Psalm 31 — The Treasures of David

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Salmo 31

Verse 1

In you, O Lord, I place my trust. In no other place I fly to shelter, let the storm howl as it can. The psalmist has a refuge and this is the best. It expels the great anchor of its faith in the time of storm. Other things may be dubious, but the fact that he trusts In Jehovah, David establishes in a more positive way; and he starts with this, so that, due to the stress of the judgment, he later forgets. This statement of faith is the fulcrum through which he works to elevate and remove his problem; he remains in it as a comfort for himself and an appeal to God. No mention is made of merit, but faith depends on favor and divine fidelity, and only about that. Let me never be ashamed.

How can the Lord allow man to be ashamed by whom It depends solely on him? That would not be like a true and gracious God. This it would bring dishonor to God Himself if faith were not rewarded in the end. It will be really a bad day for religion, when trust in God does not bring no comfort and no assistance. Deliver me in your justice. It is not unjust abandon a trusting soul or break your promises; you will justify the righteousness of your mysterious providence, and grant me joyful deliverance. Faith dares looking at the sword of justice for protection: while God is just, faith is not it will be left to be proved futile and fanatical. How sweet is the declaration of faith in this first verse, if we read it at the foot of the cross, seeing the promise of the Father as yes and amen through the Son; seeing God with the eyes of faith, as he it is revealed in the crucified Jesus. while God is just, faith will not be forsaken to be proved futile and fanatical. How sweet is the declaration of faith in this first verse, if we read it at the foot of the cross, seeing the promise of the Father as yes and amen through the Son; seeing God with the eyes of faith, as He is revealed in the crucified Jesus. While God is just, faith will not be forsaken. to be proven futile and fanatical. How sweet is the declaration of faith in this first verse, if we read it at the foot of the cross, seeing the promise of the Father as yes and amen through the Son; seeing God with the eyes of faith, as He is revealed in Jesus crucified.

Verse 2

Incline your ear to me. Condescend to my low state. property; listen to me carefully as someone who would listen to every word. The sky, with its transcendent glories of harmony, could very well to engross the divine ear, yet the Lord still has a consideration hour by hour by the weakest moans of its poorest people. Me deliver quickly. We should not set times or seasons, but in submission, we can ask for quick and safe mercy. The mercies of Gods are often increased in value by the timely rush that he use in its self-granting; if they arrived late, it might be too late, but he rides on a cherub and flies on the wings of the wind when wish the best for your beloved. Be my strong rock. Be my Engedi, my Adulão; my immutable, unchangeable, impregnable, and sublime resort. For a a shelter to save me, where I can live safely, not just running to you in search of temporary shelter, but remaining in you for eternal salvation. How simple it is for a good man to pray and yet, with such weight of meaning! he doesn't use ornamental flourishes, he is very serious to not be simple: it would be good if all those who dedicate themselves to prayer public observed the same rule.

Verse 3

For you are my rock and my fortress. Here, the soul experienced declares once again her total trust in God. The repetitions of faith are not in vain. The declaration of our trust in God in Times of adversity is a principle method of glorifying Him. Active service it is good, but the passive confidence of faith is not in the least less valued in the eyes of God. The words before us seem to embrace and establish the Sir with a fiduciary grip that must not be loosened. The two Personal pronouns, like safe nails, cling to the faithfulness of the Lord.

Oh for the grace of having our hearts fixed in firm and unbelievable belief in God! The figure of a rock and a fortress can be illustrated for us. in these times through the vast fortress of Gibraltar, often besieged by our enemies, but never torn from us: ancient fortresses, although far from being invulnerable to our ways of war, they were equally important in those remote times - when in the fortresses mountainous, weak bands felt secure. Note the singular fact that that David asked the Lord to be his rock (Ps 31:2) because he was his rock; and learn from this that we can pray to enjoy in experience the what we understand by faith. Faith is the foundation of prayer. Therefore, by love of your name, guide me and guide me. The psalmist argues how a logical with your fors and therefores. Since I sincerely trust you, say He, oh my God, be my director. Leading and guiding are two very similar, but the patient's thought will detect different nuances of meaning, especially because the last one can mean to provide for mim. The double word indicates an urgent need - we need double direction, for we are fools and the path is difficult. Guide me like a soldier, me guide me as a traveler! lead me like a baby, guide me as a man; guide me when you are with me, but guide me even if you are absent; take me by your hand, guide me by your word. The argument used is that what is obtained from the arsenal of free grace: not for love of me, but for love of your name, guide me. Our appeal is not to any virtue imagined in our own names, but for the glorious goodness and grace that shines brightly in the character of the God of Israel. It is not it is possible for the Lord to suffer that His own honor be tarnished, but this certainly it would be the case if those who trusted in him died. This was the Moses' plea: "What will you do for your great name?"

