There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Elon Musk called out the lack of legacy media coverage on the crisis at the southern border which will see more than 2 million illegal crossings at the southwest border for the seconds straight year.
“Strange that there is almost no legacy media coverage of this,” the X CEO wrote on his account.
“About 2 million people – from every country on Earth – are entering through the US southern border every year. The number is rising rapidly, yet no preventive action is taken by the current administration,” he added.
Musk was quoting a post by Fox News’ Bill Melugin, who called the situation “a total free for all in Eagle Pass,” Texas.
Strange that there is almost no legacy media coverage of this.\n\nAbout 2 million people \u2013 from every country on Earth \u2013 are entering through the US southern border every year.\n\nThe number is rising rapidly, yet no preventive action is taken by the current administration.
Musk’s remarks came as that same town, Eagle Pass, has declared a state of emergency amid surging border crossings. Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. issued the emergency declaration over what he called a “severe undocumented immigrant surge.”
New York City has also spiraled out of control from the influx of illegal immigrants for months, with countless protests and even citizens attempting to stop busses filled with immigrants from entering their neighborhoods.
The city plans to cut upwards of 15% of its budget along with overtime for its city services in order to pay for all the new illegal residents.
With southwest land border encounters topping 2.3 million in fiscal year 2022, the encounters for 2023 look to approximately match that number, if not exceed it, having reached 1.973 million in 10 months.
President Trump’s last year in office (2020) finished with just 458,088 encounters at the southwest border but that number was nearly quadrupled in President Biden’s first year in office with more than 1.7 million.
In Arizona, literal open flood gates have allowed for migrants to pass through without any sort of encounter with law enforcement.
“No department in the Biden regime is actually for Americans. They are about as un-American as you can get, including not wanting to protect our sovereignty and our border,” BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales said.
Gonzales also commented on water buoys that Texas Governor Greg Abbott put in place to deter illegal crossings:
“You want to open the door and welcome them right in as soon as they get across the border? Fine. But we’re going to at least try to put something in the way of that happening because it turns out, that’s not actually a good strategy. That’s not actually a good policy, and we’d like to change that. But the DOJ says no, we’re just going to sue you,” she added.
‘Mornings with Maria’ host Maria Bartiromo reacts to Kamala Harris’ comments connecting ‘climate anxiety’ and homebuying trends and discusses the impact of Biden’s economic policies. #foxnews
On Thursday’s “Newsline,” NEWSMAX host Eric Bolling comments on Rupert Murdoch stepping down as Chairman of News Corporation as his son Lachlan takes over. Watch NEWSMAX, an independent news network with a conservative perspective, available in 100M+ U.S. homes.
More than 160 Australian scientists and professionals have signed a 1,609-strong declaration stating that there is no climate emergency.
Scientists and professionals from approximately 59 countries signed The World Climate Declaration, backed by the independent climate change and policy foundation Climate Intelligence (CLINTEL).
CLINTEL’s purpose is to function as an umpire between science and politics, truth and fiction (see here, here, here and here).
As an independent “climate watchdog”, the foundation aims to cut through propaganda by speaking “objectively and transparently.”
Through stimulating public debate, CLINTEL says its goal is to reign in climate change ‘assumptions and predictions,’ which are increasingly being used to justify unnecessarily destructive climate policies.
Two pages long, the There is No Climate Emergency (TNCE) declaration argues for a separation between science and the state.
“Climate science should be less political, while climate policies should be more scientific,” with scientists being free to raise questions about “uncertainties and exaggerations.”
Politicians play a role in “counting the real costs – as well as the imagined benefits” of all climate policies.
For example, doing actual science vs. name-dropping selective facts for whatever politically expedient profit can be mined from damaging catastrophic climate change policies.
“To believe the outcome of a climate model is to believe what the model makers have put in,” said the 1,600.
“Climate science has degenerated into a discussion based on beliefs, not on sound self-critical science.”
The document then asks, “Should we not free ourselves from the naive belief in immature climate models?”
Simple Logic
Six simply stated points make up the majority of the content.
This begins with an acknowledgement that “natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming.”
For instance, Earth’s “climate varies, with natural cold and warm phases.”
Since “the Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. It’s no surprise that we are now experiencing a period of warming.”
Second, the TNCE declares that this “warming phase is far slower than predicted.”
This discrepancy “between the real world and the modelled world tells us that we are far from understanding climate change.”
Third, “climate models are inadequate.” They’re flawed. “They exaggerate and ignore how enriching the atmosphere with carbon dioxide is beneficial.”
Fourth, Net Zero is zero life.
“Carbon dioxide is plant food, and the basis of all life on earth. It is not a pollutant.”
Fifth, ditch the hype. This period of warming is not responsible for more intense natural disasters. On the flip side, there is “ample evidence to prove that mitigation of CO2 – ‘climate justice policy measures’ – are as damaging as they are costly.”
Finally, “there is no climate emergency.”
“There is no cause for panic and alarm,” the 1,609-strong science declaration reads.
As such, “we strongly oppose the harmful and unrealistic net-zero CO2 policy proposed for 2050.”
Concluding, the 1,600 added, “Our advice to European leaders is that science should strive for a significantly better understanding of the climate system.”
“Politics should focus on minimising potential climate damage by prioritising adaptation strategies based on proven and affordable technologies.” (PDF)
Media Distortions
The declaration punches hard. It’s far from a definitive list of dissenters.
Absentees included Jo Nova, Stuart Kirk, Judith Curry, and Obama White House Undersecretary for Science, Steven E. Koonin.
Where CLINTEL’s declaration simplifies the dissenters’ position, Koonin’s 2021 book Unsettled makes the wider case and is worth reading.
“There’s much more to the story of global temperature change than ‘humans are warming the earth,’” he says. (p. 26)
“Climate is not weather; it’s an average of weather over a long period of time. Thus, there is a difference between climate change and a changing climate,” Koonin explains. (pp. 27 & 31)
He then adds,
“Human influences on the climate currently amount to only 1% of the energy that flows through the climate system. Understanding the 1%’s relationship to the other 99% of natural causes is messy, and complex.” (pp.58-59)
This is because ‘the earth breathes… the climate is quite capable of varying without any help from humans. Ergo, estimating human influences is a highly uncertain business.’ (pp. 64, 70 & 71)
Koonin calls ‘the notion of predicting the climate decades into the future a fantasy.’
He also describes climate modelling as a “jarring failure” because of tampering with the data, and the “chaotic uncertainty” of the weather.
Any consensus – or settled science – is the result of this modelling being “somewhat tuned (the climate consensus books are cooked),” Koonin argues. (pp. 87 & 93)
Further, “the media are garbling the message.”
There has been a hijacking of the science, where “cherry-picked data,” is used to mould, and shape policies via “popular perception.”
The science is not being correctly portrayed to the public.
They get “misinformation”, “contrived analysis, misrepresentation of the results, failure of review processes, and media exaggeration such as ‘record temperatures.’” (pp. 100 & 109)
Fostered by headlines like “Daily Temperature records run rampant as the globe roasts!” which “are simply incorrect!” Koonin exclaims. (ibid.)
