Thou Hast Set My Feet in a Large Place — David Wilkerson

God's Goodness Leads to Repentance

He set my feet in a large place. He set my feet in a large place. I want to show it to you Psalms 31 just lay it open on your lap there if you will and I'll. We're gonna pray and ask the Lord to bless our hearts this morning.

Not going to yell at you I'm not going to play the part of an evangelist this morning. Just as a pastor with a heart of love for you and I Know he's prepared something for you Heavenly Father. We need the Holy Spirit this morning to quicken the word to our hearts.

Lord we thank you for repentance. We thank you for the holiness. You've called us to and Lord you also have called us to the kindness of God the mercy of God the goodness of God. And that's what is supposed to lead us to repentance.

That the goodness of the Lord should lead us to repentance. Lord we've heard of your goodness and your wrath. We've heard of it all here Lord from this pulpit and. And Jesus said there are some who act like little children.

They won't Answer to those who mourn. They won't answer to those who dance. They're like children in the marketplace. Lord, there are some that may not have responded to any other message. And if they're not respond to this kind of message Lord, there will not be a response.

So Lord we pray right now that you would quicken my mind and my voice. There are those here this morning that you have brought to hear this message Lord. It's nothing special just a simple little word from heaven.

But it's encouraged my heart and I want you to encourage those who've gathered this morning. There are some here Lord that have been hurt. They just don't understand what's happening to not been hurt by the word but by conditions that have been cast upon them.

They there are things they don't understand that are happening in their life. They love you, but they can't understand the condition that's been thrust upon them. We pray that you'll give us an understanding of that this morning in Jesus name.

Amen, I want you to start. I'm gonna read 31 verse 7 and 8 7 and 8. I Will rejoice and I'm reading from New American Standard. I will rejoice and be glad in thy loving kindness because thou has seen my affliction.

Thou has known the troubles of my soul. Thou has not given me over to the hand of the enemy and here's my message thou has set my feet. But in a large place in a large place turned it to Psalms 118 if you will.

I'm going to Show you the emphasis David gives to this 118 Verses 5 and 6 you're going to see it again and. And Just to show you that David's putting an emphasis on this Psalms 118 5 and 6 from my distress.

The Large Place as Room for Spiritual Growth

I've called upon the Lord. The Lord answered me. What did he do? He sent me in a large place. The Lord is for me. I will not fear. What can man do to me? Alright, I'll tell you what. Let's go back to 31 and just leave it open there because I'm going to refer to Psalms 31 quite a bit in the course of the sharing this morning.

Okay, look this way if you will. Large place in Hebrew is a root word called rock Cobb and it means a place of roominess in which to grow. It's a place of expansion. It's a place to go wide and deep and high the scripture says and that's actually The definition of this word large place roominess a place to go wide and large it's a place to be opened up a Wide expanse in which to grow that's the Hebrew definition.

That's what the word means. That's what David said. God has set me in a place in which to grow a wide expanse to grow wide and tall. To grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord to grow up in Christ.

Now really this and that it's a message of encouragement. The Holy Spirit's trying to reveal a very Tamiya glorious truth in it at least the truth is What we perceive sometimes to be a narrow place in which he's put us a place of suffering.

We misinterpret it entirely. I've misinterpreted many things that have happened in my life and I thought I was not the Christian I should be. I thought it was a result of sin in my life and I'd be thrust into a situation that David describes here and Really David says the Lord set me here and I want to show you where the Lord said in what kind of a place.

This is this large place. See Gethsemane was a large place. The lion's den was a large place. The furnace the fiery furnace was a large place. These were places in which to grow. Christ was really in a place to grow.

He was coming into the Godhead. He was God in the flesh, but he was going to be a man glorified. He was going to take his place Before the fathers our intercessor and what a place of growth he was in now.

Suffering Is Not the Prosperity Gospel

Let's look at this. I don't think the large place is what most preachers are describing it to be today. To most of us and this is a theology. It's being preached today. The large place is a place of prosperity.

It's a place without pain. It's a place without suffering. I do you meet people like that that seem to have it all figured out. It's almost as if they say poor you if you only knew how to figure this thing out like I have.

