“Remove far from me vanity and lies.” — Proverbs 30:8
“O my God, be not far from me.” Psalm 38:21. Here we have two great lessons — what to deprecate and what to supplicate. The happiest state of a Christian is the holiest state. As there is the most heat nearest to the sun, so there is the most happiness nearest to Christ. No Christian enjoys comfort when his eyes are fixed on vanity — he finds no satisfaction unless his soul is quickened in the ways of God. The world may win happiness elsewhere, but he cannot. I do not blame ungodly men for rushing to their pleasures. Why should I? Let them have their fill. That is all they have to enjoy. A converted wife who despaired of her husband was always very kind to him, for she said, “I fear that this is the only world in which…
he will be happy, and therefore I have made up my mind tomake him as happy as I can in it.” Christians must seek their delights in ahigher sphere than the insipid frivolities or sinful enjoyments of the world.Vain pursuits are dangerous to renewed souls. We have heard of aphilosopher who, while he looked up to the stars, fell into a pit; but howdeeply do they fall who look down. Their fall is fatal. No Christian is safewhen his soul is slothful, and his God is far from him. Every Christian isalways safe as to the great matter of his standing in Christ, but he is notsafe as regards his experience in holiness, and communion with Jesus inthis life. Satan does not often attack a Christian who is living near to God.It is when the Christian departs from his God, becomes spiritually starved,and endeavours to feed on vanities, that the devil discovers his vantagehour. He may sometimes stand foot to foot with the child of God who isactive in his Master’s service, but the battle is generally short: he whoslips as he goes down into the Valley of Humiliation, every time he takes afalse step invites Apollyon to assail him. O for grace to walk humbly withour God!
To make sure you never miss an episode, please subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts.
Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen