Psa 36:5-6: God of Nature and God of Grace Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is in the heavens; Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the skies. Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgements are a great deep.'97Psa_36:5-6. The landscape from which the Psalmist has borrowed his lessons in all probability lay beside him while he … Continue reading “101. PSA 36:5-6: GOD OF NATURE AND GOD OF GRACE”
100. PSA 34:8: THE GOODNESS OF GOD
Psa 34:8: The Goodness of God O taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.'97Psa_34:8. 1. No man who looks thoughtfully around him and within can fail to feel at times, as Plato felt, that he needs some wiser and more certain guidance than his own if … Continue reading “100. PSA 34:8: THE GOODNESS OF GOD”
099. PSA 32:8: THE GUIDING EYE
Psa 32:8: The Guiding Eye I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee.'97Psa_32:8. It was at the end of a long and bitter trial that this promise was given to the Psalmist. It was by passing through doubt, perplexity, and … Continue reading “099. PSA 32:8: THE GUIDING EYE”
098. PSA 32:1-2: THE BEATITUDE OF FORGIVENESS
Psa 32:1-2: The Beatitude of Forgiveness Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.'97Psa_32:1-2. These words form the preface to a psalm generally understood to have been written in connexion with the great … Continue reading “098. PSA 32:1-2: THE BEATITUDE OF FORGIVENESS”
097. PSA 31:8: ROOM TO LIVE
Psa 31:8: Room to Live Thou hast set my feet in a large place.'97Psa_31:8. The idea is common in the Psalms of distress as restraint, irksome confinement. The man in trouble is shut up: he is in a strait place. Consequently the idea of deliverance takes the form of enlargement. The distressed man is led … Continue reading “097. PSA 31:8: ROOM TO LIVE”
096. PSA 30:5: THE TRANSIENCE OF SORROW
Psa 30:5: The Transience of Sorrow His anger is but for a moment; In his favour is life: Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning.'97Psa_30:5. There is an obvious antithesis in the first part of the text, between '93his anger'94 and '93his favour.'94 Probably there is a similar antithesis between … Continue reading “096. PSA 30:5: THE TRANSIENCE OF SORROW”
095. PSA 27:14: WAITING COURAGEOUSLY
Psa 27:14: Waiting Courageously Wait on the Lord: Be strong, and let thine heart take courage; Yea, wait thou on the Lord.'97Psa_27:14. This is the concluding verse of a psalm which glows with lofty faith, and yet is clouded by a sense of depression. The magnificent opening, with its fulness of glad, exuberant energy, its … Continue reading “095. PSA 27:14: WAITING COURAGEOUSLY”
094. PSA 25:14: THE SECRET OF THE LORD
Psa 25:14: The Secret of the Lord The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; And he will shew them his covenant.'97Psa_25:14. When the Hebrew poet spoke of the secret of the Lord he meant the knowledge of the God of Israel, the unseen and eternal Jehovah. When he thought of them … Continue reading “094. PSA 25:14: THE SECRET OF THE LORD”
093. PSA 23:6: PURSUIT AND PERMANENCE
Psa 23:6: Pursuit and Permanence Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.'97Psa_23:6. 1. The phrase of the poet, that '93this wise world is mainly right,'94 has no better illustration than the use it makes of this 23rd … Continue reading “093. PSA 23:6: PURSUIT AND PERMANENCE”
092. PSA 23:5: ENTERTAINMENT, ENJOYMENT, ENRICHMENT
Psa 23:5: Entertainment, Enjoyment, Enrichment Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psa_23:5. 1. We all love to look at pictures of happiness and content. We linger over the pages which describe the peaceful Garden of Eden. We love … Continue reading “092. PSA 23:5: ENTERTAINMENT, ENJOYMENT, ENRICHMENT”