Chew on This

Some time ago I asked Kim, "If you could recommend one Spurgeon resource, what would it be?" Without hesitation she replied, "The Treasury of David."

The Treasury of David is a collection of all of Spurgeon's studies in the book of Psalms.

Spurgeon writes,

The delightful study of the Psalms has yielded me boundless profit and ever-growing pleasure; common gratitude constrains me to communicate to others a portion of the benefit, with the prayer that it may induce them to search further for themselves.

And now I'm just going to pass this along. I'm going to select one item to "chew on" each Sunday until I finish reading The Treasury of David.

"Chew on This" the first:

Psalm 3:4

I cried unto the Lord with my voice,
and he heard me out of his holy hill.
Selah

I have often heard persons say in prayer, "Thou art a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God," but the expression contains a superfluity, since for God to hear is, according to Scripture, the same thing as to answer. --C.H. Spurgeon


My thoughts after reading this:
1. A good many of my prayers are silent or written on paper. I know God hears those prayers, too, but I sense a need to vocalize more, to employ my mouth in the work of prayer.

2. Knowing that God hears and answers encourages me to keep praying.

3. The Lord is holy. The only way by which I can go to him in prayer is through the blood of Jesus. I can boldly go, as Hebrews instructs, into the holy place and draw near to God. He will accept me on the basis of Christ's righteousness and draw near to me. What a wonderful reality!

4. The Lord will answer me from his holy hill. His answer will be according to and emanate from his holiness. Without Jesus, that would be a terrible prospect. But because of Jesus' work on the cross for me, I can trust that whatever my physical lot, the answer will be well with my soul.

5. An answer from his holy hill may mean an increase in my sanctification. The circumstances about which I am praying may not change. Perhaps the change God desires is in me through the power of his Holy Spirit.

Feel free to join me by copying the verse and Spurgeon quote and sharing where your thoughts take you.

• Kim chews on Psalm 3, and her response greatly encourages me.
• Rosemary shares her short, but convicting, thoughts.