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Blessing the Lord Part 4 of 4

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• I'll take just a few moments and review, and then we'll go from there. Notice Psalm 103, verse 1: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Let me take just a few moments and review. You'll remember I pointed out last week how 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13 tells us that we're bound to thank the Lord.

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• And the word "bound" is from the Greek word opheilo, which literally means to be indebted. It means to owe, to be duty bound. And so Scripture then is telling us, obviously, that we're duty bound to praise and to bless God. You remember, I also told you there was a distinction between God's inherent essential glory and God's external glory. We cannot add anything to God. We really cannot bless or praise Him in His inherent and essential glory, because that's what God is in and of Himself. And God is the most perfect God.

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• He is in need of absolutely nothing. And as I pointed out from Psalm 16, even the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ added nothing to God, because God already is perfect. But the Bible says it extended to the saints that are in all the earth. So God then, in His essence, in His being, is exalted above all blessing, above all praise, and above all glory. But then I also pointed out that God does have an external glory that is manifested, and God's external glory is nothing more than the manifestation in some degree of His essential and inherent glory. And God has revealed Himself in creation, in redemption, and in providence. And so very obviously then, we can either bless or blaspheme that external glory which God has manifested.

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• Now, if you look at verse 3, we looked under verse 3, God's provisions, and we saw His spiritual provisions: "who forgiveth all thine iniquities." We saw His physical provisions: "who healeth all thy diseases." And then last week we looked at verse 4 and we saw His protection: "who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies." And I pointed out how God has sovereignly protected us over and over and over, many times and we're totally unaware of it. Today we come to verse 5, and we look at God's providence. Notice if you would verse 5: "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." So we not only find God's provision, we not only find God's protection, we find God's providence.

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• Now there's a wonderful truth revealed in verse 5. Look at it: "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." I am so thankful that God does not save us and then leave us. The truth is basically given here as to what God said to Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 23. Listen what the Bible says: "And He brought us out that He might bring us into the land which He sware unto our fathers." He brought us out that He might bring us in. God did not bring His people out just to drop them and forsake them. He brought them out that He might bring them in. And certainly God is the same toward us. He saved us and now in His wonderful grace, His providence takes care of us. The proof is in Hebrews 13 and verse 5, where the Bible says, "For He hath promised that He will never leave us or forsake us." Now think about that. God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us, and the proof that God never leaves us and never forsakes us is abundantly clear in His gracious providence where He provides for us and protects us constantly and continually.

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• And listen, the Bible says in Ephesians 3 and verse 20, "Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think." Now stop and ponder that for a moment, that God is able to do—and this is one word in the Greek, and I don't know how in the world to describe it except saying it is a super-abundant word that is full of superlatives. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think. So you cannot even imagine what God cannot do. You cannot even think of what God cannot do.

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• So today I want to just cover briefly God's providential care for each of His own. And we should understand that God's providential care should indeed be a source of blessing and comfort and encouragement to each of us. If we understand this, it should also be a source of constant and continual praise and blessing unto God. Now I want to read to you about four paragraphs. They're very short, from the Philadelphia Baptist Confession of Faith on God's Providence. Now, let me tell you, you will remember the Confession of Faith, we refer to it as the Presbyterian Confession of Faith, but actually it was not just Presbyterians who were involved in it. In 1644 to 1648, the Westminster Confession of Faith. I don't know if you're aware of that or not, or at this point or not, but the Baptists used that confession of faith for about 40 years. And then in 1689, they said, look, we might as well have our own confession of faith. And amazingly, the old London Confession of Faith in 1689 is almost word for word identical with the Westminster Confession of Faith, except when it comes to baptism and church membership.

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• But a hundred Baptist preachers met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1747. And they basically adopted the Old London Confession of 1689 for their confession of faith and basically then became known as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith. So here is what the Old London, the Westminster, and even the Philadelphia says concerning God's providence.

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• Now I'm not reading all of it. I'm going to read paragraphs 1, 2, 3, paragraph 5, and paragraph 7. So listen carefully. Here is on God's providence: "God, the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, to the end for which they were created, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy."

