The Closet, Our Test of Devotion — Alan Bartley

I was just reading this one, a great preacher called Wilbur Chapman who said something very interesting when preaching or speaking to another preacher. When he started out as a young preacher in a particular church, an old man came to him and said, Wilbur, I don't think you'll make it son, you're too young for this ministry, only older men have been in this church, but I'll pray for you.

He thought he was a crank, that's what he said, he thought he was a bit of an old fellow, but he was grateful that he would pray for him. He came back to him after a while and he said, there's three men praying for you.

It grew to 200 and Wilbur Chapman said, before I get up to preach any time in my pulpit, I had 18 elders gather round me and fell on their knees and asked God for the anointing of the Spirit of God. Brothers and sisters, I feel a hardness tonight in the atmosphere in this place.

Calling the Congregation to Prayer

So why I'm telling you that is I want you to bow your head and we're going to pray together. Because if the anointing is not present and the Lord's not giving his help, there's no real promise. We call on the Lord together to help us and pour out the oil of the Spirit.

Our Father, we come before thy throne tonight in Jesus' name.

We thank thee for the throne. We thank thee, Lord, for the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. And we thank thee, Lord, that thy word tells us that our Lord Jesus, he spoiled principalities and powers. Bless God, he made a show of them, hope and love.

We thank thee, Lord, that Jesus is king of all kings. Bless thee, Lord, that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The glory of God the Father. And our God, we want to thank thee for so loving us, Lord, in our poor, belated, darkened condition.

That thou didst send, Lord, the very darling of thy bosom, thine only begotten Son, the born of the Virgin. Lord, to ultimately go to Calvary, we come to praise thee, Lord. Praise thee for Calvary. Praise thee for the victory that was won.

Praise thee, Lord, for the power of the blood. Praise you, Lord, tonight that, Father, because of Jesus, we can come to thee. We bless thee, Lord, thou hast done great things for us, we're overjoyed. And, Father, in Jesus' name, we would come unitedly to the throne of grace and ask, Lord, for the oil of the Spirit.

Oh, Lord, at thy oil we pray in this meeting. Oh, God, we pray that we would be conscious of the divine presence. Lord, we pray that thou would come and stand among us in thy risen power. Oh, God, we come against every evil spirit and every dark power of hell and every Lord-device of Satan.

We bind the power of the enemy in Jesus' name. Satan, we bind all your power, all your activities, all your distractions. We bind in Jesus' name. And we pray, Lord, for the release of the Holy Ghost. Lord, send the Holy Ghost.

Lord, come amongst us, we pray. We haven't come merely, Lord, to meet and go through the Lord activities of the Evangelical Church. But we need thy presence, Lord. And we need the sweet oil of the Spirit.

We need thee amongst us. And we call on thy name. And we pray that thou would help us, Lord, to open all our hearts wide to God. And wide to grace. And wide to whatever God would want to say to us. Lord, come and speak to us, we pray.

With thy protection around us, Lord. We pray that thy wing would be over us. Now, Lord, I give myself unreservedly to thee. I claim, Lord, thy cleansing and thy sanctifying power upon me. Lord, tonight for this meeting, for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the edification of the saints, and, Father, for the advancement of thy great kingdom, I take the promised Holy Ghost, the blessed power of Pentecost, to fill me to the uttermost.

I take. And I bless thee, Lord, that he, the Holy Ghost, will undertake. In Jesus' name, amen. And amen. We're turning to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 6. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 6. We welcome you in the Lord's name tonight.

Thank you. If there's anyone, it's your first night with us. And the exposition of God. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 6. We're just reading verse 6 and 7. Matthew, chapter 6, verse 6 and 7. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet.

And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do. For they think that they shall be heard, for they are much speaking from his Word.

The Closet as the Test of Devotion

I want to speak to you this evening on the closet, our test of devotion. The closet, our test of devotion. On many occasions I have spoken to saintly men and women. Men and women in the work of God. And my conclusion to the state of the church and to the spiritual paralysis.

All, all goes back to the root of the problem of the closet. The closet is the root cause of backsliding. The root cause, prayerlessness. The root cause, carelessness. The root cause of lack of burden for the lost.

The root cause for the lack of concern for revival. The closet. And so therefore we need to look at what the Lord has to say in these few verses. And in other portions of his Word. Concerning the all important area of the closet.

