100:00:00,720 –> 00:00:09,260What does God require of you when you are crushed, when you are pressed, when you are squeezed,200:00:09,260 –> 00:00:12,900when you are troubled, when you are burdened?300:00:12,900 –> 00:00:18,000And the answer of this verse is very simple, God simply says to you, when you are crushed,400:00:18,000 –> 00:00:19,379be patient.500:00:19,379 –> 00:00:20,820Hang in there.600:00:20,820 –> 00:00:23,559Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.700:00:23,559 –> 00:00:28,219I am David Pick, I am glad you could be with us today and Colin, today’s message is800:00:28,299 –> 00:00:33,500going to be an encouragement for anyone who is struggling, to just hang in there.900:00:33,500 –> 00:00:36,939Yeah, I’m so glad that you are listening right now.1000:00:36,939 –> 00:00:42,720If you are troubled, you are crushed, you’re perplexed and you are burdened, here’s the1100:00:42,720 –> 00:00:49,820Word of God for you today from the scriptures in Romans and Chapter 12, Be Patient in Tribulation.1200:00:49,820 –> 00:00:55,880See he doesn’t say to you be triumphant, he doesn’t say be full of smiles, he doesn’t1300:00:56,259 –> 00:01:03,020to pretend something other than the reality you’re experiencing, he says be patient, be1400:01:03,020 –> 00:01:04,019patient.1500:01:04,019 –> 00:01:06,559Hope lies ahead of you as a Christian in Jesus Christ.1600:01:06,559 –> 00:01:11,360But when trouble is around you, be patient, endure, and we’re also going to look at how1700:01:11,360 –> 00:01:14,879we’re helped to do that by being constant in prayer.1800:01:14,879 –> 00:01:20,879I hope that today’s message will be a strength, a means of encouragement to you, that what1900:01:20,959 –> 00:01:25,959God calls you to do in the difficulty you’re facing is something that by His grace and2000:01:25,959 –> 00:01:28,680in the power of His spirit you can do.2100:01:28,680 –> 00:01:34,580Hang in there, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, and may God’s grace2200:01:34,580 –> 00:01:36,779lift you up through the program today.2300:01:36,779 –> 00:01:42,879So if you can I hope you’ll join us today in Romans, in chapter 12, as we continue the2400:01:42,879 –> 00:01:45,440message Overcoming Evil With Steadiness.2500:01:45,440 –> 00:01:46,559Here’s Colin.2600:01:46,919 –> 00:01:55,019There’s a piece that I like because it fires my imagination written by a poet and a journalist2700:01:55,019 –> 00:01:58,080Steve Turner and I’ll quote it in part to you.2800:01:58,080 –> 00:02:06,199I want us just to reflect on the joy that lies ahead of us in the presence of the Lord.2900:02:06,199 –> 00:02:07,559Steve Turner says this.3000:02:07,559 –> 00:02:14,580In heaven there will be no policemen because there will be no crime.3100:02:14,619 –> 00:02:18,960There will be no soldiers because there will be no war.3200:02:19,979 –> 00:02:29,479There will be, think about the implications of this, no doctors, no surgeons, no nurses.3300:02:29,479 –> 00:02:36,279There will be no prison warders, security guards or undertakers.3400:02:36,279 –> 00:02:41,179No insurance salesman, I like that because there’s no risk you see.3500:02:41,179 –> 00:02:43,000No judges.3600:02:43,039 –> 00:02:49,699No watchmakers, there will be time but not the tyranny of time, none of this.3700:02:49,699 –> 00:02:56,839No firefighters, evangelists, no gossip columnists, I like that one.3800:02:56,839 –> 00:03:06,000No prostitutes and no ambulance drivers because that which gave rise to each of these no longer3900:03:06,000 –> 00:03:07,339exists.4000:03:08,100 –> 00:03:09,100Who will be there?4100:03:09,100 –> 00:03:18,500Those who are redeemed in Jesus Christ from every background and every profession.4200:03:18,500 –> 00:03:22,820Think with me for a few moments about the glorious hope that lies ahead of us in Jesus4300:03:22,820 –> 00:03:23,940Christ.4400:03:23,940 –> 00:03:30,259In heaven, sin will be no more, it will no longer be in you, it will no longer be around4500:03:30,259 –> 