(1) Thou Art My Rock

Psalm 71:3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

In psalm 71, God is described as our Rock, a safe refuge, strong, secure and dependable. In Him, we may continually rely (v3a) and find hope (v14). Even amidst the most trying persecutions in life, the psalmist teaches us to be strengthened in the LORD and to receive comfort to live in His strength (v16).

Matthew 20:20-28 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

He was only five feet tall, with a large head made bigger by a huge wig, and with a hooked nose and a frail and sickly body. Such was the appearance of the illustrious Dr. Isaac Watts (1674-1748). As a young man he had proposed to a lovely lady. While rejecting his proposal, she said, “I like the jewel but not the setting.” Illnesses plagued him throughout his life, and for most of his last 30 years, he was an invalid.

Matthew 20:17-19 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

(1) Abide With Me

Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847) pastored a poor parish church in a coastal town in England, battled asthma and tuberculosis throughout his life. Despite physical frailty, he laboured diligently and was greatly loved by the people. He once said, “It is better to wear out than to rust out.”

His health worsened to the point that he almost had to crawl to the pulpit for his final sermon in 1847.

Weakened from the ravages of the lung diseases and facing the sorrow of his impending departure from his beloved parish to Italy, he walked by the sea with a very heavy heart.

Matthew 20:1-16 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

Thoughts on Psalm 117

Psalm 117:1-2 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm, the shortest chapter and located in the mid-point of the Bible. It is a written testimony of God’s people in relation to their experience with Him. We have not seen God nor touch Him but He is real, He exists, He manifests Himself in the life of His people by His great love and by His everlasting Word. This short psalm gives punch to the message – an invitation to a lifetime of blessings with the living and true God.