This special meditation has been prepared by PRC home missionary, Rev. Aud Spriensma.

Divine Confidence

Meditation on Psalm 3: 3-5

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I awakened; for the LORD sustained me.

What storms or trials are you going through? This is a Psalm of David when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem for his life. David’s son, Absalom, had raised an army to kill him. David complained of the multitude of his enemies. In II Samuel 15: 12, we read “The conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.” It was not only was his son in rebellion, but even Ahithophel , one of David’s faithful counsellors joined the rebellion along with generals and soldiers of his army.

But, it was not only men that opposed David. Satan was seeking to prevent the house of David to progress to its fulfilment in the throne of Christ. For we know that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Not only was David fleeing from his son, but he was also fleeing into exile from the presence of God. The Levites brought the ark of the covenant out to follow David into exile, but David told the high priest: “Carry the ark of God back into the city: if I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and show me both it and his dwelling habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him” (II Sam. 15:25,26).

In verse 2, David complained, “Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God.” What an attack! These enemies declared that God has forsaken David! Shemei cursed him and swore at him to his face. David knew that his troubles were partly because of his sins with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. Trouble followed him in his family. Doubtless, all the storms, crosses, and trials of life would be even more bitter if there is no help from God!

How might we respond under similar circumstances? Would we abandon all hope? To whom would we turn? In verses 3-4 we find that David lost neither heart nor faith in his covenant God. David called the Lord his “shield”, the one who surrounded him. He also called God his “glory”, the one who lifted his head. In David’s desperation, he cried out to the Lord and He answered him “from his holy hill”. This is an amazing series of statements. In the OT, God’s people knew and experienced God’s presence by being in close proximity to the tabernacle. To draw near to the Lord meant to draw near the tabernacle. But David could not do this, He was in exile. Yet, while David was in exile from God’s presence in the tabernacle, God continued to make His presence known. He was with David and answered David’s pleas. David was able to lay down and sleep (vs. 5). He was not afraid of ten thousands of people (vs. 6). The Lord would arise and defeat his enemies. The Lord gave him the perfect peace that surpassed all understanding and comforted him with His presence. “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD; thy blessing is upon thy people” (vs. 8).

We must see in King David the type. It was Jesus Christ who was forced into exile. Unlike David, He was exiled not because of His own sin, but as He stood in the place of us and our sins. He left the glory of heaven to come down into our sinful world. Bearing our sins, He cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.” He was crucified outside the camp, exiled from the benevolent presence of His heavenly Father. His enemies taunted him, “He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God” (Matt. 27: 43). Even the thieves who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. But our Lord Jesus had the confidence that His Father is a shield for him, his glory, and would lift Him out of hell on the third day.

In what way is David’s flight connected to the church? We have many enemies who taunt us and persecute us. When we are in need of rescue, we can only turn to our faithful covenant God, even when it appears as if He has abandoned us and we are surrounded by our foes. Pray this psalm when you feel as though the enemies of God surround you. Pray this psalm for the persecuted church today. Seek shelter in the knowledge that the Christ has lived, suffered, died, and undergone exile from the benevolent presence of God so that we will not know this judgment. Sing this psalm as a song of praise as we celebrate the mercy and love of Christ and His righteous judgment against the wicked. He will smite all our enemies upon the check bone and break the teeth of the ungodly. Do not lose heart. As David had confidence and peace in face of trials, may we also! Pray like David that God will comfort you through Christ and the presence of His Holy Spirit. No matter what storms might swirl around you, you will know peace and rest. Rejoice, for salvation belongs to the Lord and His anointed. Indeed, blessing be upon us, the people of God.

 This special meditation has been prepared by PRC home missionary, Rev. Aud Spriensma.

Divine Laughter

Meditation on Psalm 2: 1-7

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

The Lord reigns! Just as Hurricane Laura came on our shores with howling wind and restless waves of the sea, so do the wicked rage. Psalm 2 describes the terrible opposition that David experienced once he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. But the opposition against David is only a faint type of the reaction of the wicked against the Lord Jesus. Jesus, the righteous King is contrasted with the world which is filled with those who hate the instruction of the Lord. They are those who walk, stand, and sit in the counsel of the wicked (cf. Psalm 1). When Jesus’ righteousness reveals the wickedness of those in the world, they naturally respond in hatred. This is true not only for Christ, God’s anointed, but also for all those who follow Him. There is a conflict between those who seek shelter in the Christ and those who refuse Him. This is the conflict of the ages between the Lord’s Anointed and the nations.

