I'm so excited as we get to think about today the goodness of God. If you have your Bibles, would you turn with me to Psalm 107? Such an unbelievable, wonderful passage of Scripture. Sometimes this is, this is an awesome, I mean the whole Bible is amazing, I mean the whole Bible is incredible. I want to read you some cultural background on what's going on here. What are the circumstances with which the psalmist would be inspired by God to pen these words? Psalm 107 was written for a joyous celebration by God's people. And after seventy years of captivity in Babylon, God had moved to bring about Israel's release. The chimes of God's great clock struck the hour in heaven, and God immediately set Cyrus and the Persians' decree in motion. Now free, the Babylonian captives could go home, their exile was over, the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled, and Daniel's prayer was answered. The majority of Jews, many of them born in Babylon since the 70-year exile began, yawned in the face of God. Not for them, the rigors of a four-month march across a pitiless desert. Not for them, the hardships of pioneering in Palestine. They had made the world their home, satisfied with worldly prospects. So, like Demas in New Testament times, having chose this present evil world, they stayed on in Babylon. But 42,360, not including servants, continued to believe in God's great promises and returned, taking with them about 7,000 slaves, of whom some 200 were trained singers. And they returned to Jerusalem to rebuild their city and society in the temple. There were 4,000 priests from only four of the 24 priestly courses into which their order had been divided since David's time. It says much about the Jewish backsliding in Babylon of the whole tribe of Levite. Only 74 Levites decided to return home. From point to point, the distance from Babylon to Jerusalem was approximately 500 miles. Imagine walking 500 miles. The returning Jews traveled northwest along the Euphrates River and south to Jerusalem, a four-month trek of over 900 miles. The journey was demanding and exhausting. There were no cities along the way where they could rest and be refreshed. Food and water were scarce. As they grew increasingly weaker from hunger and thirst, they felt as if they were slowly dying. After a year of exhausting work throughout the city, the time had come to rebuild the temple where God had specially dwelled among the nation. The little band of pioneers descended at last on the promised land, found it strewn with debris of former wars, a messed up land, a land that was just destroyed. There was no temple. Jerusalem was a heap of rubble. The Edomites had seized much of the land and the entire central portion of the country. It was in the hands of men of mixed blood known as Samaritans. It was a discouraging start. But the hour had struck in God's counsel. The time was one of fulfilled prophecy and immense potential. The returned remnant, remember only 42,000 people of millions, acutely aware of the nation's sins, had brought about the captivity, determined to put first things first. began by building an altar for God and reinstituting the sacrifices. They started at the heart of things. They put Calvary, so to speak, into the center of the picture so no nation can prosper without a proper view of sin and redemption. In their second year, in the year 535 BC, before Christ, they laid the temple's foundation. The foundation was laid amid the nation's mingled songs and sobs, and musical services instituted by David were restored. Shouts of joy rang out over Jerusalem's ruined walls and lonely streets. The sobs of the old men added a note of pathos. The old men who remembered the glories of Solomon's temple now gone forever. This is a psalm centered around these events, people returning to a ruined home. It is a psalm we can associate with laying the foundation of the temple in the courts. And how do we start? I want to look at this. How do we start when we return to a place that has been destroyed and ruined because of our sin? I'm telling you, there's so much to rejoice in. Let's look at Psalm 107, verse 1. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. For His mercy endureth forever, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Oh man, that ought to be a loud Amen! And gathered them out of the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell, and hungry and thirsty their soul fainted in them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness, such as sit in darkness in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron. Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High, therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down, and there was none to help. And they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men. For He hath broken the gates of wrath, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted, and their soul abhorreth all manner of meat. They draw near into the gates of death. They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men, and let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, declare His works with rejoicing. They that go down to the sea in ships and do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep. commandeth and raises the stormy wind which lifted up the waves thereof. I'm just going, this is a longer portion because I want you to see, I'm reading all the way through this chapter, this psalm today, because