“Record daily high temperatures are no more frequent than they were a century ago,” he said.
It is the same with hurricanes in the United States, “the media using them as examples of the ravages of human-caused climate change is, plainly dishonest.” (p. 121)
Koonin’s assertions smash any accusation that CLINTEL is a bunch of “climate-denying right-wing extremists.”
CLINTEL’s arguments are also supported by Robert Kennedy Jr.
Although not a part of the There is no climate emergency declaration, the 2024 rogue Democrat presidential candidate wrote on X in July, “Climate change is being used to control us through fear.
“Freedom and free markets are a much better way to stop pollution,” RFKJ added.
“Polluters make themselves rich by making the public pay for the damage they do. You show me a polluter, I’ll show you a fat cat using political clout to escape the discipline of the free market.”
Climate change is being used to control us through fear. Freedom and free markets are a much better way to stop pollution. Polluters make themselves rich by making the public pay for the damage they do. You show me a polluter, I’ll show you a fat cat using political clout to… pic.twitter.com/CmRywROxbf
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 13, 2023
‘It was a militarized and monetized response. It was a pretense for clamping down totalitarian controls,’ RFK, Jr. told Russell Brand. ‘And the weird thing about the pandemic was this constant involvement by the CIA, the intelligence agencies, and the military.’
The Clinton Foundation put its annual “Clinton Global Initiative” on a hiatus for a few years when their relevance ebbed and fundraising dried up, but their scandal-plagued charity has returned with a plan to provide humanitarian relief to warn-torn Ukraine, complete with a benediction from Pope Francis.
According to a source within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has no cohesive enforcement strategy to address the border incursion of more than 2,500 migrants into one Texas border town on Wednesday. The source, not authorized to speak to the media, told Breitbart Texas every Border Patrol station in the region is beyond capacity. The only instructions received from DHS is to quickly process and release the mostly Venezuelan migrants who made landfall in Eagle Pass to a non-government shelter.
Destroyed US Bradleys and German Leopard tanks in July
Writing in Newsweek magazine, Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, Senior Fellow at Defense Priorities think tank, acknowledged what Gateway Pundit has been reporting for months: That Ukraine’s “summer offensive” is “producing little to no meaningful progress toward the objective of evicting Russia from Ukraine’s territory,” even as “American politicians, generals, and pundits continue advocating for open-ended support to Kyiv in their war against Russia.”
It was not clear why anyone would want to “Hide the Truth” about the US taxpayer-funded border dispute in distant Eastern Europe.
“Despite great hopes for a rapid success, Ukraine’s months-in-the-making offensive has sputtered from the outset”, Davis writes, noting that “That shouldn’t have surprised anyone in the White House.”
Two months before the start of the offensive, Davis warned that “Zelensky’s troops—with little to no air power and a dearth in artillery ammunition—could suffer egregious casualties while gaining little,” he says. “Five days later, The Washington Post revealed the contents of a leaked Top Secret U.S. intelligence assessment which likewise predicted the Ukrainian offensive would probably fall ‘well short’ of expectations, and that ‘enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive.’”
To succeed, Davis explained, Ukraine would “have to conduct the most difficult task in modern land warfare: a combined arms operation into the teeth of a dug-in enemy force that is prepared for an attack,” complicated by the shortage of artillery ammunition along with “limited airpower and minimal air defense. “Nevertheless, on the eve of battle, some Western analysts remained optimistic.”
Once Ukraine’s “spring offensive” began on June 5, Davis writes, “that optimism quickly evaporated. In the first two weeks of the fighting, Ukraine’s spearhead brigades suffered massive losses in armor and personnel while capturing virtually no territory. By the end of the third week, they had lost an estimated fifth of their strike force, requiring Ukraine to dramatically change tactics.”
“Instead of leading with tanks and other armored vehicles (which were predictably getting chewed up in minefields and by Russian anti-tank missiles and artillery shells),” he noted, “Ukraine moved to an infantry-centric attack system.”
While this change did result in some small advances on the battlefield, “the cost was exorbitant,” Davis writes. “On Aug. 29, the BBC reported that new leaked reports suggested Ukrainian battle deaths exploded since the offensive started. Whereas Ukraine was reported to have lost 17,500 troops in the first year of the war, it is presently assessed to have lost a breathtakingly high 50,000 additional deaths, for a total of 70,000 dead and 120,000 wounded.”
Observers including Col. Douglas MacGregor and Robert F. Kennedy claimed Ukraine had lost approx. 350,000 men even before the start of the offensive. On Sept. 5, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukraine had lost 66,000 men since the start of its counter-offensive June 4. Since then, according to the Russian figures, Ukraine has lost another 9,000 casualties in the counter-offensive, putting the total casualties at 75,000.
“If it wasn’t clear to Washington before the offensive started that the fundamentals of combat operations and principles of war indicated Ukraine would likely fail, it should now be crystal clear,” Davis writes “Although Ukraine appears to have finally penetrated the first line of Russia’s main defense, the most difficult part of Russia’s defensive system has yet to be overcome: the hundreds of kilometers of dragon’s teeth, tank ditches, and yet more vast minefields. It is unclear at this point whether Ukraine has enough striking power remaining in its offensive forces to reach, much less penetrate, Russia’s second main line—beyond which is a third main line followed by a fortress-defense at Tokmak, which is still 75 road kilometers from the Azov coast.”
Given these realities, Davis notes, “The best Ukraine can likely do for the rest of the year is to hold what they have and prevent the possibility of losing more territory to a potential Russian counteroffensive this fall.”
He states the US leadership “would be wise to adjust its policies to reflect the reality of Ukraine’s slim chances against Russia’s fortified lines. Washington has spent nearly $113 billion over the course of this war, provided Ukraine with an astounding volume of modern arms and ammunition, and delivered an impressive array of training and intelligence support. After almost a year of preparation, it hardly dented the Russian lines.”
“There is no realistic basis, therefore, to believe that Ukraine has the capacity to attain its stated strategic objective to reclaim all its territory, including Crimea,” Davis states. “What is realistic is to continue providing Kyiv with the military wherewithal to defend itself from further Russian incursions. This goal should be combined with shifting an increasing percentage of the burden for additional arms and ammunition to our rich European friends. The U.S. should continue to ensure the war does not expand beyond the borders of Ukraine, and increase diplomatic efforts with all relevant parties to end the war on the best terms possible for Kyiv—all of which are beneficial to American interests.”
“Rather than repeating over the next year and a half what has already not worked—potentially costing Ukraine yet additional hundreds of thousands of losses—it’s time to try something that has a chance to succeed. In other words, it’s time to acknowledge objective reality and employ policies that can work,” Davis concludes.
On Thursday’s “National Report,” Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany takes issue with the testimony of Attorney General Merrick Garland and why the Department of Justice is letting down the American people. Watch NEWSMAX, an independent news network with a conservative perspective, available in 100M+ U.S. homes.
