A MAN OF GOD ALONE WITH GOD

The first lesson for man is, to know his God; the second is, to know himself; and as the unbeliever fails in the first, he fails in the second also, he does not know himself. He does not think much about himself — about his real self, the most important part of his being. For his body he caters freely, he can scarcely spend enough upon it; but he starves his soul. But a true believer knows himself. We are sure, from our text, that he does, for he would not declare his ways if he did not know them. But he has practised introspection, and looked within himself. He does not understand his own ways; he cannot always comprehend his own thoughts, or follow the devious wanderings of his own mind; but, still, he does know a good deal about himself; and when he goes before his God, he can truthfully say, "I have declared my ways, and Thou heardest me." Among other things, he has discovered his own ignorance, and hence he presents the prayer with which the text concludes, "Teach me." He is ignorant even of God's revealed will, so he prays, "'Teach me Thy statutes,' O Lord! I know the Book in which they are recorded, and I can learn them in the letter; but do Thou teach them to me, in my spirit, by Thy Spirit, that I may know them aright."

I. So, first:, we see here A MAN OF GOD ALONE WITH GOD; and we notice three things about him, he is making his case known: "I have declared my ways"; he is rejoicing in an audience which he has obtained: "Thou heartiest me"; and he is seeking a further blessing: "Teach me Thy statutes." I think the psalmist means this, "My Lord, I have told Thee all; now, wilt Thou tell me all? I have declared to Thee my ways; now, wilt Thou teach me Thy ways? I have confessed to Thee how I have broken Thy statutes; wilt Thou not give me Thy statutes back again? I have owned my weakness; now, wilt Thou not strengthen me, that I may run in the way of Thy commandments?"

II. Now let us turn to THE MAN OF GOD IN PUBLIC STATING HIS TESTIMONY.

1. First, we have here a man of God who has borne his testimony. He has spoken to man experimentally. You remember that remarkable expression of our Lord, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through" — what? "through their word." Then, is it their word? No, it is the Lord's, yet it is also theirs, for they have made it theirs by personal appropriation and experience of it. The truth of God never seems to have such vividness about it as when a man tells it out of his own soul. That is what this servant of God could say, "I have declared my ways." And he had not declared them with any view to vainglory, but only that he might glorify God. Neither had he spoken of himself except with the object of persuading others to walk in the ways of the Lord in which he had himself been so graciously led.

2. The next sentence teaches us that God had heard this man. What solemn work it is to preach if we have God for a hearer! And yet what a cheering thing it is that the Lord hears our testimony, and can confirm its truthfulness!

3. This man needed more teaching, so he prayed, "Lord, teach me Thy statutes." We must ourselves be continually making progress if we would lead others onward.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)