Hello, my friend. These are busy days in all our lives, and one gives special thanks to the Lord for health to enjoy all one experiences. I hope all is going well with you, and even in the midst of difficulties you are sensing God’s presence. I was touched this morning to read an article by Pastor Carl Taylor in which he quoted the following written by Charles Spurgeon, the great English Baptist preacher of the last century:
“It may be that there are saints who are always at their best and are happy enough to never lose the light of their Father’s countenance. I’m not sure there are such persons. For those believers with whom I have been most intimate have had a varied experience and those whom I have known who have boasted of their constant perfectness have not been the most reliable of individuals. I hope there is a spiritual region attainable where there are no clouds to hide the sun of our soul. But I cannot speak with positiveness, for I have never traversed that happy land. Every year of my life has had a winter, as well as a summer, and every day, its night. I have hitherto seen clear shinings and heavy rains, and felt warm breezes and fierce winds. Speaking for many of my brethren, I confess that though the substance be in us, as in the teal tree and the oak, yet we do lose our leaves and the sap within us does not flow with equal vigor at all seasons. We have our downs, as well as our ups, our valleys, as well as our hills. We are not always rejoicing. We are sometimes in heaviness through many trials. Alas, we are grieved to confess that our fellowship with the Well-Beloved Lord is not always that of a rapturous delight; but we have at times to seek him and cry, “O that I knew where I might find him.’”
This is a long but significant statement, especially as we have seen the frequent turmoil and anguish of David, the Psalmist. As in our PSALM 54, for today, he begins with the cry, “Save me, O God…hear my prayer, O God, listen to the words of my mouth. Strangers are attacking me, ruthless men seek my life, men without regard for God.” But in your Bibles you find, after that vs.3, the little Hebrew word, Selah, which an old Hebrew scholar told me means, “Wow, think about it.”
And David does think about what he had said, and immediately in vs. 4 he says, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” And there in the final verse 7, he says, “God has delivered me from all my troubles….” So I just send out this sincere word of encouragement to you, if you find yourself in these mood swings. God is our refuge and strength. He will see you through.
“Thank you, Lord, for this time of careful, prayerful thinking and this word of encouragement. Help us to patiently cling, Lord, when the winds blow strongly. Bless my dear friend who has joined in, in whatever situation each one may know. We love you, Lord.”
And I thank God for you, my co-worker. Cheerio!
These meditations on the Psalms were written by Village Schools of the Bible Founder, Monty Sholund and first published in book form as Monty’s Musings on the Psalms in 2000.
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