This is the character of the Lord's people.

Posted : 13 Feb, 2013 02:23 AM

PSALM 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought You; O let me not wander from Your commandments.





Attention to the word, however important, can never be

practically effective without earnest prayer. Indeed this is the

character of the Lord's people, "a generation of seekers;" and

yet how much do we lose of the comfort of our religion, and

obscure the glory of our profession, by neglecting to bring "our whole heart" to this work! When sin is vigorous, and our

spiritual affections are dull, and various hindrances combine in

prayer, at this crisis strong faith is needed to overcome and to

persevere. But here the soul too commonly yields to the

difficulty, and contents itself either with heartless

complainings, or with just sufficient exertion to quiet the voice

of conscience, and produce a delusive peace within. But the

Lord will not be found thus. His promise is not to such seekers

as these; and if we are satisfied with this state, we must look

for a very scanty measure of spiritual success, accompanied

with the total absence of spiritual enjoyment. In a far different

spirit David could appeal-"With my whole heart have I sought

You." And this assurance, instead of producing selfconfidence, will, so far as it is genuine, invariably show itself in

a prayerful acknowledgment of our weakness-"O let me not

wander from Your commandments." Yet the feeblest desire

and attempt to seek the Lord is the Spirit's rising beam in the

heart, a "day of small things" not to be "despised." It is

distinguished from every other principle by the simplicity of its

object- "This one thing I do. One thing have I desired of the

Lord; that will I seek after." My God! my Savior! with my whole

heart have I sought You. "The desire of my soul is to Your

name, and to the remembrance of You. With my soul have I

desired You in the night; yes, with my spirit within me will I

seek You early."

When the soul is thus conscious of "following the Lord fully,"

there is a peculiar dread of wandering. In a careless or halfhearted state, wanderings are not watched, so long as they do

not lead to any open declension. Secret prayer will be hurried

over, worldly thoughts unresisted, waste of time in frivolous

pursuits indulged, without much concern. Not so, when the

heart is fully in pursuit of its object. There is a carefulness, lest

wandering thoughts should become habitual. There is a

resistance of the first step, that might lead into a devious path.

The soul remembers the "wormwood and the gall," "the roaring lion," and the devouring wolf; and in the recollection of

the misery of its former wandering, dreads any departure from

the Shepherd's fold. This blessed state of mind the flock of

Christ should cherish with godly jealousy. Yet let it be

remembered, that daily progress in the heavenly walk is not

maintained by yesterday's grace. Humble and dependent

prayer must fetch in a fresh supply continually-"O let me not

wander from Your commandments." 'Lord, I feel my heart so

prone to wander. My affections are often scattered to the ends

of the earth. "Unite my heart to fear Your name." Concentrate

every thought, every desire, in Yourself, as the one object of

attraction.'



by

Charles Bridges

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