Verse 4

Pull me out of the net that they secretly set for But David's enemies were clever and powerful; if they could not to conquer him by power, they would capture him officially. Our own spiritual enemies are of the same kind - they are of the brood of the serpent and they seek to entangle us with their cunning. The prayer before us implies the possibility of the believer being caught like a bird; and, in fact, we are. so foolish that this happens frequently. With such skill the hunter does your work that the simple logos are surrounded by it. The text asks that, even from the nets of the network, the captive can be delivered; and this is a petition appropriate and that can be granted; between the claws of the lion and out of the womb From hell, eternal love can rescue the saint. A strong one may be necessary. impulse to save a soul from the net of temptation, and a powerful blow to liberate a man from the traps of malicious cunning, but the Lord is the same to all emergencies, and the most skillfully placed networks of the hunter They will never be able to hold their chosen ones. Woe to those who are so clever. in the placement of the net: those who try others will be destroyed. Villains who those who set traps in secret will be punished in public. For you are mine.

Strength. What inexpressible sweetness must be found in these few words!

How joyfully can we engage in work, and how joyfully we can endure suffering when we can take hold of power celestial. The divine power will destroy all the enemy's efforts, will confuse his policy will frustrate your fraudulent tricks; he is a happy man who There is such an incomparable engaged by your side. Our own strength would be of little service when ashamed on the networks of basic cunning, but strength the Lord is always available; we just have to call upon Him, and we will find him nearby. If by faith we solely depend on the strength of the strong God From Israel, we can use our holy trust as a plea.

Verse 5

Into your hand I commit my spirit. These living words of David these were the last words of our Lord and have been frequently used by holy men at their hour of departure. Be assured that they are words good, well chosen, wise and solemn; we can use them now and at the last tremendous hour. Observe, the object of good man's concern in life and in death is not your body or your property, but your spirit; this is your jewel, your secret treasure; if this is safe, all is well. See what he does with your pearl! He hands it over to the hand of his God; it came from him, it is his, he... he supported before, he is capable of maintaining it, and it is more suitable for him to receive it.

All things are safe in the hands of Jehovah; what we entrust to the Lord. it will be safe, both now and on that day of days for which we are preparing hurrying. Without reservations, the good man surrenders to the hand of the Heavenly Father; it is the sufficient for him to be there; it is a peaceful and glorious life dying from rest in the care of heaven. At all times we must be to commit and continue to dedicate ourselves to the sacred care of Jesus, then, although life may hang by a thread, and adversities may arise to multiply like the sands of the sea, our soul will dwell freely, and delightthere are quiet resting places. You sent me, O Lord God of truth. Redemption is a solid foundation for trust. David did not know the Calvary as we did, but the temporal redemption encouraged him; and not the redemption eternal, but even more sweetly to comfort us? The previous deliveries are strong appeals for current assistance. What the Lord has done, He will do again. because he does not change. He is a God of truth, faithful to his promises, and gracious to his saints; he will not turn away from his people.

