Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalms 130:7-8) 

Oh, let every believer in Jesus Christ who is brought into the depths by our sin or by the dark providence of God cry unto the Father in the name of Christ our mediator! Let us confess the holiness of God and our great need for forgiveness — forgiveness that is only found in Jesus Christ. Let us by faith fall at the feet of Christ in whom alone is pardon, forgiveness, and grace to help.

 Then we must by faith in hope wait with endurance in the midst of the depths for God to fulfill all that He has promised to do for us in His word. And here the Holy Spirit gives every struggling believer both wisdom and comfort while in the depths:

1.   Let Israel Hope in the Lord. This is Spiritual Israel whom God promised to save (Romans 9:6-9: Psalm 130:7). You who believe are to hope because you are the chosen elect sons of God. Therefore, no matter our state, stage, or circumstance let us Hope in the LORD.

2. The reason for our hope is because “with Him is Mercy and Plenteous redemption.” Remember the Lord is “very pitiful and of tender mercy.” The Father saw us a far off in our sins and from eternity was full of compassion to put us in Christ. The Son was full of mercy and accomplished our redemption. The Spirit in mercy came to fulfill the purpose of God by applying the redemption of Christ to us. God being full of mercy continually forgives and pardons all our sins (Psalm 86:5;15; 1 John 1:8-10).

3. A gracious promise is given that the LORD shall redeem all Israel from All his iniquities. Here is the comfort of the church in every age that our gospel will be victorious, and God will call ALL those Christ redeemed (Hebrews 10:12-14; John 6:37-40).

Therefore no matter the darkness of our providence or the state in which we find ourselves in this world, let us hope in the Lord! Hope in his mercy and the plenteous redemption of Christ. For God shall save his people and none shall be lost.

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2)

As a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ I will declare the gospel to all who will listen. 

1.      I preach the truth of Man’s total depravity. That man is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins so that he could never please God by his works or come to Christ by his will (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1; Romans 3:10-20; John 6:44).

2.     I preach the truth of God’s sovereign election. That God chose a people before the foundation of the world that He would save and put them in Jesus Christ as their High Priest and surety (Ephesians 1:3-6; Romans 9:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13).

3.     I declare the truth of Jesus perfect and accomplished redemption of all the Father gave to him (Hebrews 10:12-14; John 17:1-2). Jesus our High Priest became a man and accomplished all the righteousness of God by His faith for the elect.  Jesus has by His blood satisfied the Justice of God for all the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:11).

4.      I publish the exceeding great power of the Holy Spirit to give life and faith to all that the Father chose and all the Son redeemed (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 1:13-14;17-19).

And I know the call of the Spirit is effectual (it gets the job done), and all He calls will come to Jesus (John 6:37-40).

5.       I testify that all these objects of God’s free grace who believe on Christ shall be kept by the power of God through faith and none of them shall be lost (1 Peter 1:5).  Redeemed, and called vessels of divine love are always looking and living by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:10).

This is THE gospel.  There is no other gospel but salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone (Galatians 1:6-9). I will tell it to all who will listen, and even when they won’t.  But there is only one type of person, the gospel, is intended for.  It is for sinners.  These elect, redeemed, and called people are sinners.  They are without merit, without righteousness, and without hope.  They are dead, blind, and leprous sinners.  And these alone will hear the gospel, believe the gospel, love the gospel, and support the gospel.  For Jesus only came to save sinners.  Therefore I long to preach to sinners.

-Fred Evans, Pastor of Redeemer’s Grace Church

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Peter 2:7-8)

Many have sought out means by which to determine if a person is saved. Often, the person whose salvation they are trying to prove is themselves. Because those who have been born again by the Spirit of God yet live in a body of flesh, their faith is mixed with unbelief and they are cast into a despairing doubt about the eternal welfare of their souls.  And this despair is only increased if they begin looking for “evidences” in their conduct or feelings, for neither of those things will prove sufficiently good to silence the accusations of a doubting mind. 

            But, one need not live in such a miry place as a doubtful mind. Peter has given us the rule by which anyone’s faith is proven genuine and, thus, saving: What value does that person put on Christ?  And you can know of a certainty where you stand as to the genuineness of your faith: What does Christ mean to you?  What value do you place on Him?  