there is something amazing, because God, you know, we go through these lonely times, we go through these times of affliction, we go through some very rough waters, but I'm telling you there's something we can still rejoice in. The end of this psalm, oh my friend, it's exciting, it's good, Let's look at v. 25, "...for he commandeth and raises at the storm he wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to heaven, they go down again to the depths. Their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they be quiet, so He bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men. Let them exalt Him and also in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the assembly of the elders. He turned the rivers into a wilderness and the water springs into dry ground. A fruitful land and a barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell there. And He turned the wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into water springs. There he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, and sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. The righteous shall see and rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Whoso is wise, notice with me here, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the love and kindness of the Lord. I want to talk today about, Lord, give me eyes to see and lips to praise. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for this day. Father, I need your help, and Lord, our desire is to praise you. Our desire is to give you the thanks, and Lord, I know it's one weekend a year, but Lord, it should be every day as you tell us to enter into your courts with thanksgiving. Father, I think all of us can resonate with the idea of feeling in a solitary, lonely place out in a desert all by ourselves, struggling. struggling to make the next step, struggling with our own emotions, our own mind. But yet, Lord, when we cry unto you as we see in this passage of Scripture and we see in our own lives, there is help. Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. God, give us a renewal of our praise. Give us a renewal of thanksgiving, a gratitude, Lord, to you, a gratitude to others and how they invest in our lives. God, may we be Christians poured out for thy glory. Look beyond our own afflictions, look beyond our own distresses and emotional upheaval and realize there is a God in heaven that still answers prayer. God, you're so loving. And I pray today as we look at this passage of scripture, there would be a renewal, a revival in our hearts. So look at the goodness of God. And should there be someone watching today that has never accepted Jesus, by faith alone, that today would be the day of salvation. Our Father, I love you. Jesus, thank you for dying on that cross for our wretched sins, to give us an eternal hope, both now and forever. And so God, you take over. Lord, lead every word that I say and we'll thank you for it. In Jesus' precious name I pray, amen. Do you ever feel you're lost in a spiritual desert? This passage of scripture here is addressed to the Lord's people. Do you look this way and that in your circumstances of life with which you're going and without the slightest idea which way to turn or which step to take? I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do, but I do know that I'm confused. Every step you make in life seems to be the wrong one. This psalm is for you. Do you find yourself blocked or locked into a spiritual dungeon, feeling circumstances just pressing down on you, the anxiety beginning to just overflow inside, bound and chained like a prisoner in a death cell? Driven to desperation, this psalm is for you. You find yourself lying on a spiritual deathbed. Souls sickened to death, knotted up inside. Our situations seem hopeless. There seems no escape, no hope beyond my situation. We've lost our appetite. Life has lost its charm. What we once enjoyed are now dead weights in our hearts. This psalm is for you. You find yourself lashed on the spiritual deep. We're overwhelmed because circumstances through which we're passing are ominous. They're frightening. They're daunting. I don't know what tomorrow holds. As it says in here, like a drunken person trying to figure out the next step, trying to orient yourself, you feel so disoriented. Mercy of our circumstances. One hopeless effort to another, you stagger. This psalm is for you. My friend, our God in heaven on this Lord's Day and Thanksgiving weekend. He wants to challenge and encourage you to observe all the works of the Lord. Can I tell you as we look at verses 42 and 43, the righteous shall see it and rejoice and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Man, when I begin to reflect on God's goodness, and I begin to see the loving kindness of God, man, I have so much room to rejoice. blinded by our problems and situations. And just this week and the past few weeks, there were several things going on in my mind. I was kind of struggling actually the last few months on some things and all the things going on with this building and trying to manage things. And then we went to the preacher's conference and it was just like life was upheaval and there was a lot of potentially discontentment going on inside. And I began to just look at the circumstances. Whoa, it's me! That's where I was at the last few weeks, and then God showed me. Chris, you have so much to be thankful for. We can be blinded by our problems and situation and overlook the vast blessings and promises we receive from God's gracious hand. There are circumstances and emotions that are dominant force in your life and mine. These tend to overwhelm, or I would say become preeminent rather than the praises of God. We show such little appreciation for God's incredible effort and love towards you and me. One gentleman, George McDonald, said, the careless soul receives the Father's gifts as if it were a way things had of dropping into his hand, yet he is ever complaining as if someone were accountable for the problems which meet him at every turn. For the good that comes to him, he gives no thanks who is there to thank. At the disappointments that befall him, he grumbles, there must be someone to blame. End quotes. And I want us today, as we think about verse two of Psalm 107, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. And the principle this morning is learn to observe the kindness and loving kindness of God, so you may adequately and properly praise the Lord. I'm gonna look first of all this morning at our responsibility to praise. This narrative begins with an oppressed people freed and unified. Man, they have been allowed to leave Babylon 70 years under a harsh king. 70 years removed from their homeland. They're on their desert journey home. 500 miles, 800 kilometers they have to walk. Can you imagine the intrepidation? Can you imagine the fear of what will we find when we get home? Will we see the street that we used to live on? Will my house still be there that my grandparents had? Or my parents? Probably not your parents, but grandparents. What will they have done to the temple? What will they have done to all the area where we live? What will it look like? Will there be enough resources? Will I have a job when I move back home? Can you imagine yourself in their position? But in this time of wilderness, unity of mission and praise is the desired response of God's people as they walk the 500 miles They're all in the struggle together. They're all trying to share, to come together, to encourage, to unify, so when they reach the promised land, they're ready to work together to do something for God. And God would use this hardship as a tool to harden them for the mission He had for their lives. wilderness experience, they would all have to look to God for answers. And as we look at this passage of scripture, we find at times they express desertion. God, you've left us! They quarrel and fight amongst themselves. They're all in the same predicament. Can I tell you we're all in the predicament of life? We're trying to just figure out life. We're all trying to figure out, if you know Jesus as your Savior, how do I please the Lord? How do I live as a Christian? We're all in a journey trying to figure out how I please the Lord, how I care for the responsibilities that I have in my life. It's so easy, we can complain against God and each other and sulk over our predicaments. You were on that side of the desert journey, and you had the better winds, and I was in the back, and it wasn't so good back there. We got all the dust from you guys who were walking too fast. Slow down. I mean, can you imagine all the complaints going on? You took all the food. You didn't make enough food. I mean, there's so many different things that could complain. But guess what? They're leaving Babylon. They're leaving captivity to go to freedom that God gave them. It is an insular, childish thinking that doesn't thank God. In Mark chapter 7, verse 7, how be it in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines and commandments of men. Many times I want to follow just what the doctrines of men, but I don't want to get to God's Word. Can I tell you, this book is full of how good God is. It speaks of a need to praise and a resistance to praise as being rebellious and worthy of the Lord's wrath. It is easy to scowl. It is easy to complain. It is easy to murmur. But a praising and thankful attitude requires a determined observation of one whose eyes are focused on Christ and others. Man, as I looked at this and I began to just think over and over and over, it was a rich study. Man, I wish you could just sit there in the depths of the studies that I was going through. Man, it was awesome. And I think about verse, whoso is wise and will observe these things. We have two eyes to begin to just say, look at how good God is. And underneath this, as we think about our responsibility to praise, there's an admonition to praise. He says here, oh give thanks unto the Lord. Then verse two, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Can I tell you as one, there's this thing called Home Aid, this magazine, it was back in 1984. They said, ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what their parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today? The past is meaningless and so is the future. They live for the present. Those who are mature deeply appreciate those who labored in the past. They recognize those who labor during the present and provide for those who will be laboring in the future." When we brought our daughter home, And we had to change her diaper and care for her and feed her. She wasn't going, oh, thank you, daddy. Well, first of all, she couldn't speak. When you're raising kids so easy, it's mom, dad, do this. Do this for me. Do this for me. God, do this for me. You must do this for me. Warren Wiersbe. In our daily