I want to speak to you first on the directions regarding the closet. Directions regarding the closet. Now the word closet mentioned here in chapter 6 and verse 6. Jesus said when you pray enter into your closet.

The closet is a private room. An inner chamber. A place of secrecy. And the Lord calls you and I as believers to the closet. The Lord calls us to the place of secrecy. Where we personally and individually meet the Lord.

Now I have no desire to put you into bondage tonight. As to some of the things I will mention. And some of the men I will mention. Concerning their devotional life in the closet. I have no desire to leave you in bondage.

But what I do desire is to let you know what the closet can become. I want you to see that the present spiritual climate in our land. Is not something to be really seeking or pursuing. Because let it be known that the church is presently on such a low level spiritually.

That we can't really enter into the full significance of the value of the closet. Until we begin to read those who have really explored the closet. I'm not in a position to say that I am an authority on the closet.

But I thank God for what he has taught me in the closet. For what he is teaching me. And for what the Spirit of God has revealed to me whilst in the closet. The Lord said here enter into thy closet. Now for many young Christians when they come to the Lord they have a real problem about the closet.

In fact for many older Christians these problems continue on. Many can feel that the closet has to be a closed room. A room of the house. Somewhere where a literal door has to be present. Wherein the door has to be shut.

But can I suggest to you that that is not really in the Lord's mind. What is in the Lord's mind is the thought of the secrecy. The thought of the private place where communion is conducted between the soul and God.

Finding a Personal Place of Prayer

I remember after my conversion and God had deep dealings in my life. Five years after my conversion. I was brought up on the farm. And I recall on many occasions I used to walk the land. I knew every acre.

I knew every hole in the hedge. I didn't fix many of them but I knew where they were. I had a little dog. A little terrier. And he used to get excited when he knew I was going for a walk. It was a daily occurrence.

And I went for a walk and I would have walked literally for miles. And that was mine. That is where I poured my heart out to the Lord. And I can bring you to trees and to little nooks and crannies in the hedges where sometimes it rained.

And where I met the Lord. That was my closet. I remember hearing of the great preacher J .B. Friend. J .B. Friend whenever he rose in the morning he went for a walk. And I remember one man relating to me who knew him personally.

He said when J .B. Friend was out on his quiet time, his lips were just moving. And J .B. Friend was having his quiet time. J .B. Friend was having his communion with the Lord. He was oblivious to cars.

He was oblivious to traffic. He was oblivious to people. His soul was taken up with the Lord. It was his closet but it was outside. Now for some of us the closet may not be in the field. It may not be in the footpath.

I remember hearing of an American preacher. And he claimed that he had the biggest closet in the world. He had a beach which was seven miles long. And he walked his beach. For some it's inside. I remember a lady telling me that she had difficulty in the home getting peace and quiet.

So she took her car down the road and she kept it running. And she had her quiet time in the car. I heard of one lady on one occasion. She had similar problems. And the only place she could find peace and quiet was upstairs when the children were downstairs.

And she locked the door of the bathroom. And that was her closet. Directions regarding the closet. Tell me, Christian, is there a place where you regularly meet with God? The closet. There is a caution regarding the closet though.

The Lord said when you enter into your closet, shut the door. The door has to be shut. Now what the Lord is relating is not literally a door being shut. But it's the picture that everything else is to be pushed out.

Everything else has to go. On one occasion a man was in a telephone case. And I'm sure this has happened to you. And he was talking on the phone and the person was speaking. And he says, I can't hear you.

They talked, I can't hear you. And a man was standing beside him and he said, shut the door. Shut the door. And so many Christians today. I have a number of people. I remember people coming to my house and saying to me, how does God speak to you?

Well if that's what you're saying, then there's a problem with the closet. You're immediately unearthing a spiritual problem in your life if you ask that question. There's a problem with you and the closet.

You don't need to be a prophet or the son of a prophet to understand at Ulster that the closet is largely for sale. There were multitudes today who were in the sanctuary and they were not in the closet.

They have not been in the closet. And if they have been, they have not succeeded in the closet for the very thing which God established the closet for. Because if the closet was successful in the hearts and lives of God's people, things would be happening in the land.