You know, I have. I've actually met Christians recently. Who who have? Said I don't allow suffering in my life. I Just refuse everything negative. I wish they could just spend one day with me reading my mail.

I don't want anything to do with that that kind of Buddhism and it's nihilism and it's Buddhism. What it is it ignores reality. It absolutely ignores reality. There Was a young man just recently in fact, I got a call about it last night.

He was in a Bible school in East Coast and he had a terrible terrible cold. So much so that he would not even use a handkerchief. And you can imagine the scene I won't even try to describe it to him. He ran around like that all day long because in anyone said hey.

Take this handkerchief and use it. He said I deny I have a cold. Deny that I'm suffering. That's it's a it's a place the Buddhists called Nirvina. It's a place if you just dull everything out. I just don't allow it.

I don't want anything to do with that because I want to face the reality. That's in this world the reality that I'm in in a place that God has set me. Now I'm not going to put you down if that's what you believe, but that's not a place of growth if you if you'll read The Sermon on the Mount Jesus said blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Now if you're not mourning you're not going to get comfort. He said those who are more and get the comfort blessed are those who mourn for they shall be covered. And boy you read that Whole sermon on the Mount and Jesus meets you at a place of need.

If you have no place of need you have no place of comfort. You don't even need the Holy Ghost. You don't need guidance. You don't need anything you have it. You have a little concept in your mind that that If you would just ignored it will go away.

And then the problem with that is the kind of problem a minister brought to me recently. He was in a theology that taught that if you had their right faith. You could actually not die you could live forever.

And he was in a circle about five preachers preaching that and the leader of this died recently. And that man's still in a tailspin. I don't hope he comes out. He's become totally vulnerable to every lie of the enemy now.

Because suddenly it's all gone everything that he stood for. Let's look at this verse 8 and 9 what kind of a place is the large place. Verse 9 be gracious to me O Lord for I am in what? Well, he just said he's in a large place and God set him there.

David's Distress and the Burden of Iniquity

Where'd the Lord put him in a place of distress? Now the Lord didn't do it he allowed it he permitted it. A place of distress go on my eye is wasted away. From grief my soul and my body also for my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing my strength is failed because of my iniquity.

He's he's he's in a situation now, and he's blaming his past sins. He said look what I'm going through. I'm suffering and all my brother sister. There are some things that come back on us. Oh, yes, they do.

Because of my iniquity my body has wasted away because all my adversaries I've become a reproach especially to my neighbors and I'm an objective dread to my acquaintances. Those who see me in the street flee from Me.

I'm forgotten as a dead man out of mine. I'm like a broken vessel. I'm like he's in a large place now, isn't he? And I'm like a broken vessel for I've heard the slander of many terrors on every side while they took counsel together against me.

They schemed to take away my life. We're talking about a large place now and I can hear an echo from some of you right now and your soul in the innermost you say brother Dave I I couldn't Feel what David's talking about right now.

Now the amazing thing is that David if you'll you'll look at Psalms 39 he says he's into in distress in verse 10. His life has spent with sorrow. Strength has failed because of his nicotine of my body is wasted away.

There's a feeling of deadness in David. There's a physical weakness. There's a sorrow. There's a sighing. He said I feel like a broken vessel. What kind of large place could that be? Psalms 18 6. I want to show you something before I describe this psalms 18 6.

Psalms 18 6 in my distress. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried to my God for help. He heard my voice out of his temple and my cry for help before him came into his ears. I Don't think we realize that God permits this distress that we can do just that we learn to call upon him.

We learn we gain a history with the Lord. Look at me, please for just a minute. I thank God for one thing that I have with the Lord. I have a history. Some of you don't have a history with God. You've not been in the test you've not been in the trial.

You've tried to ignore it and you haven't understood why God has brought you into this large place to bring growth into your life but I thank God that there's a history being developed and So that the next trial that comes along so I've been through that and I've proven my God faithful in my distress.

David said David had distress to his dying day. But I've learned to call on the name of the Lord and I've called on God knife. He's proven himself faithful in my distresses. I Thank God for those distresses that have come into my life now.

