Continuing our last article, we will at this time consider seven more promises. The first is found in Psalms 31:24: “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”
“All ye that hope in the Lord!” They are the ones to whom God will give strength and courage, not those who trust in what the world has to offer. And sometimes it seems that this world has much to offer, and its rewards reach out temptingly to us. They often include riches, honor and fame—all this, if only we will deviate just a little from the straight and narrow way. How hard the narrow way sometimes seems, and how these worldly things do sparkle and beckon to us! But when we examine them closely, we will see that, behind the dazzling exterior, is nothing but a vast emptiness, for they are like vapor, and exist but for a fleeting moment in this world’s time, and then they are gone forever. Fame is very capricious and may vanish overnight. The multitude that cheers today may turn away tomorrow and find another idol to worship for a brief period of time. Riches that have been accumulated through years of toil and sacrifice may suddenly be lost. The rich man of today may be the pauper of tomorrow. And, without his riches, what has he to live for any longer? Then, again, the man crowned with laurels today may tomorrow be ruthlessly stricken in his prime with an incurable malady, or death may suddenly claim him. In sickness he has nothing to console him; in death he has lost eternal life.
But nothing can take away the peace and hope of God’s children. Even in sorrow there is a certain gladness, for they look forward to an everlasting abiding place so lovely that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath prepared for those that love him” (1st Corinthians 2:9). So let us be of good courage at all times, for God will indeed strengthen our hearts if we hope in Him.
The second promise is found in Psalms 32:8: “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye.”
There is certainly consolation in the realization that, if we are willing, God will instruct us in the way that we should go. We need not flounder about in uncertainty and doubt. But even God cannot guide us unless we fully surrender our wills to Him, and how difficult this is for the majority of us to do! So often we come up against a wall where we must pause, because there is no way over or around it. When, at the end of our resources, we plead for God’s mercy, instantly He reaches out His supporting hand. We can then know that the path we are taking is the right one.
Let us now look at Psalms 37:4,5,23, 24: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”
The Psalmist states that the Lord will give His followers the desires of their hearts. But let us notice, there is a condition here, we must delight ourselves in Him. If we delight in Him, our desires will be in accordance with His will and for good only. God always blesses our spiritual aspirations, and needed material things will follow. So let us thank God, even in extremity, for He sees the end from the beginning, and knows what circumstances are most likely to keep us near Him.
If we commit our way to God He shall bring it to pass. Bring what to pass, let us ask ? Will He bring to pass everything that we pray for, regardless of what it is? We don’t think so. But He will bring to pass the honest, heart-searching, spiritual thing for which we pray. He has said so and the material things are bound up in this promise:
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). So in this manner He will bring to pass the things we really need, that are necessary to our material welfare.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” If we are good, in the sense the Psalmist uses the word, we know that what befalls us has been ordained, and neither the present nor the future need hold any uncertainty or fear for us.
We may fall, but we will not be utterly cast down, unless we will it so. The Lord will uphold us with His hand. If we are sorry for our mistakes, He will forgive us, if we are making an honest effort to overcome our faults. He may punish us, but He will not cast us away from Him. Let us take heart in this promise and come to Him when we fall.
The fourth promise is found in Psalms 42:5: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
The followers of Jesus should never be disquieted, even in the midst of the commotion and uncertainty that exist today. They should be calm and tranquil at all times, with the sure knowledge that, although discord is all about them, they need not be a part of it if they seek for and remain in the quietness of God. When, on one of the main streets of a large city where automobiles and busses rush headlong, with perhaps an ambulance or fire engine adding to the confusion; where throngs of people dash here and there as if their lives depended upon getting somewhere as quickly as they can, we may sometimes have had an almost unbearable yearning for a quiet, peaceful spot where there were no discordant noises. And then, one day, perhaps on a side street, we discovered a lovely park which was like an oasis in the desert to which we could retreat at any time and be rid of the restless city.
So may God’s children flee from the turmoil of material things and be uplifted in spirit by that inner security which He delights to bestow upon those who are His own. Let Him be the oasis in our lives to which we retreat when the noise and confusion seem too much to bear. We can mentally close our eyes and ears in the most discordant place, enter there and become part of His quietness and joy.