            Sadly, I have met many professing Christians who seem to have little regard for Christ and their lack of regard to Him is shown in how little they speak of Him.  If you speak to them of religion, they will speak to you about their church or their activities or their daily devotions, and so forth. You could take out the few references to Christ that might be found in their profession and it would not really change the meaning.  It is obvious then that Christ is not precious to them: He is of little or no value.  But to the believer, Christ is not just good; Christ is not just a necessary part, “Christ is all.”  A believer will not part with Christ.  He sees Christ as not only necessary to his salvation, he sees Christ as necessary and sufficient.  Christ is so highly valued by the believer that everything else and everyone else is regarded as rubbish if they threaten his connection to Christ. “I must have Christ, and I am satisfied with Christ.”  You know what Christ means to you.  Is He precious in your sight?  Then you are among the believing.                                                                                        

  – Joe Terrell, Pastor of Grace Community Church, Rock Valley, IA, USA

While the vast majority of religious people throughout the United States and the world are promoting and glorying in a “lesser god or gods,” gods that have desires and plans, but   can   only   fulfill   them   by   man’s permission   and cooperation, I am   so   very   thankful  for   the   one true  and living   God   of   Holy   Scripture,   the   One   who   is  absolutely sovereign over all things. I was by nature spiritually dead, and He gave me life. I was without repentance and faith, and He miraculously worked both in me. I am unable to keep myself from falling, but He keeps me safe under the shadow of His wings. I could never raise my dead body from the grave, but by His almighty power and grace, He will   –   according   to   His promise,   which   by   His   grace   I believe.

Dear   soul,   think   about   it:   if   there   is   one   germ somewhere out there in the universe that is not under His control, then my health, my life, is just a matter of chance or fortune – good or bad!  If there is one demon spirit out there some place that is not under God’s control, then my hope of salvation would dry up like Jonah’s gourd.  I would have no assurance at all, for I have no confidence in me (Phil. 3:3).I am so thankful that when the religious heathen ask me about my God, I can answer with the psalmist, “Our God is in the heavens; he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:2, 3).  It hath pleased Him to save His people (Matt. 1:21); and He shall not fail (Isa. 42:4).  “Salvation” in its entirety, “is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9; Phil. 1:6). The God of the Bible “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” and makes  “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called  according to his purpose” (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:28). I hold onto the Lord as tightly as I can, But my assurance is that I am in His hand! 

-Maurice Montgomery

The preaching of Christ Jesus and Him crucified is hated by this religious world.  But those who believe, and are saved, love it with a perfect love. It is our only hope, our Salvation. If we compromise on this to please the people of our day, we compromise the Gospel, and make the death of our Lord Jesus Christ of none effect.  We have no Salvation.  We have no hope.  We will stand before a thrice Holy God with a hope only in what we can do to satisfy His justice.  We will be obligated to pay our sin debt with the works of the flesh, while the Scriptures declare that, “By the works of the flesh shall no man be justified in His sight.”  What hope is there in this?  None whatsoever.                                                                            

 -Unknown

Without a doubt a world-crisis is at hand, and everywhere men are alarmed. But God is not! He is never taken by surprise. It is no unexpected emergency which now confronts Him, for He is the One who “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1v11). Hence, though the world is panic-stricken, the word to the believer is, “Fear not”! “All things” are subject to His immediate control: “all things” are moving in accord with His eternal purpose, and therefore, “all things” are “working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” It must be so, for “of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things” (Romans 11v36). Yet how little is this realized today even by the people of God! Many suppose that He is little more than a far-distant Spectator, taking no immediate hand in the affairs of earth. It is true that man has a will, but so also has God. It is true that man is endowed with power, but God is all-powerful. It is true that, speaking generally, the material world is regulated by law, but behind that law is the law-Giver and law-Administrator. Man is but the creature. God is the Creator, and endless ages before man first saw the light “the mighty God” (Isaiah 9v6) existed, and ere the world was founded, made His plans; and being infinite in power and man only finite, His purpose and plan cannot be withstood or thwarted by the creatures of His own hands.