bread, he says, thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. He illustrated this promise in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston. And Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, It was noted that none of the people he rescued ever thanked him. I want you to think about this. He waded into the frigid waters to rescue 17 people and not one of those 17 ever came back and just said thank you. I want you to think about that. Was it still worth it without the thanks? Second Corinthians 5 17 therefore if any man be it be in Christ. He's a new creature old things are passed away Behold all things are become new and I'm telling you we ought to shout from the rooftops the goodness of God It is the Lord that bought you Deuteronomy 32, verses 6 and 7, "'Do ye thus requite?' That means to repay the Lord. "'O foolish people and unwise! Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee? Hath He not made thee and established thee? Remember the days of old. Consider the years of many generations. Ask thy Father, and He will show thee thy elders, and they will tell thee.'" He's saying, listen, Israel, do you remember that I got you out of Egypt from slavery and bondage? Christian, remember that it is Jesus Christ that got you out of the power of sin that was destroying your life and those around you. Remember that it's Jesus Christ that is the hope that lifted you up to give you hope for another day. We repay God, and I'm talking to myself, I'm not just talking to you, I'm talking to myself, we repay God with a murmury and complaining, but we don't repay him with appreciation of my lips. Do you realize this in Matthew 12, 33, it tells about fruit, either make the tree good and it's fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and it's fruit corrupt. For the tree is known by its fruit. You can't, if you're thankful or ungrateful, your actions will produce fruit. If you are a thankful person, you're gonna be thankful and appreciative of what people do for you, what God does for you. You're not gonna be an individual that's just Always, you know a naysayer and and nagging and complaining and you know Just that's we get that way so easily because you know when our bodies hurt When emotionally we're hurting Our natural tendency is to become very negative To isolate ourselves rather than to run to the hope and refuge of God. Can I tell you, we are to advocate for and draw people to Christ with our words and our actions. 2 Corinthians 5, 20, now then we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled to God. I'm telling you, Christian, our salvation day ought to be on our lips. Have you ever told someone how you came to know Jesus as your Savior? Salvation should compel me to speak up. We talk about, oh, the gospel, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard the gospel. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard about salvation. Oh, born again, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard that. Oh, yeah, that's what the church talks about. It can easily become a traditional statement. It can become a tradition of words that are preached. But is it a living reality in your life? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Redeemed! Give thanks. He says here, oh, give thanks unto the Lord. And I tell you, it is the greatest privilege to talk of one that saved my life and yours. As you think about that man saving 17 lives, some people that had no hope and they were rescued. This idea of thanks is an expression of gratitude, a sense of favor, kindness, that I have received a benefit for which I did not deserve. I'd like you to look with me at Psalm 106. I want to look at just several things. We find this, oh, give thanks to the Lord. This phrase is used many times in Psalm 106, verses 7 and 8. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. They remembered not the multitude. I mean, this is like overabundance, like just incredible benevolence of God, the mercies. Oh Moses, you brought us to the Red Sea so we'll all be murdered here at the Red Sea. We'll get us outside of Egypt so they won't see all the bloodshed. Can I tell you, we begin to advance for Christ and then we hit a wall, we hit a hard time. Oh God, where are you? You got me out of here, but where are you right now? I mean, I'm telling you, we get like that. But in Psalm 106, one, praise ye the Lord. Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is, what does it say? Good. For his mercy endureth forever. Psalm 118.1, O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, because his mercy endureth forever. Psalm 136, like the entire psalm says this. 1 Chronicles 16.34, O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. 