Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. We can plainly see that the words
of the Bible are in themselves of no necessary profit to men.
For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, that is,
the unbelieving Jews. But the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard
it. Faith is the gift of God and is a necessary ingredient
in the manifestation of the salvation of the Lord's people. So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Yet
without the Spirit's application of that word to a quickened hearer,
no one will believe the preached word, and it shall fall on deaf
ears. What a glorious event it is,
however, when the sovereign Lord of mercy and grace is pleased
to give a dead sinner life, and give him ears to hear and faith
to believe the glorious gospel of God. Apart from this gift
of faith, the gospel can only manifest the doom of those who
do not believe. Now thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and make it manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are
unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved, and in
them that perish. To the one we are the savour
of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these
things? The lives of God's people are
like giant puzzles which are designed by the grandest of artists. Every piece is fashioned with
care, and no piece of that puzzle can or shall be left out and
still appear as the artist intended. This is especially true of that
instruction which the Lord is pleased to impart to His sons.
Each utterance from His lips is a word fitly spoken. The Lord
said, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. A word fitly spoken is as the sharpest of swords. For
the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. David experienced
it when the Lord sent the prophet Nathan with these words, Thou
art the man, even as Peter did when the cock crowed, and the
words of the Lord Jesus rang in his ears, and he went out
and wept. A word fitly spoken is as a raging fire which cannot
be quenched. Wherefore thus saith the Lord
God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make
my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall
devour them. For our God is a consuming fire.
The wood, hay, and stubble in the lives of God's people shall
be burned by that word fitly spoken. He will throughly purge
his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. It is a fearful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God. Yet who among the sons of
God would ever desire to escape his chastening? For indeed we
know that whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God
dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
A word fitly spoken is as a fountain which brings forth the coolest
and sweetest water to a weary soul. And he said unto me, it
is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end. I will give unto him that is
a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Is this
not the same fountain which our Lord described to the Samaritan
woman? But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give
him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life. Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come
ye, buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without
money and without price. A word fitly spoken is that which
awakens the dead. We see this demonstrated on a
Judean hillside as the Lord of life and glory stands before
a stinking tomb and says, Lazarus, come forth. Out of that darksome
cave, and still wrapped in grave clothes, came the man whom the
Lord called by name. Is this not a perfect picture
of those whom the Lord is pleased to awaken from the deadness of
sin in nature's night by a word fitly spoken? This is not a word
which can be uttered by a mere mortal, but must be spoken by
him who alone is able to cause the dead to hear. We are comforted
by that same one whose word shall command the sea to give up her
dead, and shall gather his elect from the corners of the earth
in the day of the resurrection. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and
with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall
we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words. Do you find a place of comfort
in these words?