Short Thoughts

Princes have persecuted me without a cause:
but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
~ Psalm 119:161

Happy is the servant that can find blessings in the midst of trials. We are instructed, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). David was suffering diverse temptations. Princes were his persecutors. These were men of high station and were supposed to be men of judgment and justice. However, they were persecuting David without a just cause. Where can one turn when the upholders of the law are the very violators of the law? Nevertheless, David found cause of rejoicing.

David’s trials had particular sharpness because of his persecutors. They were princes, men of high position. Yet, these were David’s peers. They gave him no respect, only reviling. “Princes also did sit and speak against me” (Psalm 119:23). Those of his own stripe, physically speaking, afflicted him. Perhaps, he sought understanding from those of similar standing. However, he found no comfort among them. Often those that are closest to us and those that we believe should understand are the ones that smite us the worst. Let some worldly unknown speak against us and we hardly pay attention, but let one that is close speak ill words and we are cut to the heart.

He suffered grievous trials being put to it without a just cause. He was walking in the right way and his enemies were multiplied. “Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies” (Psalm 119:157). An honest man is ashamed when his accusers speak the truth, but when they accuse him falsely he is grieved. David had not solicited his present abuse. His enemies were malicious. Yet there is joy for David, even in the time of trial.

David found joy in the fact that his detractors were wrong. They had not anything true to say. They were reduced to make themselves liars. Jesus said, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matthew 5:11). David was blessed in the false accusations of others. He had no reason to be himself ashamed. He was suffering for righteousness’ sake. “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled” (1 Peter 3:14). “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16). In the midst of cruel mocking, David had reason to glorify God.

David was also blessed because his faith was increased. Though his enemies were multiplied, he said, “Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.” He was persecuted without reason and said, “But my heart standeth in awe of thy word.” He was resolved to hold to the Word of Life, regardless of his enemies. They may delight themselves in worldly endeavors, “but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.” He had looked into the face of afflictions and could say like Paul, “But none of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). He would not allow himself to be drawn off course by these distractions.

David found greater satisfaction in the meditation of the Word than in the strife of the world. Many are sidetracked by debates and arguments. Some lose their way through needless self-defense, becoming obsessed with turning everyone’s opinion. The scriptures prophesied of Christ, “He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.” (Matthew 12:19). He did not occupy His time with politics, trying to make everyone like Him and agree with Him. The blessed man of God finds “his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). His friends may speak vain things and engage in unprofitable debates, but he declares of God’s Word, “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors” (Psalm 119:24). David had joy because he believed, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Lastly, David said, “But my heart standeth in awe of thy word.” He had a very high opinion of God’s book. He delighted in its precepts and feared its judgments. The opinions of worldly-wise men did not shake his faith in the right statutes and pure commandments of God. The Bible has many detractors and opponents today. Some, having become wise in the eyes of men, lead others astray through their criticisms of the Scriptures. Others pervert the Scriptures to conform to their determined doctrinal bent. The man of God approaches His Holy Word with awe. He prays, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). Let us remain in awe of God’s Word and hold to His unchanging testimony.

O give thanks unto the LORD;
call upon his name:
make known his deeds among the people.
~ Psalm 105:1

Our text is the beginning of the Psalm David delivered when they brought up the ark out of the house of Obededom. This was a time of jubilation and celebration. However, their rejoicing was mingled with a reverential fear of God. God had demonstrated His holy justice by striking down Uzza for lightly touching the ark. Israel was taught to respect the things of God and not treat them common, even though others might. However, in our text, the ark has been brought safely back and David exhorts the people to extol Jehovah with praise. Let us consider the directive in three parts as it is given.

Firstly, we are instructed to give thanks. “O give thanks unto the LORD.” The text directs our gratitude toward the Lord. He above all else is worthy of our thanksgiving. We could multiply the reasons for giving thanks unto God. By His grace and mercy, we have received every good thing. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Our hearts should be thankful for the abundant temporal blessings that He has showered on us, “seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25). Are you warmed and filled? Give thanks to God. Have you food and raiment? Give thanks to God. Have you lived to an old age? Give thanks to God. Have you joy in your family? Give thanks to God. Have you the breath of life at this hour? Give thanks to God and “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 150:6).

He is worthy of thanksgiving in temporal things and is much more worthy of thanksgiving for spiritual blessings. Our hearts should overflow with praise and thanksgiving if we are one of His. The Psalmist wrote that God “redeemeth thy life from destruction” (Psalm 103:4). When I consider what I was as a dirty vile sinner hastening down the broad road that leads to destruction, my heart is filled with gratitude and praise to God, for “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:2). He set His love upon me when I was so unlovable and Christ died for me when I was His enemy. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10). Praise God! Amen!

