6 Surely he shall not be
moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He
shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
(Psalms 112:6-7)
The
Seventh Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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ORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things;
Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish
us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
opening of the Collect (using Gelasius translation) formerly used the
honorific: "O Lord of Host" as its introductory opening; however,
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer referenced the Lord as described in James 1:17 -
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning."
This
Collect asks four things of God which we are incapable of doing ourselves: 1)
"Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name"; 2) "increase
in us true religion"; 3) "nourish us with all goodness";
and, 4) "keep us". We can neither receive, nor retain,
the love of God's name without the efficacious working of the Holy Spirit
therein. We are helpless to supply a thing of which we can claim no ownership.
The love that permeates our hearts is from the overflowing Fountain and Source of
Love which is in God through Jesus Christ. Like our bodies, we cannot add a
single inch to the stature of our spirits and souls. All of the increase we
enjoy in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding comes from that same Source from
which the Love of God overflows. Our nourishment is forever from God if it is
wholesome and good. We daily partake of the Bread of Heaven given by that Giver
of all good things found in the Word of God which is preserved for us as a gift
to all who believe. Who is our Keeper? Why, it is the Lord Himself. He is our
Good Shepherd to keep us in the good way. He is the Rock of our Salvation to
keep us from drifting. He is the Ark into which we flee for salvation in the
day of ruin. And He is much more…so much more that we cannot mention all in the
scope of a short devotion. Since He is the Word in total, He is also the Author
and Giver of Life itself, and the Preserver of Life in Love.
6 Surely
he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting
remembrance. The righteous of the Lord are steady as a well-steered
ocean vessel on the seas of life. The Captain knows well the course, and His
Compass is true to the North Throne of God. Those who are everlastingly
`remembered' by God cannot be moved from that faith and grace which has saved
them, and preserved them.
7 He
shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
The immovable North Star has long been used by seafaring vessels as a constant
reference and guide across the vast oceans. The navigation of the vessel is
based on clear vision and physical sight; but there is a means by which the
soul of the Christian may be guided in both light and darkness by means of an
indwelling compass of the heart. That compass is the Holy Ghost. Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
I hope
you will remember the immortal lines of a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins, titled
GOD KNOWS:
And I said to the man who stood at the
gate of the year:
"Give me a light that I may
tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied:
"Go out into the darkness and put
your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way."
So I went forth, and finding the Hand
of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the
breaking of day in the lone East.
As an
illustration of the unseen change in the character of the heart of a Christian
when they have received Christ as Lord, I took a metal rod of 36 inch length
and oriented it to magnetic north. I also deviated the point to align with the
magnetic axis of the earth at the 30 degree parallel. I struck the rod sharply
with a hammer. The rod became sufficiently magnetized to attract the needle of
the compass to a far greater extent than previous to being so stricken. The
object was to demonstrate that there is a fundamental change in the nature of
the heart when God comes in through faith and the grace of Christ. Though it is
composed of the same cell tissue, it has a different nature following such an
experience. I also took metals of various elements and scattered on a table.
Those made of iron were attracted immediately to a strong magnet I swung over
the table. Those metals of copper and lead remained unmoved. God recognizes His
own nature in the natures of the hearts that have been `magnetized' by His
Love.
A
sailing vessel may be many hundreds of tons. It may carry a large cargo and
take on a great draught of water. It's sails are extremely important for they
provide the vessel with the means of movement based on prevailing winds. When
errors in navigation are discovered, the sails, like our motivations, can be
adjusted to correct to a right course. The ship's structure is also vitally
important. It must be made of sturdy materials and its design commensurate to
cutting through the blasts and billows of the storm.
But
there is one device on the ship that is of far greater importance than the
quality of canvas comprising the sails, or the species of timber defining its
hull. That device is the magnetic compass. Though the captain of the vessel may
use a sextant under clear skies for navigation, it is worthless under a cloudy
sky. But the magnetic compass performs under every condition of weather or
light. It may temporarily deviate when attracted by a large mass of metal on a
passing ship, or by the electrifying impulses of the lightning from a storm,
but it will always move back to magnetic north. That magnetic compass is so
very similar to our Conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit, with which God has
equipped us. It may be attracted temporarily to the passing things of this
world; or it may deviate from true course briefly in the storms of life; but it
will always return to its true reading and point the way to safe harbor of the
soul.
When
our hearts are fixed and trusting in the Lord, we may waver at moments of
temptation. But that will only be a rare and temporary deviation. Our
hearts, as did David's and Peter's, return to the true course of our love and
safety in Christ. A heart whose foundation is that Rock of Christ is stayed and
immovable. It may shake with the blast of ill winds against its walls, but it
is fixed in place and cannot be moved. Do you have such a heart, reader?
