Monthly Archives March 2015

Vs. 80 — Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.

Romans 4:5–8 (NKJV) — 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Psalm 32:1–2 (NKJV) — 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Prayer:

Holy and Righteous God, my God in whom I delight, in whom I can delight in, let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, that I may not be ashamed. Indeed I am found blameless regarding Your statutes because of hte redeeming work of Jesus Christ. The blessedness that You have imputed to those who believe, O’ the blessedness, a right-standing, a pureness, a wholeness before You. Yes, a completeness in Christ, Himself. You have not imputed my sin upon me, which I deserve, but instead You have imputed the righteousness of the Son. Praises! Praises! Eternal Praises! Although this is a blessedness too great and glorious to completely grasp this side of eternity, shower upon us–Your covenant people, more grace to grasp the richness of being righteous before You. There is no greater blessedness and nothing that compares with whom Jesus has made us before God. Jesus, it is because of You, and only You, that our transgressions are forgiven and our sin is covered! Blessed; we am blessed! Amen!

Vs. 79 — Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies.

Prayer:

Father, let those who fear You turn to me, those who know Your testimonies. Yes, yes, Father, grant me the opportunities to share Your Gospel and Your eternal word with others. Those whom the Spirit quickens, lead them to me and I will tell of Your saving message. I will tell of Your goodness to forgive, set free, and rescue. Your goodness must be heard.  Here I am, use me to proclaim the glory of the Son; He has come to save.

Vs. 78 — Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; But I will meditate on Your precepts.

Thomas Manton:

When the proud are troublesome and injurious to God’s people the saints may boldly commend their cause to God.… The Lord may be appealed unto upon a double account; partly, as he is an enemy to the proud, and as a friend to the humble (James 4:6; Ps. 138:6); partly, as he is the portion of the afflicted and oppressed (Ps. 140:12). When Satan stirreth up his instruments to hate those whom the Lord loveth, the Lord will stir up his power to help and defend them.

Is not this a revengeful prayer?   Answer, No.

1st. Because those who pray it are seeking their own deliverance, that they may more freely serve God by consequence. Indeed, by God’s showing mercy to his people, the pride of wicked ones is suppressed (verse 134); but mercy is the main object of the prayer.
2ndly. As it concerneth his enemies, he expresseth it in mild terms—that they may “be ashamed”; that is, disappointed, in their counsels, hopes, machinations, and endeavours. And therefore it is not against the persons of his enemies, but their plots and enterprises. In such cases shame and disappointment may even do them good. They think to bring in the total suppression of God’s people, but that would harden them in their sins; therefore God’s people desire that he would not let their innocency be trampled upon, but disappoint their adversaries, that the proud may be ashamed in the failing of their attempts. (Manton, Thomas. The Complete Works of Thomas Manton. Vol. 7. London: James Nisbet & Co., 1872.)

Prayer:

Let the proud be ashamed, for they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; but I will meditate on Your precepts. Help me to keep my eyes upon You and Your ways, that is, Your promises. Do not let the words and works of the proud manipulate me to react to their falsehoods and arrogance. I do not want to be drawn in to their ways. Capture my attention, O’ Lord, and hold it steadfastly on Thee.  I do not pray that You would destroy those who speak against me, for they do not know what they are doing. They are blind and by nature children of disobedience. But I ask that You remove the veil that blinds their eyes from the Gospel, and that You would shine the glorious light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their hearts. Father, if it be Your will, let this circumstance against me, which is really against You, be a divine appointment for shame to bring the proud to repentance. May the harm which evil has devised be turned and to the saving of a soul–from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Glorify Your name, O’ God!

Vs. 77 — Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight.

William Cowper:

If we mark narrowly we shall find that David here seeks another sort of mercy than he sought before. For first he sought mercy to forgive his sins; then he sought mercy to comfort him in his troubles; now he seeks mercy to live, and sin no more. Alas, many seek the first mercy, of remission; and the second mercy of consolation in trouble, who are altogether careless of the third mercy, to live well. It is a great mercy of God to amend thy life: where this is not, let no man think he hath received either of the former. It is a great mercy of God, which not only pardons evil that is done, but strengthens us also to further good that we have not done; and this is the mercy which here David seeks.

Thomas Watson:

“Thy law is my delight.” A child of God, though he cannot serve the Lord perfectly, yet he serves him willingly; his will is in the law of the Lord; he is not a pressed soldier, but a volunteer. By the beating of this pulse we may judge whether there be spiritual life in us or no. David professeth that God’s law was his delight; he had his crown to delight in, he had his music to delight in; but the love he had to God’s law did drown all other delights; as the joy of harvest and vintage exceeds the joy of gleaning.

Prayer:

Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight. I have come to learn the necessity of Your mercy towards me. I cannot live one breath out from under Your tender mercies. Indeed, I live because of the mercies that cover me. Do not let me forget how gracious and merciful You are to me and my family. We would be lost and hopeless if it were not for Your tender mercies.  I have also come to learn that this shower of mercy has no end as You have no end. As eternal as You are, so are Your tender mercies towards those who belong to You. If my mind is ever distracted by the accuser with guilt, shame, and condemnation, I only need to look at the cross and I am reminded, yes refreshed, of how grand and eternal Your mercies are towards me. Your mercies are new every morning because they are ever alive from Your heart.

Vs. 76 — Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant.

Thomas Manton:

1. The original cause of all the good which we expect, thy merciful loving-kindness.
2. The effect now sued for, be for my comfort, or to comfort me.
3. The instrument or means of obtaining it, which is double:—
[1.] On God’s part, the word, according to thy word.
[2.] On our part, prayer, let, I pray thee.
(1.) In the word there is the relief discovered and offered, and thereby we are encouraged and assured.
(2.) On our part there is prayer, in which we act faith and spiritual desire.
(3.) We have hope given in the word, and we sue it out by prayer.
(4.) The subject capacitated to receive this effect, from that cause, in this order, thy servant.
Doctrine: That the people of God have liberty, and much encouragement from God’s merciful nature and promises, to ask comfort in their afflictions.
This point will be best discussed by going over the parts and branches of the text as they have been laid forth to you.
First, The primary and principal cause of all comfort is the merciful kindness of God. We read in 2 Cor. 1:3, that he is ‘the father of mercies;’ and then it presently followeth, that he is ‘the God of all comfort.’ The remedy of all our evils lieth in the mercy of God, and his kindness and goodness is the fountain of all our blessedness. I shall inquire—(Manton, T. (1872). The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (Vol. 7, pp. 300–301). London: James Nisbet & Co.)

John Calvin:

… it is not in vain to remind God of his promise. It would be presumption for men to come into His presence, did he not, of his own mere good pleasure, open up the way for them. (Calvin, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 457). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant. Father, all according to Your word. I read in the Scriptures how loving, how kind, how gracious You are to Your children. Let Your merciful kindness flood over me according to Your promises. The Gospel that saved me, saves me. The glorious, bounding Gospel, which is the power of God unto Salvation, O’ may my heart continue to dive into its depth of love, mercy, and grace. All, yes ALL because of Jesus Christ, Who is my Savior, my Lord, my King!