Dan Schneider is the Vice President of Free Speech America, Media Research Center (MRC) Business, and the External Affairs division. He previously served as the executive director of the American Conservative Union. His work in government has included roles in the White House, executive branch agencies, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives.
As the cost of living continues to rise in America, many families are struggling to make ends meet.
Inflation and wage stagnation have made it increasingly difficult for everyday Americans to keep up with the rising costs of necessities, such as housing, gas, health care and food. The severity of this issue is affecting millions of hardworking Americans looking for relief amid economic uncertainty.
“Over the last three decades, American families have experienced a rise in the costs of many necessities that has made it difficult for them to attain economic security,” said a 2021 brief by the Council of Economic Advisers. “Researchers estimate, for example, that 80% of families saw the share of budgets dedicated to spending on needs such as housing and health care increase by more than 7 percentage points between 1984 and 2014, potentially crowding out spending on other categories, like leisure, longer-term investments in education, and saving for retirement.”
Inflation has also played a significant role in the rising cost of living. In July, consumer prices were 3.2% higher than the year before. This has increased the cost of goods and services, making it more difficult for families to afford their basic needs.
Wage stagnation has further compounded this issue.
“Since the early 1970s, the hourly inflation-adjusted wages received by the typical worker have barely risen, growing only 0.2 percent per year,” according to a 2017 Harvard Business Review report. This means that while the cost of living has continued to rise, wages have not kept pace, leaving many families struggling to make ends meet, and it’s even worse for those who live in large cities.
The impact of these economic trends on everyday Americans cannot be overstated. A recent Primerica survey found that three-quarters of middle-income Americans said their earnings aren’t enough to pay for their cost of living. Many are cutting back on expenses, such as restaurants and takeout meals, while others are skipping upgrades to their phones and other technology because of inflation.
The rising cost of living affects millions of Americans, making it increasingly difficult for them to attain economic security. It is time for policymakers to take action to address this issue and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to thrive.
The burden of the rising cost of living falls disproportionately on vulnerable populations. Low-income families, in particular, are grappling with the harsh reality of choosing between essentials, such as rent and health care. The lack of affordable housing options and the soaring costs of medical treatment have turned these decisions into impossible dilemmas.
Children growing up in such circumstances often face limited access to proper nutrition and quality education, hampering their chances of breaking the cycle of poverty, and often leading to a life of drugs, crime or a combination of both.
However, it’s not just younger Americans who are feeling the wrath of today’s cost of living; it’s also our nation’s senior citizens on fixed incomes. Today’s seniors are finding it increasingly challenging to cover their medical expenses and maintain a decent standard of living, eroding their retirement savings at an alarming rate.
The geographical disparities in the cost of living further exacerbate the issue. While inflation and stagnant wages affect everyone, those living in metropolitan areas face even greater financial strains due to the inflated costs of housing, transportation and other necessities. The dream of city life, once synonymous with opportunities and advancement, is now accompanied by the harsh reality of financial stress and the constant struggle to make ends meet.
This phenomenon also has wider societal implications, as the diversity and dynamism that urban areas bring to the cultural landscape are threatened when only a privileged few can afford to partake in them fully.
The current state of affairs demands a multifaceted approach from policymakers, community leaders and businesses alike. Policies aimed at boosting affordable housing initiatives, wages that keep pace with inflation, and health care can significantly alleviate the challenges faced by American families. Investments in education and workforce development are equally crucial, as they empower individuals with the skills needed to secure higher-paying jobs and navigate the evolving economic landscape.
Additionally, fostering an environment that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation can create new avenues for economic growth and job creation, potentially counteracting some of the negative effects of the rising cost of living.
The rising cost of living is a pressing concern that demands immediate attention. It is a multifaceted issue rooted in factors such as inflation, wage stagnation and the lack of affordable resources. The impact is far-reaching, affecting families across income levels and geographical locations. Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive approach that includes policy reforms, investments in education and health care, and efforts to stimulate economic growth.
By working collectively toward a more equitable and sustainable economic landscape, America can ensure that all its citizens have the opportunity to thrive and lead dignified lives.
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Pastor, teacher, bible scholar Andy Woods returns to Stand Up to chat about the coming tyrannical kingdom of Antichrist. It’s amazing to see on paper how far advanced is the construction of a global everything, and how close we actually may be to the hour that is to try all those who dwell upon the earth, as described in the book of Revelation. Of course Israel is the timeclock and we will talk about how the west seems to be working overtime to pressure Israel on many fronts. Also discussed is the Third Temple, Gog and Magog, and more levels of control in the US over her citizens. Dr. Woods’ books include “Middle East Meltdown” and Babylon: “The Bookends of Prophetic History”; his weekly “Pastors Point of View” updates can be found on YouTube.
Watch Stand Up For The Truth in VIDEO FORM on our YouTube Channel!
She<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f1-1" title="The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>1
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; 3 your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. 4 Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers.
Others
We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.
She
5 I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. 6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept! 7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, where you make it lie down at noon; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions?
Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other
He
8 If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the tracks of the flock, and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents. 9 I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. 10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
12 While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance. 13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts. 14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi.
He
15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.
She
16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful. Our couch is green; 17 the beams of our house are cedar; our rafters are pine. 2 I am a rose<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f3-1" title="Probably a bulb, such as a crocus, asphodel, or narcissus” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>3of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
He
2 As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.
She
3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting house,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f4-1" title="Hebrew <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f4-1" title="the<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f4-1" title=" house of wine<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f4-1" title="” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>4 and his banner over me was love. 5 Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me! 7 I adjure you,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f5-1" title="That is, <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f5-1" title="I<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f5-1" title=" put you on oath; so throughout the Song” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>5O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.
The Bride Adores Her Beloved
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. 9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice. 10 My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, 11 for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f6-1" title="Or <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f6-1" title="pruning<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f6-1" title="” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>6has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. 14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. 15 Catch the foxes<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f7-1" title="Or <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f7-1" title="jackals<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f7-1" title="” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>7for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f8-1" title="Or <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f8-1" title="he<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f8-1" title=" pastures his flock<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f8-1" title="” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>8among the lilies. 17 Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on cleft mountains.<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f9-1" title="Or <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f9-1" title="mountains of Bether<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f9-1" title="” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>9
The Bride’s Dream
3 On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not. 2 I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not. 3 The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” 4 Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.
Solomon Arrives for the Wedding
6 What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant? 7 Behold, it is the litter<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f10-1" title="That is, <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f10-1" title="the<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f10-1" title=" couch on which servants carry a king” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>10of Solomon! Around it are sixty mighty men, some of the mighty men of Israel, 8 all of them wearing swords and expert in war, each with his sword at his thigh, against terror by night. 9 King Solomon made himself a carriage<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f11-1" title="Or <a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f11-1" title="sedan chair<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f11-1" title="” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>11 from the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple; its interior was inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look upon King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart.
12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,<a href="https://www.esv.org/plans/through-the-bible/264/#f1-1" title="Or hears from me, even because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited” style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-touch-callout: default; -webkit-user-select: text; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.38); color: inherit; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration: none”>1a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.9 But he said to me,“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Concern for the Corinthian Church
11 I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing.12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.13 For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!
14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.15 I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?16 But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit.17 Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you?18 I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?
19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved.20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.
27:14 Waiting for the Lord is an abbreviated way to express waiting for an answer to prayer. Rather than taking matters into their own hands, the people of God should wait patiently for the Lord’s response (37:7; 40:1; Pr 20:22).[1]
27:14 Wait for the Lord. His counsel is, “In the midst of present trouble, do not give up; give God time to answer.”[2]
27:14Wait for Yahweh Describes eager hope and expectation for deliverance (Gen 49:18; Isa 8:17; Isa 40:31). Those who wait on Yahweh can expect Him to fulfill their hope (Psa 25:3).[3]
27:14 To wait for the Lord is to look to him with dependence and trust, not passivity; this is what enables one to be strong and courageous (cf. Deut. 31:6).[4]
27:14 Wait … wait. This particular word for waiting connotes either a tense or eager and patient anticipation of the Lord (cf. Pss 37:34; 40:1).[5]
Ps. 27:14
Life is full of choices, and if we want to make the right choices—those that glorify God and benefit us and others—we need God’s guidance. All of us will eventually come to places and times when we will desperately need God’s guidance. How can believers find that guidance? Seven words may help.
1. Cleansing. We need to ask, “Is anything in my life hindering me from hearing what You are saying? If so, what is it?” Cleansing comes by confession (1 John 1:9).
2. Surrendering. Submitting to the will of God is both a humbling and an uplifting experience (1 Pet. 5:6).
3. Asking. God promises that when we ask according to His will, He hears us. And when we know that He hears us, we know He has answered (1 John 5:14, 15)—even though the answer may come over a long period of time.
4. Meditating. God promises that His Word will be a light to our paths (Ps. 119:105), so the more we think about His Word, the clearer our path will become.
5. Believing. In Mark’s Gospel, we learn that when we ask, we must believe He is going to give us what we have requested (Mark 11:22–24).
6. Waiting. God promises that He acts on our behalf when we wait for Him (Is. 64:4). If we want to, we can run ahead of Him, dash in and try to fix things on our own, or manipulate circumstances. If we wait on the Lord, then our sovereign, divine, omnipotent God will act on our behalf. It’s our choice.
7. Receiving. When we obediently seek the will of God, we can be sure that He’ll hear us and give us the wisdom we need to make the right life choices (Matt. 7:7, 8; James 1:5).
You will find great peace and confidence in knowing that you are making choices based on God’s guidance. Perhaps no one else will understand or agree with your decision—but you will have heard from the One who matters the most.[6]
27:14 To wait on the Lord is to demonstrate confident expectation. The Hebrew word for wait may also be translated “hope.” To hope in God is to wait for His timing and His action (40:1; Is. 40:31).[7]
27:14 But how about the last verse of the Psalm? How does it fit into our interpretation? Well, I like to think that this verse is His parting word to each of us—a little personal advice from heaven based on the Lord’s own experiences in trusting His Father.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
14. “Wait on the Lord.” Wait at his door with prayer; wait at his foot with humility; wait at his table with service; wait at his window with expectancy. Suitors often win nothing but the cold shoulder from earthly patrons after long and obsequious waiting; he speeds best whose patron is in the skies. “Be of good courage.” A soldier’s motto. Be it mine. Courage we shall need, and for the exercise of it we have as much reason as necessity, if we are soldiers of King Jesus. “And he shall strengthen thine heart.” He can lay the plaister right upon the weak place. Let the heart be strengthened, and the whole machine of humanity is filled with power; a strong heart makes a strong arm. What strength is this which God himself gives to the heart? Read the “Book of Martyrs,” and see its glorious deeds of prowess; go to God rather, and get such power thyself. “Wait, I say, on the Lord.” David, in the words “I say,” sets his own private seal to the word which, as an inspired man, he had been moved to write. It is his testimony as well as the command of God, and indeed he who writes these scanty notes has himself found it so sweet, so reviving, so profitable to draw near to God, that on his own account he also feels bound to write, “Wait, I say, on the Lord.”[9]
Ver. 14. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.—The Christian’s strength:—
The Church of God has often been in a low, languishing, and, to all human appearance, in a desperate condition; yet one thing, as Solomon says, is set against another, and it has been at such times that His people have realized most fully the comforts of His providence and gracious presence. These stars shine brightest in dark winter nights. How wonderful have been God’s deliverances of His people. The Bible is full of such records. And during their trials God does not leave His people comfortless. See this psalm. David here gives his own experience, and he bids us “wait on the Lord.” Note—
I. How we are to wait on God.
1. In His ordinances. Where did Simeon and Anna wait? Where did Joseph and Mary find Jesus when they had lost Him? He was surprised that they had not thought of the temple, where after three days they found Him. The first place they should have sought Him in was the last they thought of. Nowhere is the sinner more likely, or so likely, to find Him as where the crowd is met and the cross is raised—in His Father’s house. Besides the public ordinances of religion, such as the communion table and Sabbath services, in the use of which we are to wait upon the Lord, there are other means of grace at our service; and still more fully within our reach. The communion table is but occasionally spread, and the doors of the church may be thrown open only once a week; but the pages of the Bible are always open, and the gates of prayer, like those of heaven, are never shut. And we are to wait with faith and perseverance. The farmer sows in faith that the harvest season will come, he waits and works for it. Far away from the billows that are breaking out on the sandy shore, the vessel lies upon the beach, doomed as it would seem to rot; why then do men climb her shrouds, and man the yards, and shake out broad sheets of canvas, and loose her moorings, to catch the breeze and bear away across the deep? Theirs are acts of faith; they believe in the law of tides, and that, every billow breaking nearer and nearer, the waters at length shall wash her keel, and, rising on her sides, float her off the sands—they wait and work for that.
II. They that wait on the Lord shall receive strength. Thus God shall make good His promise, “As thy days are, so shall thy strength be.” Why, then, it may be asked, do men go from the house of God and from a communion table to be worsted “as at other times before,” by the devil, the world, and the flesh? Baptize a withering plant with water, and it lifts up its head, casts off the old leaves, and puts out a fresh crop of buds and blossoms. But why, then, are men not always the better for the ordinances of religion? The plant revives. Why not the soul? The answer is not far to seek. The ordinances of religion are compared to wells of water; but then, they are like Jacob’s well. The water lies far below the surface; and to the men of the world, the mere professor of religion who has the name but not the faith of a Christian, we may say, as the woman said to our Lord, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.” Faith is, as it were, the rope, and our souls the vessel which we let down into this well to fill them with living water. But that they do no good to some, forms no reason why we should despise, or neglect ordinances. It is no fault in the bread, that, thrust between a dead man’s teeth, it does not nourish him. The truth is, that we must have spiritual life to get the benefit of religious ordinances. Water will revive a withering, but not a withered plant; wine will restore a dying, but not a dead man. (T. Guthrie, D.D.)
