Make me to understand the way of Your precepts

Posted : 3 Mar, 2013 05:31 AM

Psalm 119:27 Make me to understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I talk of Your wondrous works.





Notice the reiterated cries of the man of God for heavenly

light, Teach me Your statutes-make me to understand the way

of Your precepts. The need and the encouragement for these

cries is equally manifest. Who has ever been known to

understand the way of himself? And to whom-walking in a

well-ordered conversation-has the Lord ever failed to show it?

A man, untaught by the Spirit of God, may be able to criticize,

and even clearly to expound, much of the word of God. But

such a prayer as this has never ascended from the heart; the

necessity of it has never been felt. And, doubtless, from this

neglect of prayer have arisen those floating fancies and false

and unscriptural doctrines, which crude, unexercised minds

have too hastily embraced. Instead of humbly and simply

asking, "Make me to understand"-men too often "lean to their

own understanding," and are "vainly puffed up" by their fleshly

mind, "not holding the Head." Such men may obtain loose

fragments of spiritual knowledge; but they will not be in the

faith, "grounded and settled." They never know when they are

upon safe ground; and being "unlearned and unstable, they

wrest the Scriptures"-except the sovereign grace of God

interpose-"unto their own destruction."

Never must we forget, that teaching from above is

indispensable to a right knowledge of the most simple truths.

Ignorance and prejudice pervert the understanding. "Spiritual

things can only be spiritually discerned." Divine doctrines can

only be apprehended by Divine light. But under heavenly

teaching, the deeper and more mysterious truths (so far as

they are needful to be understood) are manifested with the same clearness, as the more elementary doctrines: "Eye has

not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of

man, the things which God has prepared for them that love

Him. But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit. Now we

have received-not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is

of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to

us of God."

Wondrous, indeed, is the spiritual revelation in the knowledge

of Himself; including "the hope of His calling;-the riches of the

glory of His inheritance in His saints;-the exceeding greatness

of His power" manifested to, and wrought in, His people;-no

other or less than that "which He wrought in Christ, when He

raised Him from the dead." In the understanding of the way,

we would be progressing until the new man "grows up into the

measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The smallest

attainment in this knowledge is (as the great day will fully

declare) of infinitely greater value than the highest intelligence

in the field of earthly science.

But how important is it to grow in this knowledge! Theoretical

attainment is at a stand. Spiritual and practical knowledge is

always advancing. Little, indeed, comparatively, is necessary

for salvation. But much for comfort and steadfastness-much

also for the clear discernment of that narrow way of the

precepts so difficult to trace, and when traced so difficult to

maintain. Not less important is it to keep the object in constant

view. Why do I desire to understand that way? That I may

commend it to others-that I may talk of Your wondrous works.

Abhorred be the thought of indulging in a self-complacent

view of my attainments! But oh! let my God be more admired

by me, and glorified in me. And may I advance both myself

and others in His obedience and praise!

Often do we complain of restraint in religious conversation.

But the prayer- Make me to understand while I talk-will bring "a live coal to our lips" from the altar of God-"Our mouths will

then speak out of the abundance of the heart," and "minister

grace to the hearers." Humility, teachableness, simplicity, will

bring light into the understanding, influence the heart, "open

the lips," and unite every member that we have in the service

and praise of God.



by

Charles Bridges

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