“Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Ps. 141:1-2). 

This inspired prayer put to music teaches valuable attitudes for every person in every age.  While David is asking the Lord to do certain things for him, he understands that he himself must be active in his own living.  Nevertheless, he knows that he cannot do it alone.  For example, he states, “But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute” (Ps. 141:8).  Tough times make prayer and song valuable to the child of God.  Look closely at three things David requested in this prayerful song.

1.  Safeguard My Use of Words.  “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).  David knew the power of words for good or evil.  David’s son, Solomon, will later write, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Prov. 18:21).  Consequences, both good and bad, come from the use of the tongue.  As a king, David’s words were influential and authoritative.  As a child of God, David’s words would demonstrate his development in life.  Paul, citing an illustration of development, wrote “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11).  Working on controlling the tongue is a lifelong process (cf. James 3:2).  How many prayers has a child of God requested that the Lord help him in the use of his tongue?

2.  Set My Heart from Following Evil.  “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities” (Ps. 141:4-5).  More are there that pursue evil than follow righteousness (cf. Matt. 7:13-14).  Moses warned, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” (Ex. 23:2).  Paul wrote, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:33).  However, there are influences of righteous people who would help to keep one’s heart where it should be.  One should not despise the constructive reproof of God-fearing people.  Solomon wrote, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6).  David’s request for help in having the right kind of people around him is as valuable today as it was then.

3.  Secure My Steps from the Trappings of the World.  “Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape” (Ps. 141:9-10).  Regardless of how much self-control one has and a positive spiritual influence around him, this life is still filled with snares.  Satan does not quit.  Satan is also very opportunistic.  Just when one is careless and unfocused of what lies before, the trap is sprung.  With Satan, there is always a catch in every temptation.  Jesus did not say in vain in the model prayer, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matt. 6:13).  God has promised a way of escape in temptation (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13).  Any and all requests in prayer require application in life.                         

Jimmy Clark

“Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Dan. 6:3-5). 

The greatness of faithfulness is seen in the difficult times of life.  Daniel had shown himself faithful through the Babylonian times and would be no different under the Medes and Persians.  His fellow leaders became envious and sought to find anything that they could use to attack him.  Consider three lessons from the faithfulness of Daniel.

1.  Proven.  Genuine faith shines when it is tested.  Daniel’s adversaries examined his record in the kingdom and found it filled with integrity.  Such is true of a righteous life.  Jesus said, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21).  Before this challenge, Daniel had approached the prince of the eunuchs in charge of the Babylonian king’s provisions and asked to be tested (cf. Dan. 1:12).  The world is always going to try to find ways to test.  The devil makes it his job to seek to thwart every righteous quality of God’s people.  He attacked Job (cf. Job 1:9).  He used his wiles with Jesus (cf. Matthew 4:1-11).  Faithfulness is not afraid to be scrutinized.  It stands confident.

2.  Practical.  Faithfulness has a practical value, not just to the person who has it, but also to those who are affected by it.  Darius was blessed to have such a person as Daniel in his kingdom.  Paul stated of Timothy and his family, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” (2 Tim. 1:5).  Paul told the Philippians concerning Timothy, “For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state” (Phil. 2:20).  Daniel’s faithfulness in serving the Lord easily carried over to his serving in the kingdoms of men.  All who connect with faithful people find life much more pleasant.

3.  Powerful.  The ultimate reward of faithfulness is God’s blessing.  Some seek to please men only to find out later in the day of judgment that life should have been lived to please God.  The power of Daniel’s faithfulness was magnified in the den of lions.  The Lord was magnified in the eyes of Darius through Daniel’s faith in God and in God’s faithfulness to his own.  It is likely that Daniel is referenced in Hebrews chapter 11 among the faithful of the ages, where it is stated, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions” (Heb. 11:33).  When one stands with God, there is no power on earth to defeat.  Paul wrote, “What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).  The book of Revelation has as one of its major points that those who overcome shall receive abundantly more than anything this life offers.  John wrote, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).  Paul knew about the crown of righteousness (cf. 2 Tim. 4:7-8).  Faithfulness is a powerful attribute of the converted.  

