Scott continues the study of Matthew in this episode of Beholding Bible Truth, discussing the betrayal to Jesus by Judas. Scott examines the shocking nature of Judas’ actions, emphasizing the significance behind the infamous kiss that marked Jesus for betrayal. He draws parallels to other instances of betrayal to underscore the gravity of this act, assuring listeners that Jesus, having experienced betrayal Himself, offers comfort and mercy to those who feel unjustly treated.

Scott also discusses the concepts of justice, fairness, and the sovereignty of God. He talks about how individuals often feel they deserve different outcomes, yet God's wisdom is beyond human comprehension. Through various biblical passages and analogies, he explains God's ability to bring strength and rescue during difficult times, emphasizing trust in God as the ultimate refuge. Scott discusses how God can use evil for good and reminds listeners of God’s control over all events, including life's timing and challenges.

Key Topics

• Jesus' betrayal by Judas
• Significance of betrayal and its parallels
• Comfort and mercy from Jesus despite betrayal
• Concepts of justice and fairness in life
• God's wisdom and human miscomprehension
• Trust in God as refuge and source of strength
• Analogy of a tree planted by water
• The futility of anxiousness
• God's sovereignty over evil and life events
• Example of David for speaking to one’s own soul
• God’s ultimate control over timing and outcomes

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Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibletruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

Well, if you would stand with me, of reverence for John and his word as we read this together from Matthew, Matthew 2646 through 56. Then he came to his disciples and said to them, behold, the hour is at hand, and the son of man is being betrayed into the hand of sinners. Get up. Let us be going. Behold, the one who portrays me is at hand. While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, 1 of the 12, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who is betraying him gave them a sign saying, whoever I kiss, he is the one. See them.

Immediately, Jesus went to Jesus and said, hail, Rabbi, and kissed him. And Jesus said to him, friend, do what you have come for. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to him, put your sword back into its place, for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? How then will the scripture be fulfilled, which to say that it must happen this way? At that time, Jesus said to the crowds, have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as you would against a robber? Every day, I used to sit in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place to fulfill the scriptures of the prophets, and all the disciples left him and fled. The word of the lord.

Thanks be to god. I remember watching the trials of the protest in Los Angeles many, many years ago. And one of the incidents that they stopped a truck driver in the middle of LA, they pulled him out, and they took a brick, and they smashed him to the point where he was concussed, and he, fortunately, did not remember. But one of the strategies of the defense was to take the video and show it over and over and over again in court. At first, it was shocking. It was stunning to watch somebody do a human being do that to another human being. And then after they went through it enough times, it stopped being shocking, and then pretty soon, it was seemingly normal. You could watch it, and it was not effective at all.

So one of the problems of being a Christian a long time is that shocking events can become normal to us. And we read them and we think about them, but they seem very far away. They seem very familiar to us, and they lose their shock. And so as we walk through this journey with the lord Jesus, I want us to step into it afresh as if we are watching the video for the first time. And we're gonna see here a stunning event. I say the blackest betrayal the blackest betrayal in all of history. If you think about, what what is the blackest betrayal? This would certainly be it. The darkest deceit the darkest deceit in all of history and the most treacherous the most traitorous, treachery.

So I thought about it. How do you describe what is happening here between Judas and Jesus? So Judas, one of the 12, comes up to the lord Jesus, and he says, hail, rabbi. Hail, rabbi. And I don't relate to that. I think hail, Caesar. Right? Do you think right. What what is that term? What does that mean for us? One of the hardest things when you try and learn a foreign language Right? One thing is to learn the words and then to get to the place where you can use the colloquialisms and understand what's behind the words. So that phrase, hail, rabbi, literally means peace be with you.

It means peace be with you. Wholeness, favor, we think, like, almost like shalom be with you. Right? Peace be with you. It's a it would be a a phrase of showing greater honor. It would be highest respect, and it would be, displaying strongest affection. So Judas comes up to Jesus and says, hail, rabbi. Hail, rabbi. Peace be upon you.

And he's giving him honor and respect. And then he kissed him. Then he kissed him, which, again, you think, what what does that mean? Well, what was customary was not for the disciple to kiss the rabbi. It was always the other way around. It would be the the rabbi kissing the head of the disciple. Right? Kind of a a a favor and intimate sense. But the the Greek says he did it heartily, and he did it fervently, which could be a combination of aggressively or openly, repeatedly, embracing him and kissing him. So Judas comes up.

