. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.

Posted : 22 Feb, 2013 06:07 AM

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.





In order to keep God's word, must we not pray to understand

it? What then is the prayer? Not-give me a plainer Bible-but open my eyes to know my Bible. Not-show me some new

revelations beside the law-but make me behold the wonders

of the law. David had acquired in the Divine school "more

understanding than all his teachers;" yet he ever comes to his

God under a deep sense of his blindness. Indeed those who

have been best and longest taught, are always the most ready

to "sit at the feet of Jesus," as if they had everything to learn.

It is an unspeakable mercy to know a little, and at the same

time to feel that it is only a little. We shall then be longing to

know more, and yet anxious to know nothing, except as we

are taught of God. There are indeed in God's law things so

wondrous, that "the angels desire to look into them." The

exhibition of the scheme of redemption is in itself a world of

wonders. The display of justice exercised in the way of mercy,

and of mercy glorified in the exercise of justice, is a wonder,

that must fill the intelligent universe of God with everlasting

astonishment. And yet these "wondrous things" are hidden

from multitudes, who are most deeply interested in the

knowledge of them. They are "hidden," not only from the

ignorant and unconcerned, but "from the wise and prudent;

and revealed" only "to babes"-to those who practically

acknowledge that important truth, that a man "can receive

nothing, except it be given him from heaven." External

knowledge is like the child spelling the letters without any

apprehension of the meaning. It is like reading a large and

clear print with a thick veil before our eyes. Oh! how needful

then is the prayer-'Unveil;'-"Open my eyes:" let the veil be

taken away from the law, that I may understand it; and from

my heart, that I may receive it!

But do not even Christians often find the word of God to be as

a sealed book? They go through their accustomed portion,

without gaining any increasing acquaintance with its light, life,

and power, and without any distinct application of its contents

to their hearts. And thus it must be, whenever reading has

been unaccompanied with prayer for Divine influence. For we not only need to have our "eyes opened to behold" fresh

wonders, but also to give a more spiritual and transforming

perception of those wonders, which we have already beheld.

But are we conscious of our blindness? Then let us hear the

counsel of our Lord, that we "anoint our eyes with eye-salve,

that we may see." The recollection of the promises of Divine

teaching is fraught with encouragement. The Spirit is freely

and abundantly promised in this very character, as "the Spirit

of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God." If,

therefore, we desire a clearer insight into these "wondrous

things" of revelation-if we would behold the glorious beauty of

our Immanuel-if we would comprehend something more of the

immeasurable extent of that love, with which "God so loved

the world, as to give His only-begotten Son," and of that

equally incomprehensible love, which moved that Son so

cheerfully to undertake our cause, we must make daily, hourly

use of this important petition-"Open my eyes."



by

Charles Bridges

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