A
Study of Psalm Thirty Four
Verse
Fifteen
Related
Scripture:
Brethren:
We
might ask ourselves, who is the righteous man? I will submit, that
there are, as has been written, none, not a one. However, those that
practice the previous verses that we've read in our study thus far,
would be accounted for as to doing the righteous works and behaving
in a manner of which He would approve.
“Parents
that are very fond of a child will not let it be out of their sight;
none of God’s children are ever from under his eye, but on them he
looks with a singular complacency, as well as with a watchful and
tender concern. They are sure of an answer of peace to their prayers.
All God’s people are a praying people, and they cry in prayer,
which denotes great importunity; but is it to any purpose? Yes, God
takes notice of what we say They cry, and the Lord hears them, and
hears them so as to make it appear he has a regard to them. His ears
are open to their prayers, to receive them all, and to receive them
readily and with delight. Though he has been a God hearing prayer
ever since men began to call upon the name of the Lord, yet his ear
is not heavy. There is no rhetoric, nothing charming, in a cry, yet
God’s ears are open to it, as the tender mother’s to the cry of
her sucking child, which another would take no notice of: The
righteous cry, and the Lord heareth. This intimates that it is the
constant practice of good people, when they are in distress, to cry
unto God, and it is their constant comfort that God hears them.
He
not only takes notice of what we say, but is ready for us to our
relief: He is nigh to those that are of a broken heart, and saves
them. Note, First, It is the character of the righteous, whose
prayers God will hear, that they are of a broken heart and a contrite
spirit (that is, humbled for sin and emptied of self); they are low
in their own eyes, and have no confidence in their own merit and
sufficiency, but in God only. Secondly, Those who are so have God
nigh unto them, to comfort and support them, that the spirit may not
be broken more than is meet, lest it should fail before him. (Read
Isaiah 57:15) . Though God is high, and dwells on high, yet he is
near to those who, being of a contrite spirit, know how to value his
favour, and will save them from sinking under their burdens; he is
near them to good purpose” - Matthew Henry
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