December 8

Thou hast holden me by my right hand. - Psalms 73:23.

THAT is, thou hast sustained me, and supported me when I was ready to fall, or ready to faint, or ready to sink. As Watts expresses it:

“Thine arm of mercy held me up,

When sinking in despair.”

This is the promise: “I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness;” and this is the Christian’s prayer: “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” This is the humiliating concession: “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;” and this is the gracious intimation: “The Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” And here is the grateful acknowledgment: “When I said, My foot slippeth, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.” This is the experience: “My soul followeth hard after God, thy right hand upholdeth me.”

Where is the Christian that does not need this sustaining mercy? who does not “groan, being burdened” by cares, by fears, by toils, by disappointments, by afflictions (personal and relative), by a sense of guilt and unworthiness, and continual imperfection? And what is our own strength but perfect weakness? We know it, and are daily convinced of it. Therefore, not only from faith but experience we know the truth of the Saviour’s words, “Without me ye can do nothing.”

We are as a branch severed from the vine; but when we are weak then are we strong, because, distrusting ourselves, we trust in another, rely on another, and find that in the “Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength;” that “the eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Were God to leave us, were God to let go our hand for a moment, we could no more stand than a new-born infant- we could no more stand than a staff when the hand is taken away. But though this is the truth, it is equally true, as Jude says, that “he is able to keep us from falling.”

Even with such hearts as ours, even in such a world as this, we are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”

Asaph does not here say, “He has exempted me as I passed through life; the trials which have befallen others have passed by me.” No; says he, “I have been tried, but he has not left nor forsaken me. I have been in trouble, but he has been ever with me.” And we should learn, from the experience of this good man, to give God the glory for all he has done for us. We should say with Paul, “By the grace of God, I continue to this day;” and with Samuel, “Hitherto, the Lord hath helped us.”

It would be a poor business to look back upon life without connecting it with God; but nothing can be more pleasing and encouraging than to review life in connection with him, and his interpositions of Providence and grace in our behalf. The Christian can say, “The Lord helped me at that time. I remember well at another time, a snare was laid for my feet, but the snare was discovered, and I escaped. I did not think that, in this situation, I should have been helped; but at the moment I cried, thou answeredst me, and thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”

Therefore this conclusion now will be drawn, “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”