Jimmy Clark

“Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1). 

When troubling times arise within a people, it is proper to seek for causes and solutions.  The fact that Israel was on the opposite side of the Lord would be trouble enough.  There are three specific areas where the nation was in conflict with God.  Consider these three and see how relevant such is for today.

1.  Foundation of Confidence: Truth.  The word here translated “truth” (Hosea 4:1, KJV) is from the Hebrew word meaning “firmness, faithfulness, truth” (Brown, Driver, Briggs, p. 54).  It denotes the attribute of one who can be relied upon as truth is consistent.  Falsehood can never be trusted as it will never be consistent with the facts of reality.  The rule of truth and right were not the path chosen by the northern kingdom.  They had drifted into the idolatry of the land and had become like unto their own human religions (cf. Ps. 115:8).  The nation was decaying from within.  Hosea described the moral climate of the time, where he wrote, “By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood” (Hosea 4:2).  They had lost their moral compass and turned to the flesh for their guidance.  Their consciences were now trained to follow their own ways.

2.  Foundation of Compassion: Mercy.  The word here translated “mercy” (Hosea 4:1, KJV) is from the Hebrew word meaning “goodness, kindness” (Brown, Driver, Briggs, p. 338).  It is interesting to read another translation of this passage, which says, “Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land” (Hosea 4:1, ESV).  Mercy and truth are hallmark qualities of the way of God (cf. Ps. 25:10).  The Lord looks for people to respond in the same manner.  When people turn from God to follow their own ways, abuse and injustice often become visible to society.  The milk of human kindness is seen in fewer instances.  When men turn to the fleshly ways of the world, great qualities like these suffer in appearance.

3.  Foundation of Character: Knowledge of God.  Knowing God is more than simply knowing the facts of the Bible about God.  Consider this point made toward Jehoiakim, son of Josiah about his father.  “Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord” (Jer. 22:15-16).  Josiah developed his character around the ways of God, thus he came to know God.  John wrote in the New Testament, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4).  Hosea would further declare that the nation was destroying itself because of a lack of knowledge (cf. Hosea 4:6).  Remember, “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34).                                                                            

Jimmy Clark

“For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut. 7:6-8). 

God had a special purpose for the nation of Israel in working out redemption.  What to many looked like an insignificant people in the midst of a great empire was in fact a people chosen by God.  When one looks into the New Testament to the number of the saved, one finds that there are “few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14).  Like Noah and his family, saved is more important than being among those who perish.  Consider a few things taught in the Bible about God’s special knowledge of His people.

1.  He Knows Your Name.  Jesus stated concerning himself being the good shepherd, “But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out” (John 10:2-3).  John wrote further of the shepherd’s knowledge of his sheep, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:14).  The New Testament clearly states that the saved have their names “in the book of life” (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 20:15).  There are many researchers who simply count responses only to tally a number for the total responses.  A census, a political poll, a list of head counts on the number of deceased by a certain illness, etc. make the person behind the information no more than a number.  God knows all totals yet His people are called by their own name.  One is not just another number with God.

2.  He Knows the Number of Hairs on Your Head.  Jesus stated, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7).  Here is a magnified view of God’s intimate knowledge of man.  Attention to details is a keen insight of God’s intelligence.  There is a closeness to God found here in that he cares for His.

3.  He Knows the Nature of Your Heart.  John wrote, “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God” (1 John 3:19-21).  The obedient child who walks in the light (cf. 1 John 1:7), confesses his sins (cf. 1 John 1:9) and keeps doing those things that are pleasing in his sight (cf. 1 John 3:22) have an assurance in the day of judgment before God.  As weak as men are in their trying and as sensitive to personal shortcomings as each knows, God understands the nature of His children’s hearts and gives confidence through His word.  Where the world may never let anyone forget their failings, God soothes the heart and assures the will of man to keep on serving.

Jimmy Clark