100:00:00,700 –> 00:00:06,440Some of us are not sure how to love.200:00:06,440 –> 00:00:09,980Some of us are not sure how to be happy.300:00:09,980 –> 00:00:12,880Some of us don’t know how to grieve.400:00:13,120 –> 00:00:17,120Some of us don’t know how to be angry.500:00:17,120 –> 00:00:22,520We don’t know how to handle the feeling thing.600:00:22,520 –> 00:00:26,639Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick.700:00:26,639 –> 00:00:28,160Glad you could be with us today.800:00:28,160 –> 00:00:32,060And Colin, we’ve got to ask when that question is raised in your study.900:00:32,060 –> 00:00:34,980And people don’t know how to handle the feeling thing.1000:00:34,980 –> 00:00:38,419What do you do to help them and how do you counsel them?1100:00:38,419 –> 00:00:40,599Well, let’s start here.1200:00:40,599 –> 00:00:42,200Read the Book of Psalms.1300:00:42,200 –> 00:00:46,720I think one of the great things about the Book of Psalms is that it1400:00:46,720 –> 00:00:50,880touches the emotions of a Christian’s life.1500:00:51,439 –> 00:00:55,360Here we are broadcasting and there are sound waves that go out1600:00:55,439 –> 00:00:58,540and there’s an amplitude to a sound wave.1700:00:58,540 –> 00:01:04,760You know, some Christians have a very small amplitude in terms of emotional life.1800:01:04,760 –> 00:01:07,559Never feel anything very greatly at all.1900:01:07,559 –> 00:01:10,120The Psalms give depth to the soul.2000:01:10,120 –> 00:01:15,919They, they expand the amplitude of a Christian believer’s emotional life.2100:01:15,919 –> 00:01:19,639And that’s one of the great reasons for getting into the psalms.2200:01:19,639 –> 00:01:22,959They help us to love God more, to hate sin more2300:01:22,959 –> 00:01:25,339and therefore to become more like Jesus Christ.2400:01:25,339 –> 00:01:26,860That’s such a vivid picture.2500:01:26,860 –> 00:01:28,459I’ve not encountered that before.2600:01:28,459 –> 00:01:31,559So can I encourage you to look into the Book of Psalms?2700:01:31,559 –> 00:01:36,199We’ll be looking at Psalm 120 and Psalm 121 today2800:01:36,199 –> 00:01:39,500as we begin the message delaying to deciding.2900:01:39,500 –> 00:01:40,580Here is Colin.3000:01:40,580 –> 00:01:43,800I’d like to invite you to turn to the Book of Psalms3100:01:43,800 –> 00:01:45,980where we’re going to read in a few moments’ time3200:01:45,980 –> 00:01:51,980from Psalm 120 and Psalm 121.3300:01:52,059 –> 00:01:53,620But before we read that,3400:01:53,620 –> 00:01:57,139I want just to set out the three aims3500:01:57,139 –> 00:02:00,300that I have for this series3600:02:00,300 –> 00:02:03,540as we launch out into something new together,3700:02:03,540 –> 00:02:07,040what are we hoping to learn and to discover.3800:02:07,860 –> 00:02:11,539Number one that we learn how to pray.3900:02:11,539 –> 00:02:16,160See the Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible.4000:02:16,160 –> 00:02:19,419If you want to learn how to pray,4100:02:19,500 –> 00:02:20,779this is where to begin.4200:02:22,279 –> 00:02:27,100Here we have 150 prayers directly inspired4300:02:27,100 –> 00:02:29,160by the Holy spirit of God.4400:02:30,479 –> 00:02:32,679You may remember that in the acts of the apostles,4500:02:32,679 –> 00:02:34,320we’re told that the early Christians,4600:02:34,320 –> 00:02:36,460the First Church had four priorities.4700:02:36,460 –> 00:02:39,339They gave themselves to the apostles’ teaching.4800:02:39,339 –> 00:02:40,839They gave themselves to the fellowship,4900:02:40,839 –> 00:02:43,880to the breaking of bread, that’s the communion,5000:02:43,880 –> 00:02:46,960and to the prayers.5100:02:46,960 –> 00:02:49,240The prayers, what prayers?5200:02:49,979 –> 00:02:50,940The psalms.5300:02:52,080 –> 00:02:55,419By the way, evangelicals have traditionally5400:02:55,419 –> 00:02:57,699placed a great deal of emphasis5500:02:57,699 –> 00:03:00,300on spontaneity in prayer.5600:03:01,899 –> 00:03:05,139Some Christians honestly find that quite difficult.5700:03:05,139 –> 00:03:09,360You hear other people praying in an eloquent fashion5800:03:09,360 –> 00:03:12,580and you wish that you could have their flow of language5900:03:12,580 –> 00:03:15,080but words don’t come so easy to you.6000:03:15,979 –> 00:03:18,679And you say, well how do I begin?6100:03:18,679 –> 00:03:21,839The answer, the Book of Psalms.6200:03:22,880 –> 00:03:25,759That’s how Christians have learned to pray for centuries.6300:03:27,039 –> 00:03:31,160This is the textbook for God’s school of prayer.6400:03:31,160 –> 00:03:36,020Immerse yourself in it and you will learn how to pray.6500:03:37,720 –> 00:03:41,160Secondly, I have as an aim for this series6600:03:41,160 –> 00:03:43,580and I hope one that we’ll all embrace together,6700:03:44,580 –> 00:03:49,339to expand the capacity of our hearts.6800:03:50,320 –> 00:03:52,179Now, the wonderful thing about the Book of Psalms6900:03:52,179 –> 00:03:55,940is that every kind of human experience is described here.7000:03:55,940 –> 00:04:00,119You find ecstatic joy, you find the depths of depression,7100:04:00,119 –> 00:04:04,619you find marvelous faith, you find serious doubts.7200:04:04,619 –> 00:04:08,000You have peace and you have raging anger.7300:04:09,080 –> 00:04:11,419John Calvin described the Psalms7400:04:11,440 –> 00:04:14,539as an anatomy of the soul.7500:04:14,539 –> 00:04:18,019In other words, every part of a person’s spiritual7600:04:18,019 –> 00:04:21,220and emotional life is found right here.7700:04:22,660 –> 00:04:24,579And I think that it is very significant7800:04:24,579 –> 00:04:29,380that God has given all of this to us in a book of poetry,7900:04:30,920 –> 00:04:32,220and that’s very significant8000:04:32,220 –> 00:04:35,799because poetry not only captures the heart,8100:04:35,799 –> 00:04:38,339it expands the heart.8200:04:39,179 –> 00:04:41,260And I want to suggest that that is something8300:04:41,279 –> 00:04:44,640that some of us are desperately in need of.8400:04:45,739 –> 00:04:49,540Poetry is become a minority interest in our society.8500:04:49,540 –> 00:04:51,579I mean, when did you last read a poem8600:04:51,579 –> 00:04:55,600with the exception of choosing a card in Hallmarks,8700:04:55,600 –> 00:04:58,820which women tend to do more often than men,8800:04:58,820 –> 00:05:01,359men two or three times a year at most?8900:05:03,899 –> 00:05:06,399When did you last engage with a piece of poetry?9000:05:08,019 –> 00:05:09,700See, what we have in our culture9100:05:09,700 –> 00:05:13,619are screeds and screeds of prose.9200:05:14,679 –> 00:05:16,519I looked up the word prose in the dictionary,9300:05:16,519 –> 00:05:18,000this is what it said.9400:05:18,000 –> 00:05:22,640Ordinary nonmetrical form of written or spoken language,9500:05:22,640 –> 00:05:27,600plain, matter-of-fact quality, tedious discourse.9600:05:28,820 –> 00:05:32,820The word prose, of course, gives rise to our word prosaic.9700:05:34,000 –> 00:05:39,000And prosaic means like prose, lacking poetry,9800:05:39,720 –> 00:05:44,720lacking beauty, unromantic, commonplace, dull.9900:05:46,540 –> 00:05:48,600So if your wife says to you,10000:05:48,600 –> 00:05:52,440honey, you are so prosaic,10100:05:54,339 –> 00:05:55,859that is not a good thing.10200:05:57,820 –> 00:06:01,019But the truth is that some of us are very prosaic.10300:06:02,100 –> 00:06:07,079We live in a world of sports, of remote controls,10400:06:07,880 –> 00:06:12,820of contracts in business, of bottom lines, of margins,10500:06:12,820 –> 00:06:15,339we have highly developed minds,10600:06:15,339 –> 00:06:18,679we often have splendidly fit bodies10700:06:18,679 –> 00:06:22,339and hopelessly underdeveloped souls.10800:06:24,420 –> 00:06:27,920Some of us are not sure how to love.10900:06:27,920 –> 00:06:29,820You would be surprised how often I hear11000:06:29,820 –> 00:06:31,880that question raised in my study.11100:06:33,839 –> 00:06:36,640Some of us are not sure how to be happy.11200:06:37,799 –> 00:06:40,299Some of us don’t know how to grieve.11300:06:41,140 –> 00:06:44,100Some of us don’t know how to be angry.11400:06:45,260 –> 00:06:49,799We don’t know how to handle the feeling thing.11500:06:51,420 –> 00:06:54,720And some of us, and I have to say especially at the Men,11600:06:54,720 –> 00:06:58,140find it very difficult to get in touch with our own hearts.11700:06:59,559 –> 00:07:02,559You want to feel more than you do.11800:07:04,320 –> 00:07:05,480But you don’t know how.11900:07:08,019 –> 