When God Decides Not to Answer

[Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God deeply desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] To God be the glory, great things He has done; So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done. Great things He has taught us, great things He has done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done. And give Him the glory, great things He has done. Our Father, to you be glory. Our God, to you be honor. Indeed, great things you have done. Great things you have taught us. Great things you have been revealing to us. Great things you have been making known to us. Lord, we worship you. Lord, we bless your name. To you be glory, to you be honor, to you be praise in the name of Jesus. Our Father, we are gathering together unto you this evening. We who are here physically, our brethren who are joining us on Mixlr, our brethren who are joining us on Telegram, our God, we bring ourselves together before you. We are praying this evening that as we fellowship together, Lord, build your church. Lord God Almighty, meet us where we need you most. Lord, instruct our hearts. Lord, please instruct our hearts. Lord, grant us light and direction. We will not walk in darkness. And Lord, we are praying over and over and over again. So many things are happening in our immediate local environment. So many things are happening across the state. So many things are happening across the nation. So many things are happening across West Africa, across Africa, and across the globe. Lord, everything pointing towards the fulfillment of that which you have spoken. Lord our God, everything rushing slowly but surely towards the end that you have determined. Our God, our Father, we are saying in the midst of all of this, let your mercy avail for us. We shall be vessels of mercy. We will enjoy mercy abundantly in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, eternal Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Since the month of June, we have been looking at the subject matter of His cross, trying to explore a lot of things around it, trying to learn, trying to see what the Bible says. For about eight weeks now, we have been looking at Luke 9:23, "Let him take up his cross. Let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." We have been able to exhaust "let him deny himself." We are looking at "let him take up his cross." We have been able to look at how we take the cross. That was our focus last week. I did mention last week that we will be looking at some fundamental implications of the death of Jesus on the cross—the implication for us this week. However, we will not go that direction this evening. We will not go that direction this evening. I trust the Lord that we will go that direction maybe next week, maybe upper week. I don't know. But the direction I want us to go this evening is the direction of a burden that the Lord had been burdening my heart with in the last three, four days. I shared this partly in my church yesterday—the church I attend. I shared it partly, but I discovered that it is a burden that the Lord seems to be asking me to share much more the more. The more I wanted to leave it, this morning again the burden was still coming. I don't know, it might be something that may cut across all our three programs: today discipleship class, Saturday Singles Club, and then first Saturday Singles Club and second Saturday Marriage Forum. We may be sharing this burden, maybe in different dimensions: how it applies to the single particularly, then maybe to the married and all of that. But today we want to look at it, how it applies to us generally as believers. How it applies to us generally as believers. Honestly, when the technical were asking me how best we tag this burden, I was just wondering how best I could tag the burden. But what I told them to tag, what I told them to take as the topic, is "When the Lord Decides Not to Answer." When the Lord decides not to answer. It is not primarily about the issue of praying and waiting for God's answer. No, it's not in that direction. As we go on, the direction will be clearer. I was studying the book of 1 Samuel 28. First Samuel 28, please let us turn to that scripture. "When the Lord Decides Not to Answer." It is a very familiar story, very familiar story. But when the Lord wants to burden your heart with something from a familiar story, he begins to burden your heart around the things that are happening around us, that are about to happen. Now, in 1 Samuel 28, the Bible says—let me take it from verse 1: 1 Samuel 28:1-3 1 Now it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.” 2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.” 3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. Now, while the Philistines were preparing for the battle to fight against Israel, the Bible gave us another interlude in verse 3. It says as at this time, Samuel had died. All Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah in his own city. And also, as at this time, Saul the king had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. So, the Bible now came back to what it started in the verse 1: 1 Samuel 28:4-5 4 Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. He was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. 