Text: “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate (think a lot deeper and consider) also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.” Psalm 77:11-12.
Good morning, heavy-hearted Christian! At this point in time, as you go through whatever negative experience you are going through just now, you feel that your faith in God is to some degree faltering, unable to uphold you; threatening to desert you altogether! The very fact that you are feeling this way, and thinking this way – only serves as yet another deep depression of your human soul; and you wish you could just flee from this particular fierce part of the Spiritual Battle, and find some respite from the inner and very real conflict.
If this gloomy aspect of life describes your position in personal circumstances this morning, have faith, beloved Christian friend – the Lord knows your plight and shall send His Divine comfort and strength to assist you real soon. Wait assuredly for His Divine support.
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)
Human sadness is the lot of each and every saint of God; each and every sinner blessed with Salvation in Christ Jesus; each and every soul that has been Eternally Redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb. Fact.
In fact, if you and I are of the militant, continuously serving branch of Christianity – we are promised times of more profound suffering, for it is suffering for Christ’s dear sake, and thus, an integral aspect of the Spiritual Battle for souls and Christ’s Kingdom that we are called to undertake for His glory.
Remembering the works of the Lord God - denoted in Holy Scripture from Genesis to Revelation – and how He always grants His victory to ‘His people’, should soon lift us up from human sadness to Divine joy, even to realise that we are indeed, permitted to be soldiers in such a Spiritual and relentless conflict against Satan, the world, and the flesh.
Hear God’s Word to us this morning: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death (a loved one’s or are own!), nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)
This is God’s inspired (God-breathed) Word to us today – do we believe it? Do we?
“God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent (say, and not do): hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19
“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
After reading what I have above written, have you received this LIGHT? Has it lightened the path of some of your sadness, bereavement, fear, dread, crippling anxieties? It has mine in the writing of it! I, too, get down. I, too, get saddened. I, too, become depressed from within. I, too, receive oppressions from without! No child of God escapes human sadness, if we are trying to live our redeemed lives for the risen Christ. Human sadness is par for the course of Evangelical, Bible-believing, Christianity – and shall, I predict, become even worse as time goes on, and before the Appearing of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Toughen up, friend! Lighten up, soldier! The Battle is not ours but the Lords! Hallelujah!
Verse 16-17. “The waters saw Thee. But men do not see Thee. The depths were troubled, but men say in their heart, “There is no God.” The clouds poured out water, but men pour not out cries and tears unto God. The skies send out a sound, but men say not, ‘Where is God, my Maker?” (George Rogers, 1874)
Verse 20. “Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. What a transition for tempest to peace, from wrath to love! Quietly as a flock, Israel was guided on, by human agency which veiled the excessive glory of the Divine Presence. The smiter of Egypt the Shepherd of Israel. He drove His foes before Him but went before His people. Heaven and earth fought on His side against the sons of Ham, but they were equally subservient to the interests of the sons of Jacob.
“Therefore, with devout joy and full of consolation we close this Psalm; the song of one who forgets how to speak and yet learned to sing far more sweetly than his fellows.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 331)
You see now, heavy-hearted Christian, how a new meditation on just Whom our Living Lord God is, and the Omnipotence of His Almighty power; and the sure promises He has made to us, ‘His people’ – should lift us up out of our human sadness, grief, bereavement, fear, dread, and trepidations, to rejoice once again in the joy of our Eternal Lord God and the Salvation He has given us, in His risen and holy, and glorious Son, Jesus Christ.
“Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His Holiness. For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:4-5)
“The Psalmist has reached the climax of his strain, he has found relief from his sorrow by forcing his thoughts into another channel, by dwelling on all God’s mightiest wonders of old; and there he must end: in his present intensity of passion, he cannot trust himself to draw forth in detail any mere lessons of comfort. There are seasons when even the holiest faith cannot bear to listen to words of reasoning; though it can still find support whereon to rest, in the simple contemplation, in all their native grandeur, of the deeds that God hath wrought.” (Joseph Francis Thrupp,1826-1867)
Thought: Reminding
ourselves often of the Almighty attributes of our Lord God and Saviour, can
lift us up from all depths of human sadness, and grant us Divine joy.
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