00:07:09,540Have you ever thought about the fact12000:07:09,540 –> 00:07:14,579that you need to cultivate the health of your heart12100:07:14,579 –> 00:07:17,459as much as you need to exercise your body?12200:07:19,920 –> 00:07:23,920Why is it that the apostle Paul prays12300:07:23,920 –> 00:07:27,720that Christian believers being rooted and grounded in love12400:07:27,720 –> 00:07:32,140may have the power to comprehend how wide and high12500:07:32,140 –> 00:07:34,019and long and deep is the love of Christ12600:07:34,019 –> 00:07:35,279that passes knowledge?12700:07:35,339 –> 00:07:39,119You see the problem here is one of capacity.12800:07:40,799 –> 00:07:42,480Knowing the love of Christ12900:07:42,480 –> 00:07:46,000is like pouring an ocean into a thimble.13000:07:47,519 –> 00:07:52,380We only know a little because we can only contain a little.13100:07:52,380 –> 00:07:54,880And because we can only contain a little13200:07:54,880 –> 00:07:58,019we find it difficult to give more than a little.13300:07:59,559 –> 00:08:03,600There is an ocean in God’s love to be received13400:08:03,600 –> 00:08:04,839and then to be shared,13500:08:05,100 –> 00:08:07,920but the great question is how can I expand13600:08:07,920 –> 00:08:11,679the thimble capacity of my heart13700:08:11,679 –> 00:08:13,480to receive this love13800:08:13,480 –> 00:08:17,320and then to be able to reflect it into the lives of others.13900:08:19,380 –> 00:08:22,739And the Psalms are the place to begin.14000:08:25,299 –> 00:08:27,440More than any other part of scripture14100:08:27,440 –> 00:08:32,440the Psalms will expand the capacity of your heart.14200:08:35,000 –> 00:08:40,000So learn to pray, expand the capacity of your heart.14300:08:43,840 –> 00:08:46,840Here’s a third thing, listen to Christ.14400:08:48,679 –> 00:08:50,739That’s a big objective of this series.14500:08:53,140 –> 00:08:54,320Whose prayers are these?14600:08:57,700 –> 00:09:00,719Of course they’re written by various authors14700:09:00,719 –> 00:09:01,539these Psalms and like all scriptures14800:09:01,539 –> 00:09:03,859the Psalms were breathed out14900:09:03,940 –> 00:09:05,500by a vision of the Holy Spirit.15000:09:05,500 –> 00:09:07,760But I want us to remember15100:09:07,760 –> 00:09:09,280as we go through this new series15200:09:09,280 –> 00:09:14,000that Jesus used these prayers in his life on earth.15300:09:15,700 –> 00:09:17,260These are the prayers of Jesus.15400:09:18,739 –> 00:09:22,299He made them his own, he entered into them.15500:09:24,539 –> 00:09:28,419So when you and I make these our prayers today15600:09:28,419 –> 00:09:30,820there is a very, very real sense15700:09:30,820 –> 00:09:33,159in which we are praying with Jesus.15800:09:34,739 –> 00:09:36,619These are the prayers of Jesus15900:09:36,619 –> 00:09:40,479both because they were inspired by the spirit of Jesus16000:09:40,479 –> 00:09:42,599as all scripture is,16100:09:42,599 –> 00:09:44,380but also because they were used16200:09:44,380 –> 00:09:46,320in the life of Jesus16300:09:46,320 –> 00:09:48,700which the Psalms uniquely were.16400:09:50,419 –> 00:09:51,820So you can be confident16500:09:51,820 –> 00:09:55,179that as you immerse yourself in these prayers16600:09:55,179 –> 00:09:58,179you will find not only that you are able to speak to Christ16700:09:58,179 –> 00:10:01,219but that Christ is speaking to you.16800:10:02,059 –> 00:10:03,320You’re listening to Open the Bible16900:10:03,320 –> 00:10:04,700with Pastor Colin Smith17000:10:04,700 –> 00:10:07,780and a message called Delaying to Deciding17100:10:07,780 –> 00:10:11,799based on Psalm 120 and 121.17200:10:11,799 –> 00:10:13,179And if you’re tuned in late17300:10:13,179 –> 00:10:14,659or if you have to leave early17400:10:14,659 –> 00:10:17,700or indeed if you miss any of the messages in this series17500:10:17,700 –> 00:10:22,179why not come to our website openthebible.org.uk.17600:10:22,179 –> 00:10:23,979There you’ll find all of the messages17700:10:23,979 –> 00:10:25,820which have already been broadcast17800:10:25,820 –> 00:10:27,840and you can also find them as a podcast17900:10:27,840 –> 00:10:29,580if that’s an easier way for you to listen18000:10:29,580 –> 00:10:31,599to pastor Colin’s teaching,18100:10:31,599 –> 