Waiting on the Lord:—
No one could be better qualified than David to offer this counsel. Now to you who are tried by the delay of God’s promises, as David was, we would explain from the text.
I. The remarkableness of waiting upon God. For—
1. He alone can supply our need. “Our expectation is from Him,” whether it be spiritual or temporal deliverance that we desire.
2. He is faithful as well as all powerful.
3. And He knows what is best to be done. He has all wisdom. God sees, as we do not, all the consequences of granting our desires.
II. The necessity of it. There is no alternative for us as believers. God is under necessity to be good, He cannot be otherwise; therefore we are under necessity to wait for Him.
III. The benefit of so waiting. God “will strengthen thine heart.” And that there will be good to us arises from—
1. The fact of Christ’s intercession for us.
2. The Holy Spirit is ever ready to help us. See the experience of Paul when troubled by “the thorn in the flesh.” He waited upon the Lord and he was helped. And so shall it be with us. (Thomas Dale, M.A.)
Waiting on the Lord:—
This waiting on the Lord must be—
I. An humble waiting. Humility is not so much to think meanly of oneself, as not to think of oneself at all. The high places of God are very low. The lowly in heart find Him.
II. A patient waiting. In the midst of trial and opposition we are to wait. Patience is born of storm and disaster. Tribulation worketh patience.
III. A persistent whiting. Patience shines in persistence more than in acquiescence. The Scotch girl’s definition of patience is a true one: “Wait a bit, and dinna weary.” Yet patience does not consist in taking things as they come. It is not non-resisting. God likes to be persistently inquired of. Heaven is taken by violence. Those who will not help themselves will not be helped of Heaven.
IV. An active waiting. Faith without works is dead. Prayer without works is just as dead. The sick man must use the remedy if he would get well. The business man must be fervent in business, the soldier must keep his powder dry. This applies to the work of saving souls. We must use the means within our reach, as well as trust in God. “Wait” is a large word. Take it in its full meaning, and it leaves nothing else for us to do. (Herrick Johnson, D.D.)
The duty of waiting:—
The Christian soldier is long in learning to wait. Marching and countermarching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the willing spirit anxiously desires to serve, but knows not how. Shall it vex itself by despair? fly back in cowardice? turn aside in fear? rush forward in presumption? No; simply wait; but—
I. Wait in prayer. Call upon God; spread the case before Him; tell Him the difficulty; plead His promises.
II. Wait in simplicity of soul. In dilemmas it is sweet to be humble as a child. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our folly, and are willing to be guided by God’s will.
III. Wait in faith. Express unwavering confidence; for unfaithful, untrusting confidence is an insult to the Lord. Believe that though He keeps us tarrying He will come at the right time and will not tarry.
IV. Wait in quiet patience. Not rebelling under the affliction, but blessing God for it; nor murmuring against second causes, as the children of Israel against Moses; nor wishing to go back to the world again; but accepting the case as it stands, and putting it simply and whole-heartedly into the hands of our covenant God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Brave waiting:—
There are two perils to which Christians are exposed; the one is that under heavy pressure they should start away from the path which they ought to pursue,—the other is lest they should grow fearful of failure, and so become faint-hearted in their holy course. Both these dangers had evidently occurred to David, and in the text he is led by the Holy Spirit to speak about them. “Do not,” he seems to say, “do not think that you are mistaken in keeping to the way of faith; do not turn aside to crooked policy, do not begin to trust in an arm of flesh, but wait upon the Lord;” and, as if this were a duly in which we are doubly apt to fail, he repeats the exhortation, and makes it more emphatic the second time, “Wait, I say, on the Lord.”
I. God is to be waited on.
1. As a beggar waits for alms at the rich man’s door. Beggars must not be choosers. Believingly to wait upon the Lord, pleading the all-prevailing name of Jesus, is the suppliant’s best posture.
2. As learners for instruction. The pupils of the old philosophers were wont to walk in the groves of Academia till the wise men were ready to come and speak with them; and when any one of the wise men began to speak, the young disciples quietly followed his steps, eagerly catching up every precious sentence which he might utter. Much more should it be so with us towards our Lord Jesus; let us follow Him in every page of inspiration, study every line of creation, and learn of Him in all the teachings of His providence.
3. As a servant waits upon his lord.
(1) Oh, to be always waiting to do yet more and more for Jesus. I would go up and down my Master’s house, seeing what I can do for His little children, whom I delight to cherish; what part of the house needs sweeping and cleaning, that I may quietly go about it; what part of the table needs to be furnished with food, that I may bring out as His steward things new and old; what there is to be done for my Master towards those who are without, and what is to be done for those already in His family. You will never be short of work if with your whole heart you wait upon the Lord.
(2) Sometimes the servant will have to wait in absolute inaction, and this is not always to the taste of energetic minds. It is said that Wellington kept back the Guards at Waterloo till far into the fight, and it must, I should think, have needed much courage on their part to remain calm and quiet while cannon were roaring, and the battle raging, and the shots flying about them. They must not stir till the commander-in-chief gives the order, “Up, Guards, and at them!” then will they clear the field and utterly annihilate the foe. They were as much serving their country by lying still till the time came as they were by dashing forward when at last the word was given. Wait, then, upon your Lord in all sorts of service and patience, for this is what He would have you to do.
4. As a traveller waiting the directions of his guide, or a mariner waiting upon the pilot who takes charge of his ship. We are to wait upon God for direction in the entire voyage of life; He is at the helm, and His hand is to steer our course.
5. As a child waits upon its parent. “My father knows what I have need of, and I am sure he will give it me.”
6. As a courtier waits upon his prince. Sir Walter Raleigh was wise in his generation when he took off his richly embroidered cloak to spread it over a miry place, that Queen Elizabeth’s feet might not be damped; the courtier knew how to smooth his own road by caring for his queen; and thus, with unselfish motives, out of pure reverence for our Lord, let us be willing to be made as the street to be walked over if Jesus can thereby be honoured. Let us lay out for our Lord the best that we have, even to the character which is dear to us as life itself, if by so doing we may bring glory to the holy and blessed name of our Redeemer.
II. Courage is to be maintained. “Be of good courage.” Our good Lord and Master ought not to be followed by cowards. Be of good courage concerning the faith which you are exercising upon Christ. He is very good to those who seek Him.
2. Be of good courage, you who have newly found Him, to avow your faith. Wear your colours before the face of all men.
3. Be of good courage in endeavouring to spread the faith which you have received. Undertake great things for Christ.
4. Be of good courage, when you pray for others. Intercession has great influence with God.
5. Be of good courage, in making self-sacrifices for the cause of Christ.
6. If you are called to endure great affliction, sharp pain, frequent sickness; if business goes amiss, if riches take to themselves wings and fly away, if friends forsake you and foes surround you, be of good courage, for the God upon whom you wait will not forsake you. Never let it be said that a soldier of the Cross flinched in the day of battle.
