Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc24/v24200

Text File | 1994-03-01 | 7KB | 133 lines

24204
 #7-16 We cannot see God, but he can see us. The psalmist did not
 desire to go from the Lord. Whither can I go? In the most
 distant corners of the world, in heaven, or in hell, I cannot go
 out of thy reach. No veil can hide us from God; not the thickest
 darkness. No disguise can save any person or action from being
 seen in the true light by him. Secret haunts of sin are as open
 before God as the most open villainies. On the other hand, the
 believer cannot be removed from the supporting, comforting
 presence of his Almighty Friend. Should the persecutor take his
 life, his soul will the sooner ascend to heaven. The grave
 cannot separate his body from the love of his Saviour, who will
 raise it a glorious body. No outward circumstances can separate
 him from his Lord. While in the path of duty, he may be happy in
 any situation, by the exercise of faith, hope, and prayer.

24214
 #17-24 God's counsels concerning us and our welfare are deep,
 such as cannot be known. We cannot think how many mercies we
 have received from him. It would help to keep us in the fear of
 the Lord all the day long, if, when we wake in the morning, our
 first thoughts were of him: and how shall we admire and bless
 our God for his precious salvation, when we awake in the world
 of glory! Surely we ought not to use our members and senses,
 which are so curiously fashioned, as instruments of
 unrighteousness unto sin. But our immortal and rational souls
 are a still more noble work and gift of God. Yet if it were not
 for his precious thoughts of love to us, our reason and our
 living for ever would, through our sins, prove the occasion of
 our eternal misery. How should we then delight to meditate on
 God's love to sinners in Jesus Christ, the sum of which exceeds
 all reckoning! Sin is hated, and sinners lamented, by all who
 fear the Lord. Yet while we shun them we should pray for them;
 with God their conversion and salvation are possible. As the
 Lord knows us thoroughly, and we are strangers to ourselves, we
 should earnestly desire and pray to be searched and proved by
 his word and Spirit. If there be any wicked way in me, let me
 see it; and do thou root it out of me. The way of godliness is
 pleasing to God, and profitable to us; and will end in
 everlasting life. It is the good old way. All the saints desire
 to be kept and led in this way, that they may not miss it, turn
 out of it, or tire in it.
24222
 * David encourages himself in God. (1-7) He prays for, and
 prophesies the destruction of, his persecutors. (8-13)

 #1-7 The more danger appears, the more earnest we should be in
 prayer to God. All are safe whom the Lord protects. If he be for
 us, who can be against us? We should especially watch and pray,
 that the Lord would hold up our goings in his ways, that our
 footsteps slip not. God is as able to keep his people from
 secret fraud as from open force; and the experience we have had
 of his power and care, in dangers of one kind, may encourage us
 to depend upon him in other dangers.

24229
 #8-13 Believers may pray that God would not grant the desires of
 the wicked, nor further their evil devices. False accusers will
 bring mischief upon themselves, even the burning coals of Divine
 vengeance. And surely the righteous shall dwell in God's
 presence, and give him thanks for evermore. This is true
 thanksgiving, even thanks-living: this use we should make of all
 our deliverances, we should serve God the more closely and
 cheerfully. Those who, though evil spoken of and ill-used by
 men, are righteous in the sight of God, being justified by the
 righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to them, and received
 by faith, as the effect of which, they live soberly and
 righteously; these give thanks to the Lord, for the
 righteousness whereby they are made righteous, and for every
 blessing of grace, and mercy of life.
24235
 * David prays for God's acceptance and assistance. (1-4) That
 God would appear for his rescue. (5-10)

 #1-4 Make haste unto me. Those that know how to value God's
 gracious presence, will be the more fervent in their prayers.
 When presented through the sacrifice and intercession of the
 Saviour, they will be as acceptable to God as the daily
 sacrifices and burnings of incense were of old. Prayer is a
 spiritual sacrifice, it is the offering up the soul and its best
 affections. Good men know the evil of tongue sins. When enemies
 are provoking, we are in danger of speaking unadvisedly. While
 we live in an evil world, and have such evil hearts, we have
 need to pray that we may neither be drawn nor driven to do any
 thing sinful. Sinners pretend to find dainties in sin; but those
 that consider how soon sin will turn into bitterness, will dread
 such dainties, and pray to God to take them out of their sight,
 and by his grace to turn their hearts against them. Good men
 pray against the sweets of sin.

24239
 #5-10 We should be ready to welcome the rebuke of our heavenly
 Father, and also the reproof of our brethren. It shall not break
 my head, if it may but help to break my heart: we must show that
 we take it kindly. Those who slighted the word of God before,
 will be glad of it when in affliction, for that opens the ear to
 instruction. When the world is bitter, the word is sweet. Let us
 lift our prayer unto God. Let us entreat him to rescue us from
 the snares of Satan, and of all the workers of iniquity. In
 language like this psalm, O Lord, would we entreat that our poor
 prayers should set forth our only hope, our only dependence on
 thee. Grant us thy grace, that we may be prepared for this
 employment, being clothed with thy righteousness, and having all
 the gifts of thy Spirit planted in our hearts.
24245
 * David's comfort in prayer.

 - There can be no situation so distressing or dangerous, in
 which faith will not get comfort from God by prayer. We are apt
 to show our troubles too much to ourselves, poring upon them,
 which does us no service; whereas, by showing them to God, we
 might cast the cares upon him who careth for us, and thereby
 ease ourselves. Nor should we allow any complaint to ourselves
 or others, which we cannot make to God. When our spirits are
 overwhelmed by distress, and filled with discouragement; when we
 see snares laid for us on every side, while we walk in his way,
 we may reflect with comfort that the Lord knoweth our path.
 Those who in sincerity take the Lord for their God, find him
 all-sufficient, as a Refuge, and as a Portion: every thing else
 is a refuge of lies, and a portion of no value. In this
 situation David prayed earnestly to God. We may apply it
 spiritually; the souls of believers are often straitened by
 doubts and fears. And it is then their duty and interest to beg
 of God to set them at liberty, that they may run the way of his
 commandments. Thus the Lord delivered David from his powerful
 persecutors, and dealt bountifully with him. Thus he raised the
 crucified Redeemer to the throne of glory, and made him Head
 over all things for his church. Thus the convinced sinner cries
 for help, and is brought to praise the Lord in the company of
 his redeemed people; and thus all believers will at length be
 delivered from this evil world, from sin and death, and praise
 their Saviour for ever.