Psalm 25:1,2
Ever since man fell into sin, man has had enemies. Performing that first act of sin against God, Adam introduced into the human race hatred also between man and man. If we do not keep the first table of the law, we will not keep the second table either. If we do not love God, we will not love the neighbor. As soon as God implants the new life of Christ in a man, that man will find the enmity of the seed of the serpent against him as seed of the woman, Genesis 3:15.
The question therefore is not whether we have enemies, but who they are. In Psalm 25:1, 2 David prays, "Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in Thee: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me." He has in mind enemies who are God's enemies, enemies who hate him because they hate God. Therefore making David ashamed means treating God shamefully. And that should concern us.
We are ready to pray to God when enemies threaten our natural, physical life, and we want it stopped. But what about our spiritual life? Are we concerned about spiritual shame? What about spiritual enemies? Do they bother you as much as physical enemies?
Satan is always trying to make the church look silly, to ridicule the believer, and to make faith in God, and in His Christ, look like nonsense. From that we need full protection. And that we had better bear in mind when we sing (PRC Psalter):
To Thee I lift my soul,
In Thee my trust repose;
My God, O put me not to shame
Before triumphant foes.
Do not forget this aspect of the many difficulties a child of God has in this life. Do not push into the background the enmity which the world has against God and His church. Bear in mind that this is all enmity against Christ, the Seed of the woman.
In your prayer sincerely ask the God of our salvation that you may be kept from going along with the world in order to avoid shame to your name. Pray that you may not bring shame upon His church by your attitude toward those that hate God, His Christ. and the truth.
Read: Psalm 25
Psalter versification: #60:1
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter #18
Why not sing along??
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Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Amos 4 ; Amos 5 ; Amos 6
Revelation 2:18-29 ; Revelation 3:1-6
Psalm 130:1-8
Proverbs 29:21-22
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Quote for Reflection:
"Not creation, not the fall, not the church, not the predestination of the elect, not even the incarnation, not the cross, are first in the good pleasure of God; but the firstborn from the dead, the glorified Christ, is first. He is the firstborn of every creature ..." ~ Herman Hoeksema (Reformed Dogmatics, p. 333)
Additional Info
- Date: 11-December
Heys, John A.
Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941. He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955. In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church. He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967. He retired from the active ministry in 1980. He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.