Now they might not be seeing multitude of people converted. But one sure certain thing that would occur if the closet was being utilized by the saints is that there would be a tremendous driving to the place of prayer in the sanctuaries.

When the closet is successful, there is an outpouring of that into the house of God. And so for that reason, you know, when we're in alone with the Lord in the closet, it can be lonely. It can be lonely.

Confidentiality and Sincerity in Prayer

But it's the place that the Lord designated where we share, just give a word to some of the younger Christians, indeed some of the older ones as well. There are things that are shared in the closet. There are things that are not shared in public prayer meetings.

And sometimes I have been in meetings and in missions. And sometimes when the Lord has been working in the sanctuary and you've preached and the word of God has gone forth and people's spirits have been touched.

And suddenly somebody starts to pray and I begin to wonder, were they on the moon during the meeting? Were they on the moon? Because moon men appear in meetings. They appear. And they start to pray and you just wonder, where were they?

But my dear friends, I have no problem in praying about everything and anything. But keep it to the closet. Now I'm not legislating what you pray for. If the spirit of God comes mightily upon you to pray about something very personal, then you pray about legislation.

But it's just something that we all need to lay hold on. It's a place where we reveal all. But you know friends, it's a place where you and I can sow easily. You know, you can't show off and show off in the dream.

You can't be a big fella. That's why what a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more. And for that reason, if I were to bring the message to a conclusion now, I have given you sufficient material as to why you should call on God as a believer and say, Lord, help me in the closet.

Returning to Private, Earnest Prayer

I believe with all my heart that the devil wants us away from the closet. For that reason, the Lord, I believe, has been directing my attention during the past week and past days along these lines, which we've been ministering in recent weeks, as the Lord prepares our heart.

Because the devil, brothers and sisters, he wants us to abandon the closet. And if you're at that place, and who of us hasn't been at that place where there have been times when we have abandoned the closet?

I want you to get back to the closet. I want you to get back to private, earnest prayer. Caution. The Lord says in verse 7, when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do. Can I say, first of all, when we go into the closet, to avoid hasty words before we look at the repetitious ones.

The Bible says, be still, and know that I am. Remember, the Bible says, when you come into God's presence, remember that you're on earth and that God's in heaven. Let your words be few. Don't be just starting to talk.

We've all feel that. John Hyde, the great praying missionary, said whenever, as an advanced missionary, not as an advanced in age, but spiritually advanced, on many occasions when he went in, he was requested to pray in silence for many, many minutes.

The hasty of being aware, beware of repetitious words. Just praying. Just nithing. Just talking. How many prayer meetings? The Lord, this is a wonderful covenant, in verse 6, the Lord said, when you enter into your closet and when you close the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret.

Do you know, brothers and sisters, God's looking for us, God's eyes on the closet, and as the eye of the eternal God looks down on us, we weren't there. And his eye looked upon it, longingly worshipped with him, but we didn't come.

He has looked for days on end and we have not come. Perhaps he has looked for months on end and we have not come. God's covenant says, my eye is upon the closet. The Lord said, for those who go in, he said, I will warn you, the closet must not be regarded as merely a duty.

If you view the closet as a duty to silence your conscience and to remove guilt, you have lost the very meaning of the closet. The closet is to be the place where we encounter God. It is to be the place where our soul is drawn out.

As we read in the scriptures that there was that time when Jacob was lying, sleeping, and suddenly he became conscious of a ladder and of a holy host that were ascending and descending, and God at the top, holy ground, the house of God, ecstasy of the presence of the eternal God in the closet.

You have never come to grips with what the closet is all about. It's about communion with God. Desires for the closet. One writer has said, some people treat God like a lawyer. They only go. If you turn with me to Isaiah, chapter 65, I want to show you what curtails your desire for the closet.

You see, the reality is that many people have abandoned it. We want to look at some of the reasons why they abandoned it. Why this spiritual paralysis? In Isaiah 65, verse 2, we read the Lord speaking of Israel, his people.

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts, a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face, that sacrifice in gardens and burn incense upon altars of bricks.

Turn over with me then to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59, verse 2, the reason why we are curtailed in the closet. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

That's talking about praying. Hear God speaking to his own people. He said, I will not hear you. The psalmist said in Psalm 66 and 18, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Never mind answer, not hear.