1 Samuel 28:6 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. When the Lord decides not to answer. When Saul inquired of the Lord, He refused to answer him, either by dream, or by Urim. The Urim then, in bracket, is a symbol worn by the priest when seeking the will of God for Israel. God did not answer Saul through that. Or by the prophets. So, the three mediums by which Saul could get an answer, he did not: by dream, there was no answer; he used the Urim worn by the priest for an answer, there was no answer; then the other thing was through the prophet. You know as they will call on the prophet, the prophet will now say, "Thus saith the Lord," whatever. Nothing came from the prophet. And that is where we are picking our word of fellowship from this evening: when the Lord decides not to answer. I said something here: May the Lord answer us in the day of trouble. May the Lord answer us in the day of trouble. Now, very particularly, when you say "when the Lord decides not to answer," particularly adding to what the topic is, is when the Lord decides not to answer in the day of trouble. When the Lord decides not to answer in the day of trouble. Now, you see, the matter of answer in the day of trouble is so crucial. It's really, really crucial. Now, if you look at Psalm 91, let us look at something in Psalm 91. When the Lord decides not to answer in the day of trouble. When the Lord decides not to answer in the day of trouble. Look at Psalm 91. Psalm 91:14-16 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” So, you notice that the righteous ordinarily have their day of trouble. "The name of the Lord," Proverbs 18:10, "is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe." So, there is something about a day to run into the Lord. There is something about a day of calling upon God because there is trouble. There is always this aspect to our lives. But what we are looking at is when the Lord decides not to answer in the day of trouble. And I want to tell us this, as I was meditating on verse 9—I want to give you background. As I was meditating on it, trying to go into the burden gradually, you see, there are many consequences for disobedience. Are you understanding me? There are many consequences for disobedience. But one serious consequence of disobedience that our heart should tremble about is when the Lord refuses to answer us in the day of our trouble. One serious consequence of disobedience that our heart—you see, you may be doing certain things, you may be doing it and it looks like you are prospering. It looks like you are doing well. You know you are not obeying the Lord. You know and it looks like there is no consequence. It looks like if God is not with me, why will I be prospering? If God is really angry with what I'm doing, he should not be blessing me. But sometimes, the way God responds to disobedience is to wait till the day of your trouble. I will wait. You can be doing—it may look as if you are having your way in your disobedience. It may look as if you are doing it wrong and yet, "Ah, is God not with me?" But sometimes, the way God responds to disobedience is to wait for the day of your trouble, and then he decides not to answer. It was this dimension that the Lord began to point my heart to in the last three, four days. Scriptures joining scriptures. As I was looking at it, I want you to understand this discussion over and against this background: Matthew 24. Understand this discussion over and against this background in Matthew 24. In Matthew 24:3, now as the Lord Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said, "Take heed that no one deceives you." Now, please brethren, you know one thing about the coming of the Lord is that you may be deceiving people and the Lord will allow you to prosper. It says, "Take heed that you are not deceived," but the Lord will not stop deceivers. You may be deceiving people, you may be misleading people, and it looks like your ministry is prospering. What you are doing, you are going on, although the Lord said "take heed that you are not deceived," but he tells you that deceivers will prosper. One thing about the end, one thing I want you to guard against, is that this will be a period where you may not be honest and yet you'll be prospering. You may not be truthful and yet you're prospering, and then you will say, "Sh'eb'eni to ba n j'eyin d'epe? E n to ba n s'ise n'ipe lo ye ko j'eyin d'epe." How do you put it in English now? You should eat where you are working. We are not talking about honest gain, because if you labor and don't make profit, then there's a problem with that labor. It means the labor is not blessed. You get the point I'm making? When you labor, you should profit. But I'm talking of dishonest gain. When you begin to explain bribe in the name of appreciation, you know you are taking bribe, but you find a way to make it look righteous and godly. You say, "Actually no, we need to fast track the project." But you know what you are collecting is bribe. You know deep down—I'm not talking about sinners. I'm not talking about unbelievers. They may call it any kind of name. They don't have problem. The brand cannot live like the saint. Am I correct? Am I correct? Yes. So, they have different names of calling them. But what I'm addressing is I'm talking to believers that one thing you should know about this period is that you will notice that deceivers—you may be dishonest and you may be prospering. But be careful. When you seem to be prospering like this, the Lord may just be waiting for the day of your trouble. He may just be waiting. The day you will now come and say, "Lord!" and