Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Isaiah chapter 40 Comfort ye my people, saith your God, Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, For she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness.
Prepare ye the way of the Lord makes great in the dead.
A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
And the voice said, cry, And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.
Surely the people is grass.
Grass, the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever.
Hosea, and that bring us good tidings. Get thee up unto the high mountain, O Jerusalem, that bring us good tidings. Lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God, Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.
Because his reward is with him and his work before him, he shall feed.
His flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
And passing over to the end of the chapter.
27th verse Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest thou Israel? My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God.
Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding.
He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.
Her brother read this passage to us the other day, at least part of it, and as we read from the first verse, and then the second, it might seem very difficult for us to understand when it says comfort, and then it says her warfare is accomplished, her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
He might say, well, what comfort is there?
In a message like that, well, I believe, brethren, there's something very instructive for my soul and I trust for each one of us. It's amazing how much confidence we have in the flesh. It's amazing how much we think that we can accomplish things by our own wisdom and strength. And I believe God is passing us through things all our lives, individually and collectively.
To teach us the lesson that is brought out in this verse.
And sometimes he has to pass us through. We don't learn the lesson the first time, so it has to be doubled. We have to go through things over and over again. And what is God really teaching us?
I've often said the Bible is the history of two men, the first man a total ruin, and the second man the Lord from heaven. And oh how slow we are to learn this lesson that is brought out in this chapter. All flesh is as grass to learn that lesson that the flesh profiteth nothing. And I believe that we can say that we are never really comforted until in some measure we have learned.
That lesson, Heavenly all relied on an arm of flesh. We thought that we could work our way through a difficulty. Or perhaps we relied on someone else who we thought could work his way or her way for us. And then we were disappointed. We didn't get any comfort because the plan didn't work. And the Lord seemed to show us that it was.
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Not accomplishing what we had hoped that it would accomplish. But what was he trying to?
To teach us he was trying to teach us that all flashes of grass and brethren, I believe that this is a very important lesson for us individually and collectively. And that is, let me say again that verse spoken by the Lord Jesus. The flesh profiteth nothing. And there may be some here and you're going through deep trials and you're perhaps saying, well, why the Lord seems to be doubling things in my life.
Life, I don't really find much comfort, nothing but trouble. But if it these trials and these difficulties teach us to learn more and more, yeah, totally upon him. Then we learn the true secret of comfort. Because he will never disappoint us. But we're going to be disappointed every time we put confidence in the flesh, every time we expect something from the flesh, whether in ourselves or in someone else.
Else the psalmist said, I have seen an end of all perfection, and if you expected to find perfection in some brother and sister, if you haven't already been disappointed, you're going to be, because that's the way it is with what we are in ourselves. We have to come to that point. And so when we have perhaps in some measure learned this lesson, then we hear this beautiful third verse.
Prepare you the way.
Of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. We know that this was quoted by John the Baptist when he came and announced the coming of the Lord Jesus, the one who was going to come into this world and mark out a path in which he perfectly glorified God. You know how lovely it is. There has been a path prepared.
Someone has said God has a path through this world where Satan cannot.
Not touch us. That's the path in which the Lord Jesus walked. You know you and I willing to, as it says here, prepare the way of the Lord, a path in which self and the flesh has no place, but where the Lord Jesus is everything. That's the path of comfort. That's the path of happiness and blessing and then what about the valleys and the.
Hills. Well, it says every.
Valley shall be exalted in every mountain, and hill shall be made low.
Those valley experiences, those places where we seem so down, when we have in some measure learned this, then we say that was well worthwhile. That valley experience is an exalted thing in your mind because you say the Lord taught me something. I was really relying on myself, or I was relying on some brother only to be.
Disappointed.
But that that lesson becomes profitable. And so the valley is exalted, and the hill tells us in the Psalms, I will lift up my eyes unto the hills. That's he's saying that he's going to look for help from that which was higher than himself. And then he answers the question and says, I will look for salvation from the hills, from whence cometh.
My health, my health cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. In other words, brethren, we need to lift our eyes higher than the hills. Do you see someone that you think is, shall I say, a bit above yourself so that person can help you? Or you can climb up and get a little higher and then you can accomplish things. Well, God has to bring down the hills. He has to bring them down so that everything in which we might rely.
Only has brought down, and the glory of the Lord is revealed. And those crooked places in life, they're made straight. And the Lord allows us to go through even those crooked places in order that we might realize that we cannot make a straight path for ourselves through this world. But I say again, there is one who did make a straight path through this world.
There's one who perfectly glorified.