Verse 6: I hated them and consider the lying vanities. Those who do not they will support the true arm of strength, they will certainly do vainly to themselves confidences. Man must have a god, and if he does not worship the only one Living and true God, he acts foolishly and pays attention. superstitious about a lie, and waits with anxious hope for a basic illusion. Those who did this were not friends of David; he had a constant dislike for them: the verb includes the present and the past. It he hated them for hating God; he could not bear the presence of idolaters; his the heart was against them for their stupidity and wickedness. It had no patience with your superstitious observances, and call your idols vanity of emptiness, nothing of non-essence. A little courtesy is more than The Romanists and Puseyists deserve it for their foolishness. Men who do gods of their wealth, their people, their judgment or any other thing, should be avoided by those whose faith rests on God in Christ Jesus; they, far from being envied, should be considered as dependent on absolute vanities. But I trust in the Lord. This may be very out of fashion, but the psalmist dared to be singular. The bad example should not make us less determined by the truth, but yes, amidst the general desertion, we must to make us bolder. This adherence to your confidence in Jehovah is the great always employed appeal: the disturbed flies into the arms of his God and risks everything in divine fidelity.

7. I will rejoice and be glad in your mercy. For mercy, he He is grateful, and for future mercy, what he believes, he is joyful. In our more bothersome intercessions, we need to find time to bless the Lord: praise is never an obstacle to prayer, but rather a rejuvenation. lively. It is delightful, at intervals, to hear the notes from the loud sound dishes when the painful punching bag dominates the hour. These two words, joyful and joyful, are an instructive reduplication, we don't need to limit ourselves in our holy triumph; this wine we can drink in bowls without fear of excess. For you regarded my problem. You saw it, weighed it, directed it, he fixed on him and, in every way, made it a matter of tenderness consideration. The consideration of a man means the full exercise of your mind; what should God's consideration be? Do you know my soul in adversities. God is the owner of his saints when others are ashamed to recognize them; he never refuses to meet his friends. He does not think the worst of them for their rags and tatters. He does not judge them badly and rejects them. when your faces are teary or your heart is heavy with discouragement.

Moreover, the Lord Jesus knows us in our anguish in a sense peculiar, for having a deep sympathy for all of them; when no one else can enter our afflictions, just by wanting to understand them experimentally, Jesus plunges into the deepest depths with us, understanding the most terrible of our problems, because you felt the same.

Jesus is a doctor who knows all cases; nothing is new to him. When we are so disoriented that we do not know our own state, it He knows us completely. He knows us and will know us: by grace to know more about him! "Man, know thyself," is a good precept. philosophical, but "Man, you are known by God," is a comfort superlative. Adversities in plural - "Many are the afflictions of the righteous."

Verse 8

And He did not hand me over to the enemy. To be silent in His hand must be absolutely surrendered to your power; now, the believer is not in the hands of death or the devil, much less is in the power of man. The enemy can gain a temporary advantage over us, but we are like men in the prison with the door open; God does not let us remain silent, He always provides a way to escape. You placed my feet in a large room.

Blessed be God for freedom: civil freedom is valuable, freedom religious is precious, spiritual freedom is invaluable. In all problems, we can praise God if these are left behind.

Many saints had their greatest expansions of soul when their matters were in the greatest difficulties. Their souls are in a big room when your bodies are in Bonner's coal hole or in some other narrow dungeon. The grace was the same as all emergencies; and but more than that, it turned the emergency into an opportunity to show off.

Verse 9

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in distress.

Now, the man of God arrives at a particular and detailed description of your painful case. It does not disturb your heart, it exposes your wounds and expresses his inner despair. This first sentence understood with enthusiasm everything that follows, is the text of your lamentable speech. A Misery moves mercy - no further reasoning is necessary. 'Have "mercy" is the prayer; the argument is as prevalent as it is clear and people: "I have problems". My eye is consumed by sadness.

Dark and sunken eyes are clear indicators of health problems. The tears remove their salt from our strength, and the floods of them are very apt to consume from the source where they spring forth.

God wants us to tell Him the symptoms of our illness, not for His. information, but to show our sense of need. Yes, my soul and my belly (or body). Soul and body are so closely united that one cannot refuse without the other feeling it. We, these days, are not strangers to the double sinking that David describes; we have been weak with the physical suffering, and distracted by mental anguish: when two of these mares meet, it is good for us that the Pilot at the helm is home at in the midst of the water floods, and make the storms become the triumph of the seas. your art.

