It's a wonderful thought, amen. Peter would say, knowing that, how much he cares for us, Peter would then say, cast your cares upon him. Cast your cares upon him for he does care for us. Amen. All right, anybody got a praise report you wanna give away? Difference makers now, intercessors, amen. Amen, I'm grateful too, that is a good thanksgiving. Knowing that they'll stand in the gap for you. Scripture says that, the Lord said, I look for a man to stand in the gap and I didn't find any. Didn't find any, where does he say that at? Where's that at? It's in the Word somewhere. It's in the Older Testament, in the Older Testament. Let's see if we can locate it. Somewhere in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 22? Ezekiel 22, 30, let's see there. Just kinda peek in that for just a second. Ezekiel 22, 30. You find Jeremiah. You'll come up on Ezekiel 22. Notice that verse 29. Well, verse number 28. Well, we can just keep backing it up and backing it up. Yeah, yeah. We'll just start with people like us. Verse 28 says, her prophets, and a prophet was somebody who proclaimed on behalf of God, a mouthpiece, but it was her prophets. Gotta keep that in mind, not God's prophet. It was the nation's prophets. It was the nation's voices, but not God's prophets. They had plastered them with untempered mortar. Having that picture of covering things up with untempered mortar. like building a building that you are framing up and you're working to build a wall on it. And these things were to build a sense of protection. People build walls and put mortar to have a refuge. And this was mortar that hadn't been tested. It hadn't been approved. It was gonna fail them eventually, but that was the image. What these prophets were doing were telling them things that was, They were counting on to be a sense of protection from the elements, but it wasn't gonna work. Eventually, it was gonna, the winds were coming. Eventually, the rains would fall. Trouble was coming, and they were not gonna work. How'd they do it? Seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, thus says the Lord God, when the Lord had not what? Yeah, this is verse 28. Lord had not what? He didn't speak. He hadn't spoken. He hadn't given a word. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy, and they wrongfully oppressed the stranger. So remember what we talked about this morning. We're all going to reap what we've So both godly and ungodly men and women across the board, when over time you do ungodly things, even being ungodly, there's gonna be a consequence that comes on that. These were not God's people doing God's work. They were doing just the opposite of His work. But eventually, we mentioned it this morning, payday someday, payday's coming. And how long does God delay? We don't know. Sometimes it's a couple years. Sometimes it's a couple months. Sometimes it's another generation We just don't know when that time falls we mentioned King David and King Saul we talking about a whole nother King a whole nother day a whole nother group of people and one group paid for the dealings of another man and what they did in their day, another group of people, it fell upon them. And that's out of our control, amen? It was out of David's control that he reaped the famine and that he had to do what he had to do, but he still had to be obedient to the Lord. Verse 30, so I sought for a man among them who would make a wall. and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land that I should not destroy it, but God said he found no one. Therefore, I have poured out my indignation on them, I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath, and I have recompensed their deeds on their heads, says the Lord God. it was time to pay for what they had been doing for years and years and years. And God said he sought for an intercessor who would see what God shown, who would speak what God said, who would pray what God placed upon their heart, but he didn't find any among them, among them. Notice that, I sought for a man, what, among, Now, you gotta keep in mind, excluding Ezekiel. Ezekiel was God's man. Jeremiah was God's man. Isaiah was God's man. I mean, God always has his men, are you with me? Doesn't God say he's always got a remnant? So we're not talking about the remnant. We're not talking about the prophets that were doing what God sent them to do. He said, I sought for a man among the heathen who operated in their own way, doing their own thing among their own prophets, but I didn't find anybody that would stand in the gap on behalf of them. And as a result, consequences fell on that. So let's just take it a step further. And I mentioned this this morning, look in Isaiah, go to Isaiah chapter three, Isaiah chapter three. And this is an encouraging word. Just go back a couple of books, Jeremiah, Isaiah. It seems like yesterday we was reading through Isaiah, but it wasn't yesterday. It was a year ago. I'd imagine last summer, I think it was, we were reading in Isaiah. But in Isaiah chapter number three, in the midst of the trouble that Isaiah was proclaiming, thus says the Lord. He had heard from God. He's speaking for God. And he is painting a picture about the judgment that was coming upon Jerusalem and Judah. And Isaiah preceded Ezekiel. Isaiah preceded Jeremiah. Jeremiah was the prophet to the people in Judah before and during the time of the Babylonian