1 Chronicles 16.41 says the same thing, to give thanks to the Lord, because his mercy endureth forever. You and I are not receiving what you and I deserve to receive. There's an attitude of praise. As we think about this in Psalm 107, verse 1, one gentleman, Shayla Tuchton, she says, I've learned that some people's ingratitude is a disease and no amount of kindness can cure it. Have you ever done some nice things for people? And no matter how nice you are and how much kindness and how you go out of your way to help someone, they still scowl and complain and murmur against you. There's an attitude behind this. In a little commentary, Spurgeon said that Jehovah, for that is the name here used, is not to be worshipped with groans and cries, but with thanks, for he is good. And these thanks should be heartily rendered, for his is no common goodness. He is good by nature, in essence, and proven to be good in all the acts of his eternity. Compared with Him, there is none good. No, not one, but He is essentially, perpetually, superlatively, infinitely good. I want you to imagine, here you are, the Jewish people, you're returning back home. Maybe you and your personal life, you're returning back to an earlier place of life. You're returning maybe wherever you're coming and going, and you're returning to something in your life, and you find it a mess. And you're discouraged. You're like, it's going to take a lot of work. Is it really worth it? The enemy has ruined the homeland. Ruined whatever it is in your life. Ruined it. How do I move forward? How do I stand tall for God? How am I His ambassador? Would you look with me at 2 Chronicles 5.13? Can I tell you there's times in the ministry here at the church over seven years having been here, ministering here over eight years, since August of 2016, there's times it's been so discouraging. And I'm like, Lord, where is this going? Second Chronicles 5.13, here is an amazing time. The temple is being, the coronation of the temple, or the, what do you call it? Dedication of the temple, there we go, that's a better term. The temple's dedication. The temple under Solomon was built, God's temple was built, and they're dedicating to God. I want you to notice with me verse 13 of Second Chronicles chapter five. We'll look at verse seven too. But I want you to notice what happens when the praise enters. In 2 Chronicles 5, verse 13. It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord. And when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music and praised the Lord, saying, for He is good, For His mercy endureth forever, that even the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. So that the priest could not stand and minister by reason of the cloud for the glory of the Lord, and filled the house of God. That dedication, they just say, God, look at this beautiful temple you've built. Can I say we had our dedication, we had our open house here, filled the house, I mean it was awesome. Who would have thought our church here in June, as we had the renovations, what God did? God, we paid off our mortgage this year. Who would have thought that God would bring you here? Every one of you are a tremendous blessing of God. You're a gift. When the praises came, From the heart of man, the music was altogether one. It was only focused on God getting the thanks and appreciation that he deserves. God's glory filled the house. Could it very well be sometimes when we come together, I'm not focused on bringing my praises to church, to God. I'm focused on what I can get, what they will give to me. Now I understand we're discouraged sometimes, we need to be lifted up, but I'm telling you, we come to church because I want God, corporately, to get the praise and appreciation. I hear there's some music going on here, if you have something going on, if you could silence that, if you have time for that. But in 2 Chronicles 7, verse 3, Look with me at another passage of Scripture. At the installation of the temple for worship and the filling of God's presence in the Holy of Holies. Can you imagine what it would be like when God's presence descends? I'm telling you, every one of us have God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the Spirit of God within us if we know Him as our personal Savior. And when we all have the Spirit of God, we're all unified. We're all together as one with a purpose, a direction. But it's not about me. It's not about you. It's all about Him. It's all about the cross of what Jesus did. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Woo! I'm telling you, this is exciting stuff. I woke some of you up, I apologize. In verse 3, and when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, free is good, for his mercy endureth forever. Look with me at 2 Chronicles 20. I'm going to have to get as far as I thought I would, but that's OK. Second Chronicles chapter 20. Jehoshaphat, he appoints a choir before the army enters into battle. Now, before you go into battle, many times you'll, you go into a game, right? Rah, rah, rah, rah, rah. You try to get the momentum moving. Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. You know, you kind of do all this kind of stuff. Probably look like a monkey up here. Anyway, Second Chronicles chapter 20, verse 20. They rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established. Believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness. As they went out before the army to say, praise the Lord for his mercy unto earth forever. They're about ready to go into battle. They could potentially be losing their lives And what do they do? Let's praise God. Whether I live, I'll praise the Lord. Whether I die, I'll praise the Lord. Can I tell you the heart of a Christian? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. We're on our way home. We're leaving captivity. I'm leaving the power of sin over my life and yours. Because as I think about, oh, give thanks to the Lord, I'm looking at my rearview mirror saying, that's not where I'm at anymore. I'm telling you, Christian, as they're about ready to go into battle, what are they doing? They're praising God. I don't know where you're at this morning, the troubles you're going through. Do you realize that praise is the start of your restoration period? In 1 Thessalonians 5, 18, In Christ Jesus concerning you, many times people say, I don't know what God's will is for my life. Start praising God. That's a general revelation. Start praising God. Maybe when you sit down for dinner, just think about two things, three things, four things, whatever you want that I can just thank God for. What are some things I can be thankful for that happened today? What are some gifts you or I have received from the Lord? What have I been given? Where have these gifts come from? This afternoon we'll talk about reasons for praise, but I'm telling you, Christian, this is rich, rich material. Lord, give me eyes to behold and lips to praise. Give me eyes to behold your wonders. Give me lips to praise your loving kindness. Christian, I feel very unworthy as I struggle in my own life on things at times, and God has to correct me. Man, this was unbelievable. If they're going into battle, they're praising God. If they're dedicating a building, they're praising God. If they're living their daily life, they're praising God. In everything, give thanks. Because Christian, I forget whom I've been delivered from, Satan. I forget from where I've come, from the power of sin that was destroying my life and yours. And there is a God in heaven that loves you, unbelievably loves you. I don't know what your life was like prior to accepting Christ as your Savior, if you're saved this morning. But there ought not to ever be a time in our life where I can't give thanks. And I know we all go through hard times, and I understand that. I don't want to stay down. What is it that brings me up? I began to just think on what God has given in his loving kindness. Sure, you might come back to a ruined homeland. You might come back to a ruined place. But by God's grace, he'll restore it. He'll renew it. He'll refresh it. And he'll refresh you. We're gonna have a time of invitation this morning. The song is 262, Trusting Jesus, That Is All. It's there in your blue hymn book. But as we just, I just wanna give you some time to just pray and talk with God. Number one, can you give me a time, a day, or a season in your life you knew you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior? You realize that he was the only gift, he was the only one with whom you've truly offended. you ask him to forgive you and be your Savior. Can you tell me a time? Can you give me a Bible reason you know that you're a child of God? If you can, I'd love to show you. Number two, if you're a Christian, can you say, God give me eyes to behold and lips to praise you? Can you say that with the genuineness, authenticity of your heart? Give me eyes to behold and lips to praise you. As we come to this invitation time, as the music will play, I just want to give you some time to pray and just talk with God. Bare your heart. Pour out your heart. If you need to kneel in your pew, you're welcome to do that. If you just want to sit where you're sitting, that's fine. If you want to come up here and kneel up front, you're welcome. Whatever God does in your heart, I want you to just follow and listen in obedience. As the music plays, I trust you just take some time to talk with the Lord. So with heads bowed and eyes closed, just take some time to talk with God. Trusting through a stormy way, and even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all. Lord, please give me eyes to behold and lips to praise. May that be true of every one of us from the deepest recesses of our heart. While he leads, I cannot fall, trusting Jesus. That is all. If you'd like to sing and you're done praying, feel free to keep praying if you're done. We're going to sing the fourth verse and then we'll sing the first one. while life shall last. Trusting Him till earth be passed, till within the Jasper wall. Trusting Jesus, that is all. Trusting as the moments fly, ♪ Trusting as the days go by ♪ ♪ Trusting him whatever may fall ♪ ♪ Trusting Jesus that is all ♪ On the first verse. ♪ Simply trusting every day ♪ ♪ Trusting through a stormy day ♪ Even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all. Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by, trusting Him whate'er befall, trusting Jesus, that is all. Father, we thank you for this morning. I thank you for the great, wonderful message from your precious Word. Many times we return to seasons of life to find a mess. And Lord, we'll give you thanks. We'll give you thanks for those lonely times because it is then that we realize of the goodness of God, the loving kindness. Father, give us eyes to behold and lips to praise. Fathers, we come to our time of thanksgiving. Lord, I thank you for each and every person that prepared the food, the sacrifice of time and finances, the labors. Lord, may we have a wonderful time together with each other. Thank you for each and every precious person that's here this day. They've seen fit to come with the desire to worship you. Thank you for that. Lord, give us hearts that are sensitive, eyes that are observant, of all that you have given us in great responsibility. I love you. Thank you for the help to preach. Thank you for the power from your precious word. And Lord, I pray that you'd bless the food to our bodies when it's ready. Thank you for loving us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. All right.