10. Because my life is spent in sadness and my years with sighs.

It became his daily occupation to lament; He spent all his days in dungeon of affliction. The sap and essence of your existence were being consumed, while a candle is wasted as it burns. Your adversities were shortening his days and digging a grave for him premature. Mourning is a sad market to spend all our wealth on. life, but a much more profitable trade can be conducted beyond there it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. but it is a good wear. The salt of tears is a healthy remedy. It is better spending our years sighing from what is sinning. The two members of the sentence before us convey the same idea; but there are no idle words in the In scriptures, reduplication is the appropriate expression of fervor and importunity. My strength fails because of my iniquity. David sees the the bottom of your sadness and detects the sin lurking there. It is a problem beneficial that leads us to worry about our iniquity. This was the But the dirtiest crime of the psalmist who now gnawed his heart and devoured his strength?

Most likely it was like this. Sinful pieces, although sweet in mouth, poison reveals itself in the innards: if we simply give a a portion of our strengths to sin, this will lead the rest of us.

We lose physical, mental, moral, and spiritual vigor through iniquity. And my bones are consumed. Weakness has penetrated the innermost parts of your system, the firmer parts of your body felt the general decrepitude. A A man is in a painful situation when he gets to this. It is a problem. beneficial that leads us to worry about our iniquity. This was the but what a sordid crime of the psalmist who has now gnawed his heart and devoured his strength?

Most likely it was like this. Sinful pieces, although sweet in the mouth, poison reveals itself in the entrails: if we simply give a a portion of our strengths to sin, this will lead the rest of us.

We have lost physical, mental, moral, and spiritual vigor due to iniquity. And my bones are consumed. Weakness penetrated the innermost parts of its system, the firmer parts of his body felt the overall decrepitude. A A man is in a miserable situation when he gets to this. It is a problem. beneficial that leads us to worry about our iniquity. This was the but the filthiest crime of the psalmist who now gnawed his heart and devoured his strength?

It was very likely like this. Sinful pieces, although sweet in mouth, poison reveals itself in the entrails: if we simply give a a portion of our strengths to sin, that will bring the rest of us.

We lose physical, mental, moral, and spiritual vigor due to iniquity. And my bones are consumed. Weakness penetrated the innermost parts of their system, the firmer parts of his body felt the general decrepitude. A a man is in a painful situation when he gets to this. Pieces sinful, although sweet in the mouth, reveal themselves as poison in the entrails: if we simply gave a portion of our strength to sin, this gives us it will take the rest of us. We have lost physical, mental, moral, and spiritual vigor. for the iniquity. And my bones are consumed. Weakness has penetrated into the the innermost parts of your system, the firmest parts of your body they felt the general decrepitude. A man is in a pitiful situation when he reaches that. Sinful pieces, although sweet in the mouth, poison reveals itself in the entrails: if we simply give a portion from our strength to sin, this will take the rest of us. We lost the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual vigor through iniquity. And my bones are consumidos. A fraqueza penetrou nas partes mais internas de seu sistema, as the firmer parts of your body felt the general decrepitude. A man property; listen to me carefully as someone who would listen to every word. The sky, with its transcendent glories of harmony, could very well to engross the divine ear, yet the Lord still has a consideration hour by hour by the weakest moans of its poorest people. Me deliver quickly. We should not set times or seasons, but in submission, we can ask for quick and safe mercy. The mercies of Gods are often increased in value by the timely rush that he use in its self-granting; if they arrived late, it might be too late, but he rides on a cherub and flies on the wings of the wind when wish the best for your beloved. Be my strong rock. Be my Engedi, my Adulão; my immutable, unchangeable, impregnable, and sublime resort. For a a shelter to save me, where I can live safely, not just running to you in search of temporary shelter, but remaining in you for eternal salvation. How simple it is for a good man to pray and yet, with such weight of meaning! he doesn't use ornamental flourishes, he is very serious to not be simple: it would be good if all those who dedicate themselves to prayer public observed the same rule.

