369. Saturday after Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Psalm 34, 1-10. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
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It is one of my gravest offenses that I have not always blessed the Lord for all things, but have often spent much of my time in complaining of my lot. Now, a Christian dwells all the time in the Lord’s house, inhales his love every moment, receives without ceasing full forgiveness of sin, is given help in every need; and nothing which may mar his true happiness can ever befall him. The eye of the Lord watches over him; and the ear of God is open to hear his prayer; the Spirit sighs in him, and the power of God delivers him out of all tribulations. A ladder to heaven is before him always, as before Jacob in Bethel; and hosts of angels are encamped round about him, as around Elisha in Dothan. He that touches a child of God touches the apple of the Lord’s eye (Zech. 2, 8). — Even if it seems to you, dear Christian, that much evil befalls you, it is nevertheless certain that “goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.” David does not in our text speak to the “young lions,” or, in other words, to the noble and brave, but to “the poor man”; and farther on he says, in verse 19: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” Paul, who knows that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” has but a short time before said; “Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” All who seek the Lord have the sense of being wretched; for they know their sin, and accept chastisement for it. But in fact they are blessed; and God will have us to believe this fact, believe the word of God; and praise him for salvation, though we do not see it. In doing which we shall see it. Therefore it is written: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Again we hear who it is that sees the Lord’s goodness; it is the man that trusteth in him. “They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” You do not understand how blessed an effect your troubles have in making you whole and promoting your happiness. They are useful beyond measure, even if they do have their origin in your sins.
My purpose is and shall be this: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” By his grace my innermost heart shall always be happy and well satisfied in my God; so that my life shall make for the honor of his name and the edifying of his church. — Lord, for this in thee we trust; grant us this mercy by thy Holy Spirit, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Thou art my portion, O my God!
Soon as I know thy way,
My heart makes haste to obey thy word,
And suffers no delay.
I choose the path of heavenly truth,
And glory in my choice;
Not all the riches of the earth
Could make me so rejoice.
[suggested tune: Belmont (TLH 436; listen here)]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.