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• Now let me just stop there. That was paragraph number one. Note, God upholds and disposes all things from the greatest to the least. Here's paragraph 2: "Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly, so that there is not anything befalls any by chance without His providence. Yet by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently." Now, let me just tell you what that means. That God is the cause of everything. He is sovereign. He is the first cause. And everything that God ordains comes to pass immutably, infallibly.

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• That's why He said, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure." But that same sovereign God has also ordained, usually, that means are to be used, and He tells us this very clearly, that nothing happens to us by chance, fate, or fortune. It's all in God's providence.

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• Now, here's the third paragraph: "God in His ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure." So God normally uses means, but He doesn't have to. He's free to do whatever He pleases to do because He's God. Now here's the fifth paragraph: "The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season His own children to manifold temptations and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled, and to

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• raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for other just and holy ends, so that whatsoever befalls any of His elect is by His appointment for His glory and their good." Now let me just stop. I'm not preaching on this paragraph, but I want to tell you why sometimes we are so persecuted, why sometimes we are so downtrodden, why sometimes we are so mournful because of our own sinful condition, because God in His providence exposes such. Let me tell you something.

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• You've got to remember, folks, the pride of our hearts is exceedingly deceitful. In fact, the Scripture says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" And the next verse says, "I, the Lord, try the reins and the heart." It is true only God knows our hearts. You have said it, I've said it, I've heard other people say it. We will begin a sentence like this: "If I know my heart." And the truth is, none of us knows his heart. There have been times in my life that I thought I was doing something for God's honor and God's glory, and God pulled the curtains back and let me see.

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• He was not even in my view. I was doing that for myself, not for Him. That's how deceitful the heart is. So oftentimes God sometimes will leave us to ourselves just so we can discover what we really and truly are.

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• Now here's paragraph number seven. Listen carefully: "As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a special manner, it taketh care of His church and disposeth of all things to the good thereof." Now in the doctrine of divine providence, you have to understand that divine providence has reference to God and especially to His preservation and care and government of all things.

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• It covers everything from the greatest even down to the least. And God is going to make sure that everything functions to the end that God has created it. God normally uses means. He's not bound to means. But I want you to listen carefully again to paragraph number 7. Listen now: "As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a more special manner or a particular manner or peculiar manner, it taketh care of the church and disposeth of all things to the good thereof." So God is telling us in His providence, while His providence extends to everything, God makes sure there is a special providence to His people.

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• Now let me ask you a question. There's a lot of men in here today. Most of us are married. So let me ask you men. If Mrs. Bowen had need of something, would you help her and would you take care of her to the best of your ability? What's the answer? Yes. Would you even take care of Granny Darce? Now that's a hard question. You know you would, and so would I. But let me ask you, think about this. As much care as I would take care of either one of them, would I not take special care of my wife? You would hope so. And I certainly would. I certainly would. Now, is God going to take care of all of His creatures and all of His people? Yes. But He's going to give a special care to His own. Let me show you.

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• I want you to turn in your Bibles. Hold Psalm 103. But look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10. Galatians 6 and verse 10. And notice if you would please what we are basically commanded, what we're told to do. Galatians 6 and verse 10. Look. Here is the same principle. Galatians 6 verse 10: "And as we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, but especially unto them who are the household of faith." As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto how many? All. But then he said, especially to them who are the household of faith.

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• So let me put it like this. In one sense of the word, I might owe everyone general concern and general help. But if you are a believer in Christ, I owe you a special concern and a special help.

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• Now, is God the same as He commands us to be? And the answer is yes. Go back in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5, and look if you would please at verse 45. Matthew 5, verse 45. Look what he says. Here is the general care of God. He says in Matthew 5 and verse 45, "That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust alike." Isn't that amazing?

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• Some of us got up this morning, we saw light and we saw life and we said, "Thank you, Lord, for a new day." Others who got up this morning, saw light and saw life and went on their merry ways, never even acknowledged God. But God sends His rain, His sunshine, His breath to the just and the unjust alike. Ah, but turn back in your Bibles to Psalm 78. And let me just show you a couple of verses. Psalm 78. Notice if you would verses 51 and 52. Psalm 78. You remember now God has told us that we're to do good unto all men, but especially they to the household of faith. And we know that God sends His rain upon the just and the unjust alike. But notice if you would in Psalm 78, beginning there with verse 51, the Scripture says this. Here's what God did. Look what God did, Psalm 78 verse 51: "And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength and the tabernacles of Ham, and made His own people to go forth like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock."

