Short Thoughts

“Shew me a token for good;
that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed:
because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.”
~ Psalm 86:17

The eighty-sixth Psalm is a prayer of David to God. The tone is set for the Psalm in the first verse, “Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy.” He is crying out to God because of his affliction. The distress of David is obvious. This matter of prayer is pressing. He cries, “Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily” (Psalm 86:3).

Though David is in trouble, this is not a plea of desperation without faith. He prays, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me” (Psalm 86:7). David declares his faith in verse thirteen, “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”

David’s confidence was bolstered here by two reasons. First, he has been delivered in the past from times of trouble. God had shown Himself strong on David’s behalf before, so there was reason to hope that another temporal deliverance would be wrought. Second, David has already been delivered from eternal condemnation. Even if David were not delivered from his present distress by God preserving his life, David would still be delivered ultimately.

As a prayer, there is much in this Psalm for our instruction. For one, when we consider the whole Psalm, we find there is more of the praise of God in it than the trouble of David. This should immediately convict us to the very selfish nature of many of our prayers. David did spread his complaint before God, but he seems almost swept away at times with the worship of God in His various glories. However, we wish to focus our attention upon the conclusion of David’s prayer and glean some good for our soul from it.

David concludes his petition asking God, “Shew me a token for good.” He is asking God for a sign or some sort of visible evidence of God’s mercy toward him. David does not doubt that mercy. He has already said, “For great is thy mercy toward me” (Psalm 86:13). He is seeking a manifestation of that abiding mercy in his present situation.

At one time, Christ rebuked the Jews because they were seeking a sign. He said, “This is an evil generation: they seek a sign” (Luke 11:29). They wished to be healed from some sickness or they wanted to witness some great miracle. Their motives were to receive benefits to themselves and Jesus reproved them. David’s desire was different. He was seeking a sign that God would be glorified and His enemies would be “ashamed.”

David asked for a “token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed.” This request is in accord with the whole reason for David’s prayer. His complaint is voiced in verse fourteen, “O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.” David’s distress is because of persecution. He rightly recognizes his detractors as the enemies of God, not just David. He said they “have not set thee before them.”

We find reasons for his persecution in verse two. He said, “For I am holy,” or, favored of God. He also said he was “thy servant that trusteth in thee.” The fact that God’s blessings were evident in his life was the reason he was held in contempt. Paul had experienced this same persecution. He wrote to Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Christians in America today know little of real persecution for “righteousness’ sake.” One reason for this is that perhaps we are not living godly. We have an ungodly self-reliance in this country. We believe in the “American Dream” and our own ability to “make a living.” As a result, the evident tokens of God’s mercy are largely absent from our life. We read here success story after success story of how some poor fellow started out with nothing and with hard work and determination, pulled himself up to the top of the heap. God help us not to bless “the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth” (Psalm 10:3). Our lives ought to be trophies of God’s grace, not testimonies of our own ingenuity. We must repent of our self-reliance and start depending on God.

David gives reason for both his persecution and his request saying, “Because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.” The word “holpen” carries the thought of surrounding or protecting. David said that his enemies hated him because God covered him. Did not Satan complain to God of His protection of Job? He asked, “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?” (Job 1:10). The wrath of David’s enemies was aggravated by this fact of God’s protection. Just when they thought they had him, some deliverance would be wrought that confounded them. They hated David because God helped and comforted him.

We conclude then, that it is not wrong to ask God for a “token for good” in our lives. In fact, we should seek that God’s hand will be evidently with us every day. I was greatly stirred in the reading of John Warburton’s Mercies of a Covenant God. He would often pray for deliverance that God would be glorified in his life and that he would not be confounded before his enemies. He did not want his life and lack of faith to give cause to the enemies of God to reproach and blaspheme His name. Feeling himself to be poor and needy, he would also ask God to confirm His love for him again.

We should desire to be trophies of God’s grace. We should want our lives to be testimonies to the goodness of the Lord. Can we really be a trophy of grace and walk in sin? Let us cast off the works of darkness with its independence and let us seek the signal blessings of God that a demonstration of His power will be seen in our life. May God give us tokens for good that others may see, fear, and glorify Him.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.”
~ Psalms 103:1

The one hundred and third Psalm is a blessed catalog of the mercies of God to His people. He “healeth all thy diseases” and “redeemeth thy life from destruction.” What wondrous mercy, that “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10)! The Psalmist has ascended to the heights of praise in extolling the mercy of God that is “so great … toward them that fear Him.”

However, before he entered into the inner court of worship, David did some real heart work in order to stir himself up to bless God. That is what we have in our text, David stirring himself up and preparing his heart to worship God. Let us turn our thoughts to the beginning of this magnificent Psalm and learn from David’s example.

In the first place, David rouses his soul, saying, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” It seems strange to hear one speaking of blessing God. We surely understand God blessing man but the converse is rarely heard. What does it mean to bless the Lord? The Hebrew word barak is here translated ‘bless.’ The word means literally to kneel. When God is the subject, it means to kneel to bless God as an act of adoration. To bless God is to worship Him and the Psalmist is preparing himself for that very purpose.

The very fact that David is endeavoring so to stir himself up to this blessed occupation teaches us that man is not naturally in the proper frame of mind and disposition of heart to worship God. Man cannot just enter casually and carelessly upon this business. It takes some real work to prepare oneself for worship. If this were more widely known and practiced, perhaps our worship services would not be so dull and drowsy.

