15 AUGUST
Heaven as your home
‘O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.’ Psalm 43:3
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Psalm 27:1–14
Let them lead me. The question is asked somewhere, Who shall lead me into the strong city? [Psalm 60:9]. And here the soul is taught an answer—I indeed am dark and weak, I cannot see my way, nor walk in it by my own strength, but let the truth of God support me and his light shine upon my paths and I shall go on well.
And bring me. Here is the humble confidence of faith—that what God begins shall not miscarry and those whom he leads shall not be lost. I know that my path is full of snares and dangers—if left to myself I should soon stumble and fall and be snared and broken—but thy light and truth shall lead me in safety to the end. I am faint and apt to tire, but these shall revive me in the way and at length bring me to the end, and in safety.
To thy holy hill. The soul is sick of earth and longs for heaven; this is the place where it would be. It is described:
(i) as a hill, in allusion to Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1): perhaps to signify the difficulty of the way (it is an uphill road)—the security and safety (it is high out of the reach of all enemies)—and its eminence (it cannot be hid: it is set on a hill and attracts the hearts and views of all the children of God. They are all looking to this prize of their calling).
(ii) as a holy hill. No unclean thing shall enter. When the everlasting gates are lifted up to receive my poor unworthy soul, I shall leave all my sins and sorrows behind me.
(iii) thy tabernacles. This is the crowning circumstance: our Lord Jesus dwells on this holy hill. There we shall see him as he is and love him as we ought. There we shall cast our crowns at his feet. We shall go up to his altar with exceeding joy, to sing his praise on harps of gold for ever.
FOR MEDITATION: If you choose heaven as your home, and God’s light and truth as your way, your prayer shall be answered. Fight against your unbelief as David does in verse 5: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
SERMON: PSALM 43:3 [5/5]
Milo 