III. Waiting upon God sustains courage. You have heard of the famous giant whom Hercules could not kill, because the earth was his mother, and every time Hercules dashed him down he obtained fresh strength by touching his parent, and rose again to the fight. We are of like nature, and every time we are driven to our God, though we be dashed upon Him by defeat, we grow strong again, and our adversary’s attempt is foiled. Our heart is strengthened by waiting upon God, because we thus receive a mysterious strength through the incoming of the Eternal Spirit into our souls. No man can explain this, but many of us know what it is.
2. Waiting upon the Lord has an effect upon the mind, which in the natural course of things tends to strengthen our courage; for waiting upon God makes men grow small, and dwarfs the world and all its affairs, till we see their real littleness.
3. And then it inflames the heart with love. Nothing can give us greater courage than a sincere affection for our Lord and His work. A raven was hatching her young in a tree. The woodman began to fell it, but there she sat; the blows of the axe shook the tree, but she never moved, and when it fell she was still upon her nest. Love will make the most timid creature strong; and, oh, beloved, if you love Christ you will defy all fear, and count all hazards undergone for Him to be your joy.
4. Waiting upon the Lord breeds peace within the soul, and when a man is perfectly at rest within he cares little for trials or foes. A heart unsettled towards God is sure to be afraid of men, but when the soul waits on the Lord in glad serenity it stoops not to fear.
5. This waiting upon the Lord produces the effect of increasing our courage, because it gives us often a sight of the eternal reward, and if a man getteth a glimpse of the crown of glory, the crown of thorns will no more prick his temples.
IV. Experience proves this. The text is a summary of the entire psalm. All the rest of the verse may be compared to the figures of an account, and this closing verse is the casting up of the whole—waiting on the Lord is the path of wisdom. (Ibid.)
“Tarry thou the Lord’s leisure”:—
That is the rendering of the Prayer-book version, and it brings out the exact meaning of the word “wait,” which we have interlarded and lost sight of by making it mean such things—and legitimately enough—as prayer. It just means “wait.” Wait for Him as you would wait for a friend at the trysting-place who does not come. Wait for Him, and wait, and wait until He does come. We know it to be a Christian duty to be patient with our fellow-men; have we ever thought of the necessity and the duty of being patient with God? “O tarry thou the Lord’s leisure.” It is hard, I admit it is hard, to have this patience. Indeed, the more earnest you are, the more alive you are to the needs of the world, the more eager you are to see the Kingdom of Heaven brought in among men; and the more you do on behalf of the Kingdom, the more is the temptation to lose grip of this patience with God. “Why tarry the wheels of His chariot?” are we not saying every day, and as we go out into the world and see the evil and sin of the world we say it with a more plaintive note in our voice than ever. We strain, some of us, and hurt ourselves straining to help the Kingdom of the King to prepare the way of the Lord. Some faithful Christian work may be said almost to be the fruit of faithlessness. Some make up in zeal what they lack in faith. Some rail at God for His leisure with the world and with the Church, and act as if their efforts in His cause are almost a rebuke to God.
O that His steps among the stars would quicken!
O that His ears would hear when we are dumb!
Many the hearts from which the hope shall sicken,
Many shall faint, before His Kingdom come.
Patience is the Divine method in the world. Everything in the world is wrought patiently, smoothly, softly, naturally, sweetly. The seasons come and go. The world has been brought thus far not by cataclysm but by change, by growth, not by creation, and it is so morally. The world has been brought thus far by God with groanings and travailings that cannot be uttered until now, by His own Divine method of patience. The moral education of the race has gone on, step by step and stage by stage, as men were able to bear it, and able to understand it. Think of the patience of Christ. He came for the sake of the whole world to redeem the world, and He limited Himself of His own accord to twelve humble men, and He limited Himself still further, and He went on, over and over again, teaching these twelve men, preparing that morsel of soil for the precious seed. O man that art impatient, and speakest about the smallness of thy sphere, the small ministry you have in which to serve; think how limited Christ’s sphere was, and the patience with which He began the redemption of the world. That is the Divine method for the world, and for the Church, and for ourselves. (H. Black, M.A.)
Beggars should be willing to wait:—
One morning I noticed a tramp knocking at a house door. A kind-hearted woman lived there, and when she had opened the door and seen the beggar, she ran back into the kitchen to get him something to eat. After standing a moment, he turned and went on his way. Then she came to the door with the food in her hand and called after him. He almost missed that meal because he did not wait, Perhaps we have quite missed some great spiritual gift for which we have asked because we had not learned to “wait on the Lord.” (R. Brewin.)
Wait for an answer to prayer:—
When I lived in Exeter an eccentric clergyman who occupied a house in the Mint passage had had placed, under the knocker of his door, the polite request, “Please don’t knock unless you wait for an answer.” There was a school near, and I think the boys used to give him trouble. We often give God trouble, too, when we knock at His door but do not wait for an answer. (R. Brewin.)
Christian valour:—
Courage is the calm, determined pursuit of the right, notwithstanding the nature of the road, ignoring the world’s flattery, despising the world’s menace, disparaging the transient garland and the transient crown. Courage is simply the disposition to go right on, irrespective of the world’s swords or of the world’s crowns. “Be of good courage.” Where shall it be exercised? Sometimes in silence. I think if we could make comparisons between one aspect of the Master’s life and another, if everything in the Master’s life was not superlative; if we could put some things in the positive and some in the comparative and make comparisons; and if I were to be asked to put my finger on the one place in the Master’s life where the courage of the Lord shone out the most resplendently, I should put my finger on the word where it says, “And He answered him nothing.” It is superlative valour. The valour of silence, when to speak might mean gain. The courage to keep a close lip, the courage to restrain a laugh when somebody has made a filthy jest. The courage to present a perfectly passive face when conversation is becoming unfair; the courage to withhold applause when applause would simply add fury to an unclean fire. That is the courage that our Master seeks—the courage sometimes to withhold the laugh. There is many a young fellow would restrain for ever from an unclean, filthy jest if he were left in the shivering experience of a quiet and passive reception. Courage in silence; courage sometimes by speech. I think nothing shows out more radiantly and more conspicuously the valour of the Apostle Paul than that experience which he describes for us in the Epistle to the Galatians, where he tells us that when he encountered Simon Peter who was destined to be a pillar of the Church, a living light in the metropolitan church, and who had gone down to Antioch, and who had played and trifled with the truth, who had worn one coat one day and another on another day, “I withstood him to the face.” A thing like that is not to be received in silence. “I withstood him to the face,” warned him, rebuked him, to his face. Now, suppose you could get a radiant, confident, optimistic courage, a disposition that would keep