THE RECOVERY OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Text: "O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever. Psalm 30:12

One of the bitterest lessons we have to learn is the instability of the heart of man. We then turn to God and find in Him our Light, our Life, our Joy and Salvation for He only is the Rock which never can be shaken.

The joy of salvation sets us free from many chains. The chains of sin, of sorrow, of death, despair, despondency. We are conscious of having been lifted up and experience being seated with Christ in heavenly places according to the promise and purpose of God. We say in our hearts, "This is life – real life – a grand life". We feel exalted and no longer bound by earthly ties. Heaven is our home and we love it. How long this exhilarating experience lasts varies. Some Christians seem to enjoy it perpetually; others for a considerable length of time; others some for just a few weeks. But it’s a grand experience and a time of strengthening and joyfulness. The test comes later.

Now God does not test us to break us. He tests us to use us. We cannot look upon this from the human standpoint and say, "We’ll test this piece and see how much it will stand and then we shall know how much another piece will bear". No; that would not do. The burden of Abraham was not the burden of Job. The strength of David was greater than that of all his enemies yet his weakness was not manifested in them. Why did God allow Job to be tested? HE KNEW JOB WOULD STAND THE TEST and come out of it a better man. That was the purpose of it. But supposing Job had failed? God knew he would not fail. He allowed Job to be tested only to the point which Job could bear and which would be to his enrichment. And he was enriched.

It looked as though Job had lost everything. Position, power, plenteousnes. He lost his children, he lost his wealth, his wife was no help to him and he lost his health. He lost everything except his faith in God. And in losing he lost his pride!

Now Job was a good man. God said so; but something imperfect was found in Job and God determined to rid him of it. The higher a man rises in the Christian elevation the less obvious the secret sin; and when he does fall – to get rid of that sin – he falls more heavily. All sin is sin. The lie is as much a sin as theft or adultery. And pride is one of the chief causes of disaster.

When Pride comes in, believe me, the subsequent fall will prove violent. Only a violent fall can remove Pride for the so-called "lesser sins" are hidden beneath the cloak of righteousness which Pride has spun. Job lost all. But when the whole matter was considered and the troublesome thing removed – what do we find? Why, GOD GAVE HIM TWICE AS MUCH AS HE HAD BEFORE. He recovered all – and more. And above all that he had a new experience of God! "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee". What a privilege! Yes; but what a price! Was it worth it? Certainly!

It did seem poor old Job was cut off from God and his prosperity a thing of the past. But he not only recovered his material wealth, position and power, he recovered also his health and lived to a good old age seeing his children’s children to FOUR GENERATIONS – after a fresh start, too! Truly "the years that the locusts had eaten" were fully restored! Yes, for now Job knew God as he had never known Him before – a righteous God Who pardons and RESTORES!

David knew this experience. Peter knew it. Who can claim to be spared? And in the psalm from which the text for this message is taken David recounts the blessings of recovery. We will go through the psalm together briefly touching on each part.

1. I will extol Thee O Lord; for Thou has lifted me up, and not made my foes to rejoice over me". He was DIVINELY VICTORIOUS. He prevailed over His enemies, not in his own strength but by the Power of God!
2. O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee and Thou hast healed me. He was DIVINELY HEALED. Wounded spirits, souls and bodies respond to His healing touch. How precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of His saints. How jealously he guards them while they live on earth, and will keep them ever after. Not one shall be lost.

3. O Lord Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit. The burdened soul, the bruised body, the broken heart, the stricken spirit, all respond to his tender touch. Behold, Thou hast heard me and hast strengthened me!

Thus David gives encouragement for he himself has been encouraged by the Lord. So we come to the second part of the psalm.

4. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. We weep and lament because of our sins or by reason of persecution, but when the Lord sets us free our mouths are filled with laughter and we sing aloud for joy. O sing unto the Lord for He is gracious and His mercy endureth for ever!
5. For His anger … a moment! In His favour – life!: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning! His anger – a moment! How swift He is to pardon. His favour? Eternal! O wondrous love of God. The period of darkness and distress always seems longer than the time of song and laughter, but the night passes, and soon shall dawn that everlasting Day when sorrow and sighing shall flee away and we shall be with Him for ever more! O come, Lord Jesus, come!
6. In my prosperity I said, I shall never be removed. David is wise. He considered the cause of his troubles and perceived it was not in God nor in his surroundings, but in his own stupid heart. The subtle sin of pride had taken toll. The saint who thinks he can never fall should take heed! Lucifer’s flight of pride ended in descent to the pit! Let him who thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall! Follow humility, follow Christ, and then you shall not fall.

7. ( Please read it). Having realised his folly he realised also that the deliverance from destruction was due entirely to the grace of God. "Lord by thy favour THOU hast made my mountain to stand strong". It is good to remember when everything around goes toppling down that "underneath are the Everlasting Arms". And we need them!

In verses 8-10 David declares his hope and confidence are assuredly in the Lord. Not in his own worthiness but in the wonderful Lord of Life. And so we reach the Triumphant Cry: (v.11)

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing.

Thou hast put off my sackcloth.

Thou hast girded me with gladness.

O it is wonderful to be cleansed from all sin by the power of God. To be plunged into the fountain of Jesus’ Precious Blood, to be lifted out again by His Almighty hands, purged, purified and perfected; and to see the soiled clothes cast behind His back whilst we are clothed by Him with the garments of His righteousness. Wondrous Grace! Wondrous Love! O Mercy great and free!

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven!

Who like me His praise will sing?

David sang! We all may sing, if we put our whole trust in God.

The soul that is exercised by God endures sorrowing and chastening, but AFTERWARDS it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who are exercised thereby.

Beloved of the Lord, God does not want you to be unhappy. He foresaw your folly; He knew it would happen. Of course you grieved Him when you sinned – didn’t David? Didn’t Peter? – and they were restored. You grieved Him then, but you will grieve Him far more if you refuse His pardon and peace. As long as you fret you deny His faithfulness. As long as you weep you deny His justice. Do you not remember what John wrote? "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. BUT, if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness". I believe that with all my heart and I know it is true.

So may you. Only believe GOD; and your joy will be restored, your spiritual life will not be impaired, your value to God in no wise diminished; nay, rather, you will be enriched beyond all expectations and God will be enriched in you.

New Series No.24 Issued 25.11.49. Leslie Barrowcliff.

"I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" Thus saith the Lord in Jeremiah 31.3.