He Is My All
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He IS My All
He IS My All
With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
I trust that everyone will have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving week. We will be repenting of the sin of gluttony after all that we will eat on this coming Sunday and then again throughout the week. I get so focus on Sundays that I forget to say how grateful and thankful that I am to be here as your pastor. This evening I reiterate that again. As I was preparing for this message I spent a considerable time in prayer this week asking The Lord for a Word of encouragement for y’all this morning. I could stop at the text I just read and we could go home encouraged, but I want to share with you a little more about this Psalm this evening. We will talk about four things tonight.
Dwelling In His Presence
My Protector
Lethal Results
What Happens When
Dwelling In His Presence
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Dwelling In His Presence is something that I long for. Many times when life gets so yucky my refuge is to run to worship or just sit in God’s presence. I ask the questions that I am sure many of you ask also.
God… Are you still there?
Do you still hear me?
Have I done something to hide your presence from me?
I always come back to wanting to dwell in His Presence. Why? Because being under the shadow, the mear presence of God there is everything we need. Hear this… He is my refuge...
Refuge:
1. Shelter or protection from danger or distress.
2. That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity; a strong hold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy.
Now we go back to Sunday’s Message of Trusting God? Do You? I question myself on this many times. Do I really trust God like I should? He is my Refuge!
Fortress:
1. Any fortified place; a fort; a castle; a strong hold; a place of defense or security. The English have a strong fortress on the rock of Gibraltar, or that rock is a fortress
2. Defense; safety; security;
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress Psalms 18:2.
He is also My Protector!
My Protector
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
You may be here this evening feeling like you have been going through the trial of a lifetime, just continue to draw near to Him and he will be your Protector. He will be there to deliver you from anyone who tries to snare you and lead you astray, He will be there when Sickness comes, he will be there for you to take refuge you in, He will be there to take care of your night terrors, he will be there when people are taking shots at you in the day, he will be there sickness that comes from darkness tries to over take you. He will be there to help you when destruction appears to befall you. He will be there… Why? Because He is our Rock and Fortress. Hear me tonight there are times when he is our protector with Lethal Results.
My Protector
Lethal Results
A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
Lethal Results
Not Everything is perfect. Even the most prestigious people have heartache and problems. Catch this story...
Horatio Gates Spafford was born in New York, on 20th October 1828, but it was in Chicago that he became well-known for his clear Christian testimony. He, and his wife Anna were active in their church, and their home was always open to visitors. They counted the world-famous evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, among their friends. They were blest with five children, and considerable wealth. Horatio was a lawyer, and owned a great deal of property in his home city.
Not unlike Job in the Old Testament of the Bible, tragedy came in great measure to this happy home. When four years old, their son, Horatio Jnr, died suddenly of scarlet fever. Then only a year later, in October 1871, a massive fire swept through downtown Chicago, devastating the city, including many properties owned by Horatio. That day, almost 300 people lost their lives, and around 100,000 were made homeless. Despite their own substantial financial loss, the Spaffords sought to demonstrate the love of Christ, by assisting those who were grief-stricken and in great need.
Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday in England, knowing that his friend, the evangelist D. L. Moody, would be preaching there in the autumn. Horatio was delayed because of business, so he sent his family ahead: his wife and their four remaining children, all daughters, 11 year old Anna, 9 year old Margaret Lee, 5 year old Elizabeth, and 2 year old Tanetta.
On 22nd November 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship, Ville du Havre, their vessel was struck by an iron sailing ship. Two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, as the Ville du Havre sank within only twelve minutes.
All four of Horatio Spafford’s daughters perished, but remarkably Anna Spafford survived the tragedy. Those rescued, including Anna, who was found unconscious, floating on a plank of wood, subsequently arrived in Cardiff, South Wales. Upon arrival there, Anna immediately sent a telegram to her husband, which included the words “Saved alone….”
Receiving Anna’s message, he set off at once to be reunited with his wife. One particular day, during the voyage, the captain summoned him to the bridge of the vessel. Pointing to his charts, he explained that they were then passing over the very spot where the Ville du Havre had sunk, and where his daughters had died. It is said that Spafford returned to his cabin and wrote the hymn “It is well with my soul” there and then, the first line of which is, “When peace like a river, attendeth my way..” There are other accounts which say that it was written at a later date, but obviously the voyage was one of deep pathos, and is the clear inspiration of the moving and well-loved hymn. Horatio’s faith in God never faltered. He later wrote to Anna’s half-sister, “On Thursday last, we passed over the spot where she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe….. dear lambs”.
After Anna was rescued, Pastor Nathaniel Weiss, one of the ministers travelling with the surviving group, remembered hearing Anna say, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”
Naturally Anna was utterly devastated, but she testified that in her grief and despair, she had been conscious of a soft voice speaking to her, “You were saved for a purpose!” She remembered something a friend had once said, “It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”
Following this deep tragedy, Anna gave birth to three more children, but she and Horatio were not spared even more sadness, as on February 11th, 1880, their only son, Horatio (named after the brother who had died, and also after his father), he also died at the age of four.
In August 1881 the Spaffords left America with a number of other like-minded Christians, and settled in Jerusalem. There they served the needy, helped the poor, and cared for the sick, and took in homeless children. Their desire was to show those living about them, the love of Jesus.
What Happens When
Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
When we set our love and attention on The Lord, then all of these things will fall into place. He, The Almighty will take care of us. He will be all that we need even unto Salvation. Even unto Eternal Life. You might be asking this morning how do I get this. Let me introduce you to the Here of the Story. His name is Jesus. He is our salvation, He is our Strength, He is our refuge and everything we need. The New Testament says that He is the Light of the World. We call Him the Rose of Sharon, The Lion of Judah, The Alpha and Omega, The First and the Last. He is the bright and Morning Star, He is Lamb that was Slain, He is God made flesh to dwell among us. He is the Only Begotten of God the Father. He El Shadia, He is El Eyon, He is Jehovah Jireh, He is Jehovah Nissi, He is Jehovah Rapha, He IS, He IS, He IS.... He is the waymaker, He is the yoke breaker, He is the Path Lighter, He is the Mansion Maker, He is my Salvation, He is my Strength, He is everything I need and more.... Somebody Give him Praise. The way to know Him is simple. Cry out to Him “Lord Jesus Christ, Forgive me of my Sins, Come into my heart, and be my Lord and Savior.” AMEN