By Pastor Dr. Ronnie W. Wolfe
David's
enemies pursue him; they "draw nigh" to him in order to kill him. They
do this out of hunger for terror and mischief and evil. Their nature is
so taken by depravity that they have allowed depraved tendencies to draw
them far into the realm of sin. They hunt after mischief as a hunter
hunts after a deer, and they are not satisfied until the deer is killed,
or, in this case, until mischief has been tasted and David is dead.
There is evil in the world, and it comes from man's own depravity. A man sins when he is drawn away by his own lust (James 1:14). If a man is left to himself without any Christian instruction, he will fall deeper and deeper into himself and his own depravity and be tempted beyond nature and do things that abound above that which is right and proper.
At times it seems the world at large tends in this direction of going away, away from God's word, his standards, his principles, his guidelines, his instructions. Thus, the second part of this verse, which says, "They are far from thy law."
The law of God is pure and perfect. It is the standard for all men. Those who love it and obey it shall be blessed, but those who deny it and turn away from it shall suffer loss and will be filled with wickedness.
But a sinner can be changed from this disposition of wrath and evil and be brought to merciful and gracious peace through God and his word. We see this in the life of Saul of Tarsus as he pursued believers in Jesus Christ and the first church at Jerusalem to destroy it. He had torture and murder on his mind until Jesus came to him, opened his heart, and showed him his need. Then Saul, who later became Paul, surrendered to the will of God to suffer for the name of Jesus and for the sake of Christ' body, the church (Col. 1:24).
Here is a poem that I memorized, hearing it from Bro. Ralph Sears several years ago:
There is evil in the world, and it comes from man's own depravity. A man sins when he is drawn away by his own lust (James 1:14). If a man is left to himself without any Christian instruction, he will fall deeper and deeper into himself and his own depravity and be tempted beyond nature and do things that abound above that which is right and proper.
At times it seems the world at large tends in this direction of going away, away from God's word, his standards, his principles, his guidelines, his instructions. Thus, the second part of this verse, which says, "They are far from thy law."
The law of God is pure and perfect. It is the standard for all men. Those who love it and obey it shall be blessed, but those who deny it and turn away from it shall suffer loss and will be filled with wickedness.
But a sinner can be changed from this disposition of wrath and evil and be brought to merciful and gracious peace through God and his word. We see this in the life of Saul of Tarsus as he pursued believers in Jesus Christ and the first church at Jerusalem to destroy it. He had torture and murder on his mind until Jesus came to him, opened his heart, and showed him his need. Then Saul, who later became Paul, surrendered to the will of God to suffer for the name of Jesus and for the sake of Christ' body, the church (Col. 1:24).
Here is a poem that I memorized, hearing it from Bro. Ralph Sears several years ago:
I walked life's way with an easy tread.
I followed where comforts and pleasures led
Until one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
I saw Him and knew Him and blessed to see;
His eyes full of pity were fixed on me.
I stumbled and fell at this feet that day;
My castles all crumbled and vanished away.
Vanished away and in their place
None else could I see but the Master's face;
And I cried, "Oh, Lord, please make me meet
To follow the path of Thy wounded feet.
My mind is now on the souls of men;
I lost my life to gain it again.
E'er since that day in a quiet place
I met the Master face to face.
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