Psalm 19 - 2007.10.27

"Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." — Psalm 19:12-13

This psalm presents a wealth of material for profitable meditation. The text at hand, however, has been of great personal significance, hence its choice for this week's "nugget." Many years ago, while involved in a scripture memorization program, these verses were committed to memory, and subsequently, over the years, have been translated into a personal prayer. While I have rehearsed them many times before the throne of grace, I have never attempted to analyze them until now. This provides the occasion to do so, and I trust to the benefit of someone who will receive this from "cyberspace."

The first thought that strikes me is the pervasiveness of sin. So limited is our knowledge of holiness, and so subtle the power of sin that we are victims not only of obvious transgression, but inclined to sin without being aware of it. It is no accident that among the offerings in the great Levitical system, there is a afforded a ritual for sins of ignorance: of the individual (Lev. 4:2), the priest (v. 3ff), the "whole congregation" ( v.13ff), the ruler (v. 22ff), or "one of the common people" (v. 27ff). Such is the nature of sin, and the nature of fallen mankind, that no one is immune to this dread disease. David understood this when he uttered this prayer.

The second thought, no less terrifying to the spiritually sensitive soul, is the perversity of the sin nature. The psalmist prays, "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins." One sins presumptuously when he knows what is right, or wrong, and acts nevertheless to the contrary. It is, if you will, deliberate sin. The one time comic Red Skelton had a line in his repertoire that ran, "If I dood it, I get a whippin'; I dood it!" Comic, in its own way, and it always got a laugh, but perhaps it was the uneasy laughter of those who could identify with presumptuous sinning!

David recognized that there lies within us, in our fallen state, an inclination to succumb to certain temptations despite the knowledge that they are contrary to the will of God, and despite the awareness that there is judgment in the offing. It was not David's disposition to sin first, then ask God for forgiveness, but rather to seek the face of the Lord beforehand and shore up by prayer his feeble attempt at godliness. The spirit was willing, notwithstanding the flesh was weak.

The severity of these sins is illustrated in a passage that views them together. "And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. [Num. 15:27-30]." Sin is no trifle in the presence of a Holy God! "For the wages of sin is death [Rom. 6:23a]."

There is a third point of great importance to be observed by meditation on these verses, and that is where the power of victory over sin lies. It does not lie in man, not even in the redeemed man. Victory lies in grace of God. David petitions in another place "… that I may know how frail I am [Ps. 39:4]." It is only when we desire holiness, and discover the impotence of the flesh to conquer the sin nature, that we will make this kind of petition earnestly and often for the conquest of our old sin nature. In the New Testament, the truth involved here is sharpened. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law [Gal. 5:17-18]." Walking in the Spirit involves conscious, constant dependence upon God, and no small part of that dependence is evidenced in prayer. When we learn thus to pray, we may by His grace and power be "upright," and "innocent of the great transgression!"

For victory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 18 - 2007.10.20

"I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." —Psalm 18:1-2

The nugget we have selected for today sets before us two important things. The first is reverence: "I will love Thee, O Lord… " The second is the reason for that reverence, in a catalogue of divine graces bestowed upon the believer, set forth for the most part in figures of speech.

Reverence is appropriate for the child of God. "Praise is comely for the upright [Ps. 33:1b]," and the best among us engage in too little of it. "I will love thee, O Lord," ought really to be the first utterance of our souls with the dawning of each new day. Love for God is the wellspring of spiritual stability and victory. Here the Psalmist expresses his love for God, but in another place he urges it upon all the saints: "Oh love the Lord, all ye His saints; for the Lord preserveth the faithful… [Ps. 31:23]." And, it is not mere coincidence that finds the Savior saying, "If ye love me, keep my commandments [John 14:15]." In the final analysis, a life well lived, from a heavenly perspective, is a love story.

Love on our part, however, is a response to reflection upon the goodness and grace of God. "We love Him because He first loved us." That requires reflection on our part. The scripture says, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him [Heb. 11:6b]." Believing that "God is," is much m ore than an academic statement. David here, believing that God is, sets before us a wonderful example of reflection upon the God Who IS, in v.2, and it is this that enlarges his love.

THE LORD IS:

MY ROCK. That is, the Lord is the foundation of my life. While some suggest that the Rock here is representative of the crags in which David found refuge from the harassment of Saul, I am rather inclined to think of the Savior's parable in Matthew 7:24-27. "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it f ell not: for it was founded upon a Rock." Other scriptures reinforce the idea that Jesus Christ is the Rock in Whom trusting, we have a solid foundation for life, here and hereafter. Taking Him at His word and trusting Him as Savior, we have every reason to love and to praise Him from here to eternity.

MY FORTRESS. The Lord is the precious hiding place for our defense against the adversary and the adversities that are inevitable in life in a world turned out of order by sin and sinners. He is our bulwark against every foe.

MY DELIVERER. It is the Lord who has secured our deliverance from the enemy of our souls, enabled our recovery "out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will [II Tim. 2:26]." Whether initially or in the course of our conflicts as believers, it is the Lord who is our deliverer.

MY GOD. The LORD is the proper object of all our worship. Peter, stubbornly resisting the report of Christ's resurrection, when confronted with the evidence of the nail pierced hands and the wounded side of the Savior cried, "My Lord and my God!" It changed the character and course of his life, and so should it be with us.

MY STRENGTH. He will love the Lord who recognizes his spiritual impotence and comes to rely on the strength of the almighty. The scripture says, with respect to salvation, "For when we were yet without strength (lit. "strengthless"), in due time Christ died for the ungodly [Rom. 5:6]." Every victory we have ever won is a tribute not to our strength, but to His. He is the secret of stability in this chaotic world.


