances, be it good, be it bad? Does this comfort you that God has you just where he wants you? And I would argue as somebody who has been there and even sometimes still feels there, I think it's a sign of God's grace and mercy and love and care for you that you're in that place today. Because it's in those places where you get to really experience God. It's in those places where he matures and grows and develops you. The key to persevering is knowing that God is in it. Alright, so we see his suffering. He's awakened to his need. He is afflicted. He is aware, though, that ultimately God is in this. Well, how does he not quit? How does he not throw in the towel, give up, I am done? Here's three keys that I think are laid out in this passage to persevere through the darkness of night. I think there's three keys that have been life saving to me as somebody who has been there. First thing he does is he thanks God. He thanks God. Look at verse eight. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me. A prayer to the God of my life. Notice what he's doing. He's given God credit for the breakers, the suffering, the waterfalls, but he's also giving credit for God's faithfulness, his grace, his tender mercies in spite of the circumstances. We always have reason to be thankful. Whatever you are going through today, if you are in Christ, you have a reason. to be thankful, why are you thanking God? We've been doing a lot of cleaning at our house the last couple of weeks and I found some thank you notes. Some of them are for you all. I'm not sure if it was from the pastor appreciation or some of you got me Christmas gifts. So if you did on all of those, thank you. I put your names, and I'm looking at actually some of you, your names are on the thank you, but then nothing. So I never filled out the thank yous, but I intended to thank you. And then I'm like, I can't even just put it in the mail and say, oops, I got misplaced, because I have no idea what I was thanking you about. But isn't that us? With God? We forget to thank you. We don't thank him. And he is in just a horrible circumstance right now. And what does he do? He thanks God. And you and I, we need to get in the business. If you're suffering from depression and discouragement, one of the encouragements I wanna press upon you today is don't forget to thank God in all of this. Lamentations 3.22 says, the steadfast love endures forever. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Remember what David said? Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For why? Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. David is thanking God walking through the valley of the shadow of death. So whatever you're going through, even if it is the shadow of death, you can thank God. David did. We can. Notice day and night, he says, his tears have been his food. That's the duration. But then day and night, who has been with him? By day, his love has been over him. At night, and his song. And notice, song is important because what? He leads people in music. So music is crucial to him. And he's saying God gives him a song. Probably like what we looked at last week, he's giving him a new song every day. So even though he's hurting, even though he's got wounds, he is singing a new song. But then once again, notice the candidness in all this, even though he's thanking God. Verse nine, why have you forgotten me? Even though he just said God's with me, so he does feel like completely confusing. Well, did God forget you or he didn't? And he's like, yes, both. He's with me, but man, I feel like he's distant and he's forgotten me. Well, right now, in the quietness of your heart, thank him. Right now, between you and God, I wanna encourage you, and I'm being serious. Thank God for what he's doing in your life, even if it stinks. Thank God if you've shed many a tears. Thank God even if right now you don't see any end in sight. Wherever you are today, be grateful, but also be honest with him. God knows your heart. God is at work. Be vulnerable, be candid. Don't forget, he's not distant from you. He can thank God, but then secondly, he talks to himself. Look at verse 11. Notice what he says, second time he does this. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? So, life-altering event number one, thank God, even when you're suffering, but life-altering event number two, strategy, talk to yourself. Talk to yourself. Who's he having the conversation with? Himself. But here's the problem. The conversations become very difficult because it's been going on at the same time. I mean, how many times have you been on the phone, parents, and your kids keep coming up, and you're like, I am on the phone. They're like, I know, but. Those are those times where it's like, wouldn't it be cool if you had a mute button for people? I know it sounds horrible and you feel guilty, but let's be honest. If I was selling them, I guarantee you all would buy one. I'd be a millionaire. Copyright. Find if there's a copyright. We have a copyright lawyer. It just came to me. That eureka moment. I want a remote control that can mute people in real time. What he's telling us in this psalm is you need to mute button yourself so you can talk to yourself. Martin Lloyd-Jones, he wrote a book called Spiritual Depression, another book that was really crucial to me as I went through that season. He writes, the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression in a sense is this, that we allow ourself to talk to ourself instead of talking to ourself. Now this man's treatment was this, instead of allowing the self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. And what I mean by that, and what Lloyd-Jones means, is there's this battle, and we hear voices. And the voices that you and I consistently hear are doubt, fear, discouragement, worry, and we keep hearing those voices, and we play the victim, and we don't resist them, and we don't fight them. And what the psalmist is saying, enough is enough. You need to shut up that voice, and you need to speak a new voice. And the new voice is one of truth, the one of taking captive. 2 Corinthians 10 5, we demolish arguments and every opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. We do what Paul encouraged, whatever is true. Whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable. If there is anything that is excellent and praiseworthy, think about these things. Speak about these things. Those are the things. So when you're worried, you speak truth back to the worry. When you're afraid, you speak truth back to the fear. You speak truth like Romans 8, there's nothing that can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, my Lord. You can quote that he will never leave me nor forsake me. But what are the voices inside you telling you? Which voice are you listening to? Does it lead you wrongly? Are you ready to start talking to yourself? Are you ready to speak truth? Are you ready to preach to yourself? This has been huge in my life personally. Because I'm bent in this direction of listening to the voice, and when I listen to the voice, that voice, it starts like a little snowball going down a mountain, and then by the end, it's like an avalanche. It's like in the cartoons where it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. So I mean, I went from. I think I'm having chest pains to, I had a heart attack, cancer, multiple cancers, and every other thing that you could imagine in my head as I started worrying, and all of a sudden I started having even, I wrote down which disease I had that given day. You understand? And that's what happens when, so when you start speaking truth, that even those worries that you have right now are like, oh my goodness, what if this happens? What if it does? Is God still not on His throne? Worst case scenario, you and I die sooner. We get an upgrade. Worst case scenario, we get to be with him quicker. Even in the story I shared in the very beginning, the lucky one was Andy, because he's been in the presence of God for the last 10 years. He's not had to battle this. So, we see the need to thank God, we see the need to talk to ourself, and then lastly, he targets the future, and this is also extremely important. Listen to what he says at the end. Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. That is the message he's preaching to himself. He's like, why are you cast down? In other words, knock some sense in you. You don't need to be cast down. You don't need to be discouraged, why? Why self? Because you can hope in God. For I, listen to the certainty. He doesn't say, I might again praise him. I'm hoping, fingers crossed, that I will praise him. No, what does he say? I'm gonna praise him again. Because He's my salvation. He who began a good work will carry it on to completion. He is my God. He is personal. He is intimate. I can guarantee no matter what I am going through today, there will be a day that what I'm going through will end, but my relationship with Him will never end. Because sometimes we experience things in this life that feel like they will never end. You probably had a work shift where it felt like it was moving at a snail's pace. Maybe you were in line somewhere, and it just felt like the line would never end. Maybe you were on the phone waiting for somebody, and you started to fall asleep before somebody actually answered. And then you all of a sudden hear a voice, and they're like, hello, hello. And you're like, oh, maybe it was a boring lecture. Maybe it was what we've been talking about, a dark night of the soul. But notice what he does, he predicts the future. At some point, the suffering will end. I remember one day, I was having a horrible day during the season, and I was in tears, and my best friend texts me this verse, 1 Peter 5. He says, Restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Hope in God for I will again praise Him. And even if the circumstances change, He has resolved that He will praise them in this life and then ultimately the next. That is the eyes of faith. That is why you and I are to look upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. This is belief beyond the circumstances. And this is where the rubber hits the road, and this is where it's difficult. Because you can try to thank God, you can start talking to yourself, you can try to target the future, but circumstances are present, future's in the future, and man, it's hard to shake off those circumstances. Or are you growing weary today? Have you lost sight of the future? Has the trials gotten the best of you? And if they have, don't lose hope. I had some bad days and some good days for an extended period of time before I had a series of good days. Is there a better day that awaits? You have the eyes of faith. Maybe today you just need help in your unbelief. You're like, God, I kind of believe, but I'm struggling. Know this, you're going to again praise them. in this life and then ultimately in the next. This is not the end. Does everybody get that? Your current circumstances are not the end. God is not done with you, no matter how many tears you're shedding. The lyrics go, I'm tired. I'm worn. My heart is heavy from the work it takes to keep on breathing. I've made mistakes. I've let my hope fail. My soul feels crushed by the weight of this world. Have you ever been there? Are you there today? He goes on and says, and I know that you can give me rest, so I cry out with all that I have left. Let me see redemption win. Let me know that the struggle ends, that you can mend a heart that's frail and torn. I wanna know a song can rise from the ashes of a broken life, and all that's dead inside can be reborn, because I'm worn. I know I need to lift my eyes up, but I'm too weak. Life just won't let up. My prayers are wearing thin. I'm worn even before the day begins. I'm worn, I lost my will to fight. I'm worn, so heaven come and flood my eyes. Let me see redemption win. Let me know the struggle ends, that you can mend a heart that's frail and worn. I want to know a song can rise from the ashes of a broken life. Why are you there today? Do you know somebody who is there? Are you worn, are you weary, are you heavy laden? Because friends, I was there. Sometimes I feel like I'm still there. But I can testify, I can encourage you that there will be brighter days ahead. Stay the course. Hope in God, trust in Him. Redemption, guess what, it does win. The struggle does end. I mean, I've quoted it several times in the Psalms already, Revelation 21. It says God himself will wipe away every tear. The only way he's gonna wipe away tears, if that means there will be tears no more. And that's what we have to look forward to. But until that day, it is going to be a grind. It is going to be a battle. It is going to be a war. Satan wants you discouraged and defeated and depressed and doubting and in despair. And that's the voice you're going to probably hear even today, maybe even right now in the sermon. but my encouragement is speak a different voice. Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. Let's pray. Father, we come before you right now. I thank you for just the tender mercies of trials and tribulation. I thank you, God, that you love us so much that you're not gonna allow us to live a life of just simply abundance and prosperity and health and security, because when that happens, We begin to trust in ourselves. We begin to trust in those things and we fail to trust in you. And God, you're a jealous God. You're not gonna share our devotion. You're not gonna share the love that is rightfully yours. So God, you allow us. to go through very difficult times and you do this for a divine purpose and reason. So I just pray for anybody here today who is in that season right now and is just weighing heavy and they're worn and they're tired and they wanna quit, I just pray, God, that you would help them to realize that you're in this, that you're still giving them lots of reasons to be thankful. They need to start preaching the gospel back to themselves. They need to start meditating, reflecting upon your truth, and then ultimately they need to fix their eyes ahead on Jordan's stormy banks. They need to look towards the promised land. They need to realize that this is temporary. What we have in you is eternal. We pray all this in Jesus' name, amen. Would you please stand as we respond with a song? I think it's a fitting song in light of what we just looked at.