then you will call God all the way God through all the mediums you expect to answer. They will say, "Elder, come and pray. The prayer of faith will heal the sick." It will not be your own case. They will say, "Okay, brethren..." they will do all kinds of things we know to do in scripture, but the Lord has just decided not to answer. The Lord just chose not to answer. You notice the way God handled Saul. He decided that he will not answer in the day of his trouble. Why? He had been following David all around. He had been killing Elias. He wanted to kill even his own son, Jonathan. At a point, he struck down all the priests at Nob. We remember? He killed all of them. It looks like yes, the power is his to do as he wants. But he does not understand that there is a time that God is waiting for. There is a time that God is waiting for. God is just waiting for what? The day of his trouble. There will be a time of adversity. There will be a time of challenge. It will come in different ways. But the beauty for the godly is that, "In his trouble I will be with him. I will deliver him and I will honor him." It was the reverse for Saul. How exactly does this build into one another? How did they build into one another? Brethren, I want us to quickly do a quick comparison of this passage in Proverbs 1:20-33. Proverbs 1:20-33. Look at how the Lord presents this place. Look at the word of the Lord. It says wisdom calls out aloud. Do you notice that in your Bible? Does your version say "aloud"? Which other word is your version using? That verse 20. Mine says wisdom calls aloud outside. She shouts in the street. She cries out in the street. Are you notice the point I'm making is that wisdom was not speaking in a low tone. Wisdom was talking aloud. And when do you have cause to shout? One, when you want everybody to hear. Two, when you raise your voice. It says wisdom calls aloud outside. She raises her voice in the open square. She cries in the chief concourses. When you have cause to raise your voice, what are the possibilities? Number one, you want everybody to hear. Number two, what other possibilities do we raise our voice? Distress. Yes, you can cry out in distress, that's true. When we raise our voice, when you speak aloud, it could be distress. Which other occasion can occasion shouting, talking aloud? When you want to warn sometimes, you may have cause to shout. When a matter is important, sometimes you speak in very low and solemn tone, sometimes you shout, "Ah! Don't you share? Can't you see?" because the matter is serious, matter is important. Now, it says wisdom shout. Now, what is she shouting? It says, "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?" I want to show you things in our life that builds to a point where God decides not to answer. It is not something that just happened suddenly. No. Things in our life build up to them. The first thing why he was shouting is that he was shouting because these simple ones—the simple here means people who don't care about things. Carefree people. "How long will you simple ones love simplicity? And mockers delight in scorning? And fool hate knowledge?" Now, the things that build is that wisdom must have been calling your attention. There are matters in your life everyone is pointing at and yet you are just carefree about it. You know the thing is not correct. You know it's not and you're like, "O ko si nkan kan, shebi Nigeria la wa? Office situation ni." The way things are today, you know. He says wisdom shout. He says how long will you love simplicity? How long will you hate knowledge? You know the truth, you know that the scripture says this thing, but somehow you just explain it away with another thing. You just look for a way to make it look right. You just bake it aside to keep having your way. So, wisdom was raising voice in a situation where we hate knowledge, in a situation where we love our simplicity, in a situation where we underrate spiritual truth. "It is time to pray. O ma gbadura. O n gbadura ni. O si problem. Olorun am o ye t'a ti gbo. Olorun a gbo. A ma ma create time." With those kinds of attitude, and somehow the Lord keeps calling your heart, "Son, this is not correct." You just explain it away. "You see, it's because of my office. You know I'm so busy. You know there's no time." You just keep explaining, that's what he means by loving simplicity. You just hate knowledge. It's not as if you are ignorant, but you hated knowledge. Look at the next thing. It says turn at my rebuke. Surely I will pour out my spirit on you and I will make my word known to you. Why is wisdom shouting out again? He has been rebuking. When the Lord has been rebuking a man on a matter, correction has been coming on a matter and yet you will not heed rebuke. You will not heed correction. It has come in different ways, but you neglect it. Look at the next thing. It says, "Because I have called and you refuse." There have been points of call. There have been points of call. Different points of call calling your attention, either by the word of God, either by preaching, either by a message, either by an exhortation, either by a brother, somebody came to visit, somebody said something, either in fellowship like this. There have been a call. It has been coming in different ways, but you know what you did? You just ignore the call. "I call you refuse. I stretch my hand and no one regarded." Are you seeing how it's building? Look at the next thing. It says because they