God in every step of his pathway, and if your eyes and mine are fastened upon Him, we're not going to be disappointed because He has marked out the path for us. He Himself is the secret of godliness. He set before us in Hebrews chapter 12. After recounting many who had walked in the path of faith in the 11TH of Hebrews, he says in the 12TH chapter.
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Looking unto Jesus, the beginning.
Winner and finisher of the path of faith. There was one that we need to look to. You may see acts of faith in another believer and the scripture says whose faith follows. You can be encouraged by it, but don't look to that person. Look to the Lord Jesus. You will not be disappointed in him. He's altogether lovely, His pathway in every situation.
Was he grieved? Did people understand him?
Did they appreciate Him? All we know those experiences of His blessed pathway here misunderstood by His disciples, rebuked by one of His own disciples because Peter didn't understand what the Lord was doing, Forsaken in His time of need by the disciples, but having loved His own, which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.
And so it says, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. That's what it's going to be in a coming day, when the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day when every voice in heaven and earth will give to him his rightful place. But there's a comfort in a world full of confusion and sin, a world full of crooked paths.
And things that are exalted that shouldn't be. And then perhaps in the valley, disappointed, there's a path through this world. But we looked on to a time when all will come to its glorious end. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed when everything in that place, as one is often said, just to think of being in a place where you'll never have to say no to anything. You'll never have to ask, what shall I do today? You'll never have.
To feel that there's anything within or around to grieve, as a little hymn says. To look within and see no stain abroad, No curse to trace, to shed no tears, to feel no pain, but see thee face to face. Well, that's what he's saying. And so the voice said cry. Well, what was the voice? What was he to cry?
All fleshes was grass. Not a very comforting message for the natural heart.
In other words, if you're looking for something from man, it's going to be a disappointment. Did you ever think of how?
In that occasion in the 6th chapter of John, it says many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. And Jesus said to the 12 he said, will ye also go away? And Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe in our sure that thou art the Christ that should come into the world.
Didn't that sound like a lovely answer that Peter gave on that occasion? But the.
Lord's answer was this.
Have not I chosen you? 12 and one of you is a devil? Why didn't the Lord speak a word of encouragement when Peter said that? It sounded so nice that he should say, Lord, to whom shall we go? But I believe that when the Lord said that, he was really just saying to Peter, Well, Peter, if you're here because I'm here.
Then don't get your eyes on the crowd because there's another disappointment.
Ahead for you and brethren, I think we all need to learn that lesson and that is that the Lord teaches us. I trust why are we here? Why are we gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus? Why have we taken this place in I trust obedience to his word was our desire.
Well, the Lord tests us because disappointments come and you hear Christians say, oh, I just can't stand it any longer. Well, the Lord said, Peter, you're going to be tested about why you're here, and that is you're going to be disappointed. Judas was among the numbers. And so if we have our eyes upon man, we're going to be disappointed. But if we have our eyes on the Lord, we will not be disappointed. He's altogether lovely. He's perfect.
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The glory of the Lord was perfectly revealed in Him. What a comfort it is when we come to the end of self. I know that we don't fully in this world, but that's what God is working in US and for us.
And then it says.
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever. Have we got something that abides? We're living in days of change. Everything seems to be falling. Have we got something that doesn't change, Something that's abiding? Jesus said heaven and earth shall pass away.
But my word shall not pass away. We have something.
Brethren, that abides. We have something that is going to abide. And so it says here, if everything in connection with man just Withers and fails, we still have this blessed book.
When Paul was leaving the elders at Ephesus, he had to warn them that they were going to be a lot of problems arise from without and from within. But he said I commend you to God and to the word of his grace. What a what a resource they had, no matter how dark today.
And then it's lovely here in the 9th, 10th and 11TH verses, what he says. 0 Zion that bring us good tidings.
And then it says in the end of that verse.
Lift up thy voice with strength lifted up, be not afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God, Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.
Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him.
Well, we love to see in this little passage looking on to a brighter day. There's a wonderful day yet ahead for that city of Jerusalem. What is it today? Oh, it's the center of trouble for the whole world. But what's ahead for that city, The city of the great king, the place that it says in the 60th of Isaiah, arise, shine, for thy light is come, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon me. There's a glorious day ahead.
For that city, and so tells us here that he'll come with a strong hand, and his arms shall rule. We're encouraged to look on here. And then isn't this beautiful here? It says his reward is with him.
You say it's not worthwhile. Nobody appreciates what I do. I've tried so hard and no one even seems to notice it or says anything. Oh, the Lord has a book of remembrance.
