The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-09-12

EEoSON IEAI-PSdlm l39.1-lZ, rs, "a
GOLDEN TEXT-H a man love me. he
will keep my words; and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him. and
make our abode with him.-John 14:23.
THE Psalm Of the Unavoidable
God Abingdon characterizes
Psalm 1879, but goes on to say, cts
main theme is God Cares He
cares personally and individually"
The omniscience and omnipresence
of God, in the trying of the hearts
of men, rightly brings fear to the
ungodly, but to those who love and
serve Him it can bring only assur-
ance and joy.
The sublime concept of God here
presented is an evidence of the di-
vine inspiration of the Bible, for no
human philosopher could ever have
attained to or expressed such an
understanding of the true nature Of
God. Only the infinite, all-knowing
God, speaking through man, could
give us this magnificent Psalm. II
reveals that
I. God Knows Everything WV
1-6).
He is entirely unlimited in His
true and eternal knowledge of
things. Man is always limited in his
knowledge of himself, of the world
in which he lives, and of God, ex-
cept as He reveals Himself. Our
knowledge is not only partial, but
progressive, going from one fact to
another; but God knows all things
perfectly and entirely from the be-
ginning, yes, from all eternity.
One might well suppose that such
Being would be concerned only
with the great and mighty forces of
the universe, but we are told that
He has an exact and intelligent I'M
Outstanding of and interest in even
such simple details of life as our
"downsitting and uprising"
God is not so foolish as man. He
does not put things and power above
personality. He is interested in you
and in me-is vitality, personally and
bleGsedly concerned about each one
of US. Knowing all about US, He
builds a garrison of understand
ing love around us ". 5; see Phil.
At r. W, and keeps His eternally
powerful but tender hand upon us,
if we permit Him so to do. Reader,
have you submitted your life to His
control through Jesus Christ our
Lord?
ii. God Is Everywhere wv. 7-12).
In our humanity we are limited,
not only in knowledge, but also in
our ability to be in more than one
place at time. The Bible tells
us what our reason would expect;
that God, the infinite One, is every
where at all times. This does not
mean (as the pantheist would have
us belleve) that God is lost in ma
ture, bound up in the rocks and
trees, but that He is everywhere
immanent in majestic power and
love, sustaining all things, control
ling and directing the destinies of
His universe. He is not afar off,
letting the world care for itself las
LLlS uSISI WOulu SdyJ,
But here in present majesty,
AS in His courts on high"
The man who would hide from
God and flee from the Holy Spirit
finds no comfort in these verses. He
may attempt to hide in heaven or
in the abode of the dead, but God is
there. If he could ride with the
speed of morning light ". 81 to the
uttermost parts of the earth, God is
there before him. Darkness, which
men think will hide their evil deeds,
is like daylight to Him with whom
we have to do" (Heb. 4:13).
But why flee from a loving God?
Why not come to Him in loving ODE
dience, and then with the psalnist
rejoice that we Cannot get beyond
the circle of His love-? What a
blessed truth it is that wherever
these lines are read--in the home,
the church, in hospital, in a Jail,
in an airplane, in the depths of a
mine, in darkness or in light, in the
great city, or by one living alone in
the wilderness-God, the infinite, all
knowing, eternal, loving God, is
there. He is right at your side,
reader. Turn to Him, count on
Him, love Him, serve Him.
iii. God Searches Mans Heart
wv. %, 24).
Verse 3 of our psalm teaches that
God searches the hearts of all men,
but here we find the psalmist wisely
inviting God to search his own
heart. 1t is one thing to know a
universal truth; it is another mat
ter to make it personal. It is one
thing to know that God, against my
will, is pointing out to me the sin
and rebellion of my heart; it is quite
another thing to open my heart vol
unfairly to His searching scrutiny.
Why did the Psalmist ask God
to search him? That in trying his
thoughts any wickedness might be
revealed and put away. That is the
important point. 1t is not enough to
know that sin is there. We must
ask God to give us grace to put it
out, that He may then lead us in
the "way everlasting"
The Word of God points the way
of righteousness in both heart and
life. Who will decide this day to
walk in that way-in fellowship with
the all-knoWing, ever-present Lord?
--z.s-a--------------------
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