This is the same word that's used when the woman is taking her tears, and she's kissing Jesus' feet. Same word. Sitting in stark contrast to Judas kissing Jesus. It's also the same word that's used when the father embraces the son, the prodigal son. Think about your son, right, who's who's strayed strayed for years. God's grace calls them back, how would you feel? You'd feel joyful. You'd feel grateful. You would take them.

You would embrace them, and you would kiss them with that same sense, same word, used here. Same word that's used when Paul is leaving in in the Ephesian elders knowing that he's going and probably not returning because Paul tells him, there are not good things waiting for me. So saying goodbye to a friend for the last time as you would embrace them and you would kiss them and the favor that would be upon. This is what Judas displayed to the lord Jesus. And similar in second Samuel when Joab says to Amasa, it's well with you, my brother. And he takes him by the beard, and he pulls him close as if to kiss him, and he takes his sword and he stabs him in the gut. So he pulls him like he's gonna kiss him and he stabs him in the gut. It's the kind of betrayal that you can't even imagine.

You can't even comprehend because the 2 are combined, you know, bringing bringing you near in in intimate space with the idea that I'm going to betray you. So what a picture. So it says in Psalm 41:9, it says, even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread is lifted up his heel against me in prophetic utterance of what would happen to the lord Jesus. So ever had that happen? Friend betray you? Close friend? Companion? Someone you trusted? Close space in the intimate space around you? Betray you? I mean, we've been there. We all have, probably, in some form or fashion, been there. Well, the good news is that the lord Jesus understands. He was there, and it says that he's been tempted in always as you have, yet without sin. He understands.

He's a faithful high priest. He's able to grant you comfort and mercy because he knows. It's not as if because sometimes you feel like, how could that happen? How could they do that to me? Right? How can I be in that position? The Lord Jesus has been there, and he knows. In fact, Jesus knows all things that were coming upon him. Jesus knows all things. So he steps into this situation, and he knows. He knows. He's not surprised.

But all this has taken place, he says, in order to what? Fulfill the scriptures. It is prophesied. Not a surprise, but prophesied from before. In fact, in John, it says, so Jesus, knowing all things that were coming upon him, he went forth. He said to them, who do you seek? They answered him, Jesus, the Nazarene, and he said to them I love this. I am. Am that I am. I am.

I love that. And it said they fell down. They literally fell down. So he proclaims to them, I am the eternal one. I know all things. I know all things that are coming upon me. No surprise here. And he's he's he's stunning to me in his commitment and his obedience as he walks through here.

It says knowing all things that were coming upon him, he went forth. He went forth. He set his face like flint. Our messiah is is is the obedient one. He's the one knowing all things went through it. I love that. So he says to him, friend. And I thought, what what does that mean? Is it I would think sarcastic I you know? No.

It it literally is a word we would say, comrade or my mate. You You know? If you were if you were from down under, you'd say, mate, my mate. You know? My comrade. The one who I have experience with as if a soldier had a comrade. Right? We served together. We went together. This picture of friend friend, and I thought, what what what a what a response by the lord Jesus. Friend.

Friend, I thought about it. You know, you're never sure what is going on here, but certainly, there's still kindness. There's love from the lord Jesus. And I wonder, to me, as he says this, friend, is it a last opportunity to repent? He reminds them, we're we're friends. We're comrades. It's last chance. That's what the space was. Last chance, friend.

It's his friend. And it's hard. The the Greek is hard to translate here. Literally means for what a purpose are you here? And it it could it could be I think New American Standard says, you know, do what you've come for. Right? Do what you've come for. But it it's a sentence that doesn't end. So I'm not sure if it's a combination of think about what you've come for. Right? If it's an opportunity it's not real clear.

Nobody's totally clear. Do it could be do what you've come for, carry it out, but also an opportunity, it seems like me, a chance to repent. God's merciful up to the end. Last chance. And then he says in Luke, Judas, are you betraying the son of man? Think about it. He's saying, are you betraying the son of man? Well, he would know the son of man was the Messiah, the hope of the nations, the Messiah of all people. He was Messiah, but also at the same part time and Daniel, the son of man is the judge of all mankind. He's the messiah of all mankind, and he's the judge.