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• Now, did God show special care to His people in Israel, in Egypt? And the answer is yes. Did He show special care for them in the desert? And the answer is yes. You don't have to turn to this one. You may. You're going there anyhow. Go ahead and turn to the book of Luke chapter 18 in verse 7. Luke 18 verse 7. Then we're going to 1 Timothy.

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• Now I want you to see this principle. In Luke chapter 18 and verse 7, our Lord is teaching us why men ought always to pray and not to faint. In Luke 18 verse 7, our Lord said, "And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?" Shall not God avenge, note, His own? What's God doing? God is paying special attention to His own. Now, turn right over to 1 Timothy chapter 5. Look at verse 8. I want to tie these things together. Look in 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 8. Here is a command that God has given us. And notice if you would 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 8, the Scripture says this: "But if any provide not for his own, his own, but if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, look now, he hath denied the faith."

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• There's worse than an infidel. So here's a man then who claims to love his wife, but he neglects her. Here's a man who claims to love his children, but he refuses, refuses to provide for them, refuses to help them, refuses to educate them. And he claims to be a Christian. What's the Scripture say? He's denied the faith. He's worse than an infidel.

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• Now I want to, I want you to pay close attention. Look what he says: "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." Did you know that Christ has His own house? The Bible says in Hebrews 3 in verse 6, don't turn there. Let me just quote it: "But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing hope firm unto the end." As Christ over His own house. Now, let me ask you, since the Scripture says, "If any provide not for his own, especially those of his own house," and if Christ is Lord over His own house, whose house we are, would anyone in this room or anyone you know like to accuse Christ of infidelity? Of not particularly taking care of His own?

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• And the answer is no. Very obviously, if He has commanded us in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8 to take care of our own, especially those of our own house, do you not realize and do you not believe that Jesus Christ is going to do exactly the same? The Bible says in Proverbs 15 in verse 29, "The Lord is far from the wicked, but He heareth the prayer of the righteous."

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• Now, with that understanding in mind, I want you to go back to Psalm 103 and look, if you would please, at verse 5 again. We're talking about God's providence. God has told us that we're to do good unto all men, especially they of His own house, to those who are in the household of faith. He's told us that if any provide not for his own, especially those of his own household, he's worse than an infidel. He's denied the faith. Christ has a house and we are His house. Just like we are to provide specifically and specially for our own, so Christ then provides specifically for His own. He says in verse 5, "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

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• Do you realize, I don't know if you've ever thought about this or not, but the Lord not only gives us satisfaction or salvation and help and life, He also gives us satisfaction. "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things." It is indeed the blessing of God to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Some time ago, in fact, it'll soon be three years. But when I turned 62, Henry came up to me and very laughingly said, "Well, you can retire now. You're 62." Do you remember that, Henry? And I just kind of laughed, and I said, "Yeah, right," you know. I know the Lord can retire me. I realize I can have health problems. I realize I could die.

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• But I have no plans on retiring. I mean, I just cannot envision myself not preaching. You know, there are a lot of things I'd like to do, but I just can't envision that. And Alice gets on to me all the time, and she'll say, "Well, all you want to do is study. And all you want to do is go preach." I enjoy it. I like it. I'm satisfied with it. Now, wait a minute. I want to show you some Scriptures. There's nothing wrong and there's nothing unbiblical about being satisfied with your wife, with your family, with your life, with your work. All of that is the blessings of God.

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• Look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes. Go over there if you would. Ecclesiastes. Notice chapter 2. Ecclesiastes chapter 2. And we're going to look at several verses here. Remember "who satisfieth thy mouth with good things." Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and look at verse 24. Remember Solomon is the wise man. Solomon wrote many proverbs. Ecclesiastes chapter 2 look at verse 24: "There is nothing better for a man that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor."

