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SONGS OF DEGREES

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SONGS OF DEGREES

5 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

Psalm 126:6, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

When the Lord initially delivers His children, we should not really think that they then know and understand everything which is useful and necessary on the journey to eternity.

Certainly, that people who came out of Babylon were also at first full of joy, but the small company soon discovered that the land was abandoned and weed-infested. If they wanted to live again in the land of their fathers, the hand had to be put to the plough, work had to be done, and seed had to be sown.

They went—going forth and weeping. If the Lord would not cause His mild showers of rain to come down on time, no crops could be harvested and there would be nothing to eat.

To be sure, they had good and precious seed with them, but the opposition of the enemies was strong and the slackening among themselves was so bad, that it seemed well-nigh impossible that any good would come of this initially delivered people.

It is no different on the way of grace. The Lord can have put the precious seed of regeneration in the heart, but it yields so little fruit. The exercises of faith are lacking.

What is the cause of this? Oh, God’s children so easily begin to rest upon a benefit initially experienced and need so little that the Lord performs more work.

Blessed, then, if we are roused from such dozing and come to know that there will have to be prayerwork—prayer-work wrought by the Lord, but also a walking in the ways of the Lord and a hungering after that which the Lord can give.

What a slackening sometimes after a fair beginning! What a sinking back in self without needing that the Lord’s Spirit wins our heart more and more and conquers it for the blessed Mediator and Surety of the Covenant!

Do you live like that, child of the Lord? Would that you may be brought to the Lord as a guilty one, who can indeed speak initially of a return from Babylon, but in whom the fruits of a living Christian are not seen.

Oh, it would really become hopeless again. There will have to be weeping about our lukewarmness and resting upon the things that happened in the past.

Whether we like it at the moment or not, it will always have to come again to this point: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” (Exodus 14:15). Not without reason a Dutch saying maintains, “Standing still is going back.”

No, if there is not growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, you hear no new things, then you do not hear of the need for Him Who was dead and now lives. In such circumstances people try to keep going of themselves.

It is blessed, therefore, if the Lord leads us into the desert, if we must find out that the fields are overgrown with weeds and the land has become desolate. Then we have to lament about the thing which we lack.

Take note! Whoever, after all the initial benefits, may again be brought to his knees and must testify, “Lord, if Thou wilt not do it and give increase to the seed, nothing will ever come of it” —such people may be granted to experience that a time may arrive that they “shall doubtless come again with rejoicing.”

“With rejoicing” —because He has done it all for them, giving the increase to the seed. “With rejoicing” —because their joy in Christ abounded and His precious work became necessary, suitable, and valuable to them. “With rejoicing” —because they received to experience to be led a further step in grace. Thus this Psalm resounds as a Song of Degrees, a Song Hamma’aloth!

Oh, that the power of the redemption which lies in Christ Jesus might indeed be needed more so that our mouth would be filled again with laughter and our tongue with singing, yes, so that we would come again with rejoicing to magnify Him Who only is the Life of the Church.

Then you will bring sheaves with you. Then it shall become evident what He is for you and then He shall show to have taken you for His account.

This is something in which the Church should take vital interest during our empty and spiritless days. The sad lack of fruit so manifest in many of God’s children bespeaks lack of progress on the way of grace. True, the precious seed is sown, but where are the sheaves which will doubtlessly come if God’s people may live in dependence upon Him and with meekness towards each other?

Would that the Lord grant sincere weeping about our sins, then, doubtlessly, Zion would bear rich fruit as in days of old. The sheaves would be brought again. The King would receive greater glory. The wonder would be more meditated upon “that He Which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

For each of us it holds true that by and by the gates of death shall be opened unto us. And then it is one of the two: either we have found our pleasure in Babylon, or we could no longer stay there and became seekers of that Kingdom which endures.

More blessed, however, is he who may know in this life that Christ was not only revealed unto him as the Redeemer, but who may know upon grounds of justice: He is my Redeemer. Then your life shall bear rich fruits on earth. And then the world will see Who the Lord is for His own.

Chilliwack, B.C.

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SONGS OF DEGREES

Bekijk de hele uitgave van zondag 1 juni 1980

The Banner of Truth | 20 Pagina's