Help for the Fainting - Part 2 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! Thou the rays of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace! This is LeSaire Bradley Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. O once I had a glorious view of my redeeming Lord.

He said, I'll be a God to you, and thou I believed his word. But now I have a deeper stroke than all my groanings are. My God hath made a plate, for Sookie's gone, I know not where. O what immortal joys I felt on that celestial day, when my hard heart began to melt, my love dissolved away. But my complaint is bitter now, for all my joys are gone. I've strayed and bled, I know not how the lights from me withdraw. Once I rejoiced the saints to me, to me they were most dear. I then could stoop to watch their feet and shed a joyful tear. But now I meet them as the rest, and with them joyless stay.

My conversation, spiritless or else I'd naught to say. I forward go in duty's way, but can't foresee him there. Then backward on the road I stray, but cannot find him there. On the left hand where he doth work, among the wicked crew.

And on the right I find him not among the favored few. What shall I do? Shall I lie down and sink in deep despair? Will he forever wear a crown or hear my feeble prayer?

No, he will put his strength in me, he knows the way I stroll. And when I try sufficiently, I shall come forth as gold. I want to remind you that our broadcast is listener supported. And so we hope that if you're able to assist us at this time, you will do so. You can go to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org and make a donation there.

Or write us at Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, that shadows of dry thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths of his love, and covers me there with his hand.

And covers me there with his hand. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, he taketh my burden away. He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved. He giveth me strength as my day. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, that shadows of dry thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths of his love, and covers me there with his hand. With the world's blessings, each moment he crowds, and filled with his moments divine.

I sing in my rapture, oh glory to God, for such a Redeemer as mine. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, that shadows of dry thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths of his love, and covers me there with his hand.

And covers me there with his hand. We continue the message today entitled, Help for the Fainting. The text is Isaiah chapter 40 beginning with the 27th verse, and I will read the text once more. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest O 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 increaseth 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. In the first part of this message we have talked at length about some of the things that bring us to that point of feeling faint, feeling ready to give up.

And we will continue there today and go on to talk about the help that is provided for us. And then if you come back, just because of plain overall discouragement, just go down the list of all the things that are perplexing you. Things that you've tried to repair, things, situations, relationships that you've tried to fix and get back in order, and you just say, what's the use? Galatians 6, 9 says, And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. So if you're doing the right thing, if you're serving God, if you're ministering in His kingdom, if you're sowing the seed and you haven't seen anything come up recently, you don't give up. Be not weary in well-doing, because you will eventually reap. You may not see all the harvest, but you will reap if you faint not.

If you faint, if you pitch in the towel, if you give up, you're not going to see the positive results. And then we see here help provided. Verse 26 of Isaiah 40, Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created all these things that bringeth out their hosts by number, he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might. For that he is strong in power, not one faileth.

Here's where we get our help. God says, I'm going to give you strength. I'm going to give you power so that you will not faint. So He says, Lift up your eyes, behold, who hath created all these things. I just am continually amazed at the creation of God. His creation displays His power, His majesty. I'm eating breakfast on my porch, and I just watch a bumblebee busy at work going from one flower to the next.

Or see these little birds that come and participate, little hummingbirds just dart in and out. I just think of all the birds and the animals, some of which like to come eat our flowers, and all of the amazing things that are part of God's creation, how intricate the human body is. You just think, how could anybody ever say, I just don't believe there is a God? There's clear evidence in what He has created that He has not only made it all, but upholds it all by the word of His power. So it says, take note of God's creation. By the greatness of His might, He has done it all. He is strong in power. He does not fail. Verse 28, Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the end of the earth, faileth not, neither is weary? God doesn't get tired. God doesn't faint. God doesn't have to remove Himself from active duty for a while, and then we wonder, how are we going to make it? God is on the throne every day, day in and day out.

He is there doing what is His pleasure to the glory of His name for the benefit of His people. He's the Creator, the Creator of the end of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary, and there's no searching of His understanding. Now look at the things that are stated about God just in this passage.