So you can see that what curtails our desire for the closet is sin. Sin in the life of the child of God curtails the desire for the closet. What are some of the sins that are spoken of in the scriptures that can curtail our desire for the closet?

Unforgiveness and Bitterness as Hindrances

The first one that I have selected is unforgiveness. Mark 11 and 25 we read, When you stand praying, forgive. If you have wrought against any, that your Father also which is in heaven forgive you also.

If you carry a spirit of unforgiveness to a brother or sister in the Lord, you might as well abandon the closet. Because what people, this is what they attempt to do. People carry all kinds of baggage and sin with them into the closet when they go.

Because they've been told to go. And they see it in the scripture that they need to do it. But it's drudgery. It's drudgery. And they go in and it's a form of like a purgatorial penance. That evangelicals have to go through.

If you're to be an evangelical, and the longer you spend in it, and the more pain you get in it, then the better evangelical you are. There are many people of you. But many sincerely as they go into the closet, then they're ready to spill out all their ideas, and all the things that they feel God would need to be doing.

And so there's a rush for the throne. And there's a list pulled out the length of today and tomorrow. And it's poured out and at the end of it, they never know whether there's to be any answers to it.

To whether God heard it. To whether it's to be in any advance, or any principled move of God as a result of it. There's nothing. Nothing. And they go out as dry as they went in. Go out as wearied, if not more wearied, than when they went in.

My brothers and sisters, there's a reason for that. And if you're carrying the baggage of unforgiveness, you may as well abandon it. I remember a number of years ago, I brought something to do something.

He affected his... Because you see, you can tell, a man or woman that's walking with God, a man or woman that has a healthy closet, will have a healthy relationship to all the saints. To all the saints.

Not just your denomination. But all the saints. Because the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost. And so the spirit of unforgiveness... Well, thank God that man came to me afterwards.

And when he came into my home, he said, Listen, I've something to tell you. He said, I've said things about you that's not... Maybe you're carrying some baggage with you. Not only is there unforgiveness that curtails us in the closet, but unjust criticism.

And a bitter spirit. A bitter spirit. You know, there are many Christians and they carry a bitter spirit. They carry something in them that's eating and gnawing at their soul, and sometimes they have managed to retain it, they've managed to hold it, but at an opportunity when it rises up, then it spills out like bang!

I remember... I tell you, my dear friend, she gave me something through the phone. In a sense, it didn't affect my life. Oh, she said, I'm going... Listen, if you've a root of bitterness, you better get it to the Lord.

You say, but listen, it's all right you talking. I have had terrible things done on me. I have had dreadful things said about me by the Lord's people. I have been wounded in the house of my friends. You may have been brother or sister in the Lord.

So have I. But you know what God has taught me? God has taught me when I'm wounded by a brother or sister, that I just stay in the closet, and I just keep praying for that brother or sister. And what I pray for them is that the Lord will bless them.

And that the Lord will do them good. And sometimes my emotions come back, like a rebound on me, and they say, you don't mean that. But in my will, I'm saying to God, in the heart of my being, I do mean it.

Even though they have hurt me against them, If that's your attitude, God will soon conquer the bitterness. He'll kill you in the closet. Brothers and sisters in our churches across the land, our churches are being laid down with these things.

We sing hymns and we go through it all as though God can't see it. God help us. God help them. It's like the elder brother we read in Luke 15, whenever the young brother came back from the harlots, and he came to the father, and the father killed the fatted calf, and he got the ring and the guard, and he put it on.

And they all rejoiced, but the older brother, he was an old cranky boy. He knew everything. He was with the father all the time. He did everything right according to the law. And there's nothing as obnoxious, and nothing as painful to the spirit of a believer who is open to God as a person without bitter.

Always seek God, if you have a bitter spirit, to get rid of him. A person with a bitter spirit, honey will turn into vinegar in front of them. Keep, as it was said of the great missionary there down in the south of Cornwall, what was it he said when they put me into a barrow?

He says, unlock the lid on that. He says, I'll push out the barrow. The great holiness preacher in America, he says, he says, no matter where you put me. Well, I have put some Christians. And I'll tell you, honey hasn't come out.

It's a person's reaction that tells you what they're really like as a Christian. It's not the out front face. It's when you get them under pressure, you squeeze them. And it comes out then, that's the real person.