00:03:35,759you, and never again will you ever grieve your Savior.4600:03:35,759 –> 00:03:42,360You will be a joy to Him, and He will be a joy to you forever.4700:03:42,360 –> 00:03:50,539And you will enjoy this life in a resurrection body, in which no dark cloud of depression4800:03:50,539 –> 00:03:53,800can ever cast its shadow over you.4900:03:53,800 –> 00:03:58,399I know there are many in the congregation who will say amen to that, bring it on oh5000:03:58,399 –> 00:04:00,339Lord.5100:04:00,339 –> 00:04:07,880And no strong pool of temptation can ever rise from within you, and no sharp anguish5200:04:07,880 –> 00:04:12,080of pain will ever torment you.5300:04:12,080 –> 00:04:18,540You will be at home in this body, in a way perhaps that you have never felt completely5400:04:18,540 –> 00:04:22,000at home in the body that you have right now.5500:04:22,000 –> 00:04:29,299Right now the scripture says we groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies.5600:04:29,299 –> 00:04:30,299Why does He say that?5700:04:30,299 –> 00:04:36,540Because there are things that arise from life in the body that often causes distress.5800:04:36,540 –> 00:04:41,959But no longer then, and says Paul it is in this hope the redemption of the body that5900:04:41,959 –> 00:04:44,660we are saved.6000:04:44,660 –> 00:04:51,140When you are in heaven, old regrets that have haunted you will be gone forever.6100:04:51,140 –> 00:04:56,299Old battles that have plagued you will never ever be fought again.6200:04:56,299 –> 00:05:00,019There will be no death, there will be no mourning, there will be no crying, and there will be6300:05:00,019 –> 00:05:08,420no pain and God Himself will wipe away every tear from your eyes and then you will see6400:05:08,420 –> 00:05:12,619the King in His beauty.6500:05:12,619 –> 00:05:22,299You will behold His face and you will enter into the pleasures that are at His right hand6600:05:22,299 –> 00:05:23,880forever more.6700:05:24,519 –> 00:05:28,660Now says the Apostle to believers who shortly would face some very difficult6800:05:28,660 –> 00:05:37,160times you, rejoice in hope. That’s how you persevere. And here’s the second6900:05:37,160 –> 00:05:43,559thing. Be patient in tribulation, be patient in tribulation in so far as we7000:05:43,559 –> 00:05:50,399have cause of pain let us hold out. Now this word tribulation obviously isn’t a7100:05:50,480 –> 00:05:54,600word that we use terribly often these days. What does it mean very simply it7200:05:54,600 –> 00:06:04,579means to be crushed pressed squeezed stressed burdened troubled. And think7300:06:04,579 –> 00:06:10,980about this if your hope in life is in this world then when you are crushed7400:06:10,980 –> 00:06:16,880your hope would be crushed with you if your hope is in this world. But you see7500:06:16,899 –> 00:06:20,799when your hope is in another world when your hope is as we’ve described it from7600:06:20,799 –> 00:06:25,279the scripture in Jesus Christ and what he holds in store then when you are7700:06:25,279 –> 00:06:28,980crushed in this world and your hope is in another world you’re able to be7800:06:28,980 –> 00:06:33,739patient that one flows out of the other. You’ll be able to say with Abraham I’m7900:06:33,739 –> 00:06:40,420looking for a better city who’s builder and maker is God. it’s rejoicing in hope8000:06:40,619 –> 00:06:49,239that makes it possible to be patient in Tribulation. Now these words, be patient8100:06:49,239 –> 00:06:56,140in tribulation. Do remind us that there will be seasons in life that as a8200:06:56,140 –> 00:07:01,220Christian you simply have to endure. It’s important to understand this about8300:07:01,220 –> 00:07:05,040life it’s part of perseverance life is not always the same8400:07:05,040 –> 00:07:08,980Paul talks in Ephesians 6 about the day of evil that are some days that are8500:07:09,079 –> 00:07:13,440darker than others some days that are brighter than others and in order to8600:07:13,440 –> 00:07:19,519persevere when the time of greatest