God Reveals His Faithfulness in Trials

Because I've proven him faithful time and time again. And you can go right through if you if you look at Psalms 18 the same one go to 16 verse there look at 16. He sent me from what he sent from on high.

He took me he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay.

He brought me forth also into a broad place and that's the same Hebrew word is a large place very same room. He brought me forth into a very broad place. He rescued me because he delighted in me. He rescued me because he'd like but once you look at that verse 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity.

Who's they the enemy confronted me in the day of calamity? I had a confrontation with the devil and all the pits of hell and God delivered me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity. But the Lord was my stay he brought me forth also into a broad place.

And that's that large place and rescued me because he delighted in me. Alright, he rescued me by putting me into this large place. He rescues us by putting us in a place where we grow. The potential to grow now, this doesn't mean you will grow.

It's only that he plants you in in a soil. That's conducive to growth. That should produce growth but in that place you can rebel against God. You can certainly rebel a David shows clearly that God sets us in a large place.

After we start hungering and thirsting after him and you go to Psalms 42 and it's very clear in Psalms 42. I was reading this yesterday and it it really blessed my heart and I hope this will bless your heart now.

We we look at it for just a minute here Psalms 42. And look at verse 1 to 3 now and I think this describes many of you've been listening to Bob preach for this past year. I know it describes my heart.

Spiritual Hunger and the Despair of the Soul

Verses 1 to 3 describes exactly what I feel in my heart as the deer pants for the water brooks. So my soul pants for thee. Oh God. My soul thirst for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God.

My tears have been my food night and day. While they say to me all day long. Where is your God? David said there's not a deer on any mountain in Israel. That's panning after water more than I pant after God.

He said I am the most God hungry man on the face of this earth. I'm so thirsty for God. I Wanted with everything it's in me. David wanted to live in holiness. He wanted to walk in repentance before God.

And you you look at that. For just a minute yet in spite of all the spiritual hunger his deep searchings after God something very strange happens to him. And it starts in verse 5. Why are you in despair?

Oh my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me hoping God for I shall again praise him for the help of his presence. What happens to David he he he said why am I disturbed? Why is there this strange disturbance in my heart?

Despair had gripped him. He cries it. Oh my god. My soul is in despair within me. And he couldn't understand what was happening to him. Verse 40 look at 42 11 there. Why are you in despair? Oh my soul.

And why have you become disturbed within me hoping God for I shall yet praise him. The help of my countenance and my God. If you go to 43 look at 40 43 verse 5. Again, why are you in despair? Oh my soul.

Why are you disturbed within me? Hoping God for I shall again praise him. The despair here in Hebrew is a work root word. It's called Shashak and it means to crouch down. To be bowed down brought low almost to a point of collapse.

Almost to a point of collapse. You know. Don't you imagine that David is beginning to wonder right now? What kind of a Christian am I what kind of a believer am I? That I should After hungering and thirsting after God end up with this disturbance in me that I can't explain.

The Believer's Dark Night and Persistent Faith

It's it's something I couldn't. I can't put my finger on. Not tell you why this. I relate to this after I wrote the book this prophetic book set the trumpet to your mouth a Month later I Related to this.

Never in my life. Have I wanted God more? Never have I cried out more. I've been thirsty and hungry. Just like Bob was telling me that we were talking to phone how he's been crying at night. Oh God I want your holiness.

I want your righteousness and then to wind up in a place of dryness and An inner disturbance that you can't explain. You can't put your finger on it. There's no reason for it. There's a distress. There's a sense that I'll never make it.

I can't live up to this thing. Some of you sit here and you listen to Bob preach and it goes through your mind. Will I ever be able to to reach that place in God? And you place a burden on yourself. Simply because you're not learning to trust him and walk with him.

But I can take you in my library and I'll show you Great men of God and their life stories and they talk about this black night of the soul. They talked about this disturbance in the heart. They talked about this after seeking God.

It's not a result of sin. It's not a result of adultery fornication. It's not a result of getting hard against God. It becomes difficult to pray. It becomes difficult to read the Bible and you begin to run around.