He's the Creator, He has great power, He's strong in power, He's the everlasting God, He does not faint, He is not weary. You think about the everlasting God, how we talk a lot about things that happened before the foundation of the world, of God choosing a people and predestinating them, all of those things we could talk about. But then you go back to that and say God has always been. Everything we know has a starting place. So you think, there never, never has been a time that God did not exist. I don't know about you, but I can't adequately wrap my mind around that.

It's just phenomenal, it's just beyond us. God has always been and always will be. And so we trust in the everlasting God. Surely that gives us confidence, confidence to trust in Him completely, to know that He can rescue us from our fainting fits. And then it says He gives power and increases strength. Not only is He powerful, so we know that the source of the help we need is adequate, but He's going to give us a certain amount of power.

He's going to increase our strength. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4-13, I can do all things how? Not just by gritting my teeth, digging my heels in, saying I'm going to make it, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

Do you ever get to a place in life, you just look at everything that's immediately in front of you and say, I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I don't have the physical strength, I don't have the mental stamina, I don't have the spiritual strength I ought to have, how am I going to make it? And then this text can come to your mind. I can do all things, all things that are good, godly, worthwhile, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. And then Paul further says in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9, when he had asked the Lord to remove the foreign and the flesh, he says, my grace, this is God's answer, my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness. So even though you are weak, my strength is displayed in your weakness. So Paul says, most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and necessities and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake, for when I'm weak, then am I strong.

Now you know that's the exact opposite of the way the world thinks. The world says if you're strong, you're strong. If you're strong, you need to get stronger. You need to run, work out, do whatever it is, build your muscles, be stronger. Paul says, when I'm weak, then am I strong?

What's he talking about? When we reach the place that we acknowledge, Lord, I don't have the strength, I don't have the wisdom, I don't have what I need, but I know you have it all. In my weakness, I come to you, come to you depending on your grace, your mercy, the strength that you have promised to give. So then the question arises, how to move forward with the strength when it is renewed? He says he's going to renew our strength, he's going to give us strength, he's going to give us power. Well, first of all, you have to recognize that strength is not provided so you can rest and get out of the line of duty. I didn't give you the strength to say, I know you're tired, so I'm going to give you a temporary discharge for my service and you just take it easy.

That's not what it's about. You're given strength so you can run the race, so you can fight the battle, so you can successfully wrestle with the enemy. You wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual wickedness in high places.

The strength is used in blessed activity. It says you will mount up with wings as eagles. There are three different categories here, so it doesn't indicate that every time strength is given, every time God delivers you in a difficult situation that you're going to soar like an eagle, but there are times that occurs where you just are blessed spiritually to fly above whatever that weight has been that was pushing you down. You stand amazed at it.

You say, I can't believe how quickly this transformation has come. I was down deep in the dark place, and right now I'm rejoicing in the Lord, and even though the circumstances have not changed, I've risen above them. Blesses us to mount up with wings as eagles and to run and not be weary. It felt like I can't run anymore. I'm tired. I've been in this race a long time.

In their place, you can finally say, okay, time for me to sit down. I'm not going to run this race anymore. But it says it's going to give you the strength so you can run the race and not be weary. But you don't run all the time. Sometimes you're walking, but you're still moving. Walk and not faint.

Go along at a steady pace, not giving up, not fainting. So when the strength is given by God, the power that he has, these press toward heaven, moving forward, not stopping, not complaining, not giving up, but move on, walking, running, joyfully in the way of God's commandments. Where there may have been complaint even like that major complaint that Jonah gave, there may have been some incorrect conclusions to think, well, the mercy of the Lord is clean, gone forever. God doesn't hear me anymore. But at this juncture with the strength and the grace that God has given you, you're joyfully serving.

You're not complaining. You're not focusing on the problems or even on your own weakness because you've turned that over to the Lord. You found courage when you read that God has chosen the weak things to confound the mighty. You say, well, Lord, I'd at least qualify for that.

I may miss the mark on a lot of things, but if you've been pleased to choose the weak, I'm available and I want to be used to your glory. Furthermore, we are to be diligent in prayer. In Luke chapter 18 verse 1, And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. And he talked about the woman that goes to the unjust judge and says, Sir, avenge me my adversary. And she wouldn't take no for an answer. She kept coming back, coming back, coming back. And finally he said, I'll just grant the request I'm tired of hearing from this woman. I want to get rid of her. Well, you might say that's a strange lesson, is it not?

