Satisfaction in Difficult Times - Part 2 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! Thou thorns of my God and King, thou triumphs of his grace! This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Praise him! Praise him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O Earth, his wonderful love proclaim! Hail him! Hail him!

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All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me! Today we bring you the second part of a message that was delivered at Grace Primitive Baptist Church, Pearl, Mississippi, June 4, 2022. The title of the message, Satisfaction in Difficult Times. The text is Isaiah 58, verse 11. And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.

Our soul must be satisfied in the Lord and not in the circumstances of the day. We're satisfied with the Lord because He is the same. Hebrews 13, 8 says, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Everything else is changing.

We're changing, other people are changing, the circumstances of life are changing. Jesus Christ is the same, still one upon whom we can rely, to whom we can turn, and His promise is, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Satisfied with Jesus, satisfied because of the forgiveness of sins. Psalm 102, verse 10, He hath not dealt with us after our sins.

That's good news, isn't it? If we see ourselves, we know if God dealt with us according to our sins, without any mercy, without any grace, we'd be in hell right now. But He has not dealt with us after our sins, nor regarded us according to our iniquities, for as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. That's a lot of mercy, mercy above the heavens, as far as the east is from the west. So far hath He removed our transgressions from us, like as a father pitieth his children.

So the Lord pitieth them that fear Him, for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust. I'm just reading a passage like that. You may be in the dark, you may be down and out, but you read that, and that ought to give you some satisfaction. Sometimes I've heard people say, Well, I tell you, I just want to get my fair share. I just want to get what's coming to me.

Well, I tell you, I don't. I'm hoping for a lot better than what I deserve and what I would normally have coming to me. I'm looking to the mercy of God, the grace of God, and I love that passage in the Psalms where it says that His mercy goes unto the heavens. That's a lot of mercy between earth and heaven, and you've used up a lot of it, but it's still there. Still an abundance of mercy upon which you can rely. You're satisfied because of His love and grace, which is a remarkable thing that we ought to just be amazed about every day, not just when we sing Amazing Grace, but every time we think about it. It says in John 3, 1, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God.

Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew Him not. Ever have a time where you're just full of self-pity? You're just down and out. Nothing's going right. Everything's falling apart.

You just feel desperately discouraged. Read a verse like this. What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God?

Why should we, as fallen, ruined sinners, occupy such a marvelous position? Be called the sons of God, and call Him our Heavenly Father, satisfied because of His promises. Hebrews 10, 23, Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promise. The Bible is full of promises, multitudes of them in the Old Testament, many in the New Testament, upon which we can rely every day that we live with absolute knowledge that when God makes a promise, it's as good as done. It's not a question that you may say, Well, God may change His mind, or I'm going to have a right to be angry at God down the path.

No. He says, Hold on to your profession because God's promises do not fail. Satisfied with Jesus. Paul says in Philippians 3, 12, Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend, that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. He had been apprehended. The Lord conquered him. The Lord brought him down on the Damascus road, transformed him, made him a new creature in Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So when you read that passage, you learn two things. He was dissatisfied with himself. He wasn't accepting the status quo.

He was pressing toward the mark, but he was satisfied with Jesus. And I hope that's the testimony of all of you here today. I'm dissatisfied with myself. I've still got a way to go. I've got much to learn. I've got much progress to make. But I'm satisfied with Jesus. Never have been disappointed in him.

He has kept every promise that he has ever made. And then there is spiritual prosperity. Not just getting through, but spiritual prosperity that's promised in this text.

He says, I will make fat by bones. Now this speaks of spiritual health and strength. On the other hand, in Scripture, weak bones, broken bones, speak of deep spiritual need. David prayed in Psalm 51, 8, make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Because of his great sin, because he was confronted with that sin, he felt like his very bones were broken.

And that speaks of a difficult, dark time. Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3, verse 4, he hath broken my bones. But our text in Isaiah is talking about the fact he's going to make fat your bones. That is, bones that are healthy.

Bones that can stand the test. Not cave in when discouragement comes. Not be ready to say, I've had it. I give up.

I can't take anymore. Your bones are going to be strong. You can stand firm against the attacks of the enemy. And so there is strength that he gives us.

Strength in his promises. Here's one, Isaiah 58, verse 9. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Then shalt you cry, and he shall say, Here I am. Have you had a few times you prayed and you felt like, I don't believe the Lord heard me at all. I just don't even know if I know how to pray. But how wonderful to be able to call on the Lord. And the Lord says, Here I am.

