Matthew Henry on the Psalms…

The psalms are the language of the believer’s heart, whether mourning for sin, thirsting after God, or rejoicing in Him. Whether burdened with affliction, struggling with temptation, or triumphing in the hope or enjoyment of deliverance; whether admiring the Divine perfections, thanking God for his mercies, mediating on his truths, or delighting in his service; they form a Divinely appointed standard of experience, by which we may judge ourselves.

Here’s a section from Psalm 119 on which to meditate, about the beauty and comfort of God’s Word.

49  Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
50  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
51  The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.
52  I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.
53  Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.
54  Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.
55  I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.
56  This I had, because I kept thy precepts.

Reflecting on how God has worked in the last few weeks, I was reminded of this old gospel song: 

I am amazed that God could ever love me,
So full of sin, so covered o’er with shame;
Make me to walk with Him who is above me,
Cleansed by the pow’r of His redeeming name.

I am amazed that God would ever save me,
Naught but the cross could take away my sin;
Thro’ faith in Christ eternal life He gave me,
Now He abides forevermore within.

I am amazed at how God works sometimes (well, actually all the time).  I am grateful that He is tender toward us and does not give us what we deserve all the time.

Recently God has orchestrated some things and brought His Word to bear on them in such a way as to help me better see the way He does.   Seeing in that way not only brings comfort and joy but gives everything a whole new meaning.  I’m reminded of these words from an old hymn:

Heaven above is softer blue; Earth around is sweeter green-
Something lives in every hue, Christless eyes have never seen.
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow, Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know, I am His, and He is mine.

Job 38:37-38  Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

Psalm 104:1-3 …O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind…

The best way to know where the road leads is to follow it to the end.

To learn means to acquire knowledge or ideas of something before unknown.  Some of the ways we learn things are by instruction, by study, by experience, and by observation.

There are two prerequisites to learning spiritual things.  The first is a changed heart, one disposed toward righteousness.  The second is a heart forgiven and cleansed of sin.

Consider this verse:

Psalm 119:26  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

The psalmist confessed his sin (declared my ways), was forgiven and absolved of sin (thou heardest me), and now has a teachable heart ready to learn (teach me thy statutes).

You can’t really have a teachable heart unless sin is confessed and absolved.  This is why you might notice that people who are holding onto sin are not teachable.

This is critical to good relationships, to worship, and to just about anything you want to name.

My desire for myself, my family, and friends is that being teachable would be a defining characteristic of life.

Let’s be good learners.

A learner’s prayer (based on Psalm 119:26):  Lord, I have kept score of what I have done.  You are aware of this.  You know my score is pitiful, and I humbly come before you with nothing to give.   Thankfully, in Your Word You have said that you will hear me.  Please, hear me.  Take away my sin, absolve me of guilt.  Lord, I know that when you remove sin from me, I will be in a state of learning.  I am ready to learn.  Teach me.  Yet, I know I’m going to react to Your gentle and nurturing teaching so don’t just teach me in that manner; goad me, prick me, and pierce me so that I learn the lesson and will never forget it.