disdain all my counsel and would none of my rebuke. If you look at that in another translation: "since you ignore all my advice and will not accept my rebuke." Please, where is the advice of God? In his word. "All unrighteousness is a sin," you throw it under the carpet. "Don't do this," you keep doing. It says you ignore all my counsel. Look at what the Lord is saying. It says, "I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your terror comes." So, is this thing different from what he did to Saul? All this while, when wisdom did not react, what was he waiting for? He was waiting for the day when their calamity will come. There are times when wisdom will decide to wait. "I also will laugh at your calamity and I will mock when your terror comes." That is, when the day of trouble comes, what happens? He decides not to answer. He decides not to answer. It says, "When your terror comes like a storm and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you, then they will call on me, but I will not answer. Then they will call and I will do what? I will not answer. They will seek me," look at it, "they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me." So, you notice that the people that God decide this about are people that are privileged, that have been advantaged, that have been opportuned to receive counsel, to receive rebuke, to receive instruction. Are you seeing it? People that in different ways God gave the opportunity to be instructed, and yet they choose to turn their way. One way that God deal with disobedience—there are several ways that God deals with them. God can punish you instantly. Is that not true? Yes. God can decide that you don't prosper. Is that not? But we are looking at a special case today: that one terrible way with which God deal with disobedience is for God to wait for the day of trouble. It's a terrible way of God handling a man's disobedience. It's like saying, "Okay, continue. We will still meet at the end." God is saying, "Man, go on. You are doing it. Ma lo. No problem at all. No, just move on." You are not interrupted. It looks like you are having your way. It looks like you are doing wrong and you are prospering. You notice in Ecclesiastes, it says, "Because judgment against an evil work is not executed speedily, heart of the sons of men is set in them to do evil." But what we are saying today is that sometimes God may not execute speedily because he's heartless, because he's deciding to handle your disobedience in another way. What are we saying? God is merciful. God is good. God is gracious. That is true about God. He's a gracious God. But it is important to know that God can be severe. It is important to know that God also can be tough. God can be very tough. One way of God's toughness is to allow your prosperity in your disobedience only to show up for you, to mock at you in the day of your trouble. It's one aspect of God that we must know and be afraid about. God is gracious, God is merciful, God is a God of second chance. God can have mercy on whom he will have mercy. But I also want you to know God can also just as he can have mercy on whom he will have mercy, the same way God can also decide not to answer and wait for a man to punish him in the day of his trouble. It's the same God who works in all of these. "You will hear of war," verse 6, "you will hear of war and of rumors of war. See that you be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be famine, there will be pestilence and earthquake in various places." We have been seeing that and they are still going on. "All these are the beginning of sorrows. They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then many will be offended, they will betray one another, they will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise and deceive many, and because lawlessness will abound..." what will happen? That's another dimension. So much lawlessness and you can be joining as a believer. You can be moving on with the lawlessness. "That is how it is now. There's no better way to do it. That is how we are now doing it." Because lawlessness will abound and I'm telling you those of us, it was God who called Saul. I'm speaking to those of us that are His disciples, we who can do as we like. But one thing you must be watching when it looks as if your love is waxing cold for righteousness, for godliness, and you are doing whatever you like, you are joining the bandwagon, and it looks like everything is still okay. Your job is going well, your marriage is going well, your ministry is going well, everything is doing well, but you know that you are not walking in obedience. Baba may just be waiting for the day of your trouble. He may just be waiting. The day you will now come and say, "Lord!" and then you will call God all the way God through all the mediums you expect to answer. They will say, "Elder, come and pray. The prayer of faith will heal the sick." It will not be your own case. They will say, "Okay, brethren..." they will do all kinds of things we know to do in scripture, but the Lord has just decided not to answer. The Lord just chose not to answer. Saul was afraid, normally in Israel. Go and check, when the king face mighty men, mighty men of war, large number, you will see God will appear and say, "Don't be afraid. Go, I will be with you." You remember Joshua? God told him, "Don't be afraid of this great multitude, for I will deliver them into your hand." You remember David? God said, normally