SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 24:17

“If thine enemy be hungry,
give him bread to eat …”

SENTIMENTS OF A RESTORED KING

Psalm 61 was composed by King David after his son Absalom’s rebellion was defeated. There is no jubilation over his enemy. The voice is muted, the tone subdued. The day of victory is the day of mourning, because Absalom was killed by Joab, against the wishes of his father. The bittersweet experience of this father-and-son struggle could be tasted by none other than David. David was ordained by God to go through this valley of tears that he might understand the deepest depths of human woes in all his subjects. So with our Lord in His earthly life. Read Hebrews 4:15-16.

Though David was king, he treasured the spiritual and the heavenly. He preferred the Tabernacle to the throne (Ps 61:4). In fact it was he (the moment he came to the throne) who brought the Ark in exile back to Jerusalem. It was he who desired to build God a house and was honoured to receive the architectural plans from the Lord (1 Chron 28:12). This zeal for the Lord earned him a good heritage. God promised to preserve his throne for ever, yea, even for his greater Son, our Lord Jesus, when He returns to rule this earth. In power or out of power, in joy or in sorrow, in peace or in war, David never ceased to look to “the rock that is higher than I” (Ps 61:2). Can we find a modern ruler, president or prime minister like David? There is none that approximates his devotion to a tenth, but if there’s one, I would vote for Margaret Thatcher. When Christ-blaspheming Dr Jenkins, the then-Bishop of Durham, maligned Thatcher’s economic policy, the Philadelphia Inquirer quoted Thatcher’s reply in Paul’s words, “If any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess 3:10). A good Methodist, Thatcher recalled Wesley’s words: “Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Such principles reflect on her faith in God’s Word.

Finally, we see David’s heart of gratitude that pleases God. He is so grateful that he would “daily perform my vows.” The Bible records many vows made to God (eg. by Samuel’s mother) which are accepted by the Lord. Calvin gives his approval to making vows provided you pay them.

THOUGHT: How should I study God’s Word?
PRAYER: (Use 2 Timothy 2:15.)