captivity. Whereas Ezekiel was a prophet that was taken in the Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar come in and destroyed Jerusalem. Isaiah is telling them all this is coming. All this is coming. And he says, let's just start in about verse number eight. For Jerusalem, stumbled and Judah is fallen. Why? Because of their tongue and their doings. Why do you think he says because of their tongue? What is that saying? Because of their tongue. Do you use the tongue to do what? You don't use the tongue to eat weed, right? You use the tongue to do what? because of the things they've been saying, the things they've been proclaiming. We're talking about these false teachers and these false prophets who were putting up these untempered plastered walls as a safe haven, who kept telling God's people peace was coming, that God wouldn't do things that they kept saying, God's not gonna do this. God would never do this. Some of the things we talked about this morning about those ill spirits and those bad spirits that get sent by God for a purpose. A lot of people in our modern day would say, but God would never do that. God is all about our peace and God is all for us. And God would never, that's the enemy that does that. No, God used the evil spirit. God used the enemy. to accomplish his purpose. I think throughout the scriptures we learn pretty quickly that all the earth belongs to the Lord, even the wicked for the day of doom. Everything is owned by God and he uses whom he wants, when he wants, for whatever reason he wants. And there's been too many times in scriptures, multiple times that we see that he uses both Satan, he uses fallen angels, that is demonic spirits to accomplish his purposes, when He chooses wicked nations to fulfill His mission. And we see it here that He says, because of their tongue and their doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of His glory, verse 9. the look on their countenances, witnesses against them. And they declared their sin as Sodom. They do not hide it. Woe to their soul for they have brought evil upon themselves. Basically saying they have no shame for what they're doing. They gloat in it, they glory in it, and they do it. That's why it says their countenance witnesses against them, meaning wickedness and iniquity and defiled things brighten the face, meaning they delight in the wrong way and it shows upon their face, and that in itself is a witness against them. and how they mock at the things of God, and they're not ashamed of it. What used to be done in the dark, hiding, now is done in the broad daylight. That's the thing about Sodom. What the average person would have done in that day, they would have done it in secret. They didn't want anybody to know. They kept it hidden. They tried to protect themselves in that because the community would not allow it. So they did it behind closed doors. But you get to the place like Sodom where the entire community is now for it. They don't have to hide it anymore. They flaunt it, they gloat in it, and they parade it down the street and they're proud of it. And that is where this nation had gotten. It wasn't that they were hiding behind things to do anymore. They wasn't taking it in the secret places to keep it quiet. They were doing what they were doing in broad daylight and they didn't care who knew. And they just mocked at the fact that what would God or what would God ever do to them anyway? If he was what he said he was, he would have already done something. So we just gonna keep doing what we're doing. But they didn't realize, as the scripture keeps telling us over and over again, that eventually, eventually there's a consequence and God's going to require it at all our hands of what we've done or didn't do. I'm thankful because of the fact that Jesus bear and bore our sin upon himself and face God's open judgment upon himself on our behalf, amen. Not so that I can flaunt my sin and run wild, but that I could be freed from my sin and run wild to him, be consumed with him. But he says this, verse number 10, this is where the comfort comes for those that desire to do it God's way. In the midst of all that, in the midst of what's coming, in the midst of the way people's been living, notice what verse 10 says. It's just a small little word, but boy, it says a lot. Say to the righteous, Isaiah, that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Say to the righteous, in the midst of the corruption, in the midst of the flaunting, in the midst of the lies, in the midst of the deception, in the midst of the judgment that is coming, say to the righteous, it shall be well. Notice what verse 11, he shifts out of the righteous, Greg, just that one little word in the midst of all this trouble that's coming, he says, give a comforting word to my servants, to my people that I know who they are. And then verse 11 picks right back up, doesn't it? Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. And for my people, as for my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them. Oh, my people, those who lead you cause you to what? air and destroy the way of your paths. But Brother Shenton say to the righteous, it'll be well with you. But woe to the wicked, it's going to be ill with you. Remember Abimelech and the men of Shechem, what did God do? He sent an ill spirit among them and they turned against one another and they actually destroyed one another. And so in the midst of that, we can always cling to these words that say to the righteous, say to my servant, I see you, I know where you are, I know what you've been doing and you will reap the fruit, the fruit, you're gonna reap the fruit of your doings, what you've been doing. God says the benefit and the blessing will be that I preserve and keep you in the midst of it. And we see that throughout the precious word and I'm grateful for that. That God knows those that serve him. Amen? He knows them. And he knows them personally. And he has that remnant. And we can cling to that. So let's look at a couple things that can help us in the midst of these days. That's one right there. That number one, we know God sees us. We know God cares. We can cast our care upon Him. And that we know He will deliver. He'll bring us through. There are times that even the righteous get caught up in the casualties that come with it. But remember, it never works out the way the enemy intended it to work out for the righteous. Isaiah helps us with that a little bit as well. While we're here, just look in Isaiah 54. Isaiah 54. Isaiah 54, verse 16. Isaiah 54, 16, the scripture says, behold, I've created, who? The blacksmith, what does the blacksmith do? Isaiah 54, 16, the blacksmith, what does he do? Who blows the coals in the fire. who brings forth an instrument for his work. What does blacksmiths do or what does manufacturers do today? They make things, they build things, they create things. And God is saying that he created the blacksmith. And if the blacksmith was created by him, which we know God created all people, if he created the blacksmith, that blacksmith then is used by God, however God chooses to use him. So he's at the mercy of the Lord. We can rest in that. Verse 16 continues to say, and I have created what? The destroyer, the spoiler, to do what? So two things we see here, Karen. God creates the man that makes the weapon, and God created the man that what? Uses the weapon. They're both created by God. I have created both the blacksmith, the one who uses, create it. And I've created the one who uses the instrument of destruction, who a lot of times the blacksmith just makes what he's been paid to make. Now he knows what he's making is going to be misused and he still makes it. But He makes it usually to put in the hand of somebody who or an army, whatever it may be, that spoiler, that destroyer, but we can ultimately rest in the fact that God created both of them. Those that use the weapons, those that makes the weapons. So he says in verse 17, if that be in the case, we being the servants of God, those that are righteous that he sees and says it be well with, he then in turn says, no weapon formed by the blacksmith and used by the destroyer against you shall prosper. Every tongue which rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is from me, says the Lord. So we then can take that and understand that though the blacksmith and the destroyer uses weapons of warfare to destroy things, that it never works out for the intent that either the blacksmith nor the destroyer intended it to be used when it is used against the righteous. That doesn't mean we won't die. That's obvious. Men have been killed by other men, God's men, for centuries, throughout time. You take Cain and Abel, for an example. The Bible describes Abel as being the righteous and Cain being the son of Baal, the wicked one, of the devil, what he can do to Abel? He killed him. But the Bible refers to that the righteous blood of Abel still cries out. It still speaks. It speaks today of him doing what was right. It didn't work out the way Cain thought it was gonna work out. Yes, he died, but where was the loss in that for Abel? Abel gained, didn't he? If I understand the Scriptures right, Scripture says when a man dies in righteousness, that is gain. Doesn't the New Testament teach us that? That's a gain. It's a loss for a family that is left grieving behind, but for the person that survives, I mean dies, he lives on. And he doesn't have to deal with the torment of this body anymore. He doesn't have to deal with the torment of what's going on around him. It's gain for him. Absent from the body is what? Present with? the Lord. So it doesn't work out the way the enemy intended it to work out. So in our day, no matter what takes place, no matter how bad the spirit may get between this group and that group, or this people and that people, or this kingdom against that kingdom, because that's the thing, you got multiple levels of of groupings and kingdoms and dominions and all that at battle in this day that we live in, but I don't have to fret over the fact that no matter what the enemy does, my God, number one, nothing's gonna happen to me apart from him allowing it, amen? Isn't that else what the scripture teaches? Not one hair falls from our head without God noticing, knowing. So it's known he allowed it to happen. And if he allowed it to happen, we can rejoice in the fact that he sees and it's gonna be well with us. And he'll use it for his glory and our good, no matter how we look at it. So we can rejoice. And no matter what the enemy says, Our words, when we stand with the Lord, no different than when Noah stood with the Lord. What does Hebrews 11 say? That Noah condemned the world when he proclaimed what God gave him to do. When he was building that ark, when he was preaching righteousness, and he said the floodwaters were coming. When he stood with God, it was an automatic condemnation on everything else. And when you stand on the authority of Jesus and on the authority of His gospel and you stand for Him and upon Him, you put condemnation on everything else that's not with Him. And I think even the Scriptures talk about in this same passage is in Isaiah 54, look in verse number 9. Verse number nine says, for this is like the waters of Noah to me. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so I have sworn that I would not be angry with you nor rebuke you, for the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed. But my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy on you. So no matter what happens, Brother Shannon, If it all falls apart and everything fails, God says, my kindness over you will not fail. My word over you will not fail. But you can rest in that, amen? And you can stand on that. Those waters of Noah are mentioned in here because Noah was known for what he preached. He preached these waters were coming. Nobody believed him that they were coming. And by faith in doing that, That condemned everyone and everything around him that didn't stand with him standing with God. For an example, go to Hebrews. Look in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, New Testament book, Hebrews 11. It says it pretty plainly for us. Hebrews 11, let's just start in verse number six. This is the heritage that we have. For what God has said, we can cling to. For what God has spoken, we can believe, we can trust. And that's the only way to please Him. And as Hebrews 11 says that, but without faith, it is impossible to please God. The only option grace has is those that trust the Lord. That's what grace is looking for, those that believe, those that trust. That's what pleases God. For he comes, he who comes to God must trust the Lord. believe that He is God, and that this God that you come to is also a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Now to come to Him, you gotta believe that He is, and you gotta believe that He's gonna reward the fruit of your doings. You gotta trust Him. You can't listen to the voices of this world, amen? You know, listen to what's going on in our society that's lying to you, trying to warp your thinking, trying to deceive you. Our heritage is, is that we've got a word from God and His kindness is not gonna fail. We can trust Him and believe Him. Verse seven, by faith, Noah being divinely warned of the things not yet seen, was moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he, Noah, condemned the world and became heirs of righteousness, which is according to faith. You know what he said? The world is one big lie. I take God at his word. and his actions proved that he believed God because what he seen and heard from God is what he walked in. That's what he did every day. That's what he prepared every day. What was he building? The world couldn't see it, could he? So that put him in the position that the rest of the world would have thought Noah was an absolute fool, don't you think? Because they couldn't see what he could see. They didn't have what he had. They couldn't hear what he was hearing. He had the dimensions. He had exactly what God had given him to do. If you read over in Genesis and it said, Noah did as God commanded him to do. Noah did as God commanded him to do. Noah did as God commanded. And doing what God told him to do put him in a position that anything that wasn't doing what God told him to do was condemned. He condemned the rest of the world in that action. by standing with God. And anytime we stand on the authority of Jesus and the gospel, we throw condemnation on everything that is a lie against that. You hear it all the time. Don't judge me, don't condemn me. Well, Jesus said he didn't come to the world to condemn the world because the world was already condemned. This world we live in is condemned. It's condemned. But we can be difference makers in it. And if I stand with them, I can't stand with God. But if I'm standing with the Lord, I'm already, I'm automatically putting condemnation on a world that is anti-Him. So don't let that bother you. Don't let that be a, that's just listening to the enemy out there saying, what right do you have to condemn me? I'm not condemning you, you already condemned according to what Jesus says, I was condemned too. But He rescued me. And He delivered me from this present evil age, as Galatians 1 would say, and then He's given me a message to share with you. And no matter how you respond or what you do, I know God's kindness will not fail me. And no matter what weapon, whether verbal or something visible, something violent, you come against me in that, it's not gonna prosper for the intent you think it will. God's gonna use it in my life for good because whether the mountains fail and everything falls apart, God's promise to me will never fail me. and absent from this world is present with the Lord, amen. I'm a messenger of his. So knowing that in a day like today, we can be confident, not ugly, not mean spirited, not mocking and laughing and making fun of a fallen world. Remember, we just come out of Titus. Titus said, look, speak evil of no man Speak evil of no man, for we all was once, what, foolish? We all once were