00:10:33,580those are on all the main podcast sites.18200:10:33,580 –> 00:10:36,359Search for openthebible.uk.18300:10:36,359 –> 00:10:37,679Back to the message now.18400:10:37,679 –> 00:10:39,299Here again is Colin.18500:10:39,299 –> 00:10:41,440There are 150 Psalms18600:10:41,440 –> 00:10:44,940and we’re going to immerse ourselves in just 15 of them.18700:10:44,940 –> 00:10:48,140Psalms 120 to 134.18800:10:48,140 –> 00:10:50,280I hope you now have your Bible open there18900:10:50,280 –> 00:10:52,140as we’re going to read in just a moment.19000:10:52,140 –> 00:10:56,340Do you notice as you look at some 120 through to 13419100:10:56,380 –> 00:11:00,299that all of them have one common title.19200:11:00,299 –> 00:11:01,400They are all called,19300:11:01,400 –> 00:11:05,099and it’s just these 15 Psalms that have this title.19400:11:05,099 –> 00:11:08,239They’re called Songs of Ascents.19500:11:09,219 –> 00:11:12,140Now the reason for this title for these 15 songs19600:11:12,140 –> 00:11:14,799is that this particular group within the book19700:11:14,799 –> 00:11:18,400were sung as God’s people were traveling19800:11:18,400 –> 00:11:20,299on their way to Jerusalem19900:11:20,299 –> 00:11:23,260where they gathered for festivals of worship each year.20000:11:24,419 –> 00:11:25,619Jerusalem, remember,20100:11:25,940 –> 00:11:29,719was and is a city set on a hill.20200:11:29,719 –> 00:11:32,820It’s set on a plateau of high ground.20300:11:33,700 –> 00:11:36,000Wherever you came from around Israel,20400:11:36,000 –> 00:11:37,859north, south, east or west,20500:11:37,859 –> 00:11:41,219you always went up to Jerusalem20600:11:41,219 –> 00:11:43,260because it was on the high ground.20700:11:43,260 –> 00:11:47,080That is why these Psalms are called Psalms of Ascents.20800:11:47,080 –> 00:11:48,700They were the songs that were sung20900:11:48,700 –> 00:11:51,599as people were making their way to Jerusalem.21000:11:51,760 –> 00:11:53,640And of course, going to Jerusalem21100:11:53,640 –> 00:11:58,159was of huge importance in the Old Testament.21200:11:59,039 –> 00:12:00,580Remember that God told his people21300:12:00,580 –> 00:12:02,619when they came into the land of Canaan,21400:12:02,619 –> 00:12:04,059they were not to worship21500:12:04,059 –> 00:12:07,200at any place of their own choosing.21600:12:07,200 –> 00:12:09,059That’s what the pagans did.21700:12:09,059 –> 00:12:11,219Find a convenient corner,21800:12:11,219 –> 00:12:13,619stick up a shrine or an altar,21900:12:13,619 –> 00:12:15,359gather a few folks there for worship.22000:12:15,359 –> 00:12:17,380That’s what the pagans did in Canaan.22100:12:17,380 –> 00:12:19,580God said, don’t do that.22200:12:19,619 –> 00:12:21,799You’ll find it in Deuteronomy chapter 12,22300:12:21,799 –> 00:12:23,359verses four and five.22400:12:23,359 –> 00:12:26,760You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.22500:12:26,760 –> 00:12:30,919You are to seek the place that God will choose.22600:12:30,919 –> 00:12:33,440To that place you must go.22700:12:33,440 –> 00:12:36,080There is a place you must go,22800:12:36,080 –> 00:12:38,679God says in the Old Testament to worship22900:12:38,679 –> 00:12:41,260not any place of your own choosing.23000:12:42,599 –> 00:12:45,440And of course, in the time of King David,23100:12:45,440 –> 00:12:47,119David discerned that Jerusalem23200:12:47,820 –> 00:12:49,340was indeed the place God had spoken about23300:12:49,340 –> 00:12:52,400in Deuteronomy 12 and in many other places.23400:12:52,400 –> 00:12:55,320That is why he brought the ark of the covenant,23500:12:55,320 –> 00:12:57,020where God’s presence had come down23600:12:57,020 –> 00:12:58,739to meet with His people in the desert.23700:12:58,739 –> 00:13:00,080He brought it to where?23800:13:00,080 –> 00:13:01,539To Jerusalem.23900:13:01,539 –> 00:13:05,119That’s why he wanted to build a temple in Jerusalem.24000:13:05,119 –> 00:13:06,219He didn’t do it.24100:13:06,219 –> 00:13:08,320But his son Solomon did.24200:13:08,320 –> 00:13:10,619And when the temple was complete,24300:13:10,619 –> 00:13:12,739the glory of God’s presence came down24400:13:12,739 –> 00:13:14,039and filled the temple.24500:13:14,039 –> 00:13:19,039It was to this place that God’s