difficulty comes what do you need to do8700:07:19,519 –> 00:07:27,839one thing be patient try and take this in what does God require of you at the8800:07:27,839 –> 00:07:33,799most stressed pressed squeezed crushing moment of your life what does God8900:07:34,260 –> 00:07:44,500of you then simply this be patient hang in there don’t give up hold steady stay9000:07:44,500 –> 00:07:49,200the course that’s what God requires of you he does not say when you’re crushed9100:07:49,200 –> 00:07:53,839he does not say make sure you have a vibrant testimony of knowing what I’m9200:07:53,839 –> 00:07:58,899doing in your life he didn’t say make sure you turn up at Church every Sunday9300:07:58,899 –> 00:08:02,820morning able to tell people that you’re doing just fine he doesn’t say that9400:08:02,880 –> 00:08:07,140he says when you’re going through the time of greatest tribulation in your9500:08:07,140 –> 00:08:12,779life do one thing just hang in there stay the course be patient and the way9600:08:12,779 –> 00:08:18,179in which you’ll be able to do this is if your hope and your joy is in that which9700:08:18,179 –> 00:08:23,739lies ahead in the hands of Jesus Christ of course this is what job did isn’t it9800:08:23,739 –> 00:08:31,660remember his awful crushing and how he lost not only his wealth but his business9900:08:31,820 –> 00:08:39,099and his home and more than that he lost his own family his own dear children in10000:08:39,099 –> 00:08:47,119a terrible catastrophe in which a house collapsed on his children and in the10100:08:47,119 –> 00:08:53,640middle of that his wife came to him and said why don’t you just curse God and10200:08:53,640 –> 00:09:02,960die why don’t you just give up on God and say your life is over Job in effect10300:09:02,960 –> 00:09:12,799said I’m not going to do that what did he do he wept he prays he struggled and10400:09:12,799 –> 00:09:21,520he endured he was patient in tribulation and at the end as you know the end of10500:09:21,520 –> 00:09:29,979the book it’s a wonderful book to read in the Bible he says I had heard Oh God10600:09:29,979 –> 00:09:37,559of you with the hearing of my ears but now my eye sees you he had come to know10700:09:37,559 –> 00:09:43,599God in a way he had never known him before why because he was just patient10800:09:43,599 –> 00:09:50,059in tribulation he hung in there and pressed on in the light of hope in my10900:09:50,239 –> 00:09:56,900flesh I will see God he says the worms destroy this body there’s my hope and he11000:09:56,900 –> 00:10:01,840hung in there rejoicing in hope patience in tribulation let me tell you another11100:10:01,840 –> 00:10:07,940story not from the Bible but from Christian history of patience in11200:10:07,940 –> 00:10:14,659tribulation and this is the story of William Keally some of you will know11300:10:14,659 –> 00:10:23,140this story William Kealey was a pastor in the late 1700s and he had a passion11400:10:23,140 –> 00:10:28,340for mission and on one occasion he was addressing a group of ministers as a11500:10:28,340 –> 00:10:32,739young pastor and speaking about the cause of overseas missions that Harley11600:10:32,739 –> 00:10:38,419had developed at that time and while he was speaking an older11700:10:38,419 –> 00:10:42,760minister got up and interrupted him and said sit down young man you’re an11800:10:42,760 –> 00:10:48,239enthusiast if God wants to convert the heathen you’ll do it without consulting11900:10:48,239 –> 00:10:52,260either you or me well William Keery wasn’t the kind to12000:10:52,260 –> 00:10:58,059sit down and he responded to that with writing a book in which he made the case12100:10:58,059 –> 00:11:05,380for missions it was called an inquiry into the obligation of Christians to use12200:11:05,380 –> 00:11:10,739means for the conversion of the heathen in other words Christians have an12300:11:10,739 –> 00:11:16,780obligation he said to do certain things that God has called us to do with12400:11:16,780 –> 00:11:21,340regards to seeing people come to faith in