Secondly, let us take notice of some of the particulars of the Psalmist’s work. David does not wish to worship God perfunctorily. He seeks to rouse his very soul. “Bless the LORD, O my soul,” yea, and more than that, he says, “And all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.” One as noble and august as God surely deserves the energies of the inmost soul. David is not content until he has marshaled all his faculties to concentrate on this one purpose.

It will not do for David to draw nigh merely with his lips. He seeks to worship God with all of his being. That was the problem with many in Christ’s day. Jesus said of them, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Their religion appeared pious and their worship serious, but the Lord reproved them as token worshippers and not true worshippers. They were much like Israel in Hosea’s day, whom the prophet rebuked declaring, “Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty” (Hosea 10:2).

The problem with token worshippers is that they are not all in the business of worshipping God. Their hearts are divided, half with God and half with self, a part in the church and a part in the world. They spend more time fixing their hair than fixing their heart in preparation to meet God. They spend more time putting on their clothes than putting off the old man. Though I must confess, some need to spend more time putting their clothes on, for it seems that they are in such a hurry to get to church that they neglect to put on the rest of their clothes and come scantily clad. Others take great delight in putting on a new dress or new suit, or some other piece of the latest trendy garb, to come to church and be fashionable, when it were better that they would come to church to meet God and not Sis. Vanity-Fair who will complement them on their new clothes.

The Lord’s house is the place where His “honour dwelleth” (Psalm 26:8). The Lord is in the very midst of the assembly (Matthew 18:20). However, in this Laodicean age in the church, Christ seems to be the last thing on most people’s minds. They are there physically but their minds are on their business of the weekdays, out in their gardens, on the riverbank fishing, on the crock-pot at home, even at the ballgame, and endless other places. The lament of the prophet is applicable today. Isaiah said, “And there is none … that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee” (Isaiah 64:7). How few today really seek to awaken themselves to the worship and service of God. O to God, that men would stir themselves up to take hold of God, that men would rouse themselves and shake off indifferent slumber to truly praise and worship God!

Finally, David said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.” He knew that he needed to prepare himself for such a great work as praising God. He did not take it lightly. Christian, do you take lightly the worship of God? We need our hearts prepared (Job 11:13) and strengthened (Psalm 27:14) in order to worship Him acceptably. Let us think on these things, give ourselves wholly to them, and then let us stir ourselves up to praise and worship Him whose mercy “is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him” (Psalm 103:17).

“I will run the way of thy commandments,
when thou shalt enlarge my heart.”
~ Psalms 119:32

Having gotten in the way, David is hastening on the way, for running implies being in a hurry. He says, “I will run.” The pace of life on this earth is ever increasing. Yet, despite the speed of life, there are few who are truly hastening toward Heaven. Many claim Heaven as their final destination, but, to all outward appearances, seem to be in no hurry to get there. They seem to want to take their time walking in the By-Path Meadow. They seem to relish the things of earth and wish to tarry here a little longer. Therefore, they move on with snails’ pace toward the Celestial City.

David says, “I will run.” Furthermore, running implies a freedom from hindrance. The writer of Hebrews instructed the Hebrew Christians to “lay aside every weight” and to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). The ancient Greeks would compete naked to eliminate any restriction of movement. They wanted their bodies to be free to perform. The Psalmist here indicates that he has laid aside the old man’s garments to free the new man to “run the way.” We find many Christians today with their bodies bound with the world’s fashions and barely able to walk a little in the way.

Additionally, running implies an expenditure of energy and force and a firm resolve to move deliberately toward the goal. David says, “I will run.” He is bringing his energies to bear upon his task. There is no doubt that the runner with his blood, sweat, and straining muscles is in the race. He is resolved and persevering until he reaches the finish line. David’s striving is a real effort and means that there is a measurable progress in a period of time. David is making tracks and covering ground. There are too many professed Christians today who are pretty much in the same place spiritually they were years ago. For them, the race seems to be mostly a spectator’s sport.

One must also admire here David’s pragmatic approach to God’s Word. He finds a “way” in the truths of Holy Scripture. The legalist runs after the law to “bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne,” in order to “lay them on men’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4). The antinomian runs after grace to use his “liberty for a cloke of maliciousness” (1 Peter 2:16). The intellectual runs after knowledge to “reason with unprofitable talk” and “with speeches wherewith he can do no good” (Job 15:3).

Daniel prophesied of the last days saying, “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). We have witnessed this with the religionists of this day. There is much running back and forth. Everyone seems to going in different directions. It would also seem that knowledge has been increased. However, for all this running and increase of knowledge, we find no surge of practical godliness and personal holiness. We find many today that can teach systematic doctrine, who know little to nothing of holy living.

The Psalmist declares, “I will run the way of thy commandments.” All of his struggle and effort is directed and regulated by God’s Word. He finds here no book of mere intellectual stimulation, but rather words “to keep and to do” (Joshua 23:6). He confesses, “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments” (Psalm 119:60). The Psalmist loves God’s Word and delights to walk in His way. He believes the words of Moses to the children of Israel, “For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:47).

Finally, David says, “When thou shalt enlarge my heart.” God would enlarge his heart by shedding abroad His love and grace within it. He would enlarge his heart by filling it with wisdom from on high. He would enlarge his heart by marking in it the “remembrance of his holiness” (Psalm 97:12). For every growth in knowledge, for every growth in grace, the Psalmist would accelerate his pace. He says, “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.” May God give us grace to desire an enlarged heart more than an enlarged head and to get on in the way to Heaven. Amen.