I'm available. I'm listening to you. I'm hearing your cry. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and the speaking of vanity. So just as the first part of that chapter contains several calls to turn from sin, even this promise that God will hear contains this. Put away the putting forth of the finger. That seems to represent an attitude of criticism and judgment and a farcical attitude toward others.

Quit putting forth the finger of accusation and criticism. And when you call, I will hear you. Proverbs 15, 30 says, The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart, and a good report maketh the bones fat. Well, a good report is the gospel truth. The gospel is great news. It's an encouragement to us.

And so when that report is given, it rejoices the heart and it makes fat the bones. So if you want to have strong bones, if you want to be able to stand firm in the trials of life, you feed upon the gospel over and over again. It's a message that never wears out. You've heard it time and time again. But when the Lord blesses you to hear it once more, touches your heart, opens your eyes, you rejoice in it.

So I've heard that text many times, but hearing it one more time is a source of comfort and joy to me. And then it says it's like a watered garden. A garden without water, as we've already said, is barren.

But this is going to be a garden that is beautiful to behold. Isaiah 41, 17, When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them. Here he describes a difficult situation. You're poor and needy. You're needing water, but you don't have any. Lord, I'm poor and needy. I'm at the end of my way. I need help.

I need it desperately. And he says, I the Lord will hear them. I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

What an encouragement. I will open rivers in the high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys. Now, you don't expect rivers to be in the high places, but God says, I'll put them in the high places, which means when God works, he's going to do it in such a way that you know it wasn't man's ingenuity.

It was God's power. So I'll put the rivers in the high places and fountains in the midst of the valley. And I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shetah tree and the myrtle and the oil tree. And I will set in the desert the fir tree and the pine tree and the box tree together. Consider that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

So he's going to make the place like a well-watered garden. Don't we desire our church to be described in such a way that when we'd come together, there would be no strife, there would be no bitterness, there would be no resentments. People come together, first of all loving the Lord, loving him with all our hearts and in turn loving one another. Singing together these old hymns that praise the name of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Hearing the gospel preached so that our hearts are touched and tuned to receive it. Going out then to live it in a way that we're thinking of others and ministering to them and interacting with one another in a way that will be to the glory of God. That's what it is to have a garden that is well-watered.

A garden where God is sending the showers and refreshing his people. And in the midst of those happy times, how wonderful to see someone come forward. Often in tears and confessing, I see myself a sinner, but I've come to rest my case in the hands of Jesus and I want to follow him and be baptized. We never grow tired of that. We long for it.

We pray for it. In fact, I wonder sometimes when I've talked to people and say, well, yes, I know I'm a sinner and yes, I believe in Jesus. And you say, well, what about confessing him publicly and being baptized?

Well, I'm thinking about that. Well, you know, in the New Testament example, they didn't have much time to think about it. Philip was talking to the Ethiopian eunuch to go along the way.

He didn't say, well, I'll wait till we get to town. He says, here's water. What does it hinder me to be baptized? They often took them out and baptized them that same night. Oh, I can remember times when it seemed there was more public professions being made, more baptisms than we see in this day, and how we ought to pray for that spirit of revival, that awakening.

What a joy when we see numbers coming to follow Christ. He gives refreshing showers. Psalm 72, verse 6 says, He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass as showers that water the earth.

Been a few times that I've seen the grass turning brown in summertime, and then the showers would come and literally you felt you could stand right there and watch it turn green. Didn't take long for there to be an evident effect when the showers came. Well, when the Lord sends his showers, it's very evident they've come from above and they refresh us. Ezekiel 34, 26 says, And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing, and I will call the showers to come down in his season, and there shall be showers of blessing. That's a familiar phrase, isn't it, to the hymn containing that. There shall be showers of blessing.

Yes, the troubles are great, the challenges are severe that we face in this day and time, but all the showers can still come down according to God's grace and mercy. He says, Like a spring of water whose waters fail not. Jesus said in John chapter 4, verse 13, answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. Yet whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into eternal life.

That water that Jesus gives is satisfying, satisfying the soul, everlasting life. What a comfort to know that there is no end to the blessing of his grace. This isn't temporary life.

This isn't a short-term reprieve. This is everlasting life. You're going to have it forever and ever. Philippians 1 says, Being confident of this very thing, that he that hath become a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. As you know, I preached on that last night.