Verse 3

We should not seek the reward of philanthropy on this side of heaven, for the men pay their best servants, but with remorse in the salaries, and the they make me leave the house when there is nothing left to leave from them. I am like a vase broken, a useless thing, made for, without value, sidelined, forgotten.

Sad condition for a king! Let us see here the portrait of the King of kings in his humiliation, when he made himself of no reputation, and took on the form of a servant.

Because I heard the slander of many. A slanderous viper is death for everyone. comfort - what should be the poison of an entire brood? What the ear does not the heart does not regret; but in David's case, the accusing voices they were high enough to penetrate your silence - dirty mouths had so bold tornadoes that they poured their falsehoods in the presence of their victim. Simei was just one from a class, and his shout of 'Rise, O accursed "man", was just the common speech of thousands of sons of Belial. All the pack of dogs of Beelzebub can scream completely against a man, and still he can be the anointed of the Lord. The fear was in everyone sides. He was surrounded by fearful suggestions, threats, memories and prophecies; no room was spared from the relentless attack. While they They gathered against me, they planned to take my life. The wicked act in concert in its ventures against the excellent of the earth: it is to be admired that sinners should be more well-received than saints, and generally they do they should engage in their wicked work with much more care and vision than the just in saint. enterprises. Observe the cruelty of the enemies of one good man! they will be happy with nothing less than your blood - for They plan and plan. It is better to fall into the power of a lion than under the will of ill-intentioned pursuers, for the beast can spare your it seizes if it is fed to the maximum, but malice is relentless and cruel like a wolf. Of all the demons, the most cruel is envy. How painful it was the psalmist who said that the poisoned arrows from a thousand bows were aimed at him life! However, in all of this, your faith did not fail, nor did your God abandon him. Here is the encouragement for us.

Verses 14-18. In this section of the Psalm, he renews his prayers, insisting in the same initial appeals: the sincere fighters try repeatedly the same ways to gain your perspective.

14. But I trusted in you, O Lord. Despite all the circumstances In afflictions, David's faith remained firm and was not diverted from its purpose.

What a blessed saving clause this is! While our faith, which is our shield, stay safe, the battle may be difficult, but its final outcome it is not a question; if this could be taken from us, we should be so dead how much Saul and Jonathan in the heights of the field. I said: You are my God. He he loudly proclaimed his determination to obey Jehovah. He was not a good believer, he could keep his faith in a sharp frost, and wrap it around him like a garment to keep out all the the males of time. Who can say what David did does not need to envy Cicero of your eloquence: "You are my God" has more sweetness than any other statement that human speech can encompass. Note that this adhesive faith is here mentioned as an argument with God to honor his own promise, sending a quick release.

15. My times are in Your hand. The sovereign referee of destiny holds in your own power all the questions of our life; we are not waifs and we we lose in the ocean of destiny, but we are guided by infinite wisdom towards our desired paradise. Providence is a soft pillow. for anxious heads, an anodyne for care, a grave for the despair. Deliver me from the hands of my enemies and those who pursue me.

It is lawful to wish to escape from persecution if it is the will of the Lord; and when this cannot be granted in the way we desire, the sustaining grace will give us liberation in another form, allowing us to laugh and scorn all the fury of the enemy.

Verse 16

Make your face shine upon your servant. Give me the light of sun of the sky in my soul and I will challenge the storms of the earth. Allow me to to enjoy a feeling of your favor, O Lord, and a consciousness of that you are satisfied with my lifestyle, and all men can disapprove and slander as they wish. It is always enough for a servant to He pleases his master; others may be dissatisfied, but he is not theirs.

Sir, they do not pay you your salaries and your opinions do not carry weight with him.

Save me for the sake of your mercies. The good man knows no appeal, more mercy; whoever insists on legal appeals, David never dreamed of this.

17. I am not ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon you. Do not place my prayers for the blush! Do not fill the profane mouth with mockery of my trust in my God. Let the wicked be ashamed, and let him be silent in tomb. It makes them surprised to see my mistakes corrected. and his own terribly confused pride. A louder spirit governs our prayers under the gentle reign of the Prince of Peace and, therefore, only we can use words like these in their prophetic sense, knowing how We do well, for the shame and silence of death are the best. Portion what wicked sinners can expect. What they wished for the believers despised will turn upon themselves through a decree of justice retributive, which they cannot criticize: "As he loved evil, so come upon him.

