Vs. 19 — I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.

Thomas Manton:

What provision do you make for another world if you are strangers? Many bestow all their labour and travail about earthly things, and neglect their precious and immortal souls. They are at home; all their care is that they may live well here. O Christians! what provision do you make for heaven? A traveller doth not tray such things as he cannot carry with him, as trees, houses, household stuff; but jewels, pearls, and such as are portable. Our wealth doth not follow us into the other world, but our works do. We are travelling to a country whose commodities will not be bought with gold and silver, and therefore are we storing ourselves for heaven, for such things as are current there. Men that make a voyage to the Indies will carry such wares as are acceptable there, else they do nothing. Do you make it your business every day to get clearer evidences for heaven, to treasure up a good foundation, 1 Tim. 6:19; and do you labour every day to grow more meet for heaven, Col. 1:12. That is the great work of a Christian, to get evidences and a meetness for heaven. (Manton, T. (1872). The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (Vol. 6, pp. 178–179). London: James Nisbet & Co.)

Prayer:

O’ God, I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. My heart belongs to another country, one that is lit by the glory of the Son of Righteous. Do not let our hearts, us who are saints by the blood of Jesus Christ, become too fond of this world or this life. But keep our hearts feeling as strangers anxious for the grand reunion. Turn our affections to heaven. Enable us to see, know, and live by Your economy of heaven and not put our trust in the ways of this world. Cause us to walk as strangers on this earth with an eternal perspective knowing the temporal state of this life. We long and await to see You face-to-face.