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• "This also I saw that it was from the hand of God." What is from the hand of God? That a man is able to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of his labor. If I say I enjoy studying and I enjoy preaching, I enjoy working, is there anything wrong with that? No, that is the blessing of God. Look in Ecclesiastes 3 and verse 13: "And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God." It's the gift of God. Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verse 18. Ecclesiastes 5 verse 18: "Behold that which I have seen, it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor, that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him, for it is his portion." Ah, isn't that interesting?

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• God has given us the ability to be satisfied with His kind and gracious providence. Everything that He provides for us. I want you to turn to the book of Isaiah chapter 65. Isaiah 65 and notice verse 22. Isaiah 65 verse 22. This is a wonderful passage. Isaiah 65 verse 22. Here's what God says concerning His blessing upon His people. He says, "They shall not build and another inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat, for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them." Wow. God says, as long as My people obey Me, do what's right.

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• Hey, they're not going to build and someone else take it away from them. They're not going to plant and someone else eat. God says, I'm going to give to them and they're going to be protected and they're going to be provided for. And they're going to be taken care of. And so are their children. Do you realize that one of the blessings in the Old Testament and speaking basically of the millennial blessings is this, that every man shall sit

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• under his own vine and under his own fig tree. Now let me ask you, in this day and time, how many of you have time to sit under the shade tree and sip your iced tea or your mint julep? You know what I'm trying to say? And guess what? When you retire and you can take it easy, ask Ron. Fifteen hours a day, six days a week. Yeah. Now, the point I'm trying to make is this, folks.

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• God has promised satisfaction to His people. Every man is able to sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree. If God has given you a home, if God has given you a farm, if God has given you a ranch, if God has given you one little piece of dirt, I don't care how small it is. There's nothing wrong with enjoying it because it's the blessing of God.

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• Now I want you to turn to 1 Timothy chapter 6, 1 Timothy chapter 6 and look at verse 17. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 17. This is a wonderful verse. 1 Timothy chapter 6. Notice if you would, verse 17, look what God says: "Charge them that are rich in the world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." Isn't that amazing? God says, no matter what you have, I don't care if you're a multi-millionaire, billionaire. I don't care if you only have 20 bucks to your name. You don't trust in what you have. You trust in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

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• Now let me tell you, satisfaction is only found in the Lord and His blessings. The reason the world and the unbelieving can never be satisfied is because they do not know the Lord or His blessings. I remember years ago, there was a wonderful young woman who was married to an unsaved man. And she would invite me over to their house frequently, hoping that I would get the opportunity to witness to her husband. And I remember going there at one time, he had all these expensive radios. This was his hobby.

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• A couple of months later, I'd go back and he'd have something else. Hundreds of dollars invested. Two or three months later, I'd go back. Nothing ever satisfied the man. You know why? Satisfaction is only found in the one true and the living God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Listen to what Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote. He said this: "No man is ever filled to satisfaction but a believer, and only God Himself can satisfy him. Many a whirling is satiated, that is you're soaked through and through, many a whirling is satiated but not one is satisfied. God satisfies the very soul of man, the noblest part, His ornament in glory, and of consequence He satisfies His mouth, however hungry and craving it might be otherwise. Soul satisfaction loudly calls for soul praise, and when the mouth is filled with good, it is bound to speak good of Him who filled it."

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• "Our good Lord bestows really good things, not vain toys and idle pleasures, and these He is always giving, so that from moment to moment He is satisfying our soul with good, shall we not be still praising Him? If we never cease to bless Him, till He ceases to bless us, our employment will be eternal." Isn't that wonderful? If you never cease to bless Him, till He ceases to bless you, your employment will be eternal. It was Augustine who said that no man can find rest except he find it in the Lord. It could equally be said that no man can find satisfaction until he found satisfaction in the Lord. In Him we rejoice and have our good things in this life and we look forward to even better things in the next life. Now, look in your Bibles to Isaiah 55.

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• I get tickled at this verse. I remember years ago, reading this verse and just laughing out loud because it is so contrary, especially the modern day terminology. And notice in Isaiah 55, let's begin reading there with verse 1. Isaiah 55 verse 1: "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, without price." Now look at verse 2: "Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." Here's what I'm trying to say using a modern day expression.