disobedient. We all once were deceived and carried away with ourselves. We all once were full of self-centered thinking that we were against our neighbors and the people around us that didn't agree with us and didn't like us. We were anti anybody that wouldn't be with us, but we've been rescued. What rescued us, who rescued us? Jesus rescued us. We didn't rescue ourselves, he rescued us, amen? And as a result then, we, because we stand with him, know that we condemn the world and we take upon that airship of righteousness, which is strictly by faith, taking Jesus at his word. So keepin' that in mind, keepin' that in mind, look over in Psalm 25. Just givin' us some, anybody, you could ask a question at any time. These are just some things that we need to consider. Of course, the whole revelation of God's Word is solutions for us. I'm just givin' some that just stand out to me as I've been journeyin' through and thinkin' about some of these things. Psalm 25, Psalm 25. Let's see. Yeah, 25. This is where we wanna position ourself. Verse number one, this is where we wanna be. We'll carry it over to also in Psalm 37 here in a moment, but Psalm 25, notice what David is saying. He says, to you, oh Lord, I lift up my soul. I give my soul to you. My life is in your hands. Oh my God, I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed and let not my enemies triumph over me. Specifically, in the perspective of him yielding up his soul to the Lord. and trusting. Don't let the enemy triumph over me in a way that I get my eyes fixed on them and not on you. That I allow them to do things that I question your faithfulness and your reliability. You know, in Judges, we notice that. Remember when God came to Gideon? And Gideon was told by the angel of the Lord, by God himself, that was that theophany of Christ, before we took upon flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus, he came to Gideon and he said these words. He says, the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor. And you know what Gideon says? What was Gideon's response? Gideon said, if the Lord was with us, why are we under the oppression of the Midianites? You know what he did when he did that? In God and His mercy, because he was going to do something in Gideon's life, Gideon questioned the integrity of God, not the integrity of the people. He quest the faithfulness of God and not the unfaithfulness of the people he lived among or himself. What he said is, if God was really for us and with us, we wouldn't be in this position right now. But why were they in that position? It wasn't because of God. They had, every man was doing what was right where? But Gideon fell right into that number where he says, oh, I'm just, look, if God was to do anything, we wouldn't be where we are right now. It has nothing to do with that. God, you're the one who's in question here. Now, thankfully, remember, God is not threatened by us, are you with me? Because what was God gonna do with Gideon? He was gonna change him. Not only change him, but he was gonna change the way he thought. He was gonna change what he could see. God's gotta do this in us. We're no different than anybody else in the world, unless God does a work in us and through us, we begin to question His trustworthiness before we do the trustworthiness or reliability of the people. We put the blame on Him. We live in a society. Oh, if God was really God, He would never let men do what men do today. If God was God, there wouldn't be no evil. If God was God, there wouldn't be no problems. If God was God, we wouldn't be in this mess today. You hear that? when you're out there talking with people and they question you and your stand, oh, there ain't no God, because if there was God, why would a God allow men to mistreat little boys and little girls? Why would God let that? If there was a God, he would stop that. He wouldn't do that. So what do they do? They question whether God is trustworthy or reliable. and put the fact that even though men are men, they put more confidence in fallen wicked men than they do in a trustworthy God. And what David is saying, don't let the enemy triumph over me in a position where I question you and your faithfulness and your integrity. Verse three, indeed let no one who waits on you be ashamed. Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Verse number four, show me your ways. See, you entrust yourself to, you ask God to do something in you to preserve you and keep you. but it's asking God to show us his way. We need to see him. We need to see him and his way. Teach me your paths. That is direct, point the path out to me. Show me, point it, lead me in your truth and teach me for you are the God of my salvation. On you I will wait all the day. That's simply saying I'm gonna wait to hear from you. I'm gonna wait for you to teach me. I'm gonna wait for you to show me. I'm gonna wait for you. to guide me. I need you to be active in my everyday life. And then verse number six says this. And this is important for all of us, and specifically important for all of us who have any kind of leadership over kids and children and grandchildren or coworkers, whatever it may be. David says these words, remember, oh Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindnesses, for they are from old. And verse seven says, do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions. but according to