people gathered24600:13:19,219 –> 00:13:21,520at least three times a year.24700:13:21,520 –> 00:13:23,440They made this pilgrimage24800:13:23,440 –> 00:13:24,760to go and seek the place24900:13:24,760 –> 00:13:28,440where God had promised His presence.25000:13:29,859 –> 00:13:31,900Now, of course the significance of this25100:13:31,900 –> 00:13:35,979is that it is God who chooses where we meet with Him,25200:13:37,340 –> 00:13:39,159and that shouldn’t be surprising.25300:13:40,739 –> 00:13:43,179I suppose that you were to seek a meeting25400:13:43,179 –> 00:13:45,539with the president of the United States,25500:13:46,799 –> 00:13:48,599and suppose you were actually to get through25600:13:48,599 –> 00:13:49,440to the White House25700:13:49,440 –> 00:13:51,179and to the president’s liaison people25800:13:51,179 –> 00:13:52,820and actually, they listened to you25900:13:52,820 –> 00:13:56,500and actually, they agreed that there was to be a meeting.26000:13:56,500 –> 00:13:57,320They might say to you,26100:13:57,320 –> 00:13:59,900well, you come to the White House at 4.30 on Thursday.26200:14:01,280 –> 00:14:04,159One thing I can promise you would not happen.26300:14:04,159 –> 00:14:05,739It wouldn’t be you sitting with your feet up26400:14:05,739 –> 00:14:06,559on the desk saying,26500:14:06,559 –> 00:14:08,580hey, I like to have breakfast26600:14:08,580 –> 00:14:10,099at Egg Harbor in Arlington Heights,26700:14:10,099 –> 00:14:11,619so if the president can turn up there26800:14:11,619 –> 00:14:13,039at seven o’clock on Friday morning,26900:14:13,700 –> 00:14:14,859and I’ll be glad to see him.27000:14:14,859 –> 00:14:16,400It’s not gonna happen, right?27100:14:17,280 –> 00:14:19,940The president is greater than you.27200:14:21,140 –> 00:14:22,679If you’re gonna meet him,27300:14:22,679 –> 00:14:25,260he decides where that takes place.27400:14:27,799 –> 00:14:29,539Now, this is the principle all the way27500:14:29,539 –> 00:14:30,880through the Old Testament,27600:14:30,880 –> 00:14:32,940and the reason that it is so important27700:14:32,940 –> 00:14:35,000God chooses the place of meeting27800:14:35,900 –> 00:14:38,700is that all of that is paving the way27900:14:38,700 –> 00:14:40,960for us to understand in the New Testament28000:14:41,039 –> 00:14:42,320that God has chosen28100:14:42,320 –> 00:14:44,599that we meet him not in a particular place28200:14:44,599 –> 00:14:46,400but in a particular person.28300:14:47,820 –> 00:14:49,099God has chosen the place28400:14:49,099 –> 00:14:50,679that he will meet with any person28500:14:50,679 –> 00:14:55,520who will come to him is in Jesus Christ.28600:14:55,520 –> 00:14:57,900That, of course, is why Jesus in the New Testament28700:14:57,900 –> 00:15:01,000talks about himself as the temple.28800:15:02,119 –> 00:15:04,000You don’t have to go to Jerusalem28900:15:04,000 –> 00:15:05,080to meet with God,29000:15:06,099 –> 00:15:09,820but you do have to go to Jesus.29100:15:09,919 –> 00:15:14,419He is the living temple in which God’s presence is found.29200:15:14,419 –> 00:15:18,200All the fullness of the Godhead lives in him.29300:15:19,539 –> 00:15:21,020So I’m trying to paint the picture29400:15:21,020 –> 00:15:23,340so we understand what this is all about.29500:15:23,340 –> 00:15:26,520These Psalms of ascent29600:15:26,520 –> 00:15:28,619describe the Old Testament journey29700:15:28,619 –> 00:15:31,419that believers made to Jerusalem,29800:15:31,419 –> 00:15:34,140crowds of people going up,29900:15:34,140 –> 00:15:37,739and it is for us a kind of visual aid30000:15:37,739 –> 00:15:41,419of our journey to the presence of Christ.30100:15:41,419 –> 00:15:44,979These Psalms are a picture of the Christian life.30200:15:44,979 –> 00:15:47,820The Christian life is a journey of faith30300:15:47,820 –> 00:15:49,659in the presence of Jesus.30400:15:49,659 –> 00:15:54,599It is also a journey of faith to the presence of Jesus.30500:15:56,020 –> 00:15:57,700So we need these Psalms of ascent,30600:15:58,780 –> 00:16:01,900and we’re gonna read the first two together.30700:16:01,900 –> 00:16:03,440Let us hear the word of God.30800:16:03,799 –> 00:16:06,799A Song of Ascent30900:16:09,599 –> 00:16:13,020I call on the Lord in my distress.31000:16:14,280 –> 00:16:15,400And he answers me.31100:16:17,200 –> 00:16:19,840Save me, O Lord, from lying lips31200:16:19,840 –> 00:16:21,619and from deceitful tongues.31300:16:24,159 –> 00:16:25,820What will he do to you,31400:16:25,820 –> 00:16:29,119and what more besides, O Deceitful Tongue?31500:16:29,280 –> 00:16:30,539Deceitful Tongue?31600:16:31,520 –> 00:16:34,419He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows31700:16:34,419 –> 00:16:36,760with burning coals from the broom tree.31800:16:39,200 –> 00:16:43,820Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,31900:16:47,020 –> 00:16:48,479that I live among the tents of Kíðar.32000:16:51,820 –> 00:16:56,520Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.32100:16:56,520 –> 00:16:58,179I’m a man of peace,32200:16:58,400 –> 00:17:01,599but when I speak, they are for war.32300:17:04,020 –> 00:17:06,219I lift my eyes to the hills.32400:17:08,359 –> 00:17:11,579Where does my help come from?32500:17:11,579 –> 00:17:15,380My help comes from the Lord,32600:17:17,020 –> 00:17:18,520the Maker of heaven and earth.32700:17:20,839 –> 00:17:23,339He will not let your foot slip.32800:17:23,339 –> 00:17:28,040He who watches over you will not slumber.32900:17:29,660 –> 00:17:31,719Indeed, he who watches over Israel33000:17:31,719 –> 00:17:33,880will neither slumber nor sleep.33100:17:36,260 –> 00:17:37,900The Lord watches over you,33200:17:37,900 –> 00:17:41,180the Lord is your shade at your right hand.33300:17:42,540 –> 00:17:46,560The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.33400:17:48,119 –> 00:17:50,880The Lord will keep you from all harm,33500:17:50,900 –> 00:17:54,000he will watch over your life.33600:17:55,479 –> 00:17:59,579The Lord will watch over your coming and going,33700:17:59,579 –> 00:18:03,520both now and forevermore.33800:18:06,359 –> 00:18:10,459And we don’t know who wrote these particular two Psalms,33900:18:11,979 –> 00:18:15,260but it was clearly someone who knew and loved the Lord.34000:18:15,260 –> 00:18:18,260These are the words of a true believer,34100:18:19,260 –> 00:18:23,339and that is the first thing that is important for us34200:18:23,339 –> 00:18:26,819to grasp, because right at the beginning,34300:18:28,140 –> 00:18:32,339we find a true believer in deep distress.34400:18:32,339 –> 00:18:33,579It’s very important, by the way,34500:18:33,579 –> 00:18:35,020to know that that can happen.34600:18:37,380 –> 00:18:39,280It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you34700:18:39,280 –> 00:18:40,660that you’re in distress.34800:18:42,060 –> 00:18:43,619It doesn’t mean that there’s something lacking34900:18:43,619 –> 00:18:44,780in your faith.35000:18:45,540 –> 00:18:48,260The psalmist here is in distress35100:18:48,260 –> 00:18:52,459because he lives in a world of lies and deceit.35200:18:52,459 –> 00:18:54,280He can’t trust the people around him.35300:18:54,280 –> 00:18:56,640Like some in this congregation35400:18:56,640 –> 00:18:58,560can’t trust the folks around us.35500:19:00,599 –> 00:19:02,219He lives in a world of conflict.35600:19:02,219 –> 00:19:04,339He says at the end of Psalm 120,35700:19:04,339 –> 00:19:07,339I tried to make peace with these people,35800:19:07,339 –> 00:19:08,979but all they want to do is fight.35900:19:11,579 –> 00:19:13,739And the biggest problem is not just36000:19:14,420 –> 00:19:19,380the lies and the deception that’s going on36100:19:19,380 –> 00:19:21,380in the environment in which he lives36200:19:21,380 –> 00:19:24,900is not just the constant conflict that is wearing him down36300:19:24,900 –> 00:19:26,660and is so distressing to him.36400:19:26,660 –> 00:19:29,979The hardest thing of all is that as a true believer,36500:19:29,979 –> 00:19:32,660he feels miles from the presence of God.36600:19:35,099 –> 00:19:36,199Notice what he says in verse five.36700:19:36,199 –> 00:19:41,199Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech36800:19:42,099 –> 00:19:45,199that I live among the tents of Kedar.36900:19:45,199 –> 00:19:47,780Now, remember that these songs of a sense37000:19:47,780 –> 00:19:50,959are all about going up to Jerusalem,37100:19:50,959 –> 00:19:54,099the place where God’s presence was known.37200:19:54,099 –> 00:19:57,500Jerusalem, God