Let us now consider Psalms 55:22: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
We need never falter beneath insupportable burdens when the Lord has told us to cast them upon Him, and He will sustain us. This does not mean that we need no longer have any concern about our daily affairs, but that we need have no Anxious concern about them. After we have done everything in our power to help ourselves, we must then wait patiently for God to finish the work. He will do so in a way that will benefit all concerned.
Since God never suffers the righteous to be moved, neither wicked men nor untoward circumstances should cause us uneasiness or grief. At the right time God will destroy the evil doer and will vindicate His own.
Sometimes we may be inclined to ask: Why should I have so many more burdens than others have? Perhaps these others do have as many burdens, only we do not know what they happen to be. But suppose we really do seem to have more trouble than the majority of people, let us consider the reason why. Have you ever longed for love, earthly love, with an almost unconquerable yearning? Suppose you were blessed with this earthly love. It just might be that it would mean so much to you that you would not feel the need of God’s love. Have you had a friend who meant much to you who disappointed and forsook you in time of need? All of the friends of Jesus forsook Him at His time of greatest trial, and He turned to God in His loneliness for help and consolation. Jesus is the one trustworthy Friend, and He will never forsake us. And His love is deeper and stronger than any earthly love could possibly be. Did you ever have money that was lost in a bank failure or in some other way? Perhaps you trusted too much in this material security and failed to make God the security of your life. Not that it is wrong to have some of this world’s goods, but we must not put them before the Lord. Have you lost a dear one in death? Most of us have, and some of us have lost all of those who loved us best. Did you ever stop to think that by leaving us alone God wanted to teach us to lean on Him and to trust in Him? Be glad that you are considered worthy to receive tribulation, for the “Lord loveth whom He chasteneth.” If He does not chasten us, then we are not His sons. He knows what trials are needed to change the rough diamond into a beautiful, sparkling one. And how could we sympathize with the tribulations of others either here or in God’s kingdom had we not experienced them ourselves ? Jesus was a “Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief.” And even as He can sympathize with us, so must we be able to help others along the way. Before we leave this subject, let us not forget to remember that there are millions of others who have many more burdens, and far more grievous ones than any of us may have. There are the blind, the lame, the deformed, the poverty stricken, those living in slums, and many others. We have much to be thankful for, and should thank God every day for our blessings.
Psalms 62:6: “He only is my rock and salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.”
God is my rock. We all remember the Bible story of the two men who decided to build a house. One built on the sand, and the winds and rain tore it down. The other erected his house on a rock, and even the severest storm could not demolish it. There is a valuable lesson in this for God’s people. Let us not follow the foolish man and build our lives on the deceptive sands of fame or pleasure, but fashion them upon the impregnable Rock, Christ Jesus, where no assaults of evil can ever move us.
He is my salvation. There is no other way to God than through Jesus. Others may try to gain entrance to the kingdom by their works, their philosophy, or in various other ways. God’s children must have works to demonstrate their faith, but works alone, or vain philosophy will not save us. Only in the way provided can we come to God.
He is my defense and I shall not be moved. Other defenses, even the strongest ones, may be destroyed. But if Jesus is our defense, nothing, let us repeat Nothing can move us unless we allow ourselves to be moved. As long as we trust in the Lord, we are safe from all life’s storms, no matter how severe they may be.
We have passed over the 23rd Psalm, and will likewise pass over the 91st Psalm until the end of this series, as an entire article might be written on each of these. At this time we will consider one more promise and continue them in a following article.
Psalms 126:5: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
Here is a glorious promise for the sad, the sick, and those who are struggling with oppressive burdens. But let us take note, it is those who SOW in tears who shall reap in joy. If we rise above our adversities, and Sow in tears, sow deeds of kindness, faith, love and cheer, we will at some time reap the reward of our labors, and shall be joyful in so doing. Let us regard our tribulations as stepping-stones to a life of gladness in helping others less fortunate than we. If we do this, God has promised a special blessing, not only in the life to come, but through all our days in this “vale of tears.” And let us not forget that some day there will be no more tears. When we come to that blessed time, our trials will seem as nothing to the blessedness that will be ours.
Dear ones, let us trust in these promises. They are ours. God gave them to us. He means what He says. He WILL help us, be with us and guide us, every step of our earthly way, if only we will let Him !
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One