I will delight in your statutes
13/11/08 08:58 Filed in: Thinking Thoughts
I knew, of course, that I had not posted anything here for a while, but I was surprised to see that it was three months! To some extent that is a reflection of the turmoil I went through during the latter part of the visit to the UK and the continuance of that into the early days of the return to Zambia. Looking back now I see the goodness of the Lord in all that happened, but it did not feel that way at the time! The weakness is in me, inevitably, and certainly not in the ways and righteousness of the Lord in his dealings with me. You may be thinking I should be ashamed of myself, and you would be right - and I am. But not terminally ashamed. I recognise my weakness for what it is, the sinful nature that wars against the work of God in me but that cannot win the war. With Paul I cry out “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25 ESV). That is not an excuse for sin! It is a cry from the heart of someone who endured the battle that life is, who knew the pain of getting it wrong, and who knew the relief that comes from confession, repentance and resting on the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is also the cry of victory, not of Paul’s triumph, but of the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary, affirmed in the resurrection.
For my self I had all but despaired when the Lord very graciously and mercifully spoke to me through the word preached and read. At first I could hardly believe that the Lord was revealing himself to me, but so clear and insistent was the word that I could not miss it. Again, that was the grace of God. Calvin speaks of the Lord’s Supper as being the Lord coming to our level, addressing us like a parent speaking to little children to make his way plain. I can say that the Lord graciously stooped to speak to me and I am still amazed. I want to stress that I am not speaking of some ‘prophetic word’ or ‘little voice in my mind’ but simply the mercy of God through the ordinary ways and means of the church.
One result of all this has been a renewed delight in the Scripture. I have read through the Bible systematically this year as for many years (following a plan to read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice over the year). Right now I am in Psalm 119, a psalm I love but have found fresh joy in. In reading it this time the way David (I join with Spurgeon and Matthew Henry and many others in believing it is from David’s pen) delights in God’s Word has thrilled and delighted me in turn. It has always been my practice to recommend Matthew Henry’s commentary and I still use it myself. I have been reading his comments each day on the section of the Psalm I am reading. They are rich and devotional and lead my thoughts in the ways of the Lord.
I would not for a moment recommend my failures to you, but I do want to recommend what treasure I have. Why not read a section of Psalm 119 every day? The Psalm is structured in sections of eight verses, and will take just twenty-two days to read in this way. Pray, read the Psalm, then read Matthew Henry. And may the Lord give you joy in it as he has to me.
For my self I had all but despaired when the Lord very graciously and mercifully spoke to me through the word preached and read. At first I could hardly believe that the Lord was revealing himself to me, but so clear and insistent was the word that I could not miss it. Again, that was the grace of God. Calvin speaks of the Lord’s Supper as being the Lord coming to our level, addressing us like a parent speaking to little children to make his way plain. I can say that the Lord graciously stooped to speak to me and I am still amazed. I want to stress that I am not speaking of some ‘prophetic word’ or ‘little voice in my mind’ but simply the mercy of God through the ordinary ways and means of the church.
One result of all this has been a renewed delight in the Scripture. I have read through the Bible systematically this year as for many years (following a plan to read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice over the year). Right now I am in Psalm 119, a psalm I love but have found fresh joy in. In reading it this time the way David (I join with Spurgeon and Matthew Henry and many others in believing it is from David’s pen) delights in God’s Word has thrilled and delighted me in turn. It has always been my practice to recommend Matthew Henry’s commentary and I still use it myself. I have been reading his comments each day on the section of the Psalm I am reading. They are rich and devotional and lead my thoughts in the ways of the Lord.
I would not for a moment recommend my failures to you, but I do want to recommend what treasure I have. Why not read a section of Psalm 119 every day? The Psalm is structured in sections of eight verses, and will take just twenty-two days to read in this way. Pray, read the Psalm, then read Matthew Henry. And may the Lord give you joy in it as he has to me.