says I will meet with my people there.37300:19:57,500 –> 00:19:59,280That’s the Old Testament principal.37400:20:00,359 –> 00:20:05,359Meshech was hundreds of miles to the north of Jerusalem,37500:20:05,859 –> 00:20:08,260way outside the Promised Land,37600:20:08,260 –> 00:20:12,180somewhere between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.37700:20:13,739 –> 00:20:15,920Kedar, which he also refers to,37800:20:15,920 –> 00:20:18,640was hundreds of miles to the south of Jerusalem37900:20:18,640 –> 00:20:21,459in what we today would call Saudi Arabia.38000:20:22,900 –> 00:20:27,060So Meshech and Kedar are just about as far38100:20:27,060 –> 00:20:29,319as a person in the ancient world38200:20:29,319 –> 00:20:32,640could imagine being in Jerusalem.38300:20:34,000 –> 00:20:35,920Now, just looking at that map,38400:20:35,920 –> 00:20:37,859it should be pretty obvious to you38500:20:37,859 –> 00:20:39,859that the psalmist could not be living38600:20:39,859 –> 00:20:43,939in both Meshech and Kedar at the same time, right?38700:20:43,939 –> 00:20:45,219So remember, it’s a poem.38800:20:47,699 –> 00:20:49,000He’s using a picture.38900:20:50,579 –> 00:20:53,020He’s telling us what he feels.39000:20:54,459 –> 00:20:55,859”I’m in distress,’ he says,39100:20:55,859 –> 00:20:57,560”because though I believe39200:20:57,560 –> 00:20:59,319”and though I am one of God’s people,39300:20:59,319 –> 00:21:01,500”I feel about as far away from God39400:21:01,500 –> 00:21:03,780”as is possible for a person to be.39500:21:06,020 –> 00:21:07,000”I’m one of his people,39600:21:07,000 –> 00:21:09,640”but I don’t feel his presence.39700:21:09,640 –> 00:21:12,760”I’m one of his people, I know nothing of his joy.39800:21:12,760 –> 00:21:13,619”I’m one of his people,39900:21:13,619 –> 00:21:15,900”but I’m a long way from knowing his peace.40000:21:15,900 –> 00:21:17,859”I work among people I can’t trust,40100:21:17,859 –> 00:21:20,199”I’m living in a situation of conflict at home.40200:21:20,199 –> 00:21:22,060”I live in Meshech,40300:21:24,439 –> 00:21:27,719”and what’s more, I’ve been here far too long.”40400:21:29,680 –> 00:21:30,520He says that.40500:21:30,520 –> 00:21:32,239”Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech!40600:21:32,239 –> 00:21:37,239”Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.”40700:21:38,040 –> 00:21:41,979And, you know, that’s where the journey begins.40800:21:44,300 –> 00:21:46,439I called our first reflection on these Psalms40900:21:46,439 –> 00:21:49,439moving from delaying to deciding,41000:21:50,699 –> 00:21:53,400and, you know, the first step in moving41100:21:53,400 –> 00:21:55,339from delaying to deciding41200:21:55,339 –> 00:21:59,000is to develop a holy discontent41300:22:00,040 –> 00:22:01,479with your present position.41400:22:02,979 –> 00:22:06,859It’s what we might call the praedical principle.41500:22:08,040 –> 00:22:13,000You have to be convinced that the pain of staying as you are41600:22:13,000 –> 00:22:16,160is greater than the problems you will encounter41700:22:16,160 –> 00:22:17,439in making the change.41800:22:18,479 –> 00:22:20,560Remember the prodigal son is eating with the pigs41900:22:20,560 –> 00:22:24,959and he’s prepared to carry on doing it.42000:22:24,959 –> 00:22:26,819Until we’re told he came to his senses42100:22:26,819 –> 00:22:28,760and he said, I will go to my father.42200:22:29,859 –> 00:22:30,920Up to that point,42300:22:30,920 –> 00:22:33,859the difficulties of going to the father42400:22:33,859 –> 00:22:35,660seemed to be greater than the problems42500:22:35,660 –> 00:22:36,839of eating with the pigs.42600:22:37,839 –> 00:22:41,599But it came to the point where a holy discontent42700:22:41,599 –> 00:22:45,479motivated him to make the change.42800:22:45,479 –> 00:22:46,680So what about you?42900:22:46,680 –> 00:22:49,520Are you unhappy at where you find yourself?43000:22:49,520 –> 00:22:52,040If so, this series is for you.43100:22:52,040 –> 00:22:55,219The series is called Moving in the Right Direction.43200:22:55,219 –> 00:22:57,719It’s a study of the Psalms of Ascent.43300:22:57,719 –> 00:23:00,839That’s Psalms 120 to 134.43400:23:01,199 –> 00:23:03,660These were songs sung by Old Testament