your mercies, remember me." Now that's important. Why is that so important? Because David is saying, I've got a lot stacked up against me, but I don't want you to, God, I don't want you to deal with me based on what I've done. I need you to deal with me based on who you are and what you're going to do in me and what you're going to do with me from here on out. He was asking God to deal with him based on God's tender mercies, which was a characteristic of God himself, who is known as being merciful, whose name is mercy, whose also's name is love, this unfailing love of God. Basically, David was saying, don't deal with me on what I've done, deal with me based on who you are and where you wanna take me. I'm asking you to show me, to teach me, to lead me and guide me. I've come from a bad past. I need to get out that past and if all you focus on is my past, I'll never get out of it. I need you to rescue me out and I need you to take me out. I need you to lead me out. So don't deal with me based on me, deal with me based on you. Now, I think David is seeing this because he's also, what is David at this time? What is he? He's a king. And as a king, as a leader, you're gonna have to deal with people that are just not gonna do what you ask them to do. Or people who have bad past, or people who come from terrible backgrounds and situations. Remember, who were the first groups of people that joined themselves to David? Remember when he was on the run from Saul, what did it say? All of them that were, he had them a band of thugs that joined him. They were disgruntled, they were in debt, and they were just troubled people. But David brought them in, and they found a leader that they could follow, and David didn't focus on their back paths, what they did, he just led them to where God was leading him. And all these men who were ruthless, Thugs in their society became David's valued men of valor, just like Gideon became, just like David became because of God's grace. And what we have to do is often as husbands and wives is deal with one another not based on what they've done, but based on who we are. when we're working with our children, we're working with kids, we're working with other people. Don't get caught up in all that they're doing, and that's all you focus on. You gotta lead them, amen? You gotta lead them out of that. And focusing on all the negative side of it is not gonna lead them out to the positive side if that's all you put the emphasis on. So David is saying, remember the who and not the do. Remember who you are, God, and not what I do or what I've done, I'm asking you to deal with me based on your tender mercies and not my transgressions or not my past. He says the same thing in Psalm 51, by your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, blot out my iniquities, blot out my sin, wash me, oh God. And that's just fundamental for us if we're gonna help lead people on the job around us, if all they hear is us focusing on what everybody's doing, rather than us showing them how to get out of what we're doing in another direction because of who we are and because of His tender mercies, all we're gonna do is just keep condemning where they are and what they're doing. We're never gonna help lead them out of it, amen? We're not gonna bring that word. And I believe this is exactly what David is saying. The who and not the do. What I do, what I've done, he says that, verse six. Remember, oh Lord, the who. What is the who? Who you are. You're my God who I put my soul in your trust. Remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness as you work with me for they are from old. That is simply saying they're reliable, they're faithful, they're good, they're dependable. They've been around since you've been around and do not remember the do. What is the do? The sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to your mercy. Remember me, see me through mercy. See me through who you are and what you're gonna do and where you're gonna lead me, not where I've been. See me through. So we want to approach that as we dwell in a land that has an ill spirit among it right now that is fighting among it. We understand that we wanna help people come out, And to do that, we've got to look past all the details and the doings and where they've been and what they've done and how they're doing it and give some hope in the midst of it that God could bring them out through His tender mercies, amen? Psalm 37, Psalm 37 before we go. Just a few things to think on, to ponder. Psalm 37, just go a few Psalms over. Such a great helpful word, such a helpful word. Understanding that God sees us. Understanding he says, tell the righteous it'll be well with them. And remember, the only way to be righteous is to what? You gotta trust in the Lord. That's what pleases God. We'll automatically condemn the society we're in when we stand with the Lord, but we don't have to beat them over the head of where they are. Remember, we want to be tender and kind and gentle and help lead them out and not just keep them in where they are by pointing out exactly all that they are doing. Notice what verse number one says. I'd imagine it's very similar situations that we're facing right now. Do not fret because of who? The evildoers. An evildoer is somebody who's just doing it their way, but not God's way. Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. Why? Their day is coming to an end. For they shall soon be what? Cut down like grass and wither as the green herb. Their days are numbered. And if they stay in that position, they'll die in that position. Don't fret over it or be envious as a result. What does he say do then? What is the response of the righteous? What is the response of the believer? Instead of fretting over, we can see therein, we wanna be difference makers. Verse three tells us to do what? Trust in the Lord. Don't get caught up in what they do. And trust in who? What did David say? I entrust my soul to you, O Lord. Don't let the enemy, what, triumph over me. If they triumph over me, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna be what? Fretting over them. I'm gonna be anxious and worried, and I'm not gonna trust in you. They are gonna get the best of me. And the only one that deserves the best of us is who? The Lord does, that's right. He deserves our best, our attention, our focus. And that's what trust does. What we treasure, that's where our heart's gonna be and where our heart is is what we're trusting. So what we treasure is what we trust. Trust in the Lord and what does he also say? Trust in the Lord in what? Do good, that word do good has the idea of advancing something, advance something. That is, advance the ways of God. Trust in Him and do what He asks you to do. Make His ways known in the midst of the land. Even when the evildoers are doing what they do, Even when the workers of iniquity are taking advantage of people and they're getting rich off of this, they're fattening their bank accounts, they look like they're getting away with it all, don't let them get your focus. Trust in the Lord and do what is good or do what is right. That is, walk in His way. Advance the principles and the ways of God in this word you live in. Dwell in the land, that is you dwell with confidence. You don't dwell with fear. You feed on His faithfulness, that is you lean in on Him. You trust in God to meet your needs. Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. He says, commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your ways, your righteous ways as the light and your justice as the noonday. You don't have to worry, you can walk with Him. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way. Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass, you cease from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret, it only causes what? Harm. It only causes evil harm. That's right, it hurts you and those around you. Don't be angry. The wrath of man never produces the righteousness of God. You know the Bible says that, teaches us that. The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. So we can't allow them to steal our focus and our best. Our attention needs to be consumed with the Lord and the Lord's ways and doing the Lord's work on this earth in the midst of a land That's under judgment. Remember Jerusalem, when he says in Isaiah three, it was under judgment. Calamity was coming. Trouble was all around them. People were taking advantage of one another. But what did God say? Say to the righteous, it will be well with them, for they shall reap the fruit of their doings. But woe to the wicked. they will be rewarded with calamity. They'll reap what they've sown. So these things help us. Begins where? With trusting. You trust. The product of trust is obedience. Obedience proclaims and declares the way of the Lord. And that's the race we've been given the run. That's the race we've been given the run. Now, have we allowed this society and what's going on around, have we allowed it to disqualify us in the race? Scripture, Paul talks about, remember, we're not running against anybody, but God's given us the race to run. And Paul said, I don't wanna be disqualified in the race he's given me when I'm proclaiming a gospel that are free men, but I'm letting those men that I'm proclaiming to dictate how I live, I get disqualified in the journey, in the race. Well, if you get disqualified, the only one that can requalify you is the one who qualified you from the beginning, amen? So what do we do? Obviously, David is recognizing that it's easy to fret and be envious of what's going on around us. So just a couple practical things. A handful of steps. You can just write these down. We talked about them before, but I believe it's just a good thing to remind ourselves. A handful of steps of when or if you ever disqualify yourself. And remember, nobody can disqualify you except ourselves, us. as you run your race worthy of the gospel. Number one, look up. Talked about it, mentioned it this morning. What we can do best is look up. That's what it means to trust in. You're looking up. You're looking unto him. David was looking up. He was entrusting, he was yielding over his soul, his life to the Lord. He was looking up and said, I need you then to teach me and guide me and show me. So look up to Jesus above the trouble and above the disqualification that got you to where you are. Look above that. Remember, he's not gonna deal with you based on your past, what you've done. He'll deal with you on basis of his tender mercies when you're looking up. When you're looking up. Lay it down, whatever it is. Whatever took your attention, whatever got your affection and eyes off Jesus. Lay it down. Lean in. Trust, rely, rest, and wait upon the Lord. Lean