So this there's this mercy and, also, to me, a warning in the midst of this, which the lord Jesus does. Right? So that that I would always pray for those who don't know him, convict and convince, because only the Lord can do that, both his mercy as well as the understanding that he's the judge of the earth. He's the messiah and the judge. Are you betraying the son of man, and are you doing it with a kiss? I think god is confounding and confusing and stunning in the way that he is. You look at lord Jesus. He's stunning. He just is other. He's other in everything that he does.

Right? Mercy till the end, and yet he's sovereign in the fact that he is the judge of all the earth. So as I sat there thinking about this, what comes up for me is what I believe should be the foundation. It's the stunning sovereignty. It's got sovereignty overall. Does Kemper do that every class? Does he bring that up every class? Yes. I will bring this up every class because it is it is the the footer upon which we will stand through the courses of life that throw at us all sorts of seeming evidence against the sovereignty and the goodness and the power and the authority of God. Don't they? And your the future will continue to do that. And in the present moment of where they are right there, you cannot see it.

You can't see it in the present moment. You forget it. It doesn't seem to be clear, does it? You wonder. Where's the Lord? What is he doing here? Right? And he reminds us here very clearly. And so he's not sovereign over some things. There aren't some of his plans that come to pass. There aren't some of his purposes that will be carried out. It says all god's plans all god's plans and purposes will be underlying accomplished, brought to fruition, carried to the to the to the design that he had brought it about.

He says in Isaiah, declaring the end from the beginning. You wonder who's in charge. Is there a story? Is there a metanarrative? Is there an overarching plan and purpose? Absolutely. He declares the beginning from the end. Why? He spoke the beginning into being, and he'll speak the end and the and and all things in between. He says declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things which have not been done. What's he say? My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure. Not some of it.

All my good pleasure. Well, that's where we get wrapped up, don't we? Well, good must mean good according to my definition. He doesn't say you're good, all your good pleasure. See, because I'm confused about what good means. I think good means feel good. I think good means comfort. I think good means we all have a definition, don't we? Good means good for me and not even good. We don't understand good, do we? We don't understand what's good for us.

We think we do, but he says all my good pleasure, with all his pleasure is good. It's important to remember. Right? He says many of the plans in a man's heart. Oh, yeah. I got lots of plans in there. How about you? Lots of plans. I let the lord know. I always say I open up a god consulting service.

He never calls, never reaches out to me, never asked for my blueprints, my plans. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but I love this. The counsel of the Lord, it will stand, the council of the Lord. So he is sovereign over all times and timing. See, because if he's sovereign over the times, then he's sovereign over the timing in between. Every good get it? Overall and in all. Overall, through all, in all. In all.

In all times, yes. He changes the times and the epics. He removes kings, and he establishes kings. We fret and fuss worry about who's gonna be in the White House, who's gonna be in charge as if that's going to fix anything. Right? As if that's gonna fix anything. Why? Because frankly, and this is this is the scary thing, we have idols, like, idols. The government's an idol. America's an idol.

The financial systems, they're all idols. Dang. I hate that, don't you? But he reminds us. He removes kings. He establishes kings. He says, scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but he really blows on them, and they wither. The wind carries them away like chaff. All that's going on, god will he's got it figured.

And and so each day, he's asking us, so which bucket are you in? Are you in my bucket? I'm in charge of kings and kingdoms and authorities and rulers. Why are you in my bucket? Number 1, you can't do anything about it. Number 2, if you did, you'd probably mess it up. So whose bucket are you in? Stay in your bucket. Stay in your plot. Dwell in the land. Cultivate faithfulness. Let me take care of the world.

Isn't that good news? So he says he's he's sovereign over all times and timing. Sovereign over his son's times and timing, his birth, his death, his resurrection. Jesus said, behold, the hour has come and in the fullness of time. And to the right of that, not only his birth, his death, and his resurrection, but his return. In the fullness of time, when would he come back? In the fullness of time. 11, Lord of the Rings. Wizard is neither early nor late. Right? It's a it's a it's a pointer to God.

He's always on time. He's exactly right on time. And this one's hard, but he is sovereign over evil. Evil plans, evil purposes, and evil people. I have to remind myself of this often. Don't you? Yeah. If you wonder, well, he says in Genesis 50, as for you, you meant so he's saying to the brothers, you meant it what? You meant what? Evil. The brothers meant evil.

They planned purposes and executed evil. You meant evil. But god meant what do you mean? He meant their evil for good. Oh, wait a minute. Hold on here. K. This is hard. Okay.