believers43500:23:03,660 –> 00:23:05,680as they made their way to Jerusalem,43600:23:05,680 –> 00:23:08,800where God promised to meet with his people.43700:23:08,800 –> 00:23:10,959Today’s message is the first in the series43800:23:10,959 –> 00:23:13,640called Delaying to Deciding.43900:23:13,640 –> 00:23:15,400If you’ve missed any of today’s message44000:23:15,400 –> 00:23:17,479or indeed if you missed any of the series44100:23:17,479 –> 00:23:19,160you can always catch up or go back44200:23:19,160 –> 00:23:21,640and listen again online at our website44300:23:21,640 –> 00:23:24,920openthebible.org.uk.44400:23:24,920 –> 00:23:27,540Open the Bible is supported by our listeners44500:23:27,540 –> 00:23:29,719and if you already give to support the work44600:23:29,719 –> 00:23:32,079we want to say a big thank you.44700:23:32,079 –> 00:23:34,400If you’ve been considering beginning to support44800:23:34,400 –> 00:23:36,140OPEN THE BIBLE financially44900:23:36,140 –> 00:23:39,280this month if you’re able to set up a new direct debit45000:23:39,280 –> 00:23:40,900to the work of Open the Bible45100:23:40,900 –> 00:23:43,479in the amount of five pounds per month or more45200:23:43,479 –> 00:23:45,900or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more45300:23:45,900 –> 00:23:47,660we’d love to say thank you45400:23:47,660 –> 00:23:50,140by sending you a copy of Pastor Colin’s book45500:23:50,140 –> 00:23:51,680Fly Through the Bible.45600:23:51,680 –> 00:23:54,280Colin, what do you hope that readers of this book45700:23:54,280 –> 00:23:56,140will take away from it?45800:23:56,140 –> 00:23:58,400Well, the people will see that the whole Bible45900:23:58,400 –> 00:24:01,459is one story and that it all points46000:24:01,459 –> 00:24:03,160to the Lord Jesus Christ.46100:24:03,160 –> 00:24:04,260You know, I think many folks46200:24:04,260 –> 00:24:06,280know some stories from the Bible.46300:24:06,280 –> 00:24:08,280You know, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale46400:24:08,280 –> 00:24:09,699and so forth and so on.46500:24:09,699 –> 00:24:12,140But I find that often people don’t realise46600:24:12,140 –> 00:24:15,880that there really is an overall storyline to the Bible.46700:24:15,880 –> 00:24:18,439It begins in a garden, it ends in a city46800:24:18,439 –> 00:24:21,939all the way through, it’s about the Lord Jesus Christ.46900:24:21,939 –> 00:24:25,119So when a person gets an overview of the Bible47000:24:25,160 –> 00:24:27,920that’s the best way to be introduced47100:24:27,920 –> 00:24:30,119to the Lord Jesus Christ himself.47200:24:30,119 –> 00:24:32,640This is going to show you who he is,47300:24:32,640 –> 00:24:35,300why we need him, what he’s accomplished,47400:24:35,300 –> 00:24:37,699what he offers, what he’s able to do47500:24:37,699 –> 00:24:39,959in the life of any person who turns to him47600:24:39,959 –> 00:24:41,579in repentance and faith.47700:24:41,579 –> 00:24:43,420It’s cookies on the bottom shelf47800:24:43,420 –> 00:24:44,839and it’s going to be an introduction47900:24:44,839 –> 00:24:46,760to the Lord Jesus Christ.48000:24:46,760 –> 00:24:48,400Well, we’d love to send you a copy48100:24:48,400 –> 00:24:50,939of Pastor Colin’s book, Fly Through the Bible.48200:24:50,939 –> 00:24:53,400If you’re able to set up a new direct debit48300:24:53,479 –> 00:24:55,219to the work of Open the Bible48400:24:55,219 –> 00:24:57,219for five pounds per month or more48500:24:57,219 –> 00:25:00,459or a one off gift of 50 pounds or more this month,48600:25:00,459 –> 00:25:02,920you can find full terms and conditions48700:25:02,920 –> 00:25:05,500and you can give online at our website,48800:25:05,500 –> 00:25:08,819openthebible.org.uk.48900:25:08,819 –> 00:25:11,300For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,49000:25:11,300 –> 00:25:12,339I’m David Pick.49100:25:12,339 –> 00:25:13,920And we’ll see you next time.49200:25:13,920 –> 00:25:18,920Do you need to bump start your spiritual life?49300:25:19,619 –> 00:25:23,040Do you need to bump start your spiritual life?49400:25:23,040 –> 00:25:24,640Pastor Colin Smith talks about49500:25:24,640 –> 00:25:26,979how God gets his people moving again,49600:25:26,979 –> 00:25:29,579and that’s next time on Open The Bible.