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• You can pig out on the Lord. You can get fat in the goodness and the grace of God. And He invites you to let your soul delight itself in fatness.

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• Now, let me give you a couple of verses. Listen carefully. Psalm 36 and verse 8. Here's what the Scripture says: "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house. And Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures." They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house. Go ahead and turn to Psalm 63. There's another passage I want to show you, Psalm 63. And the next passage is going to be in Psalm 92, but notice Psalm 63 and look at verse 5. Psalm 63 and look at verse 5. Look what David says: "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips." Note, "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness." What's the consequence? "My mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips." Now, if you look to Psalm 92, please, Psalm 92. And let's begin reading there with verse 12. Psalm 92 verse 12. Look at it.

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• "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing to show that the Lord is upright. He is my rock. There's no unrighteousness in Him." So I guess it's not bad to be fat in old age. That's just being biblical. They shall be fat and flourishing. That just means, Ron, we're really being blessed of the Lord.

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• Isn't that a wonderful verse? Now listen to this. Thomas Fuller said this, and some of you old timers will appreciate this. Thomas Fuller said, "God can so satisfy the soul that every chink and cranny therein shall be filled with spiritual joy." You remember chink and crannies? Every chink and cranny shall be filled with spiritual joy. Frederick Whitfield, in commenting on the phrase, "who satisfieth thy mouth with good things," said this. Now listen carefully. "Mark, what does the Lord satisfy with? Good things. Not rich things. Not many things, not everything, I ask but good things. All my need fully supplied and everything good. Goodness is God expressed."

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• "All His blessings partake of His own nature. They are holy blessings, holy mercies. Everything that satisfies must have the nature of God in it. Nothing else will ever satisfy. The heart was made for God and only God can meet it." Listen to what he said. "And what does the Lord satisfy with? Good things. Not rich things. Not everything. But good things." Do you remember that passage in Philippians 4 verse 19? What did Paul say? "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." And God does this through His wonderful providence. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Acts chapter 14 and verse 17. Acts 14 and verse 17. Acts 14 verse 17.

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• It is God's providence that brings everything to pass in our lives that redounds for our good and His glory. He satisfies us. We need to recognize this truth and learn to praise Him for it. Notice Acts 14 and verse 17. Here's a wonderful verse on God's divine providence: "Nevertheless, He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

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• Now, I want you to take note of this one phrase: "He left not Himself without witness." He left not Himself without witness. Do you realize every time God sends us rain in due season, it is a witness to God's sovereign providence and faithfulness. Every time God allows you to have a good garden, it is a sovereign witness to God's faithfulness and good providence. Every time God blesses you financially, every time God keeps you healthy and alive, it is a witness to God's sovereign faithfulness and providence. Every time God brings good things to your life and enables you to enjoy things, it is God's providence. What did he say? "He left not Himself without witness in that He did good." Everything that God allows for us to experience that satisfies us is the gift and the blessing of God. I want you to look back in Psalm 103, because here's a phrase that will need explaining. Psalm 103, verse 5. We're talking about God's providence. "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

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• Now there's an illustration or comparison here that is given to us that we may better understand the good providence of God in satisfying us with good things. He says, "so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

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• Now, I must confess there's a great deal of speculation concerning the latter part of this verse, but the speculation is not based upon the scriptural truth. The speculation is based upon the legends that surround the illustration, that is, the eagle.

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• Now, the Bible says, "so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." According to Augustine, or as some like to say, Saint Augustine, here is one of the supposed legends concerning the eagle. Here's what Augustine wrote. He said, "When the eagle grows old, the upper curved portion of the beak becomes so enlarged that the bird is unable to open its mouth to seize its prey. It would die of hunger, therefore, did it not dash this part of its beak against a rock until the troublesome excess has gotten rid of."