what God does to His people in the day of their trouble is to stand with them, is to stand for them, is to strengthen them, is to give them courage. There was so much fear and Saul needs an encouragement, something to bring courage in the face of trouble. You will not be surprised when this kind of things begin to happen to people and God decides not to answer. God decides to mock at their fear. What is the key of this admonition? Is that the Lord is calling us that in the midst of whatever is happening around us today, please choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. It's a clarion call of God to His people particularly. God is not calling the sinner, God is not calling the ungodly, but God is calling His people. God is warning His people: choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Today, scripture is used to justify iniquity. Scripture is used to justify sinfulness. We use scriptures to validate a lot of errors. We use scriptures to justify a lot of wickedness in the land. Some will say, "After all, God said, 'Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and unto God what belong to God.'" So, I render what belong to Caesar and that is how he explained and collected bribe, and wronged poor people, this call. It's a call to God's people. It's a call to believers. That see, brethren, everywhere we find ourselves, we must choose the fear of God. It says, "They would none of my counsel and despise my every rebuke." Let us choose the counsel of God. Let us choose the place of scriptures. Let us be careful to validate our life with scriptures. Let us be careful to do so. We must never ever underrate the place of the Lord in our life as the first and foremost. We must never ever underrate His place in our life—the Lord and His kingdom is foremost. That is what we are created for. What is the whole duty of man? To fear God and keep His command. That's the whole duty of man. That is why you were created: to fear God and keep His command. It must never be underrated. What the Lord is saying is that His people, they are underrating Him. Why are they underrating Him? Because of His mercies, because of His goodness, because of His graciousness. But I want to tell you, God will eventually answer by not answering the day of your trouble. It's the same God who works in all of these. It's the same God who works in all of these. It's the same God who was sleeping. But for how long does it take a man to sleep? It's just for a while. All we are seeing today, may you be able to see with the eye of God that it's just for a while. It's just for a while. "Weeping may endure in the night, but joy comes in the morning." Don't let us change side. Don't let us ever, never ever underrate the place of the Lord in our life as first and foremost. Our whole duty, what God brought us for in life, is to fear Him and keep His command. All these things will be added to us. Don't let them become our preoccupation, so that it does not be—it does not happen that the Lord did not answer in the day of our trouble. Why must we not underrate His place in our life? Why must we not? Isaiah 48:17-18, why must we not underrate His place in our life? Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer. What the Lord is saying now as I am reading, the Spirit of revelation is the Spirit of prophecy. The Spirit of prophecy is the Spirit of scriptures. Don't ever forget that holy men wrote the scripture as the Spirit moved them. The Spirit of prophecy is the Spirit of revelation. The Spirit of revelation is the Spirit of scripture, so that any revelation, any prophecy that violates scripture cannot be the Holy Spirit. The same thing is for Christ. It's the same Spirit of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of truth. And you know one thing about it again? It's also the Spirit of intercession. So that one way God deals with disobedience is not to answer in prayers because the Spirit of revelation is also the Spirit of intercession. It says, "Thus says the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God." I am first and I am most. Why must we not underrate Him? He says, "I am the Lord your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. O that you had heeded my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." What is the Lord calling our attention to? That the reason why we should not underrate His place is that He is the Lord your God. He is the Lord. The person you are calling your God is also the Lord. Do you get that at all? The person you are calling your God is also the Lord, that is the one to whom nobody should say no. Your God is the Lord, not any other person. He's not to go short. Go to obey them and you run to God. God can overrule whatever they want to do because they are not the Lord. They are different type of gods people worship. But what He's trying to make us see is that the one we call God is the Lord. And the important thing you must know is that He's the only one who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Every time you are ignoring His counsel, you are not walking in His fear, it may look as if you are profiting, but the truth is that you did not profit. To gain, it is the Lord who teaches you to profit. Psalm 73, "Surely God is good to Israel." God is good to who? To Israel. And to who? To such as are pure in heart. "But as for me, my foot was almost stumbled. My step had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Be careful. Don't