August 1

1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which trecheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and be in whom I trust; who saldueth my people under me.

3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

5 How thy heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.

7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood

9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God:

upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

10 It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.

11 Riel me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

13 That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:

14 That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

In the closing verses of this Psalm David gives a delightful picture of that people "whose God is the Lord."

David prays for the rising generation. He prays that the sons of that generation might be in their youth "as plants grown up," that is, that their piety might not only live, but that their godliness might be fully expressed.

"Our sons are of first importance to the state, since men take a leading part in its affairs, and what the young men are the older men will be. He desires that they may be like strong, well-rooted, young trees, which promise great things. If they do not grow in their youth, when will they grow? If in their opening manhood they are dwarfed, they will never get over it. O the joys which we may have through our sons! And, on the other hand, what misery they may cause us! Plants may grow crooked, or in some other way disappoint the planter, and so may our sons. But when we see them developed in holiness, what joy we have of them!"—C. H. Spurgeon.

David prays also "that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace." Daughters unite families as corner stones join walls together, and at the same time they adorn them as polished stones garnish the structure into which they are builded.

"Home becomes a palace when the daughters are maids of honor, and the sons are nobles in spirit; then the father is a king, and the mother a queen, and royal residences are more than outdone. A city built up of such dwellings is a city of palaces, and a state composed of such cities is a republic of princes."—C. H. Spurgeon.

Closet Promise.—I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul.—Jer. xxxii. 41.

We are often speculating on what is to come; whether the years shall bring life or death, prosperity or sorrow.

You who trust that you are God's dear children through faith in Jesus Christ may take one answer as regards the coming years; you are going forth into nothing but goodness. "All things work for good to them that love God." I cannot say that you may not be going forward to meet trouble, toil, disappointment. It may be; but I repeat it, if you are walking at God's side you are going forward to nothing but good; great goodness is laid up for you on the simple condition of your trust in God. Take the truth as a fact, and not as a poetic fancy; God has great goodness laid up for me. If the worst which I fear shall come to pass, I shall find His goodness laid up in the heart of the disaster. Be thankful, as you "know" that with God as your guide you cannot be travelling any road which does not lead to something better.—Dr. M. R. Vincent.