“THOU HAS KNOWN MY SOUL IN ADVERSITIES”

Psa. 31:7

Morning Meditation 2/23/17

Verse 7 says, “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.”

Scholars are divided on who wrote this Psalm. It is called “A Psalm of David” and this is where I will leave it. I believe that it is good to know the author, subject, and occasion for the psalms, but if internal evidence is not there to suggest its author, guessing is all that can be done. It is the inspired Word of God and that is what is important.

I quote from John Phillips introductory remarks on this psalm: “Rotherham says this psalm is a mosaic of misery and mercy. Clarke see faith fighting with feelings. Scroggie pictures David riding now the crest, now the trough of the wave. Hull reminds us that the psalm ultimately speaks of Jesus and urges us to read it in the light of that.”

David knew the hardships of war, the depression of loneliness, and the grief of having Absalom his own son turn against him and try to take the kingdom from his father by force. He knew the pain of social disease that came to him because of loose living (Read Psalm 38).

David’s faith was in the mercy of God. This is an important point of “things most surely believed among us.” Those who understand grace know that our entrance into the Christian life is by grace and the sustaining of that life is by grace. I personally know of no one who would dare bow before God and ask Him to give him what he deserves. When I bow, I count completely on the mercy of God. David sings, “I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy . . .” The cleansing power of the blood of Christ is the only thing that will so cleanse our conscience that we can stand before God with gladness in our hearts knowing our sins have been forgiven.

David’s faith was not only in the mercy of God, but also, in the interest of God. He said, “for thou hast considered my trouble . . .” It is wonderful to know that we are not on a planet lost in space and forgotten by our Creator. God knows just where we are. He knows all about us. He has a plan for man and has personally moved to save him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God is interested in us. He loves us and we are never for a moment out of His sight. There may be times, when because of the circumstances that surround you, you may be tempted to say, “God no longer cares.” God cares even if we do misjudge him because He allows us to be tried. David knew God was interested in him.

We come now to the main point of this meditation. David said, “ . . . thou hast known my soul in adversities.” The words “thou hast known” translate “yada” and means, “to know, to perceive, to know by experience.” It is a perfect tense verb. It means that there is nothing left to know. David is acknowledging that his life is an open book before God. Not only does God know based on His omniscience, but He also knows David in adversity. The word “adversity” translates “tsarah” and means, straits, distress, trouble, vexer, a rival wife.” David had experienced all of the aspects of this definition. He had been in distress, experienced trouble, had an adversary trying to vex him and a wife that was a rival. That’s enough to make anyone want to jump off a bridge! You will also notice that the word “adversities” is plural. This suggests that knowing the Lord does not vaccinate us against the difficulties of life. God knows us by our obedience in times of trouble and not just our profession of faith. Anyone can say, “I believe.” But do you still say it when you are standing by the grave of a loved one taken early in death. Do you still say it when the doctor says, “I’m sorry to have to tell you that we have discovered cancer and it has spread all over the body.” What is there to be known about us in times of adversity? First,

THE WEAKNESS OF THE FLESH

There is no better example than David himself to illustrate this point. The sin of David with Bathsheba will live on as long as we have a Bible. David is said to be a man after God’s own heart in Acts 13:22, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” It may be hard to understand how David could be a man after God’s own heart and yet have this scarlet sin stamped on his life so that when his name is mentioned it will always be associated with this sin.

Here we have in David a man of great strength and yet he is a victim on his own lust. He broke God’s commandment (Exo. 20:17) and brought reproach on God’s name. We make a mistake if we overestimate our strength to control the flesh. Paul said, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3). The man who underestimates the weakness of his own flesh will probably fall. He will not take the precautions necessary to avoid temptation. Have you noticed how much sex appeal is in most advertisements? The advertizement industry knows the weakness of man in this area and exploits it to sell products. Not only is the weakness of the flesh seen in times of adversity but also,

THE QUALITY OF COMMITMENT

This quality is seen in the commitment of Job when tried by Satan. What will we do if lose everything? Job lost everything but his faith. Job 2:9 says, “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” Job’s integrity even surprised his wife. She lived with him all the time and knew as much as you can know of another’s commitment. She just could not understand why Job wouldn’t do something to cause God to take him and get him out of his misery. Listen to Job’s answer in verse 10, “But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” Job had a quality of commitment that is a challenge to all of us who love and serve the Lord. Not only do we see the weakness of flesh in times of adversity, and the quality of commitment, but we also see,

THE FAITH THAT ANCHORS

What is it that would cause one to stay committed when every thing and everyone seems to be against us. David experienced times of great loneliness. There were times when he FELT abandoned by God. Psalm 22:1-2 says, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.” John Phillips says, “The intense personal note in this psalm shows it was wrung out of David in some bitter experience, but the statements really go far beyond anything David personally experienced. He described the situation graphically. He was pinned to one spot, his enemies gathered all around, deprived of his clothing, subjected to at least one form of torture (for his hands and feet have been wounded), absolutely friendless. Somewhere in the background were many friends but even so his enemies were many and strong, his sufferings prolonged, and his mental and spiritual anguish intense. The chief pain, however, lay in the fact that God seemingly had abandoned him.”

David said, “ . . . thou hast known my soul in adversity.” David knew that nothing could be hidden from the Lord. He also knew that the Lord knew what his actions were in the times of adversity. David was anchored to the heavenlies through his faith in the coming Messiah.

There are three great truths that I call attention to in conclusion:

First, God makes no attempt to cover up the sins of His people. God knows the weakness of the flesh and failure of man. He knows that the flesh is weak and man will fall.

Second, God deals with sin in the open and justifies the believer. Satan accuses believers before the thrown of God on just grounds. When he does, God cleanses the believer on just grounds as He points to Calvary. God does not cover up. He exposes and forgives the repentant believer. Justification is where God takes a man who is guilty and allows someone else to pay the penalty of his sins and sets him free.

Third, God demonstrates that grace does away with sins. Cain was a wicked and rebellious sinner. When his name is mentioned in the New Testament, it is always in a bad way. David, on the other hand, when God confronted him with sin, repented. When David’s name is mentioned in the New Testament, his sin is never mentioned. David was forgiven and God put away his sin so completely that it is not brought up again.

Not only does the Lord know us in adversity but we get to know ourselves. We know the weakness of our flesh when we are confronted with temptations. Remember we don’t have to fall but we will if we do not keep our eyes on the Lord. We know the quality of our commitment in times of adversity. Adversity helps us discover if we are really committed to Him. Someone has said, “What it takes to stop us reveals what we really are.” Then adversities help us to discover if our faith has us firmly anchored to the heavenlies. If we are anchored to Jesus, we cannot be blown out of the harbor into the sea by the winds of adversity. Just as the song says, “Tho’ the angry surges roll, On my tempest driven soul, I am peaceful for I know, Wildly though the winds may blow, I’ve and anchor safe and sure, That can evermore endure.” Amen.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White