join the prosperity of the wicked. God is good to Israel. It may not appear so now, but the truth is that God is good to those who are pure in heart. Don't let us join them. "For there was no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They were not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace. Violence covered them like garments. Their eyes bulge with abundance. They have more than their heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heaven, and their tongue walked through the earth." Are you seeing them? Because what they are doing they are prospering. The love of many righteous are waxing cold. We are joining them. We are envying them. We are stepping into their shoes. God is actually good to those who are pure in heart. It may not appear so now, but the truth is that God is good to those who are pure in heart. Don't let us join them. They speak against the heavens and their tongue walked through the earth. "Therefore his people returned here and water of the full cup are drained by them. And they say, 'How does God know?'" You see it? "And there's no knowledge in the Most High. Religion is just the opium of the people. There's nothing like God. Forget it! Even your pastors too they are just looking for what to eat. There is nothing." You know the way people just caricature everything, make everything look like there's no God, there is no hell, there is no heaven, there is no rapture. On the last day, only true believers will be raptured. On the last day, only true believers will be raptured. On the last day, only true believers will be raptured. Mind them, they seem to prosper, they say horrible things. "Take it easy! Energy you are wasting. You are crying." It looks like wickedness is prospering. Sometime last year, two queues at an ATM. The line here was not long before, it was this one that started getting longer and people were just jumping from here. They were just jumping to that side. You know, on and on and on. And the end of the whole thing, the Lord was trying to make me see: because iniquity is prospering, men are changing side. Men are just changing side. It looks like if you must stand for the truth, if you must do that which is right, you will be stagnant, you will not move. I noticed that ATM was moving. It was moving. Only, only on the long run were you to know that everything here was fake currency. True currency was actually at this side. The Lord will help us in the name of Jesus Christ. These are the ungodly who are always at ease. They are always at ease. And you who's godly, you begin to wonder, what is to remain godly? How come the wicked have it as if it's always at ease? One challenge come, you have to explain, you know, they have made their way. They have to have all the connection. It looks like wow, I am not catching up. You know? Sometimes last year, when this kind of things begin to happen to people and God decides not to answer, God decides to mock at their fear. What is the key of this admonition? Is that the Lord is calling us that in the midst of whatever is happening around us today, please choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Saul was afraid. Normally in Israel, go and check, when the king face mighty men, mighty men of war, large number, you will see God will appear and say, "Don't be afraid. Go, I will be with you." You remember Joshua? God told him, "Don't be afraid of this great multitude, for I will deliver them into your hand." You remember David? God said—normally what God does to His people in the day of their trouble is to stand with them, is to stand for them, is to strengthen them, is to give them courage. There was so much fear and Saul needs an encouragement, something to bring courage in the face of trouble. You will not be surprised when this kind of things begin to happen to people and God decides not to answer. God decides to mock at their fear. What is the key of this admonition? Is that the Lord is calling us that in the midst of whatever is happening around us today, please choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. It's a clarion call of God to His people particularly. God is not calling the sinner, God is not calling the ungodly, but God is calling His people. God is warning His people: choose the fear of God. Choose the fear of God. Today, scripture is used to justify iniquity. Scripture is used to justify sinfulness. We use scriptures to validate a lot of errors. We use scriptures to justify a lot of wickedness in the land. Some will say, "After all, God said, 'Render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and unto God what belong to God.'" So, I render what belong to Caesar and that is how he explained and collected bribe, and wronged poor people. This call is a call to God's people. It's a call to believers that see, brethren, everywhere we find ourselves, we must choose the fear of God. It says, "They would none of my counsel and despise my every rebuke." Let us choose the counsel of God. Let us choose the place of scriptures. Let us be careful to validate our life with scriptures. Let us be careful to do so. We must never ever underrate the place of the Lord in our life as the first and foremost. We must never ever underrate His place in our life—the Lord and His kingdom is foremost. That is what we are created for. What is the whole duty of man? To fear God and keep His command. That's the whole duty of man. That is why you were created: to fear God and keep