When you even think upon his name and when he comes, he's so anxious to reward poor feeling things like us that he brings his reward with him. You know, he just wants to tell us how much he appreciates any feeble effort put forth on our part to do something for him. He's going to come and his reward is with him.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Well, this is a lovely encouragement for parents, isn't it?
It's a similar thought to what we have in that 45th sum. In that 45th sum it says, instead of thy father shall be thy children, whom thou mayest made Princess in all the earth. In other words, in dark and difficult days, you say, well, what is there for young people? The world is in such a sad state, hard for them to get jobs. Everything is so upset and confused, and there's troubles in so many assemblies.
Say what is there for the young people? There's a person and that person carries them. He's willing to take them up in his arms and carry them. If we're going to depend upon man, we're going to be disappointed. That other person that they look to and you thought he'd be a help to them or she'd be a help wasn't turned out to be a disappointment that the Lord is not a disappointment. He can carry the lamb in his bosom. He can carry them in his arms. He can.
Take care of us even in difficult days. And I like to think about that verse where it says instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, that when they think of the difficult days, what the answer the Spirit of God is, oh, your children are living in the probably the most glorious days that they could live in in Israel's history because the Kingdom age is just about to break up and there are children going through all the persecutions and troubles of the tribulation.
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Have the brightest future of all in the whole history of Israel. And you know, brethren, we may be going through difficult times, but isn't it lovely to think that our dear children may be the ones living in the generation when Jesus comes? What an encouragement, what a thing that we can set before them. It's not all dark. The world may say, well, everything's dark ahead. The economy is going to collapse, everything's going to go. But that's all for the Christian. There's a bright future.
And there's a bright future for young people.
And that is that when the Lord has his rightful place. What a privilege to live perhaps in that very generation when the Lord Jesus comes.
Well, I didn't read the intervening verses, but I think we're acquainted with them. The power of this one. He, he measures things it says here.
In the.
In the 12TH verse, measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, meets out the heavens with a span, and comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure weighed the mountains in scales and the hills and the balance. In other words, things that seem great to us, they're small to God. He measures the waters in the hall of his hand, meets out the heavens above us with a span. What a great God we trust in what a great.
God we have to turn to, we can safely confide in him. And so in the end of the chapter, in the verses that I read there, he says, are you saying that your way is hid from the Lord, this great God who knows everything and who is working out his own purposes in his people for his own glory and for blessing, and he doesn't understand what you're going through.
Sometimes we say.
In ourselves, nobody understands and the Prophet takes it up and he says.
You think the Lord doesn't understand? Do you think your way is hid from the Lord? The one who is so great and measures the heavens with a span and knows all these things? Is it hid from the Lord?
And so he goes on there and says, hast thou not known, hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. We faint, we, we get pretty discouraged at times. Over and over again we hear Christians say, Oh, I get so discouraged. My job is difficult. Home situations are difficult.
The assembly is having problems.
I guess so discouraged, but it says here this one fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching to his understanding He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might He increases strength because that's the lesson he's trying to show us that we thought we could handle difficulties, we thought we could meet them, and the Lord had to pass us through all kinds of deep waters and hard things. But for.
To teach us that all fleshes of grass, that the only comfort was to come to the end of ourselves and realize that every resource is in him and in Him only. And so he goes on to say.
Even the use that's natural energy shall faint and be weary. The young men shall utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
Is not a lovely expression. Renew their strength because the Lord doesn't give grace for tomorrow until tomorrow comes.
But when tomorrow comes, then he renews your strength, He gives you the strength that you need for the circumstances of the day. And so each day he renews our strength. All perhaps we might say, but I just can't get above the difficulties. Well, He can enable us to get above the difficulties, but it says they shall mount up with wings as eagles that's getting above them. And then it says they shall run and not be.
Me, He didn't get quite get above them, if I can use the expression, He didn't quite, quite get above them. But the Lord kept you from giving up running that path of faith, and so He didn't enable you perhaps to rise up above it, or at least it didn't do that. He was willing to enable us.
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But he at least gives the strength to run. And sometimes we feel this like that. Oh, I just can't get above it. But the Lord's giving me the grace just to run along. You say I get pretty slowed down. Yes, if you stop running, just keep on walking. Don't give up. That's the important thing that he's bringing before US1 Time Moses was awfully discouraged because the people's focus stoning him and he went to the Lord and said Lord.
What shall I do? This people are ready to stone me. And the Lord said, go on before the people, go on before the people. And he said, if you do, then I'll use you to bring water for them so that they'll get refreshment. Well, may the Lord encourage us brethren to go on. These are difficult days. But this verse is no contradiction about comfort. It's the greatest comfort possible in our life.
To come to that point when we realize that all human resources fail, thought the Lord Never.