Christ and of course these included12500:11:21,340 –> 00:11:24,219that we should pray that we should go and that we should declare the Gospel12600:11:24,219 –> 00:11:31,659and Carrie then organized the missionary society and at its very first meeting he12700:11:31,659 –> 00:11:38,099gave a stirring address in which very famous line he said expect great things12800:11:38,140 –> 00:11:42,059from God and attempt great things for God the line that’s gone down in12900:11:42,059 –> 00:11:46,460Christian history and inspired many within a year he went and sailed to13000:11:46,460 –> 00:11:54,219India and he served the Lord there for over 30 years he learned the Bengali13100:11:54,219 –> 00:11:59,619language first and began translating the Bible and then here’s what happened13200:11:59,619 –> 00:12:10,539very soon after he arrived he contracted malaria sometime later his five-year-old13300:12:10,539 –> 00:12:20,059son died and sometime after that his wife became mentally ill the reward for13400:12:20,320 –> 00:12:26,140that lady will be very very great in heaven13500:12:26,140 –> 00:12:38,159Keary was patient in tribulation he just kept going and in the end with the13600:12:38,159 –> 00:12:42,739folks he recruited as a team there in india where he had made his base he13700:12:42,739 –> 00:12:48,820translated the Bible into India’s top six languages and parts of the Bible13800:12:48,820 –> 00:12:56,179into 209 other Indian Languages or Dialects he laid the foundation for the13900:12:56,179 –> 00:13:03,799abolition of infanticide the awful tradition of burning widows alive and of14000:13:03,799 –> 00:13:09,059assisted suicide he also inspired through his life and through his14100:13:09,059 –> 00:13:14,580ministry the next generation of missionaries who included in the years14200:13:14,659 –> 00:13:21,080that followed David Livingstone, Adeniram Judson and Hudson Taylor. Now here’s the14300:13:21,080 –> 00:13:26,539reason that I tell you this story. Late in his life he sat down with his14400:13:26,539 –> 00:13:34,179nephew Eustace Cary who ended up being his biographer and perhaps anticipating14500:13:34,179 –> 00:13:40,140what his nephew would to do. He said and Eustace records this in the book. Cary14600:13:40,200 –> 00:13:46,559says if anyone should see fit to write my life story in the future here’s the14700:13:46,559 –> 00:13:50,799thing that’s important and I know quote Cary if he that is any future14800:13:50,799 –> 00:13:59,140biographer if he gives me credit for being a plodder he will describe me14900:13:59,140 –> 00:14:10,880justly anything beyond that will be too much I can plod I can persevere in any15000:14:10,880 –> 00:14:19,919definite pursuit and to this I owe everything not a remarkable statement15100:14:19,919 –> 00:14:28,039I mean here’s a man who had super linguistic gifts extraordinary15200:14:28,039 –> 00:14:34,979leadership ability but when he looks back on his life he says you know the15300:14:34,979 –> 00:14:41,520one thing that I look back on and thank God for more than any other is that he15400:14:41,520 –> 00:14:50,260put into me the ability to applaud not very glamorous but somehow Karis says I15500:14:50,260 –> 00:14:57,320had the ability when it was so tough just to keep putting one foot in front15600:14:57,419 –> 00:15:02,099of another what is that that is to be patient in tribulation that is to hang15700:15:02,099 –> 00:15:09,919in there to stay steady just to keep on at it and you do that as you are joyful15800:15:09,919 –> 00:15:14,280in hope not joyful in what’s around you15900:15:14,299 –> 00:15:19,580but joyful in what is ahead of you now there’s one more thing rejoice in hope16000:15:19,700 –> 00:15:26,979be patient in affliction be constant in prayer16100:15:26,979 –> 00:15:30,020you’re listening to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith and the16200:15:30,020 –> 00:15:34,340message called overcoming evil with steadiness and we’ve got to pause the16300:15:34,340 –> 00:15:38,700message there just briefly