Because there's something inside, you know, God by spirits magnetically pulling you to himself. And deep in your heart you want him and I know I'm talking to somebody this morning that have been sitting these meetings.

You're so hungry for God. You said brother David's not that that that I want to go out and see him. I Don't want to turn back the way I was before. But I'm not making progress. I I've got a disturbance in me.

I'm in distress. I've got a troubled mind and I can't explain to you why? Well, you go back to the word you start reading what David said. Like a deer that pants The water books my soul pants for the old God.

And in the same chapter, why are you in despair? Oh my soul. Why have you become disturbed within me now? This is what? Already felt the Holy Spirit Press upon me and last night. He really gave me. I'm really not a pastor.

Trusting the Holy Spirit in the Place of Need

I'm an evangelist, but gave me a pastor's heart. I'm not talking only to my staff, but I'm talking to those that that have been coming to these meetings. I Want you to realize that that situation that we're describing here right now that Disturbance of the mind that inner despair and remember what the word despair says here.

I'm gonna I'm gonna go over it again. It's it's the root word chashak in Hebrew means to crouch down to be bowed down to brought very low almost to the point of collapse. Huh a Few of you have enough boldness to just kind of nodding at me.

Because if you're not there now you've been there. If you're not been there you'll get there. Now this is not normal Christianity, of course, that's not where you live. These are experiences of growth.

Now how you respond at that time? It's so very important. How you respond. When that troubling of the soul that the waters inside become troubled. You're going to say well the Lord's forsaken me. That's one option or I'm unclean and this resolved of sin and God's just turned his back on me.

And now I am on my own and maybe when I get back to the point of repentance God's Spirit will remove will move in me once again and lift this burden from me. No, you see God's. God's allowed you to go into a large place.

He set you in a large place. He's drawing you he's drawing something out of you. He's trying to get you to a point where you'll trust him. What you'll need on him. He's shown you the utter helplessness of the flesh.

There are some of you have the Holy Ghost in you, but you will not rely on him. You keep trying to lay down at night and figure things out. How many hours do you spend trying to figure it out? Rather than just lay back on him.

I was talking to brother Bob some of the things that I've gone through how we test the Lord. I couldn't sleep the other night. There were so many things in my mind this disturbance that David's talking about.

I can't name any hidden sin. I can't name any flaunted sin in my life. I'm under the blood and I'm walking and coming with the Lord. I've never loved him more and I love him now. But I'm still in that place right now.

The Holy Spirit as Helper and Christ as Sympathetic High Priest

I'm speaking to you in a place of disturbance of my mind and my soul has nothing to do with my salvation. I'm secure in the Lord. I'm under the blood. I love him, but God's trying to create something.

He's trying to bring something out of me. He's trying to make me grow. First place is trying to get me to love people more by showing me the weakness of my own flesh. So that I won't judge other people.

But look in my own heart and see my own battles and when seeing my own battle be more patient with other people in their battles. Amen. But I couldn't sleep and So I started quoting that scripture. He giveth his beloved sleep and I kept quoting it for an hour and it's Lord I believe that you're gonna give me sleep, but my mind kept turning and after second hour He'd give it his beloved sleep Lord.

When are you gonna do it about the third hour? He giveth his beloved sleep. I Set up in bed. I claimed that in Jesus name. I He'd give it his beloved sleep. And I tried every game counted every sheep.

I did everything trying to get to sleep. And I'm saying Lord, why aren't you keeping your word. I Didn't never didn't get to sleep didn't sleep awake 730 I got up and said well Lord you didn't keep your word and Lord said is that the test?

In other words, if I had let you sleep you'd believe me, but I didn't you don't trust my word now. You won't test me. Are you gonna love me? Anyhow said my words faithful, but I'm not gonna let you test me like that.

I'm not gonna let you put me to the test that's unscriptural and sometimes we claim all these scriptures just to see if God's gonna keep his word and we put him to the test and Look how we pout when it doesn't happen.

We don't blame God we blame ourselves, but we didn't blame on ourselves. We're blaming God hmm. You know, it says the scripture went when he was threatened. He never threatened back. Jesus never once threatened the father.