Secondly, we are instructed to worship. “Call upon his name.” The thought is of calling God by His name. The phrase “his name” conveys the thought of God in all His attributes. We worship Him in His holiness, love, mercy, and so on. This worship lends credence to our thanksgiving. I can hardly see how the former can exist without the latter. In fact, the latter seems born from the former. If God has blessed with great blessings and our hearts are truly thankful, then we will worship Him. If we give thanks with our lips and yet refuse to worship Him, we are hypocrites. Some Christians go on about thanking God for their homes, cars, clothes, cabins, campers, boats, and recreational vehicles saying that God has blessed them. Yet, on Sunday, they are not found in the church worshiping Him. They have no problem in missing the services to go and “enjoy” the Lord’s goodness. It seems that they are worshiping their possessions instead of God. If our hearts are true with gratitude, we will worship Him, calling “upon His name.”

Lastly, we are exhorted to witness. “Make known his deeds among the people.” All of these things should result in us telling others about the goodness of God. Are we to only receive and never give? We would be like the leprous men outside the gates of Samaria. They were about to die when God led them to abundance. They were enjoying the newfound blessings when they were smitten by their selfishness. “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household” (2 Kings 7:9). Let us never hold our peace. We have glorious news to sound out to the world. Let them hear our thanksgiving. Let them hear our praise. Let them hear of our God. “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4).

David exhorts Israel to praise God, even though some trials have attended their proceedings. If we tend to focus on ourselves, we will not offer praise and thanksgiving to God as we should. In fact, it is a characteristic of hardened sinners in the last days that they are “lovers of their own selves” and “unthankful.” Neither should we focus only on our trials forgetting our blessings. And oh how these blessings should constrain us to worship Him and witness for Him.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God:
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
that I may declare all thy works.”
~ Psalm 73:28

In Psalm 73, Asaph gives an account of the sore temptation that had taken him–temptation had led him into despondency where he traversed a dark and slippery path. He wrote, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped” (Psalm 73:2). Chiefly it was his carnal views of the wicked that led him down the dreaded road. Thankfully, he was not left in this condition. His understanding did return and he was restored to a proper knowledge of the events that had greatly distressed him.

Proper knowledge led to humble repentance, “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins” (Psalm 73:21). He acknowledged his ignorance in verse 22 declaring, “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.” His conclusion is consistent with the scriptures, in that it is always foolish to stray from God. However, it is infinitely more foolish to stay from God. “For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee” (Psalm 73:27).

The end of the wicked is destruction. They are far off “having no hope, and without God in the world.” He realizes the blessedness of his standing regardless of troubles in the flesh and the promotion of the sinful in the world. He owns that it is to his own good and blessing to draw near to God. He praised God that he was not consumed in his errors but was led back into the way. His conclusion was that it was good, he was trusting in God, and he would declare all His works. Let us now investigate three things that are suggested in our text, namely, our approach to God, our salvation by God, and our working for God.

In the first place, we consider our approach to God. Asaph writes, “But it is good for me to draw near to God.” We know that approach to Him is necessary because of our inborn separation from Him. “The scripture hath concluded all under sin” (Galatians 3:22). Realizing our condition, we must come to God. Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). We can only come to God through Christ. Christ also testified, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). We cannot come to Christ of our own working “it is the gift of God.” “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Romans 9:16). It is not of our own power or ability that we come to God. “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts” (Psalm 65:4).

Truly then, Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith.” Therefore, we are chosen by God unto salvation as says the scriptures, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:13-14).

In the second place, we consider our salvation by God. Asaph declares, “I have put my trust in the Lord God.” To put our trust in the Lord is to be saved for Paul told the Philippian jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). Jesus also preached, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” There is no salvation apart from faith and that faith is the gift of God according to the scriptures, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is not earned by work on our part. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). We find that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). The Psalmist declared, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,” (Psalm 110:3). So we conclude with Jonah, “Salvation is of the LORD.”

In the last place, let us think about our working for God. Asaph says, “that I may declare all thy works.” He does not place his works before his salvation but after and makes his salvation the grounds for and causes of his good works. In Psalm 40, it was after that David was brought up “out of an horrible pit” and his feet were set “upon a rock” that he “preached righteousness in the great congregation.”

The saved are to walk in holiness before the Lord. Following the progression rightly, we discern that salvation is unto good works as the scriptures proclaim, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). The vital union with Christ is the source of our fruits. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

Therefore, we see how each builds upon the other and the latter is an evidence of the former seeing that the former is source of the latter. In other words, we are chosen by God unto salvation (II Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:4), we are saved by God through faith (Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:5), and we are saved by God unto good works (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14). Surely, it is good for us to “draw near to God.”