You have to fight for most of the things worth havin’, or somebody does.”
               –Louis L’Amour  (The Quick and the Dead)

     “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple.”
               –Jonah 2:7 (NKJV)
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Have you even been so sick you wished you would die?  The stomach is turning over and over, the fever is there and is raging.  You don’t want to eat, to think of food makes you gag.  You don’t want to stand and when you try you get woozy and vomit.  You just want to stay in a darkened room away from people, away from things, away from it all.  All you can do is sup on cool water.
     That’s where David finds himself in Psalm 41.  He is sick.  He recalls what the Lord has done, and then he cries for mercy.  Not for mercy only, but to pay back his enemies.

     1 – Happy is one who cares for the poor; the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.
     2 – The Lord will keep him and preserve him; he will be blessed in the land.  You will not give him over to the desire of his enemies.
     3 – The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed; You will heal him on the bed where he lies.
     4 – I said, “Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.”
     5 – My enemies speak maliciously about me: “When will he die and be forgotten?”
     6 – When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully; he stores up evil in his heart; he goes out and talks.
     7 – All who hate me whisper together about me; they plan to harm me.
     8 – “Lethal poison has been poured into him, and he won’t rise again from where he lies!”
     9 – Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.
    10 – But You, Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up; then I will repay them.
    11 – By this I know that You delight in me: my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.
    12 – You supported me because of my integrity and set me in Your presence forever.
    13 – May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised from everlasting to everlasting.  Amen and amen.

     One reason I like the Psalms is that they know how to speak to us.  I know of people who run hither and yon to various doctors and “healers”, yes, so who proclaim to be Christians.  They are told they are sick because of any myriad to reasons.  At the moment you don’t care about the reason, you just want to get over the sickness.
     We can trust the Lord when we are sick.  George O. Wood states that we can trust the Lord to:  1) deliver, 2) protect, 3) preserve, 4) bless, 5) not surrender us, 6) sustain, and 7) restore us.  A lengthy sickness might cause us to do some introspection.  Not only do we want healing for our bodies, but moaning and groaning will cause us to think of our souls as well.
     Notice how this Psalm ends–in praise.  It is important to stay in the right spirit when we are sick, knowing that the Lord has not abandoned us.  “Calm fills my own heart when I rest in God’s eternity and power rather than my own frailty and helplessness.  Even if my sickness separates me from my body, it can never separate me from Him, the Everlasting One.”  (George O. Wood)
         
          “O Love Divine, that stooped to share
           Our sharpest pang, our bitterest tear;
           On you we cast each earth-born care,
           We smile at pain when you are near.”
                   –Oliver W. Holmes
 

What is important is the way we choose to live the life we have, however long or short it may be.  God will be the judge.”
               –Dan Arnold  (Alta Vista)

    “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”
               –Luke 12:23 (NKJV)
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Just a few words here today.  Something to ponder.  First, I want to ask if you are faithful?  Charles H. Spurgeon said that, “The faithfulness of man is a very unreliable affair; it is mere vanity…  If we are found faithful, it will be because God is faithful.”  The faith of man is fickle.  He may strive to be faithful, but it will be because of God, yet the Lord desires for us to be faithful.  However, we never have to fear, because God is faithful.

         “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
                     –1 Corinthians 1:9 (NKJV)

Take a moment to ponder the words of Spurgeon as he describes the faithfulness of God.

         “We are variable as the wind, frail as a spider’s web, weak as water.  No dependence can be placed upon our natural qualities or our spiritual attainments; but God abides faithful.  He is faithful in His love; He knows no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  He is faithful to His purpose; He does not begin a work and then leave it undone.  He is faithful to His relationships; as a Father He will not renounce His children, as a friend He will not deny His people, as a Creator He will not forsake the work of His own hands.  He is faithful to His promises and will never allow one of them to fail to a single believer.  He is faithful to His covenant, which He has made in us in Christ Jesus and ratified with the blood of His sacrifice.  He is faithful to His Son and will not allow His precious blood to be spilt in vain.  He is faithful to His people to whom He has promised eternal life and from whom He will not turn away.”

If God were not faithful to us, there would be no use.  As anarchy would prevail upon the earth, so it would within our soul.  Great is His faithfulness!  Keep this in mind, “This faithfulness of God is the foundation and cornerstone of our hope of final perseverance.  The saints shall persevere in holiness, because God perseveres in grace.  He perseveres to bless, and therefore believers persevere in being blessed.  He continues to keep His people, and therefore they continue to keep His commandments.” (Spurgeon)
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I hope you realize this, that we are in a very fierce war.  So far, there have been few casualties that have resulted in death, but there have certainly been casualties of the soul.  There are those in America who are trying to cut out the very soul, the very heart of our great republic.  If things continue on the present course there very well could be a war in which weapons to kill the body are used.
    Whenever I see those of “Antifa” running around two things quickly pop up in my mind.  The first is a bunch of ants scurrying around.  In their little black outfits they remind me of an ant pile that has been disturbed.  The second, which is close to the truth, is that they move above, sneaky, hiding their faces, bullying, and brandishing their hatred and I think of a horde of demons.  In fact, they are humans carrying out the works of the devil; they are truly exhibiting the spirit of antichrist.
    I have always said that something has to happen to America before the return of the Lord.  Folks it is upon us.
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         “Nobody ever believes it until it is too late.  Everyone has the same idea:  that it could not happen to them.  It is always happening to somebody else, and you see it in the papers, and don’t credit it.  Thieves, outlaws and the like, now, they are no braver than you, and most times less brave.  They just figure you will be scared to a jelly, and will do nothing to defend yourself because you think they are so dangerous.”
       –Louis L’Amour (The Man From Skibereen)