Growth Through Confrontation, Not Ease

I don't want to threaten God. But this this this despair. Some of you're in it right now. Let me tell you the Garden of Eden was not a place of growth. Garden of Eden. You'd say that should be a place of growth my they had everything that should be conducive to growth.

No, the Garden of Eden was a place of failure. The Garden of Eden was a place of faith. That's why all of this ease and prosperity. This Garden of Eden concept is not a place of growth. The fire furnace was the lion's den was.

The Garden of Gethsemane was but the Garden of Eden was not a place of growth there. It was a place of failure. Yeah, I'll tell you where there was a place of growth. It's at the Red Sea when the enemy's coming down on them and they learn to trust God.

That's the place of growth. When there's a confrontation just like I read here the enemy in my affliction the enemy confronted me in that place of confrontation. That's when God begins to show us the growth.

Hallelujah. Go back with me to Isaiah 4 or Psalms 42 for just a minute. I told you this is nothing supernatural. Just a simple little thought and I don't know where it's going to go or in but I Think the Lord's ministering to me.

And hopefully he'll minister to you this morning. Psalms 42 5 look at that again with me if you will, please why you despair? Oh my soul and why have you become disturbed within me hoping God for I shall yet praise him what for the help of his presence the help of his presence.

God's Presence in the Furnace of Trial

Hallelujah, how many of you have a tested tried? History with the Lord like Daniel had when he came out of the out of the lion's den. How many of you have a tested tried history of God when you could come out like, you know.

The Hebrew children come out of that fire furnace and said He was there. I Met him in the furnace. They didn't meet him on this side of the furnace door. They met him on the inside of the furnace door didn't they there was a fourth man in there and they it was Jesus Christ.

Christophany, no, it was a real appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ who came and revealed his presence in that hard place. That's where Christ reveals himself to me. In fact, he's revealing himself to me in a even a more precious way.

When it seems like the heavens are closed and I'm not hearing that still small voice. Where he's saying will you believe what I've written to you? Will you trust this? Will you trust this? Do you really trust this this morning.

You trust that what you're going through now. He has a word for you here. And it drives you to that and there's a there's a help that comes from his presence a revelation of his presence. The Bible says I think it's in 1st Peter the 5th chapter 11th verse that he is full of compassion.

And he is merciful the compassionate merciful Lord. I want you to Go with me if you will, please to John 14 for a moment just in the New Testament John John 14 16 and I will ask the Father and he'll give you another what?

Helper what you know, I've seen that so many times and Now when the Holy Ghost is really deal with me about acknowledging him in my life I begin to really come to grips with the night. Last the father and he would give you another helper and he will be with you forever.

Look at verse 26 but the helper Check glad he's a helper. But the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name He will teach you all things and he will bring to remembrance all that I've said to you my point is that the Holy Ghost is a helper in time of need and We do not come to grips with that.

We turn to our friends we pick up the telephone. How many of you when you suffering when he's put you in this large room and he's trying to produce growth. You won't go to him. We don't run to him in confidence and faith and say I'll put my hope in my stay in my trust In him and believe that he'll bring me out to a place of growth instead.

We we pout we fret we get on the telephone. We run to friends who we will not trust the Holy Ghost who abides and we ignore him. We do not acknowledge him. God permits these difficult times go to Hebrews if you will pray, please.

Hebrews the fourth chapter and verse 15 and 16. Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4 15 and 16 for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. Do you believe that's in your Bible? Come on, take another look at it for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.

But one who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Christ's Confusion, Pain, and the Believer's Perseverance

Now that does not mean at all that God hangs around Sympathetic to your sins and weaknesses of the flesh. You know, it goes deeper than that. He's talking about this large room that he places in this distress that you find yourself in.

And the Lord's been there when he's in the garden of Gethsemane. I preached a message about years ago and What Jesus faced in that garden was a night of confusion a night of confusion an hour of darkness and a cup of pain.

And that's what goes into the making of a man or woman of God a night of confusion. When you crowd my God my God, why have you forsaken me? Why is my soul disturbed? Why this this quietness within me a night of confusion Lord?