Think back to the beginning of Christ’s ministry. Hearing of the birth of Jesus, Herod immediately began to plot against him. Later, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes plotted to kill Jesus. Jews and Gentiles (Pilate and the Romans) tried to extinguish the light of the world! In Acts 4: 24-28 the Apostles John and Peter report the evil treatment they received of the religious leaders. They pray to God using Psalm 2 to describe the opposition to Christ’s ministry. But clearly, they point out that the wicked doing this are only carrying out what God’s hand and counsel determined beforehand. The wicked put Jesus to death; the Lord raised and exalted Him.

What is the LORD’s reaction to this rebellion and hatred of his Son? The Psalmist writes, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision.” Just as the raging sea could not hurt Jesus and His disciples when out on the Sea of Galilee, so also the plotting of the wicked cannot hold back the reign of Christ Jesus nor His kingdom. God has set His Son on His throne. He did this after Jesus’ victory over sin, Satan, and death in His death and resurrection. He ascended up into heaven, and His enemies are made his footstool. The Apostle Paul quotes this part of Psalm 2 in Acts. 13:30-33. Paul identified the resurrection of Jesus as His royal enthronement.

What comfort this was to the church in Paul’s day. They underwent persecution from the Jews and the Gentiles. The nations hatched their plots and schemes, yet the Lord “sitteth in the heavens” and laughs. Even though Christ has been installed on Mount Zion, the nations still conspire and rebel against His authority. Do we not still see this today? Think of all the persecution of the church in many nations. Think of the sinful and rebellious counsel of the wicked in our own land. The abortion of little children is seen as essential while the worship of the Lord in His house had been banned. What a rebellious and sinful world we live in. And it will only get worse!

For the rebellion of the wicked, Christ will come with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces. We see God’s judgment in the world today with the violence and upheaval in the streets of our cities. There are the natural disasters: fires, floods, and hurricanes. This is only the beginning. Kingdoms rise and fall. But Christ is coming again in glory, and will bring judgement. Not one of the wicked will escape. They will be broken like a piece of pottery.

The Psalm ends with a call to repentance. Instead of rebelling against the Lord’s Anointed, let people abandon their sinful ways and submit in faith to Christ. “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son…Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (vs. 11,12).

When we find ourselves suffering for the sake of righteousness, we too must seek shelter in the hope of this psalm. Try as they might, the nations and the wicked will not overthrow the reign of the Lord and his Anointed. Christ reigns and will shelter all those who take refuge in Him. Oh, the heathen rage! Many take counsel together against the Lord and His Christ in rebellion. But Christ is already enthroned. Those who take refuge in Him shall also one day reign with Him. Whatever the opposition, no human power can ever nullify or undo God’s divine purpose.

Are you allowing pessimism to affect you, or are you hanging on to the hope that Christ’s kingdom will prevail in every nation? Do you serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling? Have you kissed the Son in submission and love? One day, maybe very soon, Christ will return as Judge.

This special meditation has been prepared by PRC home missionary, Rev. Aud Spriensma.

A Good Man Brings Forth Good Things

Meditation on Matthew 12:35

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Jesus healed a man possessed with a devil. The man had been both blind and unable to speak. This glorious miracle produced varying effects on different individuals. The man who was possessed was healed! All the people were amazed, saying, “Is not this the son of David?” The Pharisees blasphemed, “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by the prince of the devils.” It is to the last group that Jesus directed this discourse. What a powerful warning is given to those who observe divine works and speak in an evil manner about them. They will have to give an account in the judgment day.

Jesus contrasts the two reactions as that of a good tree producing good fruit or an evil tree bringing forth corrupt fruit. Where does this fruit come from? In verse 35, notice Jesus uses the word ‘good’ three times and the word ‘evil’ three times. There is the good man out of a good treasure of the heart that brings forth good things.

Who is that ‘good man’? In the absolute sense, “there is none good but God.” God alone possesses original, essential, independent, perfect goodness. Truly, the Lord Jesus is the good man. But Scripture gives the term also to human beings who by the atoning work of Jesus’ blood and the renewing work of the Holy Spirit have been endowed with the principle of godliness. This will be exhibited it in their speech and conduct. It was said of Barnabas, that he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith.

Our text says that the good man “out of the good treasure of the heart” brings forth good things. The good treasure of a good man is contrasted with the evil treasure of the evil man. The heart is the mainspring of human conduct. Jesus said in vs. 34, “for out of the heart the mouth speaketh.” The heart of a person is one's rational soul, which has the ability to think, will, desire, and feel. The heart is where we have love or hate, joy or sorrow. The heart contains that which is excellent or base and corrupt. The heart of a child of God has been renewed, and is good. It contains a treasure. That treasure of th heart is like the seed bag of the farmer, the medical kit of the doctor, the cupboard of the housewife, or the benevolent fund out of which the deacon dispenses mercy. The cupboard must be full to feed the family. The medical kit of the doctor must be filled with the medical tools or medicines in order for the doctor to heal. The farmer must have a full bag of corn if he is going to seed a large field. The stream must be full of water if it is going to provide for the thirst of individuals. So also, the good man’s heart must be full.