So they planned, sketched out, right, executed an evil plan. Evil intent, evil. And and it says they did their evil. God's it says, god meant that they're evil for good. How does he do that? How does he mean evil without being evil? How is he sovereign over evil without being evil? I have no idea except that's who god is. And it's the same it's the same verb. They they didn't mean it differently. They did with purpose, but it's the same verb.

It's the same verb. And he meant it for good. And so if you circle, right, underline for good and circle, right, he meant it for good. He meant think about this. He meant their evil for good. This is an important phrase, so that. In other words, there is a bigger purpose going on here. God has a has a grander purpose that overrides their evil.

He means it for good. Anybody play bridge? Bridge, he he writes the suit that's Trump, and then the ace of that suit trumps all other cards. God is the ace of all Trump. His his ace trumps all evil plans. His good his meaning good trumps. If it's smart for you to understand that, that's because it's hard to understand. It's seemingly impossible to understand. He is sovereign over evil without being evil.

And so we use a lot other words to try and figure that out. But if evil were more sovereign than God, then they would never bring the world to conclusion because evil would reign. Evil would reign. So as much as I can't figure it out, I just stand in it. I just stand in the fact that he is because in your life, people will mean it for evil, but god will mean it for good so that. And so oftentimes, we don't see the so that, do we, until later. But we have to stand in the fact that he's sovereign over this, and and he means it for good. He means it for good.

And if that's not clear enough, if you flip over, he says it very clearly. Jesus was delivered over by the predetermined plan, underline that, foreknowledge of God, underline that. But you nailed you nailed to a cross you nailed him to a cross by the hands of who? Godless men. You meant to put him to death, evil. They were gathered together against your holy service whom you whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever your hand and your purpose predestined to occur. Was that random? Willy nilly? Did God have a plan b? Oh, no. Holy smokes. Caught off guard.

Better figure this out. From eternity from eternity, he purposed. We just don't see it in the moment, do we? That's because we're in the moment. We're in the moment. So we have to stand in the fact that he means it for good. Means it for good. Doesn't look good. That doesn't look good.

Jesus is gonna be crucified. He's betrayed. Gonna be crucified. We have to stand on that. So if he's sovereign over all times and timing, guess what? He's sovereign over your times and timing. He's sovereign over your times and timing. He's sovereign over the world at all times. He's sovereign over your times.

Really? Yeah. He says my times are in thy hand. Wonder how big God's hand is. Wonder how able God's hand is. Wonder how strong his hand is. But he says your times are in his hand his hand. In fact, he says, no. Your time's in his hand.

You're actually you are engraved upon his hand, which means you are in his hand. No one can snatch you out of it, so your times are in his hand because you are in his hand. It is stunning to think that the God who spoke into being all that exist would have you engraved upon his hand. In fact, it said scripture says his thoughts about you are more than the sand upon the seashore. And, oh, Lord, it's too wonderful for me. Lord, I don't think about me that much. Well, maybe I do. I do think about me more than anything else.

But he has plans and purposes and thoughts as many as the sand upon the seashore. If this summer, you are near the water, near sand, look at the sand on the beach and say, that's a picture. All the sand in all the world, that's as many thoughts as god has for you, which means all through the day, all through your life, all through time. He has plans and purposes and thoughts for good for good. Your times are in his hands, including the days that were ordained for me when as yet there were none. To remind myself, I can I can fix and work on the quality of my life, but I can't fix the quantity? God has ordained the number of days. It may be this afternoon. It may be tomorrow.

It may be 30 years. I don't know. He knows. Lord, teach me to number my days so that I may present to you a heart of wisdom. Invest them wisely. Well, if your times and your timing are in his hand, then Jesus knows all things coming upon you. Jesus knows because Jesus knew all things that were coming upon him. Guess what? He knows all things coming upon you.

There's no surprise. Sometimes we're surprised, but he's not surprised. So if he knows, what's that mean? He's in it. He's in it. He's ahead of you. He's before you. He's the god who goes before you, and the glory his glory is your rear guard. So when we think about the things that are coming upon you, how many can imagine many, many things? Do we generally imagine good things? No.

We imagine fearful things, which makes the question, so what am I most afraid of? What are you most afraid of? The coming upon news. Coming upon news. What are you most afraid of? Do you have a minute? Do you have another sheet? Is there an addendum here? But what are the things that are most fearful for you? Write them down. What's most fearful for you? But here's the thing. If you think about it, Jesus knows what's coming. Right? His plan and his purpose is in it. He's sovereign over it. And he also knows what it feels like, right, to fear, to be anxious about.