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• "Then it can devour its food as before, vigor is restored to its body, splendor to its plumage, it can soar aloft, a kind of resurrection has taken place. Thus it renews its youth." Now, I don't know if that's true or not. I don't know enough about eagles to either verify or discount that which Augustine wrote. However, I believe there is a simpler explanation. "So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

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• It could in all probability just refer to what you and I would call the molting of birds. I'm going to stop right here and tell you something that my wife and I have laughed about for many years. And birds do take care of themselves. But when we lived in Jessup, we had a stone water trough. And Alice looked out one morning. I think it was a duck, wasn't it? A duck or some bird had lit on that water trough, had drunk, and was cleaning itself. And Alice looked at it, she says, "Oh John, look, there's a bird out there pruning itself." I said, "I think the word is preening, not pruning."

  #53 | 43:04 to 43:54 | cleaned

• I said, "I haven't seen him cut off any parts of his body yet." So birds do take care of themselves. They do preen, they do clean themselves. But do you realize that birds molt annually? Especially these larger birds like the eagle, what they do is they get rid of their old feathers and new feathers come in, clean ones, shiny ones, and thus the bird looks young because it has a new set of feathers. Now, I'm sure that the psalmist could have used any bird, but he chose the eagle, which is basically as the king of birds.

  #54 | 43:55 to 44:40 | cleaned

• Not only because of its bulk, but strength, its vivacity, and its longevity. Let me give you a quote here. This is from Matthew Henry, just to show you about the longevity of eagles. He says, "The eagle is long-lived, and as naturalists say, when she is nearly a hundred years old, cast her feathers, as indeed she changes them in a great measure every year at molting time, and fresh ones come in, so that she becomes, or at least appears, young again."

  #55 | 44:41 to 45:11 | cleaned

• "When God, by the graces and comforts of His Spirit, recover His people from their decays, and fills them with new life and joy, which is to them an earnest of eternal life and joy, then they may be said to return to the days of their youth." In other words, like the eagle then puts on these new feathers, God refreshes us, God revives us, He restores our first love, so that we basically return to the days of our youth. I'm still continuing now to quote Matthew Henry. He said, "The long life of the eagle might have induced the psalmist to use it for the illustration."

  #56 | 45:12 to 45:48 | cleaned

• "An eagle was nine years old in the possession of Owen Holland of Conway in Wales, and it lived 32 years in possession of the gentleman who made it a present to him. But of its previous age, for it came from Ireland, we're not informed. Keesler relates that an eagle died in Vienna after a confinement of a hundred and four years." So you take an eagle that's a hundred years old. If the bird has just molted, has new feathers, the eagle still appears young, full of strength, and you would never guess its age.

  #57 | 45:49 to 46:34 | cleaned

• I believe the meaning should be obvious to the people of God. I believe the meaning is this, that we shall be so blessed by our sovereign God that we shall receive strength in our inner life and in every area of our life. In fact, I just thought of a verse. Look in your Bible still at Psalm 37. I believe it's Psalm 37. I may be mistaken. If it's not there, I can quote it. OK? Let me see if it's Psalm 37. OK, let's get down to verse 21. It is verse 25.

  #58 | 46:35 to 47:30 | cleaned

• Well, that was one verse where he says, "I've been young and now I'm old, yet I've not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." However, there is another verse, the verse that I had in mind, "Now when I'm old and gray-headed, forsake me not until I've shown this generation Thy strength." It's probably not Psalm 37, it's some other verse, but that's what David said. "Now when I'm old and gray-headed, forsake me not until I've shown this generation Thy strength." And so when he said "so that thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle's," it's just like he said in Psalm 92, "in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing." In other words, God still renews our strength. Now, one last verse. I want you to go to Isaiah 40, and I'm sure this verse has already entered into your minds, but look at it in the light of this. Isaiah 40, and notice if you would please verse 31. He said, "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

  #59 | 47:30 to 48:43 | cleaned

• And here it is in Isaiah 40 and verse 31: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." There it is again. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint." Now, one quick quote, John Gill. He's commenting on Isaiah 40 verse 31. He says this: "They shall mount up with wings as eagles swiftly and strongly."

  #60 | 48:44 to 49:21 | cleaned

• "It is expressive of the motion and the affections heavenwards toward God in Christ and things above, of the entrance of faith and hope within the veil, and of the exercise of these graces on Christ, who is now at the right hand of God, and the expectation of glory and happiness in heaven hereafter, and of present support under afflictions, the Lord bearing them on eagles' wings."

