It is in the nature of some to speak little of themselves, and that is not a bad thing. However, it is a good thing to give voice to a testimony that brings glory to God. That was David's intention here, and for today I will make it mine. Let me tell you "what He hath done for my soul."
The Psalmist, in fact touches only lightly, here, on the Lord's mercies to him, but elsewhere he enlarges on the subject. He declares, for example, "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD [Ps. 40:1-3]." Translated into a New Testament context, the "miry clay" is surely the quicksand of sin, and the rock is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In His wonderful grace the Lord revealed my awful plight to me at an early age, before the clay had hardened and the soul become indifferent to His invitation. Who cannot but praise Him for His redemption and the gracious revelation of His Holy Spirit to a needy soul! "I was lost, but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray." He saved my soul!
Then, for the sixty-seven years since the day of my conversion, He has sustained me. The journey is marred with many a failure, but His mercies have been "new every morning," and He has remained true to His word, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [IJohn 1:9]." "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above." He has sustained my soul.
Moreover, He keeps my soul. How precious to the struggling saint are the promises of the Savior. "I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee [Heb. 13:5b]." and again, to those who have trusted Him is the assurance, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one [John 10:27-30]." There the believer rests secure between the the under girding hand of the Father and the overshadowing hand of the Savior. One can possess the confidence of the apostle, "…I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day [II Tim. 1:12]." "He will keep me till the river Rolls its waters at my feet; then He'll bear me safely over Where the loved ones I shall meet." He secures my soul.
And in the interim, He satisfies my soul. In a world of vanity and uncertainty, how wonderful that He has made Himself the sufficiency for my soul. How well the Savior promises, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst [John 6:35]." And again, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life [John 4:14]." "Like a river glorious Is God's perfect peace, Over all victorious In its bright increase; Perfect, yet it floweth Fuller every day; Perfect, yet it groweth Deeper all the way. Stayed upon Jehovah Hearts are fully blest, Finding, as He promised, Perfect peace and rest." He is the satisfaction of my soul.
"Sing forth the honour of His name: make His praise glorious!" (Ps.66:1)
"Filled with His goodness, lost in His love",
"Pastor" Frasier
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