Where are you and a cup of pain? Nobody can describe your cup of pain. I'm amazed that people can come to church and put on the front and hide it. But we all have our own unique kind of pain. The Lord taught me a long time ago.

But those are the things those are the ingredients that go into the making of a man of God. That if we respond under that and total confidence and trust and rest in him that he'll bring us out and if we'll say thy will be done O Lord begin to trust him with all of our hearts and put our stay on him and The time will finally come when you won't hear a voice.

The voices will all be silent. You'll go almost sometimes you go to this word of God. It seems like brass and the heavens are brass. You have nothing left, but your confidence and faith in him and you stay on the Lord.

And what do you do when the voices are not heard. What do you do when the soul is disturbed when you know your heart is hungry for God? You'll let the accuser come in and say Sinful unclean give up and I've always said the most important move you make is the move after you fail.

When the devil comes in and says, you're no good. You're filthy. You have lied to the Holy Ghost. You'll never make it your second-class Christian your second-class believer. Give up. You'll never make it.

Everybody's bypassing. Everybody's growing. Look at Bibles, they are growing. They're talking about their growth and here you are. You're not growing. You're just down here. You'll never make it. That's the most important time in your life.

When you deny the enemy and say in Jesus name I rise by faith. I reject the lies of the Holy Ghost. I hate my sin and rise above it. And move on in the Lord. You don't stay down. You rise up in Jesus name.

Hallelujah, this large place is not only a place of growth. It's a place of God's presence. Where his presence is revealed? I don't know about you, but the Lord always reveals his presence most to me when I'm in need.

We have a tendency when everything's going wrong to just kind of neglect him. We neglect our prayer life, but he's been most precious to me in the past few weeks. When I haven't felt much like interceding and my wife would come and say David, why aren't you in the upper room?

So honey, I don't feel it. And I know I'm not supposed to live by feelings and I walk through my house and I go through the duties and take my telephone calls. Sensing that I have the greatest love for him.

I've ever had in my life and that I'm being tested. I'm being tried for some reason or another. I'm in a place of growth and I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. You say well if you prayed. That God give you new revelation of his love if you prayed for a greater revelation of his presence in your life.

And you want the word revealed to you. Certainly you'd have a weeping spirit. You'd have the joy of the Lord just flowing in your heart. You'd be on the mountaintop. If I had the time this morning, I can take you through the lives of all of the men of God in this book.

In the very moment, they started hunger and thirst for God and give everything to them. That's when the confrontation came. That's when they were placed. They were their feet were set they were planted in a large place a broad room and that was a place of despair a tribulation of trial.

And I know I'm talking to somebody right now. You say brother Wilkerson, you know me. I've you can see me when I'm in the services here. You've heard My testimony how I love the Lord and how I want him.

Why am I being tested like him? Why are all these pressures being put on me right now? Why am I going through this? Why am God allowing this in my life? Hallelujah. Don't despair a child of God. He's allowed to be placed in a large room because he's bringing growth to you if you'll if you'll just see that this morning, I want somehow God to take the Blinders off of our eyes and say hey look.

This is the devil's not harassing me now. He can if you allow if you give in to that and say well The Lord's given up on me. No, he's not given up on you. And I'm going to show that to you in just a minute.

He's not given up on you at all. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That's what God has to extract out of us this kind of confidence in him that if you do not see an answer to prayer if you see no miracle and I'm afraid that's what's happening in America now in our churches.

We're beginning to trust God. We're like those ones who came to Jesus said show us a sign that we might believe on you. Jesus never from never performed a miracle to get people to believe on him. It's not why Jesus before miracles.

It was to get them to believe his word his word. So that when he was gone, they still had his word. How many Christians are there here this morning that if you never saw another answer to prayer though, God answers prayer, you know it.

You never heard another still small voice. And you didn't have that Exuberance that you like to have. Would you still love him and trust him with all your heart? The times coming folks of utter darkness on the face of this earth.

Tribulation and trial and A real time of tribulation like the world has never seen and many many of us are going to suffer. There's got to be a History with God during that time. I've been here before and God's been faithful to me.