The good man takes this supply, employs and dispenses of this holy fund within himself. First, he dispenses in order to glorify his God. Second, he uses it for the comfort of his own soul. Third, he employs it for the benefit of others. He uses this supply confident of the approval of Christ, unto things that are pleasing to God, and that are profitable for him and for others. To sum up, a good treasure in the heart is necessary to communicate good things. A treasure has the idea of sufficiency, having no lack. The granary of Egypt was carefully built up by Joseph so that there would be no lack in the days of famine.

How do we build up that supply? God does it, but God uses means. He uses His Spirit and His Word. David says, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” So we are careful what we digest and meditate on. Take in the garbage of the world, with its amusements and actions, and there will be filth instead of godliness. We cannot be lazy when it comes to what we feed on to supply ourselves. Spiritual blessings only will make believers blessed. A great supply of Scriptural knowledge is a priceless treasure! David says, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and light upon my path. We fill our hearts with treasure being instant in prayer. The Apostle Paul prayed that believers “may be filled with all the fullness of God.” May we know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge. Let our minds be filled with heavenly light. May we be filled with all grace. Then we pray, “Lord make me a vessel of mercy unto others. Use me as a channel of peace. Open my mouth, that I may give expression to what thou hast done for me.” Without the operation of God’s grace, there can and will be no holiness of life. All fruits of godliness, love, and carefulness of life must flow from a pure heart that is filled with love and thankfulness to God for His grace.

This treasure, like all treasures, is kept safe so that neither the devil nor any other person may rob us of it. God fills our hearts, so that we may be channels of His grace. Does Jesus’ description fit you? “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good fruit.”

This special meditation has been prepared by PRC home missionary, Rev. Aud Spriensma.

The Righteous Man

Meditation on  Psalm 1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Today, via the internet, there is a vast variety of different choices from which to read or follow. But the psalmist puts before us only two different ways of thinking and living. These two ways are antithetical. The Psalmist sets forth the way of the righteous man and the way of the ungodly. The blessed man walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, does not stand in the way of sinners, and finally does not sit in the seat of the scornful. There is a progression of sin. He walks with them, then he stands with them, and finally he is in a close relationship sits down with them.

Imagine that you are walking along a road with someone who strikes up a conversation with you. You listen carefully, and you stand there with him to digest and consider what he has said. Finally, you sit down with him to have a meal and become friends. This is the way of the wicked.

The righteous man steers clear of evil. Instead, his delight is in the law of God. He delights in that law. He meditates on that law. He constantly puts it before his mind and prays over it. He is instructed and guided by that law so that he can walk in it.

As a result, fruit is produced in his life. That man is like a tree, well planted. What a comparison! As a tree is nourished by the sun and nutrients of the soil, and watered by the stream, it naturally produces fruit. When the righteous man is nourished by God’s instruction, there will be fruit. But the growth and production of fruit is progressive. Not immediately is there fruit on the tree. Likewise, the work of sanctification is also gradual. After prayerful meditation of God’s instruction, there is eventually fruit.

Over against this growth and production of fruit, the wicked hate instruction. Therefore, the ungodly will not stand and abide, but like the chaff of wheat, they are blown away as worthless. The wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. The LORD knoweth the way of the righteous. He says, “They are mine!” He has destined them for heaven and eternal life. The wicked are also destined, for hell.  Their way will perish!

So who is this righteous man? It is so easy to think that it is you and I. Notice, it is singular. Some like to translate this verse as saying, “Blessed are those people”. They want to use more inclusive language. The Hebrew word is not a generic word that refers to all human beings. There is one particular man in view. Who is he? It is the Lord Jesus! You see, this Psalm is Messianic. Jesus Christ did not walk in counsel with the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scorners. Rather, Jesus said of Himself, “My food is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.”

You and I need to look by faith to Jesus as the one righteous man to save us. He will not only save us, but will fill us with His Holy Spirit and enable us to be like Him. Only in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can you and I approach the instruction of God and delight in it. Only in Christ can we be fruitful like the tree planted by streams of living water.  Jesus taught in John 15, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Nothing happens overnight. Patiently wait for God to conform you to Christ’s likeness. Delight in God’s Word, meditate upon it. Flee wickedness and find your refuge in Christ, the righteous man.  He forgives us our sins. He produces in us new life. A good tree bears not bad fruit, but good fruit. Christ Jesus is the blessed and righteous man. He by His life, death, resurrection, and ascension makes us righteous and fruit-bearing people. Do you delight in God’s instruction? Do you meditate upon His word day and night?

Take this Psalm and by grace, may it describe you too.