Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. We read the last words of David
in the second book of Samuel. These words are significant because
they give us insight into the grace which kept David while
the world, his flesh, and Satan conspired to destroy him. Such
is the case with all of the sons of God, for he will not forsake
his own, even though it may appear so when the ravages of time and
age have taken their toll on these feeble houses of clay.
One cannot know what goes on in the mind and spirit of the
sons of God when they are in such states of decay. But we
can know that their testimony of faith in Christ is not diminished,
even though their bodies may be. For Christ is their strength
and shield, and He will supply their every need. He is their
faith. The latter end of David is much
like most men. He who once wielded a mighty
sword to cut off the head of Goliath was eventually brought
to a bed of feebleness where he could never even get warm,
except it be by extreme measures. He commanded no armies in that
state, but he was nonetheless a mighty warrior in the army
of God. The Lord does not need the vibrancy and strength of
youth, but will demonstrate his faithfulness and grace to those
he loves, even to the very end of these tottering earthly tabernacles.
It does not matter how eloquent or powerful a man might have
been, or how mightily he might have been used by the Lord. All
will ultimately be stripped of such things as the weakness of
their body has demonstrated, and their sustainer's hands of
mercy hold them tightly to his bosom. The eternal God is thy
refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms, and he shall
thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy
them. In David's last words, he confessed
that in all of those anointed Psalms that he wrote, it was
the power and grace of God that brought them to pass. The Spirit
of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue. This
is akin to that which Paul taught. For who maketh thee to differ
from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?
Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou
hadst not received it? The man who is taught by the
Spirit of God can never glory in his own abilities and power,
but must give all glory to him who gives gifts to men. In David's
last words, he spoke prophetically of Christ. The God of Israel
said, The Rock of Israel spake to me. He that ruleth over men
must be just, ruling in the fear of God. Christ is that rock. Though he saw very dimly as an
Old Testament prophet, he knew that Christ would come. In full
revelation, we now see that Christ is the spokesman of God. God,
who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds. Christ alone is that just king
and ruler who came to do his father's will. In David's last
words, he spoke of him who is the light of the world, and he
shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth,
even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain. For he would dispel
the darkness which held men in chains. The morning is broken
as the bright and morning star has now come. For God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." In David's
last words, he spoke of a covenant-keeping God. Although my house be not
so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and sure. For this is all my salvation
and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. The covenant
blessings of God come to his people through Christ, to whom
all covenant promises have been made. Now to Abraham and his
seed were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of
many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. The Lord
declared the results of this covenant when he said, All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to
me I will in no wise cast out. The last words of John are, Even
so come, Lord Jesus. That man who rejoices in Christ
as his Redeemer desires to see him who bled and died for his
sin, for he hath set him free from the law of sin and death.
Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself, and as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.