Hope you haven't forgotten it. Hope it'll be a text that'll be much in your mind, because we're talking about everlasting life. We're talking about this work that the Lord himself has begun, and he will continue it unto the day of Jesus Christ. John 7, 37 says, In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

So believers are to be channels through which this water flows. Is that so in your case today? Are you walking closely with the Lord? Are you drunk of this water? You've been refreshed by it. You have everlasting life.

Is it flowing through you? Are you praying for others, encouraging others, ministering to others, sharing the gospel? You know, we have a tendency to be a little timid. I think if I try to talk to a stranger or next door neighbor, I don't know that well, and talk to them about salvation through Jesus Christ, they're probably going to think I'm a fanatic, or they're going to be offended at me, and we just don't do it. Well, one thing can help you pray for the Lord to give you opportunities, and to give you boldness and courage to be able to talk to people. I have to tell you that in my earlier years, I might have been bold in the pulpit, but I wasn't bold just to talk to strangers about Jesus. But by the grace of God, I've overcome that.

I find many opportunities availing themselves, and I've found that while I want to show love, I can also be blunt. I had a man talking to me one day, and I knew his history, and knew that his life was wretched. He had never done part of anything that was right, and he'd never treated anybody right. He'd been unkind to women, and he finally got down to the point where we were talking about your status before God, and what was going to happen. He said, well now preacher, I know I've made some mistakes, but I've got a good heart. I said, no you don't, you are rotten to the core. I said, you're in desperate need of help. You need a Savior that can rescue you from your fallen state.

The fact is, by nature, we all have a heart that is rotten. It takes grace to give us a new heart, make us new creatures in Christ Jesus. So we can see, according to this promise in the book of Isaiah, that the Lord can give us satisfaction even in the drought, even in the time of trouble. We can bemoan the fact that the days are difficult, but if we're satisfied with Jesus, we can say I've got peace, I've got comfort. I was thinking when Brother David was talking last night about the picture he saw of the big associational gathering from years back, I remembered what a difference it was. I started preaching in 1948, and that wasn't long after the Second World War. And people having gone through those difficult days, I remember at our church, you couldn't forget the war was going on. There was a banner on one side with stars to denote those that were in the service.

There was a banner on the other side to denote the number of those that had died. So every time you went to church, you looked up there and you remembered there's a certain number of the men of our church that are in the military and fighting for our freedom, and this number has already died. People going through those challenging times, there was more of an interest, it seemed, in people going to church. And I could see a difference in the way people responded to preaching.

Many tears shed as people rejoiced in the Gospel and knew that in spite of the dark days they'd been through, that their hope was in the Lord and they were looking forward to that happy time of ultimately being with Him. May the troubles of our time cause us not to complain, not to be bitter, but to have thankful hearts and praise God for His goodness and mercy. I was counseling with a woman one time who was full of complaints. I said, well, I want you to do something.

When you come back next week, I want you to write out a paper and list all the things you're thankful for. She came back next week and put a blank piece of paper on my desk. I said, well, obviously we've got a challenge here. I said, let me ask you, how did you get here today? I drove. What did you drive? I drove a car. Whose? Well, it was mine.

I said, put that on the list. I have a car. I said, did you put gasoline in it? Yeah, who paid for it?

I did. But you had gasoline to put in the car. And I just kept going down the list and we had a pretty good long list. Now, there are a lot of things we just began to take for granted. But, oh, when we're thankful like we ought to be. Book of Colossians chapter 3 makes this statement.

You know, people say, well, the Bible's so difficult, I just can't understand it. You can understand this. Be ye thankful.

That's pretty basic, isn't it? No matter what your circumstances are, you've got reason to be thankful. If you've been saved with the grace of God, you've got something to be thankful for that you'll be thankful for forever. And someday be in heaven itself. Oh, we sing about that. We talk about that. But just try to think about it a little bit.

And you say, it's beyond what I can comprehend. To think of being there with Jesus in a resurrected body to praise His name forever. Yes, there can be satisfaction in dark times because our satisfaction is in the Lord Jesus Christ and provided by Him. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that in the difficult days in which we're living, the challenging times that we face, the struggles in our own minds and hearts, that there is joy, hope, peace because You give it to us. We look to You and claim Your promises. In Jesus' name, amen. Surely we can rejoice in the truth of this text that the Lord has promised to guide us continually in difficult times and we find our hope, our courage, our strength, our satisfaction in Him.

What a great Savior we have. May we at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lesair Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Savior at Thy feet I call. Now my life, my God, my home, Let thy happy servant be, one forever more with Thee.