  #61 | 49:21 to 49:45 | cleaned

• Now listen to what he says: "They shall run and not be weary in the way of God's commandments, which show great affection for them, haste to obey them, delight and pleasure, cheerfulness and alacrity therein, so as to be without weariness. They shall walk and not faint in the ways of God in the name of the Lord or in Christ as they have received Him, leaning on Him, trusting in Him, continuing to do so till they receive the end of their faith and the salvation of their souls."

  #62 | 49:45 to 50:15 | cleaned

• "And so shall not sink under their burdens, nor give out until they enjoy it. Different persons, though all of them believers, may be herein intended. Particularly Christians under the gospel dispensation, tried and exercised by many enemies, some shall soar aloft and dwell on high. Others, though they cannot rise and fly so swiftly and strongly, yet they shall run without weariness. And others, though they cannot fly or run, shall walk without fainting." Isn't that amazing? It doesn't matter. It is the providence of God that sustains us whether we soar with the eagles or whether we run or whether we walk and not faint. It's still the sovereign providence of God even in our old age that makes sure that we show this generation the strength and the grace and the mercies of God.

  #63 | 50:16 to 51:18 | cleaned

• As I'm telling you that, I'm going to turn very quickly because I just thought the passage that I wanted was in Psalm 73. It may not be, but I'm going to look there just momentarily. Anyhow, maybe it's not, but it had, David said it very clearly, "Now when I'm old and gray-headed, forsake me not till I've showed this generation Thy strength." Now, let me make very quickly three applications.

  #64 | 51:19 to 51:54 | cleaned

• The first one is this. I trust, I hope, and I pray that through these four messages, you've been encouraged to bless the Lord and bless Him with all that is within you. And one of the ways you're encouraged to bless Him is by not forgetting all of His benefits. When you stop and think how He is spiritually and physically provided for you, when you stop and think how He's protected you, when you stop and think of His good and gracious and glorious providence, how can you not praise Him? Remember Psalm 50 and verse 23, David said, "Whosoever offereth praise glorifieth Me." Through the psalmist David, God said, if you offer Me praise, you're glorifying Me. We need to constantly, continually praise Him for His protection, for His provision, for His kind and gracious providence in our lives.

  #65 | 51:54 to 52:53 | cleaned

• The second application is this. A second way that we can bless the Lord is simply to recognize that in His sovereignty, everything that we are and everything that we have, we have, and we are only by the grace of God. You remember what the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15 in verse 10, he said, "By the grace of God, I am what I am." And that's a fact, folks. If it was not for God's grace, we would not be here, nor would we have whatever we have. I do want you to turn to one last verse. I want you to turn to Hebrews 13. I can quote this verse, but I want you to see it. I want you to look at it with those eyeballs. Look in Hebrews chapter 13, and as you turn there, I want to remind you that in the Old Testament, under the Levitical system, under the ceremonial laws, sacrifice was to be given to God daily. There was even a morning and an evening sacrifice. Now here's my question.

  #66 | 52:54 to 54:15 | cleaned

• If under the older covenant, sacrifice and blessing and praise were given to God on a daily basis, can we do any less in the New Testament with the grace and mercy of God in our lives? Now look in Hebrews 13 in verse 15: "By Him therefore, that is by Jesus Christ, by Jesus Christ, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." So what are we to be constantly and continually doing? Giving praise to the one true and the living God through Jesus Christ. We're giving Him the fruit of our lips in thanksgiving. We need to thank God and bless Him and praise Him for His kind and gracious providence in our lives.

  #67 | 54:16 to 55:24 | cleaned

• Father, we bow to Thee this day. We are so thankful for Your mercy and truth to us. We acknowledge, Lord, we are what we are by the grace of God and everything that we have, You've given us. Everything that we are, You've made us. Everything we ever will be, it'll only be by Your grace and Your mercy. Every day that we live, every bit of food that we eat, every bit of air that we breathe is Your handiwork. And we bow to this day and we acknowledge that all praise, all honor, all glory goes to the one true and the living God who's revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and whose name we pray. Amen.

  #68 | 55:25 to 56:16 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:30:37Z