Verse 18

Let lying lips be put to silence. A good Correct and a Christian prayer; who, if not an evil man, would give falsehoods. but what license does it need to be? May God silence them by taking them to repentance, putting them in complete shame, or putting them in positions where what they say will not represent anything. That says serious things proudly and disdainfully against the righteous. The sin of the slanderers partly rests on your speech; "they say cruel things", things penetrating deeply into the feelings of good men and hurting them painfully in that tender place - their reputations. The sin is heightened. even more because of the way they speak; they speak proudly and disdainfully; they speak as if they themselves were the cream of society, and the righteous the my scum of vulgarity. Proud thoughts of the self are generally accompanied by degrading estimates of others. The more space the more we occupy ourselves, the less we will be able to support our neighbors. That wickedness is that the unworthy characters must always be the most noisy in the good men! They have no power to appreciate moral value from which they are completely devoid, and yet they still have the audacity to to set up the court and judge men in comparison to who they are Weeds. Holy indignation can very well lead us to desire anything. that may free the world from this unbearable and detestable impertinence arrogance. They do not have the power to appreciate the moral value of which they are. totally destitute, and yet they have the audacity to set up the tribunal and judge men in comparison with who they are both chaff. The saint indignation can very well lead us to desire anything that may free the world from this unbearable and detestable arrogance. They they do not have the power to appreciate the moral value of which they are totally devoid, and still have the audacity to set up the court and judge men in comparison with those who are both chaff. Holy indignation can do a lot. it makes us wish for anything that can free the world from this unbearable impertinence and detestable arrogance.

Verses 19-22. Being filled with faith, the psalmist gives glory to God for the mercy that is assured to you as your position.

Verse 19

Oh, how great is your goodness. It is not uncommon to find a a sentence so joyful in connection with so much sadness? Truly, life Of faith is a miracle. When faith led David to his God, it put him singing immediately. He does not tell us how great the goodness of God was, for he could not; there are no measures that can establish the immeasurable the goodness of Jehovah, which is goodness itself. The sacred astonishment uses interjections where adjectives completely fail. Exclamation notes they serve us when words of explanation are useless. If we cannot to measure, we can marvel; and although we cannot calculate with precision, we can worship with fervor. What you have kept for those who fear you. The the psalmist in contemplation divides goodness into two parts, that which is reserved and that which is produced. The Lord has reserved for His people. supplies beyond all counting. In the treasure of the covenant, in the field of redemption, in the coffins of promises, in the barns of providence, the Lord provided for all the needs that may occur to his chosen ones.

We must always consider the established goodness of God, which has not yet It was distributed to the chosen ones, but it is already provided for them: if estivermos muito nessas contemplações, seremos levados a sentir gratidão devoted, like those that shone in the sky. heart of David. What did you do for the who trust in you, before the sons of men. The heavenly mercy does not it is all hidden in the warehouse; in a thousand ways, it has already revealed itself in name of those who are brave enough to declare their trust in God; in front of His peers, this goodness of the Lord was demonstrated, so that a a generation without faith could be reproached. The Lord's tests are overwhelming.

In favor of believers, history is filled with incredible examples, and our our own lives are filled with wonders of grace. We serve a good master. Faith receives a great reward even now, but seeks its complete inheritance in the future. Who wouldn't want to take their luck with the servants of a Master whose boundless love fills all minds with astonishment santas?