No, look at the contrast. She was talking to an unjust judge who didn't care anything about her. When you make your request known, you're talking to your Heavenly Father that loves you. You're part of his family.

He's interested in every detail of your life. So that parable is to encourage us to be diligent and faithful in prayer at all times. Men ought always to pray and not to faint. And then it's important that you maintain the right spiritual diet. That you got to eat the right thing and, well, really eat it at the right time. When I was younger, I went through a period in my life where if I didn't eat on schedule, I got the shakes. I just wasn't pretending trying to get the cook to hurry up. It was just a fact that if I didn't eat soon, I felt like I was going to faint.

I never did totally pass out, but I felt like it was going to happen. Well, it's important that we eat a healthy diet. Not only the physical food to nourish our bodies, but the spiritual food to nourish our soul.

Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 4, verse 4, he answered and said, this is his reply to Satan when Satan was tempting him in the wilderness. He said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Now feeding on the wrong thing can make you unhealthy physically and spiritually.

Feeding on the wrong thing can cause you to faint. Feeding on the word of God can make you strong. Strong in the faith, build you up, give you the courage, the hope, the peace that you so desperately need. So when God gives you the strength, you don't want to just take it for granted. I'll just turn to him every morning for a new supply of strength.

Yes, he will give the strength needed, but there's some things you're to be doing in the process, diligent in prayer, maintaining the right spiritual diet, and then to keep looking unto Jesus. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. He endured it.

Why? He was looking ahead. Certainly he was not joyous about the horrendous death being nailed to the cross, but he knew what was on the other side.

He was looking forward to that great day when he would stand in the presence of the Father and say, Behold, I and the children which thou hast given me. They're all here. I paid for them. I secured them.

I've kept them. They're all here. So he was despising the shame as he endured the cross because he was looking ahead to the joy that awaited him. And that's something we need to do. We get cast out and discouraged because we're looking at the things that are seen. And Paul enjoins us to look at the things that are not seen by faith. Look to those things that are of God and in heaven itself, where we plan someday to be.

And so now he is set down at the right hand of the throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. Lest ye be wearied and what? Faint in your minds. Lest you become weary. Lest you become faint. Your thoughts are such that you're headed toward a big thing because you're not thinking right. So lest you be weird, discouraged, ready to give up, faint in your mind.

What did you do? Looking unto Jesus. Oh, what encouragement, what strength we get by looking to him and depending upon him and communing with him and having fellowship with him. If I'm speaking to somebody today who feels to be fainting, discouraged, may feel hopeless, I point you to the one who has all power and who delights to hear the cry of those that are in great need. And then somebody today may feel faint, discouraged about your own salvation. You've been waiting for a feeling. You wanted to have some kind of impressive experience that would satisfy your own mind and convince others. But I urge you today, look to Jesus.

Don't be depending on how you feel and how you would like for all of this to sort out. Hear what Jesus said in John chapter three, verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so much the son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Just as Moses lifted up that serpent and those who were bitten by serpents looked upon it. Jesus says in like manner, the son of man is going to be lifted up.

He was. He was lifted up on the cross. He says the one now that believes in him. Look, look to Jesus, look to him. He says this one shall not perish, but have eternal life. See, there's hope for those who feel faint because our strength, our hope, our help is in our God, who is a God of great power.

I've no cause for worry or for fear. He who's heart is guide beyond all measure gives unto each day what he deems best. Loving thee is part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest.

Well, it's an encouraging promise when we read in Isaiah chapter 40 that he gives power to the faint and to them that have no might he increases strength. If you would like to get this complete message on CD, request it when writing us. And until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all.

Amen. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217.

That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Help me then in every tribulation, so to trust thy promises, O Lord, that I lose not faith's sweet consolation. Offer me within thy holy word. Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting. There to take us from the Father's hand. One by one the days the moment's fleeting till I reach the promised land.