MY BUCKLER. Behind every battle the believer faces is "the wicked one," who has an arsenal of "fiery darts" suited to demoralize, if not to destroy us. It is Christ who affords us an armory which includes equipment to shield us from "all the fiery darts of the wicked [Cf. Eph. 6:14-17]."

The HORN OF MY SALVATION. Here, if I may be so bold, is an appreciation of the divine gift of prayer. When we are surrounded by the enemy, how marvelous the privilege of sounding the alarm before a throne of grace and finding the resources of heaven available for our aid, to sustain us in the battle and ultimately to secure our deliverance.

MY HIGH TOWER. Abiding in Christ, we are lifted high above the threatening landscape ("seated with Christ in the heavenlies")to see the enemy approaching, and to be secure against his attack. We may feel the impact of his assault, but our High Tower will withstand every onslaught and we will emerge from the smoke of battle secure at last.

Reflect on these thoughts, here but sketched in barest outline, and you will have every reason to revere the Lord. By His grace, and for His glory, I will love the Lord… in Whom I will trust… " Will you?

For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 17 - 2007.10.13

"Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not" — Psalm 17:4-5

Morally, men tend to think in shades of gray. Scripture, rightly understood, denies us that luxury. With God, what is not quite right is wrong. Period. "Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin (see Rom. 14:23!). That may explain the peculiar conjunction here of "the works of men" and "the paths of the destroyer. What is implied is that the works of men apart from God, are pursued in the paths of the destroyer. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [Prov. 14:12, 16:25]." The ways of death and the paths of the destroyer are, it seems to me, synonymous. The life that pleases God is diametrically opposite that which pleases the sons of men. In the real world, that represents slippery going for the committed believer.

David recognized and acknowledged the hazard, when he prayed, "Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." And, he recognized the need for divine enabling to stay on "the right track" spiritually. Prayer is vital to maintaining our spiritual direction in a world of confusion and distraction.

No less important, however, is purpose. A fine illustration of purpose, in addition to that before us, is Daniel's stand before Nebuchadnezzar. We read that "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself… [Dan. 1:8]." Purpose demands direction, and the moral compass for the believer is the Word of God. David said, "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer."

In this we are reminded of Another Who employed the word of God to keep Him from the paths of the destroyer. Tempted in the wilderness over the three "paths" of the Destroyer, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, the Savior employed in each instance the word of God for His defense: "It is written." He would not compromise the word of God for any personal advantage the Destroyer had to offer (See Luke 4:1-13), "leaving us an example, that [we] should follow His steps."

The word of God illuminates the pathway of righteousness for the believer: "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path [Ps. 119:105]." It is the weapon with which we can defend ourselves against the Destroyer; the "sword of the Spirit [Eh. 6:17]." And, it is an essential adjunct to prayer if we are to keep our feet from slipping in life's slippery places. We are to "take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," and "[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit ," if we are going to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Prayer without the knowledge of the word will be aimless. And the word without prayer will be powerless. We need both if we are to succeed in fulfilling God's will for our lives.

One of our military slogans is, "Know your enemy." Too many believers are quite ignorant of the foe we have to contend with, or do not take him seriously. Knowledge of God's word will give us a proper perspective, and that will motivate us to prayer. In Satan we have a personal foe whose objective is our destruction. In Christ we have a personal Friend whose objective is our deliverance and victory. Let us lay hold of the resources God has made available for our walk and spiritual welfare.
For victory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 16 - 2007.10.06

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore" — Psalm 16:11

The sixteenth psalm applies unmistakably to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that with reference to His death and resurrection. This is confirmed by more than one reference in the New Testament. In Acts 2, for example, Peter makes reference to it in his inaugural address on the day of Pentecost, saying "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ [Acts 2:22-36]." What the psalm relates to Christ by interpretation, applies to believers by application.

Consider first, the path of life. For the incarnate Son of God, the path of life led clearly through "the valley of the shadow of death," to the cross. It was, quite literally, the Father's will for Him and the avenue of victory. And, pursuing that course, He opened up the path of life for us in a figurative and spiritual sense. "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life [Rom. 6:4]."

Following the path of life leads into the presence of God. Scripture declares of Christ that God the Father "raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places… [Eph. 1:20ff]," and again, "… We have… an high priest, Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens [Heb. 8:1]" and, "… this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God… [Heb. 10:12]." For the Lord Jesus, the "path of life" led by the way of the cross to the highest position of honor and glory in the universe, and He is there today. Again, spiritually the same is true for us; for "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath [made us alive] together with Christ. (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus [Eph. 2:4-5]," Where He is in fact, we are in principle; at the Father's right hand.

This in turn eventuates in pleasures forevermore. While following the path of life, the Savior once said, "My meat (i.e., pleasure, gratification) is to do the will of Him who sent me [John 4:32]." If that was His pleasure while he pursued the path of life through the way of the cross, what pleasure must be His now, having been welcomed home by the Father to hear, "well done, good and faithful Servant!" So for the believer; pleasures for ever more are found abiding in His presence and immersed in His will. Moses among others, understood it; "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward [Heb. 11:24-26]."

Indeed, the path of life leads through the cross into the privilege of an abiding relationship with the Lord of glory. All else leads to death and eternal destruction ("If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die [Rom. 8:13a].") Therefore, beloved, choose LIFE!

For our everlasting pleasure,

"Pastor" Frasier