Verse 20

You will hide them in the secret of your presence from the pride of man. Pride is a barbed weapon: the proud man is the iron that enters the soul; but those who trust in God are lodged in security in the Holy of Holies, the innermost part of the court, where no one do not interfere; here in God's secret dwelling is the mind of the saint rest in peace, for the foot of pride cannot disturb. Residents at the foot the cross of Christ become insensitive to the mockery of the arrogant. The the wounds of Jesus exude a balm that heals all the scars that weapons of scorn can inflict upon us; indeed, when armed with the same He who is in Christ Jesus, the heart is invulnerable to all darts. of pride. You will keep them secretly in a pavilion of contention Languages. Languages are more feared than predatory beasts - and when they they strive, it's as if an entire pack of wolves were unleashed; but the believer are you really safe in this danger, for the royal pavilion of the King of kings is will provide silent shelter and serene security. The secret tabernacle of sacrifice and the royal pavilion of sovereignty provide a dual security to the Lord's people in their worst afflictions. Observe the immediate action of God, ["You will hide","You will maintain","the Lord Himself is personally present"] for the rescue of its distressed. and the royal pavilion of sovereignty provides a double security to the people of the Lord in their worst afflictions. Notice the action immediate from God, "You will hide", "You will keep", the Lord Himself is personally present for the rescue of those in distress. and the royal pavilion of sovereignty provides a double security to the people of the Lord in their worst afflictions. Observe the immediate action of God, "You will hide", "You you will maintain," the Lord Himself is personally present for the rescue of your distressed ones.

21. Blessed be the Lord. When the Lord blesses us, we cannot less than to bless him in return. For he showed me his wonderful kindness in a strong city. It was in Maanaim, where the Lord gave you the victory over the hosts of Absalom? Or did he refer to Rabbath of Ammon, Where did he win significant triumphs? Or, best of all, was Jerusalem the city strong, where he most experienced the astonishing goodness of his God? A gratitude is never lacking subjects; your Ebenezers are so close that search your way to heaven on both sides. Whether in cities or in villages where our blessed Lord revealed himself to us, we will never forget two sacred places: the solitary mount of Hermon, or the village of Emmaus, or the rock of Patmos, or the desert of Horeb, are all the same. renowned when God manifests Himself to us in garments of love.

Verse 22

The confession of faults is always appropriate; and when we reflect about the goodness of God, we must remember our own mistakes and offenses. For I said in my haste. We usually speak badly when we are in a hurry. Precipitated words are only for a moment in language, but they often lie for years in their consciousness. I am cut off from before your eyes. This was an undignified speech; but disbelief will have a song in the heart of the firmer believer, and on the other side, it will release many resentful things against the Lord if the course of providence is not so smooth as nature could wish. No saint has ever been, or could exist, cut before the eyes of God, and yet, undoubtedly, many they thought like this, and more than one has already said this. To always be so obscure suspicion banned from our minds. Yet you heard the voice of mine supplications when I cried out to you. What mercy that, if we do not believe, still, God remains faithful, listening to prayers, even when we are working. under the doubts that dishonor your name. If we consider the obstacles in path of our prayers and the poor way in which we present them, is a wonder of wonders that they always prevail with the sky.

Verse 23 O love for the Lord, all His saints. A very exhortation. heartfelt, clearly showing the writer's deep love for his God: there is more beauty in the expression, because it reveals love for a wounded God, love that many waters could not extinguish. It is easy to bless the one who gives, but To cling to the one who takes is a work of grace. All the saints are benefited by the sanctified miseries of one, if they are led by sincere exhortations to love your Lord, better. If the saints do not love the Lord, who will it be? Love is the universal debt of every saved family: who Would you like to be exempt from your payment? Reasons for love are given, for I believe that love is not blind. Because the Lord preserves the faithful. They you have to wait, but the reward finally comes, and in the meantime, all the the cruel wickedness of their enemies cannot destroy them. And reward abundantly the proud maker. This is also a reason for gratitude: the pride is so detestable in its acts that one who imposes the just He deserves the love of all holy minds.

Verse 24

Have good courage. Keep your spirit, do not let it be. cowardly thoughts whiten your cheek. Fear weakens, the courage strengthens. Victory awaits the banners of the brave. And he will strengthen your heart. The power from on high will be given in the most effective way, administering strength to the source of vitality. Far from leaving us, the Lord is will draw near to us in our adversity and will put His power in us. All those who wait on the Lord. Each of you lift your head and sing to joy of the heart. God is faithful and does not fail even His little children who Do they do otherwise but wait, so should we be afraid?

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