Right? He's he's experienced that as a faithful high priest, so he knows. So give him your fear. Give him your worry. Give your give him your uncertainty. Don't. Or I'm I'm I'm afraid. I'm anxious. I'm scared about he would say, I've been there, and I go before you.

I don't send you out on your own. I go before you. And so in the end, I love what he says to them. Just are are you confused? Don't you know that I could ask my father, and he would send what would he send? Twelve legions of angels. Well, is that a lot? I don't know. He said, or do you think that I cannot appeal to my father and he will at once put at my disposal more than well, in the legion, there are 6,000 show shoulders. Shoulders? Yeah. Yeah.

They're scarier than my description. So that means 72,000 angels. And, again, scripture reminds us that they ain't no cherubims sitting on your garden wall, you know, with cute little faces. These are soldiers. They're mighty. They're powerful. And it says in scripture that one of them killed a 185,000. One angel killed a 185,000 soldiers.

These are powerful. These are the army of the lord of hosts. The host are the hosts of angels. He's saying, don't you know God has the power? I could end this thing in a moment. And I love in Isaiah 40. He says, hello. Do you not know? He asked a couple of times in Isaiah 4. You do not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundation of the earth? He asked 4 times, 4 ways.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Do you not understand? What? What, Lord? What? Well, he says, it is he who sits above the vault of the earth. And by the way, the your the inhabitants are like green toppers, and he stretches out the heaven like a curtain. He spreads it out like a a tent to dwell in. The the the cosmos, which is what? 90,000,000,000 light years across. God stretches it out like a curtain. He spreads it out like a tent to dwell in. He says he makes the judges of the earth meaningless. What what are you worried about? I'm doing this.

You're worried about grasshopper judges. So he said, why do you say, oh Jacob, and assert, oh Israel, wow, lord, my way is hidden from you. Isn't that what we say? Lord, are you there? Do you see really where what's going on? Then he says, and what this means, the justice do me, what I think should happen, is not happening. Isn't that what he's saying? The justice do me. Kids used to say growing up. Oh, that's not fair. You want fair? You want just? You want justice? He says, but wait a minute. I deserve more.

I deserve something different. That's what he say. Justice do me. Good thing you don't get the justice, do you? The justice do you is that separation. He said, do you not know again? Have you not heard the everlasting, the eternal one, the one who changes not, the immovable, unshakable, unchangeable one, the everlasting god, the lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, spoke and it came into being. He doesn't become weary or tired. He's not on vacation. He isn't napping.

He isn't resting, and his his wisdom is what? Beyond scrutiny. Beyond your scrutiny and mine. In other words, you cannot put it on a scale and weigh it, which is what we do, don't we? What are you doing, Lord? So I put my wisdom on the scale, and I put God's purpose, and I think I don't get that. And he says, yeah. That'd be true. Let me explain. Let me explain. So he he reminds us.

Right? His his understanding in fact, he says he gives strength to the weary, and to him, relax might he increase his power. Though vigorous men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the lord, they shall mount up with wings like eagel eagles. They shall run and not grow tired. They shall walk and not become weary. He gives strength to the weary. And he reminds me and he reminds us and he reminds the world in this that he is a greater, grander, more glorious purpose. You know what? He can rescue or he can resurrect. And he didn't rescue Jesus because he had a resurrection.

And what what we're looking for is the rescue, aren't we? We're always looking for the rescue. But he can sometimes he rescues, and oftentimes, he doesn't because he has a resurrection. It's a resurrection of the situation. He has a resurrection of us. So he can rescue or he can resurrect. So we're in the midst of this. What do we do? We do what Peter did. Peter said, just in case just in case so you have to ask the question because this isn't it's if you could go down to the corner and buy a sword.

Where did he get a sword, and what was he doing with a sword? Well, he had what we all have. He had the in case god doesn't plan. He had the in case god doesn't plan. He had the plan b. We created in case god doesn't backup plan. I got a sword with me just in case. In case what? And, of course, he didn't understand the plan, did he? He didn't understand the battle that was going on. This was a spiritual battle for the souls of men.

