A beautiful description of the "simplicity and godly sincerity" of the believer's "walk with God!"

Posted : 2 Mar, 2013 06:05 AM

Psalm 119:26 I have declared my ways, and You heard me; teach me Your statutes.





A beautiful description of the "simplicity and godly sincerity" of

the believer's "walk with God!" He spreads his whole case

before his God, "declaring his ways" of sinfulness, of difficulty,

and of conduct. And, indeed, it is our privilege to acquaint our

Father with all our care and need, that we may be pitied by

His love, and guided by His counsel, and confirmed by His

strength. Who would not find relief by unbosoming himself to

his Father? This showing of ourselves to God-declaring our

ways of sin before Him without deceit-is the short and sure

way of rest. "You heard me." "When I kept silence, my bones

waxed old through my roaring all the day long." While the

voice of ingenuous confession was suppressed, cries and

lamentations were disregarded. It was not the voice of the

penitent child; and, therefore, "where was the sounding of his

father's affections, and of his mercies towards him?" But now,

on the first utterance of confession from his lips, or rather on

the first purpose of contrition formed in his heart; "while he is

yet speaking," the full and free pardon, which had been signed

in heaven, comes down with royal parental love to his soul-"I

said, I will confess my transgression to the Lord; and You

forgave the iniquity of my sin." Oh! what cannot he testify of

the more than parental tenderness, with which "his

transgression is forgiven, and his sin covered!" And yet, how

necessary to the free declaration of our ways is an

acquaintance with the way of forgiveness! Had not our great

"High Priest passed into the heavens," how awful would have

been the thought, that all things were "naked and opened unto

the eyes of Him with whom we have to do!" We could only

then have "covered our transgressions as Adam, by hiding our

iniquity in our bosom." But now, even though "our ways" are so defiled, so crooked that we cannot but "abhor ourselves,"

on account of them, we are yet encouraged "boldly" to

"declare" them all before God, with the assurance of finding

present acceptance, and seasonable grace.

And now, having found the happy fruit of this sincere and

child-like spirit, then follows the obligation of walking worthy of

this mercy. Hence our need of the prayer for continual

teaching. The same heavenly guidance, that brought us into

the way of return, we need for every successive step to the

end- "Teach me Your way, O Lord: I will walk in Your truth." "I

have declared my" ignorance, my sinfulness, and my whole

experience before You, looking for Your pardoning mercy,

Your teaching Spirit, and assisting grace, "And You have

heard me." O continue to me what You have been, and teach

me more of Yourself!

The hypocrite may pray after this manner. But he never thus

opens his heart, and "declares his ways" beneath his God.

And are we sincere in our dealings with Him? How often do

we treat our Almighty Friend as if we were weary of dealing

with Him! And even when we do "declare our ways" before

Him, are we not often content to leave the result as a matter

of uncertainty? We do not watch for the answer to our prayer.

It will come in the diligent exercise of faith, but not perhaps in

our way. We may have asked for temporal blessings, and we

receive spiritual. We may have "besought" deliverance from

trial, and we receive "grace sufficient" to bear it. But this is the

Lord's wise and gracious answer-You heard me. And how

sweet are those mercies, which come to us manifestly marked

with this inscription-"Received by prayer!" They are such

encouragement to pray again. It is not our inevitable

weakness, nor our lamented dullness, nor our abhorred

wanderings, nor our opposed distractions, nor our mistaken

unbelief; it is not any-no, nor all these-that can shut out

prayer. If "iniquity" is not "regarded in our heart," we may always hear our Savior's voice, "Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it

you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in My name. Ask, and

you shall receive, that your joy may be full."



by

Charles Bridges

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