Safe on the Rock, dwelling in His tabernacle, under His wings—mixed metaphors never sounded so good! It seems appropriate that this sweet little psalm should be accompanied by “a stringed instrument,” as the title of Psalm 61 suggests. Although the Selah in the middle marks a transition, it isn’t a sharp one. The first four verses begin with “Hear my […]
CHRIST the HOPE of ISRAEL (Jer 17:13). As David Baron writes, the Great Intercessor “bears also ‘His own’ nation Israel on His heart. It was for them primarily that He prayed on the cross. And now at God’s right hand He still pleads for them: ‘For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, and […]
“The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; teach me Your statutes” (Ps 119:64). Beautiful, isn’t it! What a positive way of acknowledging that the world is actually full of broken-hearted sinners, of the wreckage of the wrong actions we have committed against God and one another. The psalmist focuses instead on God’s amazing […]
“There is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee” (Ps 73:25). In his book Heaven’s Cure for Earth’s Care, George Henderson tells the following story: A Christian woman who had just finished reading T.H. Huxley’s Life and Letters was asked with some anxiety by a friend whether her faith had suffered any eclipse under […]
How ready God is to give us another chance! Like His wisdom, He is “easy to be entreated” (Jas 3:17, KJV). The psalmist clearly thinks that Psalm 60 should be kept for posterity, hung on our walls and hidden in our hearts. It’s given to the Concert Master for public use. He calls it “A Michtam of David. […]
CHRIST the LORD of the HARVEST: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Mt 9:37-38). Andrew Murray writes, “Christ meant to teach us that, however large the field may be, and however few the laborers, prayer is the […]
“With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isa 26:9). Do you see how strategic Isaiah’s thinking is? Lying in the darkness, he contemplates world-sized thoughts. […]
J.F. Strombeck, in his book, So Great Salvation, suggests God’s salvation is great because it is available to such a great number: “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom 3:22). As well, it is great because of what was required to accomplish […]
CHRIST the PROMISE-KEEPER: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). Henry Durbanville tells the following story: William P. White recounts how, as a young preacher, he received a message one morning, “Father Junkins is dying and wants to see you.” The dying man […]