to remind you that if you ever miss one of our16400:15:38,700 –> 00:15:43,460messages it’s easy to catch up or go back and listen again online come to16500:15:43,460 –> 00:15:48,539our website openthebible.org.uk and there you’ll find all the messages16600:15:48,659 –> 00:15:52,000which have already been broadcast you can also find them as a podcast and16700:15:52,000 –> 00:15:56,539those are on all the m ain podcast sites search for Open the Bible UK and16800:15:56,539 –> 00:16:01,260subscribe if you want to be regularly reminded to tune in back to the message16900:16:01,260 –> 00:16:07,780now we’re in Romans 12 here’s Colin rejoice and hope be patient in17000:16:07,780 –> 00:16:16,140affliction be constant in prayer. Insofar as the door of prayer is open to us let17100:16:16,140 –> 00:16:20,380us continue to use it and of course this is more than praying once in a17200:16:20,380 –> 00:16:26,099while this is build prayer into your life if you’re going to persevere as a17300:16:26,099 –> 00:16:33,820habit as a pattern as the very drawing of life and of strength from the hand of17400:16:33,820 –> 00:16:38,919God who offers this to you and and here’s the great principle remember that17500:16:38,919 –> 00:16:43,340everything in Romans 12 is in the light of verse 1 in the light of the mercies17600:16:43,719 –> 00:16:50,020of God and then the more you are convinced of the mercy of God the more17700:16:50,020 –> 00:16:54,200you will be drawn to seek his face in prayer17800:16:54,200 –> 00:16:59,380it’s the sense that God somehow is frowning upon us that keeps us from the17900:16:59,380 –> 00:17:05,079place of prayer but the more convinced you are of the mercy of God18000:17:05,079 –> 00:17:07,380his compassion, his sympathy, his being for you18100:17:07,439 –> 00:17:09,119the more convinced you are of the mercy18200:17:09,119 –> 00:17:11,140of God the more you will draw near to me18300:17:11,140 –> 00:17:12,979in prayer that’s the general argument of18400:17:13,020 –> 00:17:18,780Hebrews chapter 4 it’s because we have a merciful high priest18500:17:18,819 –> 00:17:20,619it’s because we have a18600:17:20,619 –> 00:17:26,000high priest Jesus who sympathizes with our weaknesses because our Savior knows18700:17:26,000 –> 00:17:30,579what it’s like to go through it that’s why Christian believers can come boldly18800:17:30,579 –> 00:17:36,420to the throne of grace and find mercy and grace strength to help us in our18900:17:36,780 –> 00:17:43,819time of need now I want to end today these last couple of minutes very19000:17:43,819 –> 00:17:50,959simply with a question a challenge and an invitation first the question do you19100:17:50,959 –> 00:17:56,300have what it takes to live in this world do you have what it takes to live in19200:17:56,300 –> 00:18:02,160this world in other words do you have today a hope in which you can rejoice do19300:18:02,160 –> 00:18:07,199you have today patience with which you can endure do you know the help of God19400:18:07,199 –> 00:18:12,959today the God on whom you can call because this all this God offers to you19500:18:12,959 –> 00:18:19,420in Jesus Christ that’s the question do you have what it takes to live in this19600:18:19,420 –> 00:18:28,599world here’s the challenge your way of life will show where your hope lies your19700:18:28,599 –> 00:18:32,579way of life will clearly show whether your hope is mainly in this world or19800:18:32,579 –> 00:18:37,760mainly in the world to come your way of life will show that earlier this week I19900:18:37,760 –> 00:18:46,819set myself the task of answering this question what would I do if my hope was20000:18:46,819 –> 00:18:52,680mainly in this world if my hope was mainly in this world what would I do20100:18:52,680 –> 00:19:00,579different in the future what changes would I make to my life I came up with20200:19:00,579 –> 00:19:04,880four answers I’ll give you these very briefly and you can discuss this perhaps20300:19:04,880 –> 00:19:09,920profitably in the life groups you will come