Believers are ignorant of the path of God's commandments, and impotent to go in it.

Posted : 17 Mar, 2013 05:30 AM

Psalm 119:35 Make me to go in the path of Your commandments; for therein do I delight.





We are equally ignorant of the path of God's commandments,

and impotent to go in it. We need therefore double assistance.

Our mind must be enlightened; our hearts constrained; else

our knowledge of this humbling path would make us shrink

from it. But under the complete influence of Divine grace,

when understanding has been given to discern the beauty of

it, the soul's warmest desire is fixed upon it. Conscious

helplessness looks upward-Make me to go: and He who said

to the paralytic-"Arise, take up your bed, and go to your

house," speaks the same word of quickening life and power to

the soul "giving heed," "expecting to receive something of

Him." It is delightful to acknowledge of this work, that "all is of

God"-that "it is He who works in us both to will and to do of

His good pleasure." To him only can it belong. For since the

natural inclination "is not subject to the law of God, neither

indeed can be," Almighty power must introduce a new and

active bias-"Turn me, and I shall be turned."-"Make me to go

in the path of Your commandments." But even when brought into this path, still we need

accelerated motion to run with increasing alacrity. We need to

take "the Lord God for our strength; and He shall make our

feet like hinds' feet, and He shall make us to walk upon the

high places." The path, indeed, is uninviting to the eye of

sense. This distorted vision brings all its difficulties into full

view; hiding all its counter-balancing enjoyments. Let us,

however, exercise that "faith," which is "the substance of

things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Let us

exhibit our proper character, "walking by faith, and not by

sight," and our discernment of unseen things will be more

clear, and our enjoyment of them more permanent. The

prayer will then be with increasing earnestness-"Make me to

go in the path of Your commandments."

But we must not be content with walking in this way; we must

seek to "delight in it." Delight is the marrow of religion. "God

loves a cheerful giver," and accepts obedience, only when it is

given, not when it is forced. He loves the service of that man,

who considers it his highest privilege to render it, and whose

heart rejoices in the way, "as a giant to run his race." Fervent

prayer and cheerful obedience mark the experience of the

thriving Christian. As a true "child of Zion, he is joyful in his

king;" he loves His service, and counts it "perfect freedom"-the

rule of love, mercy, and grace.

But is the self-condemned penitent distressed by this

description of a child of God? He cannot find the same marks

in himself; and he too hastily concludes, that he does not

belong to the heavenly family; not considering, that his very

grief is caused by his love to, and "delight in" that way in

which he is so hindered, and in which he daily prays-"Make

me to go." It was, probably, the same sense of weakness and

inability, "to go in the path of God's commandments," which

urged David's prayer; and if it urges yours, poor trembling

penitent-if it sends you to a throne of grace, you will, before long, receive an answer of peace, and "go on your way

rejoicing."

This delight in the path is not only following the "man after

God's own heart;" but it is the image of David's Lord, and our

forerunner in this path. He could testify to His Father-"I delight

to do Your will, O My God;" and to His disciples-"I have meat

to eat that you know not of. My meat is to do the will of Him

that sent Me, and to finish His work." And as a proof of the

intenseness of His delight he could, to their great amazement,

"go before them" to Jerusalem, unappalled by the "baptism" of

blood which awaited Him; yes, even "straitened" with the

unquenchable ardor of His love, "until it was accomplished."



by

Charles Bridges

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