Saturday, July 17, 2010

Hearing God’s Voice, Seeing His Hand

“I have remembered Your judgments from of old, O Lord, and comfort myself” (Psalm 119:52).  We will find much encouragement by remembering how God has worked in the lives of people in the past.  Yesterday we considered how thinking on these things strengthens faith.  I read Thomas Manton’s thoughts on this verse, and one of his statements was particularly enlightening.  In fact, I consider it one of the most insightful comments I have read.  In the sermons and writings of the Puritans you come across profound nuggets of wisdom like this page after page.  Here is what Manton said: “By these judgments of old, you see the exact correspondence between his word and works; where his voice is heard, but his hand not seen, his word is coldly entertained; but by his providence he establishes the authority of his law.”  That statement is worthy of the most careful study.  That is brilliant!  Consider the implications.  Reading the Bible without ever seeing the hand of God working in your life, and the lives of others, will avail us little.  We must not only know Scripture, we must behold God’s power working in our lives in harmony with His word.  I suspect this is one of the main reasons children from Christian homes, in which the Bible was read daily, often reject Christianity.  Children need to see reality in  their parents’ profession of faith.  

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