So g so Peter brings a water pistol to a battle. You this is not this is not an earthly battle. You're battling you don't battle against flesh and blood, but against rulers and authorities and powers and dominions. What are you doing with a pistol? A water pistol. Like, a sword. What? But that's us, isn't it? So he says, the king is not saved. King is not saved by a mighty army. A warrior not delivered by great strength.

A horse is a false hope for victory, nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. So it begs the question, so what's your horse? What's your sword? Abraham and Sarai had a backup plan. Sarai says to Abraham, well, listen. The Lord has prevented me from bearing children. So please go into my maid. Perhaps, I will obtain children. So, Lori, if you don't, I've got another plan. I got a way to bring this about.

You don't do it. Right? If you don't do it, you don't do it. My way, my timing. So what situation do you have a backup plan for in your life now? Lord, if you don't show up, you don't show up. So he reminds us in Jeremiah, curse is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his arm. Literally, it means his arm, his own arm, makes flesh his strength. Well, what will happen if I do that? Where your heart will turn away from the lord. Ever had that? What's gonna do this on my own? Are gonna turn away from the lord? He'll be like a bush in the desert.

Will not see. So what happens? Blindness. Our heart turns away from the lord, then we get blind. Can't see. What won't you see? We'll not see when prosperity comes. God's in in other words, god's plan, you'll miss. He'll live in a stony waste in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man, I love this, who trusts in the lord.

And looks what it says. Blessed is a man who trusts in the lord. So I trust in the lord, whose trust is the lord. What does that mean? It's not just trusting in the lord far off. It means your trust is in him. What does that mean? He's close. He's intimate. He's my he's my trust.

Don't trust. Just trust in me. He says, trust me. See the difference? Don't just trust in me, but trust me. Make me your trust. That is the nearness of god is my good. But as for me, the nearness of god is my good. I've made the lord god my refuge that I may tell of all thy works.

The nearness of god so he's saying the nearness of god is my good. Well, if I do that, what will it be like? You'll be like a tree Tree. What kind of tree? Planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream and underline that, will not fear if the heat comes. Doesn't say that, does it? It says, will not fear when they no, lord. You don't understand. My good is the heat will not come. Right? It's not what we want. No heat.

I like that idea of, yeah, my roots are the screen. That's all cool. But, Lord, just don't let the heat come. The heat is a picture of what? Drought. So it says when, underline, when the heat comes. But its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease the yield route. When we were in over in Africa, we we took a a ride to from Morocco to Marrakesh. And there was a highway that they built, highway, sort of.

And we we rode in this small thing, and I was on the jumper seat that that kind of went like this, and it went in your back, and we were on there, I think, 4 hours. And you were going through a desert. And I thought if you break down, there isn't there isn't a a a a Coco's or, you know, a there's nothing here. In fact, they filmed the Star Wars, right, the planet stuff. This is where they filmed it. There's nothing but heat and sand everywhere. And so you look out there, and I thought about there. What it means is you'd look out there in the midst of, you know, a 112 degree temperature, and there'd be one tree, maybe a couple of trees, green as can be.

And you'd say, what? Where is that thing getting its water? Where is it life coming from? He's saying that's what we'll be like when the heat comes, if he is your trust. He is your trust. Abide in me and I in you As the branch cannot bear fruit of its own, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. That deep connection that his very life is filling us up. He's saying, so you don't have to fear when he comes. In fact, you don't have to fear today, fearing the time when the heat comes. Right? We're not even in the time when the heat comes, but we fear it, don't we? We waste all this time. So Jesus said, don't be anxious for the heat that didn't come yet.

Just divide in me. So he says, trust over fear. Trust over fear. Because, oh, by the way, I'm sovereign over all times, and I'm sovereign over your times and your timing. I know all the things that are coming about. You have the power to rescue you, but I also have the power to resurrect you and the situation that you're in. So chill and sink your roots deeper in me. Let me, the nearness of God, be your good because I will flow into you, into your soul.

And And sometimes we have to say like King David, soul, why are you in despair? David yells at his soul. You need to tell it. Soul, why are you in despair? The help of my countenance. The Lord is the help of my countenance. I love it. He'll change my expression. Literally, let him be your vine. So write down an insight from today.

Amen. And may the god who's sovereign overall, may he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you a shalom deep in your soul. May the grace of the lord Jesus Christ, the love of god the father, and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with you now and through every minute of every day until he calls you home. Lord bless you and keep you. Amen.

Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you.