PSALMS 27

1 (A Psalm of David.) Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4 One thing have I desired of Yahweh, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Yahweh.

7 Hear, O Yahweh, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Yahweh, will I seek.

"This is life eternal: to KNOW Thee" ... "Thou shalt seek Me, and shalt find Me when thou shalt seek for Me with ALL thine heart."

Let us never think we have totally found God. There is always further to go, closer to get, deeper to understand -- and this is the whole joy and beauty and meaning of life. Our life has no value or purpose if we are not continually getting closer to God.

The time will come, says Paul, when "We (the true faithful) shall know as we are known."

But it will NEVER come for US if we are not continually striving with all our might in that direction NOW. God is not going to force eternal glory upon the lazy and worldly and unspiritual and uninterested.

If we are interested in worldly things, we shall perish with them. Eternity is only for those few who realize the infinite value of the Pearl, and who eagerly "sell ALL they have" to purchase it.

Bro Growcott - Search Me O God

9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O Elohim of my salvation.

Obedience

We are apt to think if we could only hear the voice of God,‭ ‬we should find obedience easy.‭ ‬Let us temper this with the recollection that if He spoke,‭ ‬He would only say what He has already so abundantly said.‭ ‬It is for us to attend to what is written.

The Christadelphian, Apr 1886

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O Yahweh, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.

Philosophers talk

of virtue being its own reward, and of the hope of good being ignoble. Their talk is fictitious. It is not according to the constitution of things. It is not according to God's communications to us; it is not according to the mental habit of the philosophers themselves.

We are made to act by incentive, and the so acting is not ignoble if the incentive be high enough. The incentive could not be higher. The hope of seeing God recognised and exalted on earth; our own natures redeemed from all weakness and pollution; wicked and unreasonable and useless and hurtful men exterminated, and the earth cleared for joyous and beautiful and everlasting life.

...Christ himself again among men, the righteous of past ages awakened to life and taking a practical and a powerful part in earth's affairs; the friends of God in multitudes (after lives of suffering and darkness), manifested as the irresistible and capable heads and rulers of men, endowed with health and memory such as never was the lot of Adam's sons; all old abuses gone, all grievances redressed, all -questions" ended - a perfectly regulated civilization prevalent everywhere in which the rejoicing millions of Adam's race will for the first time experience the delight of liberty, combined with obedience; mirth mingled with awe; plenty allied with sacrifice to the glory of God and the good of neighbours - the conviction that such a good time will come is a powerful cordial to the faintness of heart that springs within us in the presence of the hopeless welter of helpless humanity in the great slough of impotence and confusion and despondency that covers the earth in the absence of the Kingdom of God.

Seasons 2.24.

14 Wait on Yahweh: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on Yahweh.

God is primarily testing and preparing us, not coming to us for help. Our task is confined to doing our own small part as it comes to us, in a manner pleasing to God.

...One thing is needful. Complication is unrest, but simplification is peace. One thing in life must stand in majestic isolation like the mountain of the Lord, and all other things must be grouped in complete subjection at its base.

Bro Growcott

Our probation in the truth is a warfare

This description is no exaggeration, no mere figure of speech. As soon as the truth is embraced a tussle commences, and ends not until our course is run. Our reward depends upon our endurance. The prize is for those who like the apostles of the first century, and Dr. Thomas and brother Roberts of the nineteenth century, die fighting.

"He that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Christ has sought to impress this fact upon us by his oft-repeated, "He that overcometh." The nature of the fight is well-known to us all. It is the flesh versus the spirit - the old man versus the new - our imperfect and sin-tending thoughts versus the teaching of the word of God.

The fight is a big and painful work. Paul describes it in 2 Cor. 10:5. It means the discarding of long-cherished cranks and crotchets, the breaking off of bad but agreeable habits - it means the perfecting of holiness in God's fear.

Shall we give in because the fight is hard, and to obtain the gratification of our lusts? To such suggestions let us promptly say,

"Get thee behind me, Satan."

That the fight should be a terrible one is not the fault of God. It is the result of sin, and the hold it has upon our nature. Let us remember that God makes great allowances. If we have a willing mind, He will overlook much. If we tumble over a few times, let us not lie and whine and show the white feather, but get up and renew the conflict.

Then "Onward! brother, onward go!"

Bro AT Jannaway