God speaking from Mount Zion

The God who once to Israel spoke
From Sinai’s top, in fire and smoke,
In gentler strains of gospel grace
Invites us, now, to seek his face.

He wears no terrors on his brow,
He speaks, in love, from Zion, now;
It is the voice of JESUS’ blood
Calling poor wand’rers home to GOD.

The holy Moses quaked and feared
When Sinai’s thund’ring law he heard;
But reigning grace, with accents mild,
Speaks to the sinner, as a child.

Hark! how from Calvary it sounds;
From the Redeemer’s bleeding wounds!
“Pardon and grace, I freely give,
Poor sinner, look to me, and live.”

John Newton

365 Days with Newton

Day One

21st August

Against you, you only, have I sinned

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement. (Psa 51:4)

I believe that David is saying here that even if the world pardoned him, God was the judge before whom David had to appear. Conscience hailed him to God's bar. Thus the voice of man offered no relief to him, however much others might be disposed to forgive or to excuse or to flatter. David's eyes and soul were directed to God, regardless of what man might think or say.

John Calvin

365 Days with Calvin

Day One

25th February

Prayer

Pausing briefly from prayer, David takes time to meditate upon the goodness of God so that he may return with renewed ardour to prayer.

Likewise the faithful feel that their hearts will soon languish in prayer unless they stir themselves up with new incitements. It is difficult to steadfastly and unweariedly persevere in prayer. Indeed, as fuel must frequently be added to preserve a fire, so prayer requires helps so that it will not languish and at length be extinguished.

John Calvin

365 Days with Calvin

Day One

13th February

Flattery

If gossip is saying something behind a person's back that we would never say to his face, then flattery is saying to a person's face what we would never say behind his back.

Alistair Begg

Pathway to Freedom

Moody

p199

Freedom

The ultimate question is not who you are but whose you are. Of course, many people think they are nobody's slave. They dream of total independence. Like a jellyfish carried by the tides feels free because it isn't fastened down with the bondage of barnacles.

John Piper

The Passion of Jesus Christ

Crossway

p64