Criticism, Neglect, and the Call to Obey

Unforgiveness. And unjust criticism. You know, praying Hyde, I've mentioned him already, I'll mention him again. Hyde on one occasion, as he got into close communion with the Lord, we're told that on one occasion, Hyde was thinking of a particular missionary who evidently was vexing the Lord's people.

And Hyde, in his close proximity to the throne in prayer, he started to tell the Lord about this man's failures. And the spirit of God, don't criticize in prayer either. Pour out your bile in prayer. Because sometimes your prayers can become anything, my friend, but a blessing from God.

But your prayers can be used also by sin. Unjust criticism. An unwillingness to do what we can. That'll paralyze you in your brain. Turn with me to Proverbs. Proverbs 21. Proverbs 21 in verse 13. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

The Lord said, when you see a need, you see it, it's clear, it's before you. No one bothered doing anything about it. The Lord said, when you cry, I'm not here. The Bible says, give and it shall be given unto you.

Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. What measure ye meet unto men shall it be met. T .L. Moody on one occasion was in a small prayer meeting. There were five businessmen with him.

They had mentioned that there was a great need financially for some building project. One of the rich men bowed his head and he started to pray a beautiful, eloquent prayer. Ask the Lord to meet the need, at which T .L. Moody interrupted.

He said, brother, I don't think we need to pray about that. We can deal with that ourselves. Don't be asking God to do it. See, you can go into the prayer meeting. I used to do it for years before God had dealings with my life as a Christian.

I used to go to the prayer meeting and say, Lord, pray for the missionaries in Africa. You know, way out in that land that I've never seen. I don't know the missionaries. I don't even know their name.

But you bless them way out there, Lord. And then bless the ones way out in Canada. And if there had been any on the moon, I would have been praying for them as well. Because they were away from me. But oh, my dear friend, whenever God started to say to me, now listen, let the light come in on your own soul.

That was different. When God said, I want to start delving into your life, that was different. You have no right to pray all around the globe. But God said, I want to get into you. And it's all right for you to pray, Lord, send the missionaries to the foreign field.

But Lord, I have no intention of going. You have no intention of going to the mission field. You have no right to pray for God to bless them if you're not willing to. And what you ask going to be the answer to that prayer.

When you start praying like that, you'll find that, my dear friend, like Spurgeon said of downstairs in the great tabernacle in London, your closet will become like a furnace. Fire will soon rise up in thee.

Unwillingness. Lack of praise. The Bible says in Psalm 50, 23,. We read in that great psalm that we so often sing, Psalm 100 in verse 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. You know, God's gates are open to us.

The gates are wide open. Wide open. They're not closed. And God gives an exhortation in the psalm. He said, listen, when you come into your closet, he says, enter in through my gates. He said, come with thanksgiving, O God.

And he said, not only that. Then go into his closet. Appendicost. Whatever appendicost is meant to be. In the light of terminology where people term people. But one thing I do believe is that there is a truth about the power of praise that most of the church has lost.

There is a tremendous power in praise. Praise can move what prayer alone can. Desires for the duration of the closet. Well, the duration of time that you and I spend in the closet is related to our heart condition.

Related to our heart condition. Robert Merriman Sheen said, It is my noblest and most fruitful employment. And there's not to be thrust. E .M. Bowings said, Nothing can atone for neglect. We read of Zacharias in Luke chapter 1.

It was the most momentous moment in Zacharias' life. Told from commentators that the priest could only go in once in his lifetime. To go before the veil. The little incense furniture was positioned just in front of the veil.

There was the candle. There was the Shobreh. He'd never been in before but now he's going in. And a measure of fear and trepidation would be upon the servant of the Lord. Because he's coming in now very close to the Holy of Holies where God dwells.

And there's a tremendous fear in the Israelite nation. Because they have known the judgment of the law. And as he comes in in Luke chapter 1. He goes in to offer the incense. And it speaks in the Bible of prayer.

A man going into the sanctuary to be with God. Oh but something unusual happens in that lonely place. In that closet. In that sanctuary. Suddenly the angel Gabriel appears. Friends what a fright it must be to Zacharias.

You have to realize that for 400 years now God has not spoken to the nation. 400 years not a word from God. Suddenly Gabriel appears.