in upon Him. Lean in on Him. Listen for Him. Give Him your heart. Give Him your hope. Give Him your ear. Listen for His guidance. Live on, that is walk in and celebrate what He feeds you. He told, the psalmist says it, look, dwell in the land. Feed upon His faithfulness. Feed, live on, feed on what God gives you. Love again, love again, God's way. Do it patiently and kindly, compassionately, mercifully, wisely, sacrificially, love again. You know, God does tell us, and boy, these things cut to the quick. He said, if you love those that love you, what have you profited? Is there any profit in that? He said, an ungodly person that doesn't know me, The heathen, the nations that have no clue about who I am or what I do or anything, they love those that love them back. Anybody can do that. That's not hard. The sacrifice comes when you love those that don't love you. Your enemy, when those that are against you. Love again God's way. Lead well, reinvest in others what he's planted and poured into you. Remember, you gotta go give it away, amen? That's what these testimonies in the Psalms are all about. They're asking God to do something, but they're telling everybody like us of what they're asking, and they're reinvesting that into us. So lead others well. Learn from, that is be humble and meek as you glean wisdom and insight from others who are looking up, who are laying it down, who are leaning in. upon the Lord. It's our race, it's your race, and no one can run it for you. So I encourage you to run it. You can't transfer your race to somebody else. It's a divine assignment, amen? And if it's an assignment God's given us, no matter the circumstances we face, we need to embrace the race He's given us gladly. Got to realize, hey, God planted us at this time for this purpose right where we are, amen? If I keep throwing up my hands, say, boy, I wish I lived 100 years ago, or 50 years ago, or 40 years ago, that's another just mocking the reliability and the trustworthiness of God, why? The Bible tells us in Acts 17, God planted us for this time. where we live, and for this age. It's all by divine purpose, amen? So embrace it gladly, endure it gratefully. Gratitude is the best filter. Endure it gratefully, then explain it graciously. Because when you explain in your race and what God's given you in the gospel, not everybody's gonna be able to grab it. Not everybody's gonna wanna hear it. Not everybody's gonna like it the way you like it, but you do it graciously knowing that they may not see what you see. They may not like what you like. Enjoy what you enjoy or appreciate what we appreciate. So to do that, we need to enjoy it gloriously. See, I can enjoy the race He's given me even if other people don't enjoy it with me because I've embraced it gladly and understand that whether people walk with me through it or not, it's something that God's given me and what he's given me, he's going to finish. What he started, he's going to finish. What he's given, he's going to provide for. No God-size assignments come without a God-size anointing. And no matter how big the assignment may be, if God gave it, it's God's eyes, amen? Same way with His purpose, it comes with God's eyes power to accomplish that purpose, His presence upon us. So we can keep our eyes on Him and just keep walking with Him and asking God to help us in this time. We're not going to be able to do it on our own. If we do it on our own, if we attempt to do it on our own, we're gonna be no different than where Psalm 37 is telling us not to be about fretting and anxiety and anger and wrath. That's gonna be the product of our life rather than the fruit of the Spirit because we simply not trust in Him, but we looking at everything around us rather than giving our best to Him. And when we give our best to Him, you know what? We lay our lives down and we sacrificially give the best to those that are around us. And that would be Him. Amen? When we give our best to Him, we give our best to those that are around us. And our best will always be Jesus. Will always be Jesus. Amen? Thank you, Jesus, for our time today, for our time tonight. Thank you for your help. Thank you for your instructions. We do want to entrust ourselves to you. We're looking up to you. We're asking you to teach us. We're asking for your tender mercies. We're asking for your help in this journey that we're walking in. What you're doing in this land, what you're doing among the people of our country, what you're doing among your disciples right now, We're going to leave that in your hands, but more than anything, we want to make sure our lives are fully entrusted to you and that you give us what we need to walk in the midst of this land and feed upon your faithfulness to dwell in it, to do what is right, to do good in the land that we live and to wait and to rest and just be patient for you to come through. For we know that you are trustworthy. We don't have to question you. We can always question ourselves and question those around us, but we have no need whatsoever to trust, to question your reliability. For you are faithful and will always accomplish what you have started, what you have said, what you're doing. And we don't wanna be those that go proclaim lies. We wanna go proclaim your truth so that men can be free and follow after you. We love you and praise you in Jesus' name, amen. Y'all have a good night.