Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
At the outset, here is THE BELIEVER’S VIEW OF HIS AFFLICTIONS. “The Lord has chastened me sore.”
On the surface of the words we see the good man’s clear observation that his afflictions came from God. It is true he perceived the secondary hand, for he says, “You have thrust sore at me that I might fall.” There was one at work who aimed to make him fall. His afflictions were the work of a cruel enemy. Yes, but that enemy’s assaults were being overruled by the Lord and were made to work for his good, so David, in the present verse, corrects himself by saying, “The Lord has chastened me sore. My enemy struck at me that he might make me fall, but in very truth my gracious God was using him to chasten me that I might not fall. The enemy was moved by malice, but God was working by him in love to my soul. The second agent sought my ruin, but the Great First Cause worked my education and establishment.” ...
For more, see C. H. Spurgeon on our tribulations coming from the Lord.
On the surface of the words we see the good man’s clear observation that his afflictions came from God. It is true he perceived the secondary hand, for he says, “You have thrust sore at me that I might fall.” There was one at work who aimed to make him fall. His afflictions were the work of a cruel enemy. Yes, but that enemy’s assaults were being overruled by the Lord and were made to work for his good, so David, in the present verse, corrects himself by saying, “The Lord has chastened me sore. My enemy struck at me that he might make me fall, but in very truth my gracious God was using him to chasten me that I might not fall. The enemy was moved by malice, but God was working by him in love to my soul. The second agent sought my ruin, but the Great First Cause worked my education and establishment.” ...
For more, see C. H. Spurgeon on our tribulations coming from the Lord.