its lips still and closed when it might appear as though to open them would be immediate gain, and that would speak though speech should wreck a possible career, that would go right on disregarding on the one hand a menace, or, on the other hand, a smile—suppose you could get a disposition like that implanted into the personality of men, suppose it had become part of my constitution, part of my make up—pure, clean, clear courage, what would be the influence of it? First of all, the influence of it on myself. Would it have made any influence upon my body? I want to say that it would; I want to proclaim—and I think it is a note that is not sufficiently proclaimed, and emphatically proclaimed—that Virtue makes for physical health. I would say to any athlete here, “You would become a finer athlete if you were a finer man. Virtue ministers to health rather than vice, and courage will send your blood in a glow around your body rather than cowardice, when you are beset by the hostility of the world.” It will influence the body, it will still more influence the mind. Would it influence the soul? I use the word “soul” there to describe the highest part of man’s personality, the power which lays hold of and apprehends and appreciates and appropriates God. Would it affect that? There is a fine suggestive sentence in one of Emerson’s essays which will serve my purpose to quote it now, “God never gives visions to cowards.” Why does not God give visions to cowards? Because, my brethren, He cannot. Cowards close the doors, shut out the Divine. The light cannot enter the spirit, cannot find access when a man is timid and cowardly; all the entrances in his life are blocked. But if a man is valorous and courageous, having his eyes set on the truth and the pursuit of it, a man is porous, porous to everything that is Divine. The Divine can simply soak into him. If a man of a valorous spirit takes up a book to read, as he reads through the book all that is lovely in the book steeps into him; he is porous towards the lovely and the true. If he goes into a picture gallery, all that is wonderful and beautiful and spiritually suggestive about the pictures soaks into him; he is porous towards the lovely. God cannot give these things to cowards, because they are closed, they are non-porous. It was when Peter had become bold we are told that he had visions; it was after he had become great that he began to have visions of the ineffable glory, and when a man has set his eye upon the truth in the resolute, determined pursuit of it, then I say he is open in every door of his spirit to the entrance of the ministry of the Spirit of God, he becomes the tabernacle of the Almighty. That is how it would influence myself; how would it influence my neighbour? I am afraid we talk a good deal about the contagion of vice—I do not think too much—but I do not think we talk half enough about the contagion of virtue. We talk a great deal about the leaven of hypocrisy, but I do not think we speak half enough about the leaven of sincerity and truth. Everybody knows that one man can impart a vice to another by simply living with him. There is a most subtle contagion which can pass almost through the mystic influence of thought, and still more by the transmission of speech, but there is a wonderful contagion of virtue, and a man in whom the valorous temperament is enthroned, might give spirit and inspiration to a crowd. Napoleon says: “There is a moment in every great war when the bravest troops feel inclined to run; it is the want of confidence in their own courage,” and then Napoleon says: “The supreme art of generalship is to know just when that moment will come and to provide for it. At Arcola”—I am quoting the words exactly—“I won the battle with twenty-five horsemen. I anticipated the moment of fright and flight, and I had twenty-five men ready of cool nerve and decision, and just at the appropriate moment I turned the twenty-five into the host, and the battle was won.” Twenty-five men who had not lost their nerve brought back confidence to a host who were inclined for fright and flight. The man who was cool for fight brought back the hordes that were ready for flight. Has that no analogy in the realm of the spirit? One brave member of a family may save the whole household from moral perdition; one young fellow in a warehouse may save all his mates from the timidity which means hell; one fine, brave lad in a school who will despise all meanness and set his eyes upon the true and follow it, may gain a whole form for the army of the Lord. How, then, can we get this fine, valorous disposition? “Wait on the Lord”—“Wait, I say, on the Lord.” How painfully inadequate. Inadequate! There are some things in the spiritual which any man can prove in a day. There are some things which inevitably and almost immediately result from the life of the spirit which any man can put into momentary and daily proof. Here is one. Suppose that you find you are becoming possessed by the spirit of anger, and that passion is rising within you like an angry flood, and you feel as though you were about to be overcome, and the flood is going to merge in indiscreet and bitter and violent speech. Just then wait on the Lord, and in the name of God Almighty I promise you, with the most consummate assurance, that you will find your anger will there and then begin to subside, until it becomes as calm as a peaceful sea. If you find that you are becoming the victim of lust, “Wait on the Lord,” and even while you kneel you shall find that the unholy fire is being put out. If you are possessed by the feeling of envy or of jealousy, and if you are being consumed by the hateful thing, “Wait on the Lord,” and I promise you—and I dare you to put it to proof—that while you kneel the envy and the jealousy will pass away from your vision just as the steam passes away from our windows in the cooler light of the dawn. If I come with my spirit of timidity and cowardice into the presence of the Almighty, and say, “Lord, I have a will like a reed, I would like s will like adamant,” will nothing result? Will the Lord, who says to the passion, Be still; and who says to the lust, Die out; and who says to the envy, Evaporate, have nothing to say to a timid and cowardly will? “He shall strengthen thine heart.” When? Not just then, perhaps. I would like to make that clear if I may. It will be when you need, because perhaps just then, when you kneel, you may not need. (J. H. Jowett, M.A.)
The temptation to discouragement:—
Among the whole legion of evil spirits that harass the Christian, there is none more mischievous than that dark-visaged demon called Discouragement. He tries to hamstring us just at the critical time when we need all our faculties and all our graces. If he can persuade us to give up, we are gone. History is never were of telling us of those resolute spirits who would not give up—of Disraeli’s reply to the jeers of the British Parliament, “The time will come when you will be glad to hear me;” and of George Stephenson and Robert Fulton persisting with their experiments in the face of ridicule. But “the children of light” are not always as wise as “the children of this world” in carrying their point. All the more shame to us, because the man of the world has no special promise of the Divine help, and the child of God has. The one has to encourage himself in his own brain-power or his “pluck,” but the other may encourage himself in the Lord his God. One thing we who enlist in the service of Christ must be assured of, and that is that our campaign is for life. Regeneration does not end the fight; it is only its beginning. Our arduous work will not be done until we have gained our crown. God sees that it is not best that we should get to heaven before our time, and so He ordains that this life shall be one of perpetual conflict, temptation, trial, discipline. One of the most frequent temptations to discouragement arises from the want of apparent success in the best undertakings. Brave Dr. Judson preached in Burmah six years without a visible convert. After these six years of subsoiling and seeding came a steady crop of conversions, (T. L. Cuyler, D.D.)