up with many more but here just20400:19:09,920 –> 00:19:14,119sitting in a chair with a bit of paper and a pad here are the four answers I20500:19:14,119 –> 00:19:19,880came up what would I do different if my hope was mainly in this world my first20600:19:19,920 –> 00:19:26,000answer that came to mind is I would work less I’ve worked less I would slacken20700:19:26,000 –> 00:19:31,819the pace if my hope was mainly in this world I would just take more time off I20800:19:31,819 –> 00:19:38,900just would I do less because I would focus more attention on all the things20900:19:38,900 –> 00:19:44,040that I could do in this world and I would therefore live the more I focused21000:19:44,040 –> 00:19:47,780on that I would live more and more with a constant feeling that time is slipping21100:19:47,780 –> 00:19:54,540away if my hope was mainly in this world second it’s just what I wrote down I21200:19:54,540 –> 00:20:01,319would give less at worthless I’d give less if my hope was mainly in this world21300:20:01,319 –> 00:20:04,979I’d figure that there are so many things in this world that I could do and that I21400:20:04,979 –> 00:20:08,939would want to do I therefore need all the money I can possibly get in order to21500:20:08,939 –> 00:20:12,979do these things and the natural effect of that would be if my hope was mainly21600:20:13,020 –> 00:20:19,839in this world that give less just what it is third I would grieve more I grieve21700:20:19,839 –> 00:20:24,979a whole lot more for this reason that if my hope was mainly in this world than21800:20:24,979 –> 00:20:30,020any loss in this world would be an ultimate and an irreplaceable loss and21900:20:30,020 –> 00:20:38,040fourthly I would feel the need to seek my own vindication if my hope was mainly22000:20:38,040 –> 00:20:41,300in this world then clearly this world would be the only place in which things22100:20:41,420 –> 00:20:44,140that are wrong could ever be put right and therefore I would feel I needed to22200:20:44,140 –> 00:20:49,680do more in that regard so I’m sitting with this little bit of paper and saying22300:20:49,680 –> 00:20:54,319okay these are all the changes that I would make if my hope was mainly in this22400:20:54,319 –> 00:21:01,459world so as I set my hope more and more on the world that is to come and all22500:21:01,459 –> 00:21:05,680that Jesus Christ holds in his hand for me it makes sense that in all of these22600:21:06,420 –> 00:21:13,280the other way and then I looked back at Romans in chapter 12 just reading22700:21:13,280 –> 00:21:17,939through the whole passage and it hit me in a way no these are exactly the things22800:21:17,939 –> 00:21:20,800that Paul is talking about in this chapter what’s he talking about22900:21:20,800 –> 00:21:27,420don’t be slothful in zeal don’t slacken off then next week contribute23000:21:27,420 –> 00:21:32,479generously to the needs of the Saints is what’s coming next be patient and23100:21:32,680 –> 00:21:36,339Tribulations what we’ve looked at today and then further down what will come to23200:21:36,339 –> 00:21:40,079later is don’t try and take vengeance yourself you just leave that in the23300:21:40,079 –> 00:21:43,359hands of God because you have hope in another world in other words everything23400:21:43,359 –> 00:21:48,160that he’s saying in these verses were looking at all floes come settling in23500:21:48,160 –> 00:21:53,359your mind where your hope is and where your joy is and therefore being free to23600:21:53,359 –> 00:21:59,800joyfully in this world give yourself to a life of serving Jesus Christ23700:22:00,800 –> 00:22:06,400and so in just a sentence the invitation is simply this that you would place all23800:22:06,400 –> 00:22:12,319your troubles in the hands of this Lord Jesus Christ today and that you would23900:22:12,319 –> 00:22:18,280look in hope to Him in other words that you would rejoice in hope that together24000:22:18,280 –> 00:22:24,359we would be patient in tribulation and that in God’s mercy we would be constant24100:22:24,359 –> 00:22:29,599in prayer and if you do this here’s what happens here’s where that leads here’s24200:22:29,599 –> 00:22:36,880where it goes it means you will not be overcome with evil but instead you will24300:22:36,880 –> 00:22:41,239overcome evil ???24400:22:41,239 –> 00:22:45,260you’ve been listening to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message24500:22:45,260 –> 00:22:51,099called overcoming evil with steadiness it’s part of our series simply called24600:22:51,099 –> 00:22:55,000overcoming evil and if you ever miss one of the series or if you want to go back24700:22:55,000 –> 00:22:59,000and listen again you can do that by coming online to our website24800:22:59,060 –> 00:23:04,560openthebible.org.uk or find us as a podcast and those are on all the main24900:23:04,560 –> 00:23:09,439podcast sites search for open the Bible UK and subscribe to receive regular25000:23:09,439 –> 00:23:14,859updates also on our website and available as a podcast is open the Bible25100:23:14,859 –> 00:23:20,180daily and that’s a series of short 2 to 3 minute daily reflections based on25200:23:20,180 –> 00:23:26,119Pastor Collins teaching and read in the UK by Sue McCleish Open the Bible is25300:23:26,119 –> 00:23:29,459supported by our listeners that’s people just like you up and down the25400:23:29,459 –> 00:23:30,239country25500:23:30,239 –> 00:23:33,800if that’s something that you’ve not done before but you’re considering starting25600:23:33,800 –> 00:23:38,300to support open the bible in that way we have an offer for you this month25700:23:38,300 –> 00:23:42,400if you are able to begin a new direct debit in the amount of five pounds per25800:23:42,400 –> 00:23:45,939month or more or one-off gift of fifty pounds or more25900:23:46,619 –> 00:23:51,020we’d love to say thank you by sending you three copies of pastor Colin Smith26000:23:51,020 –> 00:23:54,459devotional green pastures still waters26100:23:54,459 –> 00:23:59,85931 days in Psalm 23 Colin what do you hope that people using this devotional26200:23:59,859 –> 00:24:01,359will take away from it26300:24:01,359 –> 00:24:06,040oh well it will fix your eyes and your mind on the Lord Jesus Christ I mean he26400:24:06,040 –> 00:24:08,180is the Good Shepherd26500:24:08,180 –> 00:24:14,140he is what Psalm 23 is all about and to know that you have a shepherd in26600:24:14,140 –> 00:24:18,260Christ and that he’s going to lead you in right paths he’s going to give you26700:24:18,260 –> 00:24:22,540rest he’s going to restore you when you’re spent and your energy is26800:24:22,540 –> 00:24:24,339exhausted and gone26900:24:24,420 –> 00:24:29,140he’s going to guard you he’s going to sustain you he’s going to love you all27000:24:29,140 –> 00:24:32,739the days of your life and eventually bring you into his nearer presence27100:24:32,739 –> 00:24:36,699I mean a month fixing your mind and heart on Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd27200:24:36,699 –> 00:24:38,859is going to renew your strength27300:24:38,859 –> 00:24:43,300it’s going to encourage you greatly and that’s what psalm 23 does and I think27400:24:43,300 –> 00:24:47,180that’s why it’s the one of the best-known and best-loved chapters in27500:24:47,180 –> 00:24:48,359all of the Bible27600:24:48,359 –> 00:24:53,099so that’s pastor Colin Smith devotional, Green Pastures Still Waters27700:24:53,099 –> 00:24:57,38031 days in psalm 23 and it’s our gift to you27800:24:57,380 –> 00:25:01,359if you’re able to set up a new donation to the work of Open the Bible in the27900:25:01,359 –> 00:25:04,579amount of five pounds per month during the course of this month28000:25:04,579 –> 00:25:09,119full details on our website openthebible.org.uk28100:25:09,699 –> 00:25:12,180For Open the Bible and pastor Colin Smith28200:25:12,180 –> 00:25:15,859I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time28300:25:16,260 –> 00:25:23,439a generous life has three dimensions28400:25:23,439 –> 00:25:26,459find out what they are next time on Open the Bible