His command. It must never be underrated. What the Lord is saying is that His people, they are underrating Him. Why are they underrating Him? Because of His mercies, because of His goodness, because of His graciousness. But I want to tell you, God will eventually answer by not answering the day of your trouble. It's the same God who works in all of these. It's the same God who works in all of these. It's the same God who was sleeping. But for how long does it take a man to sleep? It's just for a while. All we are seeing today, may you be able to see with the eye of God that it's just for a while. It's just for a while. Weeping may endure in the night, but joy comes in the morning. Don't let us change side. Don't let us ever, never ever underrate the place of the Lord in our life as first and foremost. Our whole duty, what God brought us for in life, is to fear Him and keep His command. All these things will be added to us. Don't let them become our preoccupation, so that it does not be—it does not happen that the Lord did not answer in the day of our trouble. Why must we not underrate His place in our life? Why must we not? Isaiah 48:17-18. Why must we not underrate His place in our life? Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God." I am first and I am most. Why must we not underrate Him? He says, "I am the Lord your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. O that you had heeded my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." What is the Lord calling our attention to? That the reason why we should not underrate His place is that He is the Lord your God. He is the Lord. The person you are calling your God is also the Lord. Do you get that at all? The person you are calling your God is also the Lord. Every time you are ignoring His counsel, you are not walking in His fear, it may look as if you are profiting, but the truth is that you did not profit. To gain, it is the Lord who teaches you to profit. We want to pray with that scripture, just praying that scripture to yourself. Lord, you will give your angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways. We need the assignment of angels so much today. There is so much evil in the land. We need the assignment of angels. For Lord give your angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways. They will bear me up. I will not dash my foot. I will not fall. I will not be consumed. The sudden decision of the wicked will not overtake me. The angels will bear me up in their hands. The lions and the cobra... we will need to face several lions, destiny wasters, people that are cutting short lives of people, cobras, wicked people all over the land. I shall tread on cobras. I shall tread upon lions. I shall tread upon young lion. I shall tread upon serpent under my foot, I will tread upon them. This shall be my portion as I fear the Lord. I fear the Lord as I dwell in His secret place. This shall be my portion. O Lord, because I have set my love upon you, because I have set my love upon you, Lord you will deliver me. Lord as I set my love upon you, you will deliver me. Lord you will set me on high as I reverence your name. Your name will be my fear in all I do, in all I think, in all I say, in all I do. Your name will be my fear. And as I reverence your name, Lord you will set me on high. I will not be beneath. I will not be under. Lord, I will call upon you and you will answer me. I will call upon you and you will answer me. Lord, you will be with me in trouble. You will be with me in trouble. I will run into your name. Your name will be my strong tower. Lord, and in my trouble you will deliver me and you will honor me. You will deliver me and you will honor me. Lord, with long life you will satisfy me. With long life you will satisfy me and you will show me your salvation. There is this saying among the Yoruba: "Wani wa pe l'aiye, oju o ni ri bi," but you have to make a choice. "To ba fe pe l'aiye," then you have to be prepared for "koju e ri bi," or "ko ma pe l'aiye koju e ma ri bi." But what this Psalm is saying is in the reverse direction: it is possible to have a good long life. That's what it is saying. It says, "With long life I will satisfy him." In that long life, "I will show him my salvation." It's possible to live long and yet not be visited with evil. It's possible! And that is our prayer, that Lord you will satisfy me with long life, and in the life with which you satisfy me I will not be visited with evil in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, everlasting Father. May the Lord answer us in the day of our trouble. May the Lord answer us when we cry. May the Lord answer us when we call upon you. May the Lord be with us and undertake for us in the days of our fear. In the name of Jesus Christ, when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, may we fear no evil in the name of Jesus Christ. Even in the presence of our enemy, the Lord will prepare a table for us and our cup will overflow. In the name of Jesus Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are: discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 p.m.; adolescents and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; marriage forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m.; family life seminars, regular school outreaches and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community opposite Very Joy filling station along Ije road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.