This was as it should be…a man and a woman working toward something, for something.  Not apart, but a team.”
               –Louis L’Amour

     “Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth…  He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.”
               –Proverbs 5:18; 18:22 (NKJV)
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Today is the day folks–the 49th.  Yep, that’s right, 49 years ago we stood at the altar saying our vows to each other.  I know that some folk remember all about their wedding day, but to tell the truth, I don’t know a word the preacher said.  He said, “repeat after me,” and I did all the time looking into the face of a wonderful, beautiful gal from Pennsylvania.  Funny, how I had to traipse across the country to find a wife who would put up with me.  Ah, not really, I only had to go to Missouri.
     I remember the first time I met her.  We were in the old cafeteria at Evangel College (it’s gotten more enlightened as it is now University).  I looked across the room and there, staring at me was this girl.  A fleeting thought went through my mind–“you’re going to marry her.”  It had to be the Holy Spirit, but I didn’t think anything of it at the time.  But there she was; she cocked an eye at me and I cocked an eye at her, and there we sat–cockeyed–at least for a moment or two.  That was the first time I took notice of her, and come to find out later that I had her in my U.S. History class.
     It was several month later that I asked her out and we didn’t part much after that.  She went to summer school, and I went home to make some money so I could go back in the fall.  We met at Gary Hines’ wedding outside of Akron and I drove her home in the rain.  The rain can be romantic, and perhaps this one was, but in the midst of a rainstorm I pulled over on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and asked her to marry me.  Talk about romantic!  It wasn’t one of these all planned-out things, and I didn’t get down on my knees, and I didn’t have a ring.  It was just time to ask–it must have been the rain.
     We got in late on Saturday night to her house so we didn’t get up for church.  I was sitting on the back porch, she was on my lap when her parents came home.  The first words I can remember hearing from her Dad was, as he came up to shake my hand, “I think you’ll make a good couple.”  Nope, I didn’t ask him.  Perhaps I should have, but I wasn’t cultured enough back then.
     Speaking of the deep things of love comes hard for me, but there never was a more important person in my life.  We were engaged for almost a year before we married.  She had a rinky-dink teaching assignment in Chadwick, the copperhead capital, while I had one more year of classes.  I enlisted in the Air Force, nary a quarrel, she was with me.  In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever quarreled over the larger issues, it has usually been over petty things, and I would call them more of a disagree-ment.
     So, it has been 49 years she has been at my side.  We have had some lean times, and some times of plenty.  I will say that through it all the Lord has been by our side as well.  When I look at pictures from the past up to the present, I think, “WOW!  Amazing, how did I get so fortunate?!!”  The Lord surely blessed me beyond measure when we tied that knot.  Brother Jon you did a good job; it must not have been a piece of string.
     Since my heart attack, I have not taken things for granted.  But it would be nice to be able to celebrate number 50, but that’s the Lord’s call.  Yes, 49 years ago, I married the love of my life–Annie Baker of Leechburg, PA–she was all I wanted and more.  I have surely found favor with the Lord as I have found a good wife.  Thank you Lord for allowing me to spend my life with her.

If you learn to really see things and to really listen, half your troubles are over.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Brionne)

    “Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.”
              –2 Chronicles 24:19 (NKJV)
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I can remember a number of times when I wanted to shake a kid silly.  No, that’s not quite right, I wanted to shake the silliness out of them.  I wished I could grab some of them and shake them enough to wake them up to what they were, or were not doing.  I learned that you cannot shake the stupid out of people; maybe wake them up so they choose the right course, but it is always up to them.
    Have you ever wondered why the Lord does things for us?  Sure, He loves us and that is one reason, but there may be more.  Why did He keep you during the storm?  Why did He keep you in the accident?  Why did He keep you during the time of pestilence or the worries of the day?  Love–yes, but more.  He kept you for His sake.  Maybe He was shaking you during a trial or tribulation.  Did He get your attention or have you gone on the same way?  In the storm, He sought to teach you that without Him you can do nothing.

         “Consecration is not a religiously selfish thing.  If it sinks into that, it ceases to be consecration.  We want our lives kept, not that we may feel happy, and be saved the distress consequent on wandering, and get the power with God and man, and all the other privileges linked with it.  We shall have all this, because the lower is included in the higher; but our true aim, if the love of Christ constrains us, will be far beyond this.  Not for ‘me’ at all, but ‘for Jesus’; not for my comfort, but His joy; not that I may find rest but that He may see the travail of His soul and be satisfied!
          Yes, for Him I want to be kept.  Kept for His sake; kept for His use; kept to be His witness; kept for His joy!  Kept for Him, that in me He may show forth some tiny sparkle of His light and beauty.  By being kept in Him I shall be able to do His will and His work in His own way.”
                   –Frances R. Havergal

    Why were you kept?  Figure it out, He has a plan for you.  Too often, all too often, when the storm passes we give a sigh of relief and celebrate when we out to fall to our knees and ask, “Lord, why did you see me through the storm?”  We need to realize that we are His, our total being belongs to Him.  Selfishness hinders His work in us and our work for Him.
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I’ve been praising the Lord since Sunday (actually longer than that).  Sunday was an anniversary of sorts.  It was five years ago last Sunday that I had my heart attack.  Five extra years the Lord has given me.  My desire is that in the days, and possibly years ahead, that I can have my life “kept in Him.”  There were so many ways He intervened in my life that day.