He's moving God's hand. You know what it says.

I wonder about you. You're so long. I'll read you something. A great man of God called John Smith. After family worship of the morning which Mr. Smith usually prefaced by several hours of private devotion.

He returned to the exercises of the closet. And sometimes on his knees and often on his face wrestled with God. Till not unfrequently a considerable part of the floor of his study was wet with his tears.

In his unreserved disclosures of feelings to his friend. A man said once remarked that he was sometimes engaged in prayer for two or three hours. Before which he enjoyed that unrestricted intercourse with heaven.

Which he always desired and which he generally succeeded in obtaining. That's why I'm saying to you don't go by the guide of today. Our fathers prayed. Preachers. The duration. Elijah God said to him Elijah hide thyself.

Then Elijah on occasion Wilbur Chapman that great preacher came to F .B. Meyer another great preacher. And in the honesty of his heart as these two men of God talked together. Chapman said to Meyer. He said you know brother a lot of the time I'm preaching and I'm working for the Lord.

But I feel I've lost my strength. Meyer said can you breathe. Meyer said that's right. And before you touch this world you have to breathe in heaven's air to your soul. You have to be saturated with that world knows nothing about.

You have to be absorbed in that world. By the closet. By your walking with God. By your union with Christ in the closet. By your love relationship to him. As you give your soul to him. As he gives himself to you.

And as holy communion goes on within the closet. Then when you come out. When we entered into the closet we needed serious serious things. Samuel Chapman would say hurry push in other things. Not only is it to be.

Serious and Intelligent Prayer

Here you've been in situations prayer meetings. I certainly have. I hope I'm not the odd man out. I know my wife can identify with me. Sometimes I have to talk to her afterwards to feel if there's something wrong with me.

But sometimes I've been in prayer meetings and I wanted to squeal. I wanted to run out. Couldn't wait to get out. Dealing in generalities. There was nothing there. No seriousness. No earnestness. No calling on to God.

No consciousness of whether God was present or absent. And nobody apparently caring. Serious time. A place. Whether it's the field or. When you enter into the closet you will discover on occasions. That as you go in to start praying.

And you get an earnestness with prayer. And you start to pray over situations and people and so forth. Sometimes it's not easy. And sometimes it's good to take the book of God. I was reading of a great English preacher.

His name has gone from me now. But great English preacher. And this is what he used to do. He would have spent half an hour in the word of God. Just reading the word of God. Just meditating on the word of God.

And then he would go to prayer for half an hour. And then he would come back to the word of God for half an hour. And he would let God speak to him. And then he would speak back to God. And the more you pray.

The more you'll want to pray. And the more you pray. The more you'll feel your need of prayer. The most interesting thing of reading of prayer warriors. Is that they all acknowledge their prayerlessness.

And the amazing thing about those who do not pray. Are the ones who least feel it. In fact there's maybe some in the meeting tonight. And you feel that's all very well. But I have absolutely no intention of praying.

I have no intention of going to the closet. I am satisfied where I am. That is the sign of a backslidden heart. That is the sign of a rift between you and your maker. And I don't care if you're evangelical.

Or you're Baptist. Or Brethren. Or Free Presbyterian. Or Independent Methodist. I don't care your time or flag. My dear friend. God looks from the heart. And if the enemy can break and destroy this union with God in the closet.

He will do it. He will move heaven and earth and hell if he can. You need the book of God. You need the spirit of God. You haven't the spirit of God so lonely. I have the spirit of God with you in the closet.

It's a lovely place. Lovely. So I was out for a walk this week. I promised a wee boy that I'd take him for a walk. I took him for a walk. And we were only a few feet out of the road. And he said, I want to bring the tractor with me.

Well, I knew what that was going to be. So eventually we got the wee tractor out. And he started wheeling it. And we went down a long walkway. But there were stones. And the wee tractor wasn't in an easy mood.

And as he was going over it, I was walking beside him. And he looked up at me. And he says, Daddy. Sometimes you get it hard. Not easy. It's sore. And sometimes the Lord puts his hand. And he says, now what a help comes in the place of.

You can feel the fire. With God. Do you know anything about it? Do you know anything about it? There's a joy in it. And the joy of his Father. I've dealt with it better. Grateful to you for all you've done.