-A.W. Pink (written in 1930)

Man’s will has never determined one single event in the world’s history and never will. God’s will alone determines events and brings them to pass. It is true that men do act according to their choice, will, intellect and reason, but this is not the whole truth. The whole truth is that every event, circumstance, opportunity, happening and thought, whether good or bad, that influences and motivated man’s choice is foreordained of God. Sovereignty is the prerogative of God alone. Man is God’s creature. All created things are totally dependent upon and absolutely subject to their Creator’s will. If God is the Creator of this universe, He is sovereign over it; and if He is not sovereign over the universe, He is not its Creator.

This truth is self-evident to all honest minds. To deny God as sovereign is to deny Him as Father. To deny Him as Father is to deny Him as Saviour. The denial of God’s sovereignty is in essence and fact the complete denial of God. To deny God is to proclaim the utterly unbelievable and absolutely impossible absurdity that man made himself; and that he came from nowhere and goes nowhere; that he lives and dies without purpose or reason; and, that his thoughts and actions have no meaning whatsoever. To deny God is to proclaim the theory that the universe is without cause, reason, purpose, meaning, destiny or hope.

The sovereignty of God is absolute. To acknowledge this truth is at once to acknowledge that God has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass; that nothing else can come to pass; that predestination is a fact; that God does rule in the kingdoms of men; that all human ties, bonds and relationships are divinely appointed and formed; that salvation rests solely, fully and only in God’s election; that salvation is by God’s grace and His grace alone; and that no part of man’s salvation is of himself either in origin or execution. Where men get the idea that man’s will is the all-determining factor or moving cause of his salvation is hard to see. Certainly they do not get it from the Bible. “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13). Any sermon that does not have Christ in the beginning, the middle, and the end is a mistake in conception and crime in execution.

-Scott Richardson

Our Lord has many weak children in his family, many dull pupils in his school, many raw soldiers in his army, many lame sheep in his flock. Yet He bears with them all, and casts none away. Happy is that Christian who has learned to do likewise with his brethren.

-J.C Ryle

. . . and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

Here is sovereign grace, “I will send down showers.” Is it not sovereign, divine mercy — for who can say, “I will send down showers,” except God? There is only one voice which can speak to the clouds, and bid them beget the rain, “Who sends down the rain upon the earth? Who scatters the showers upon the green herb? Do not I, the Lord?” Grace is the gift of God –and is not to be created by man.

It is also needed grace. What would the ground do without showers? You may break the clods, you may sow your seeds — but what can you do without the rain? As absolutely needful, is the divine blessing. In vain you labor — until God bestows the plenteous shower, and sends the needed grace down!

Then, it is plenteous grace. “I will send down showers.” It does not say, “I will send them drops,” but “showers.” So it is with grace. If God gives a blessing, He usually gives it in such a measure that there is not room enough to receive it. Plenteous grace! Ah! we need plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us prayerful, to make us holy, to make us zealous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in heaven!
We cannot do without saturating showers of grace!

Again, it is seasonable grace. “I will send down showers in season.” What is your season this morning? Is it the season of drought? Then that is the season for showers. Is it a season of great heaviness and black clouds? Then that is the season for showers. “I will send down showers in season.”

And here is a varied grace. “I will give you showers of blessing.” The word is in the plural. All kinds of blessings God will send. All God’s blessings go together, like links in a golden chain. If He gives converting grace, He will also give comforting grace. He will send “showers of blessing.” Look up today, O parched plant — and open your leaves and flowers for a heavenly watering!

C.H Spurgeon

. . . he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom . . . Isaiah 40:11

Who is He of whom such gracious words are spoken? He is the Good Shepherd. Why does He carry the lambs in His bosom? Because He has a tender heart, and any weakness at once melts His heart. The sighs, the ignorance, the feebleness of the little ones of His flock — draw forth His compassion. He purchased them with blood, they are His property — He must and will care for that which cost Him so dear.

Here is boundless affection. Would He put them in His bosom — if He did not love them much?  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.  (Jeremiah 31:3)

Here is tender nearness — so near are they, that they could not possibly be nearer.  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.  (John 14:20)

Here is hallowed familiarity — there are precious love-passages between Christ and His weak ones.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  (John 10:27)

Here is perfect safety — in His bosom, who can hurt them? They must hurt the Shepherd first.  The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.  (Proverbs 18:10)

Here is perfect rest and sweetest comfort.  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (Matthew 11:28)

Surely we are not sufficiently sensible of the infinite tenderness of Jesus!

-C.H Spurgeon