He shall strengthen thine heart.—The strengthening of the heart:—
What do we mean by the Heart? Now, just as the Will is the seat of basal, executive force, and just as the Conscience is the seat of moral instinct, so the Heart is the seat of feeling, the home of emotion, the empire of the sentiments. I wish to discuss what I may call the aristocracy of the feelings. I call them the aristocracy because they possess a certain subtlety of refinement which distinguishes them from others which are more closely and intimately related to the flesh. Like other aristocracies the members are both good and bad. Envy is a purely spiritual feeling, and may exist in all its intensity even when the vesture of the flesh has been finally dropped. Gratitude is a purely spiritual feeling, and may exist in undiminished power when the flesh has turned to dust. There are other feelings which are largely contingent upon the flesh, and which seek their gratification exclusively in the ways of the flesh. These will only indirectly concern us in the present discussion. Let us confine the attention to the more ethereal feelings—to feelings more subtle and more refined, more refined in evil and more refined in good. Now it is very evident that these feelings appear in different kinds and in varied intensity among different people. That is a very obtrusive fact in human life. If with the Divine vision we could enter into some hearts it would be like passing into a cathedral: everything is so sweet and chaste and reverent and beautiful. But if we entered into other hearts it would be like passing into a cellar: dark, damp, and forbidding, abounding in vermin and uncleanness. In some hearts the feelings lurk like carrion vultures; in others they sing and soar like the lark. Have we any responsibility as to the character of the feelings which possess the Heart? Has Conscience, the moral palate, any judgment to give concerning the things of the Heart? Is its dominion confined to the regions of thought and speech and deed, or does its jurisdiction reach to the inhabitants of the Heart? Yes, Conscience indicates some feelings, and definitely condemns them. Conscience indicates other feelings, and definitely approves them. What Conscience condemns I am commanded to remove. What Conscience approves I am commanded to entertain. But in the judgments of Conscience there is a larger implication even than this. That which Conscience commands me to remove I have power at hand to remove. Let us mark that well. Moral commandments are indications of possible moral attainments. Conscience searches my heart and commands me to turn out this feeling, and to give more room to that feeling, and to let in another that for long has been standing at the gate. And all this is a solemn indication to me that, according to the teaching of Conscience, I have power over my own Heart, and that for the exercise of this power I shall be called to account when I stand before the judgment-seat of God. Conscience, then, proclaims that we are responsible for our feelings. Do we recognize the obligation? Let us seek for evidence in our common judgments. Our common judgments recognize that men have power over their own hearts. We condemn a man for ingratitude. If we can exercise no dominion over our feelings the ungrateful man should be regarded with tenderest pity as the poor victim of a hard and petrifying rage. We praise and commend a man because of his warm and bounteous love, because of the bright and sunny influence with which he transforms our dull November seasons into merry days of June. Why should we commend him if men have no power over their own hearts? He is rather to be regarded as a very lucky man, who, by a most fortunate chance, has entered into a golden heritage, which less lucky men have been denied. But no such element of chance is allowed to enter in and shape and colour our judgments. If it were needful to give further elaboration to this it would be easy to detach fragments from our common speech which clearly indicate that in our practical life we acknowledge that men can exercise sovereignty over the empire of the Heart. For instance, we blame one man for “allowing his feelings to run away with him,” we commend another for having his feelings “well under control.” I do not think this truth receives sufficient emphasis when we are considering the culture of the spiritual life. We have command over the Heart. We have authority over the feelings. Whatever feeling we want we can get. Whatever feeling we do not want we can reject. If we desire the feeling of love we have means to obtain it. If we desire the feeling of malice it will come at our bidding. How, then, are feelings created? Upon what are they dependent? They are largely, if not exclusively, dependent upon thought. Out of thought there comes feeling, just as fragrance is born of a rose, and a noisome stench of a cesspool. Our sentiments are the exhalations of our thoughts. Every thought tends to create a feeling. There are no thoughts devoid of influence. From every thought there proceeds an influence which goes to the making of a disposition. A single thought in the mind may exhale an almost imperceptible influence. But the influence is there, and steals like an intensely subtle odour into the Heart. Let the thoughts be multiplied, and the delicate odours unite to form an intensely powerful influence which we call a feeling, a sentiment, a disposition. But suppose the thought is not like a sweet rose, but like a poisonous nightshade. Here again the influence of a single thought may be too subtle for our detection, but let the thoughts be multiplied, and the poisonous exhalations will unite to form a sentiment of most destructive strength. Let us lay hold of this as a most practical principle in the culture of the spiritual life. We cannot have a good thought and not enrich the Heart. There is no chance or caprice about the matter. It is governed by immutable law. We cannot have one kind of thought to-day exhaling one kind of feeling, and the same kind of thought to-morrow exhaling another kind of feeling. No; each thought creates its own feeling, and always of one kind. There are certain thoughts which, if we will take them into our minds, will inevitably create the feeling of envy. Take other thoughts into the mind, and from them will be born the sentiment of jealousy. Take other thoughts into the mind and the Heart will speedily swell with pride. Fill the mind with another kind of thought and in the Heart will gather the sweet and tender sentiment of pity. Each thought creates its own sentiment, and we cannot help it. Some sentiments gather rapidly. They appear to attain to mature fulness in a moment. Other sentiments accumulate slowly. It often happens that the sentiment of jealousy comes to her throne only after the lapse of many years. On the other hand, anger can mount the throne and govern the life in a day. The mode of its operation is quite familiar to us. Anger is the distinct and immediate creation of thought. We bring certain thoughts into the mind, and from these thoughts there proceed certain sentiments. We think, and think, and think, and the feeling accumulates and increases with our thought, until at last the Heart is full with feeling, and explodes in violent passion. And so we counsel a man not to think about the injury which he has presumedly suffered, “not to nurse it,” and by our counsel we imply that with the rejection of the creative thought the created passion will subside. Let us advance one step further. Our thought creates our feelings. Our deeds react upon and strengthen the feelings which by thought were created. My thought plans a kindly deed. Well, the thought itself will most inevitably tend to create a kindly feeling, but the doing of the deed will also assuredly tend to reinforce the feeling. Our deeds react on the feelings which prompted them, and confirm and augment them. That is one way by which our God rewards His children. He rewards our mercifulness by increasing our resources of mercy. He rewards our deeds by enlarging our hearts. That is the law of our God, and the law finds application on the bad side as well as on the good. Every act of greed strengthens the feeling of avarice. Every act of impurity intensifies the feeling of lust. What, then, is the secret of the culture of the Heart? It is this—we must get back to the origin of feeling. We must get back to imaginations, to ideas, to ideals. As is the mind so will be the Heart. A stony Heart finds its explanation in the mind. A pure Heart may be interpreted in the mind. “Set your mind on things above,” exhorts the Apostle Paul; “Set your mind on things above,” and your feelings will soar heavenward, like white-winged angels making their way home. It is on those serene and lofty heights that a sound and healthy Heart is to be gained. It may be only a depressing revelation to a man to tell him that health can be found on the wind-swept summit. You bring him a gospel when you tell him how to get there, how means may be found even for him, however impoverished he may be. “Set your mind on things above.” There is no gospel in that. I so easily move amid things that are below. Is there any gospel which offers to me a heavenly gravitation to counteract the earthly gravitation, some triumphant power which will tug me towards the things that are above, as this mighty world-power drags me down to things which are below? In this word of the Master I find the gospel I seek: “I, if I be lifted up, will draw …” That is the gospel we need. The power to resist the gravitation of worldliness—to “ascend into the hill of the Lord,” to “set the mind on things above,” to think and live on the pure and heavenly heights—is to be found in a crucified and exalted Christ. Committing ourselves to Christ we shall rise with Him, and the mind will share in the resurrection. Drawn by Him we shall rise into “newness of life.” With the “renewing of the mind” we shall be “transformed”: high-born feelings will come to be our guests, and the pervading influence of these fragrant sentiments will sweeten all the common ways in which we live and move and have our being. (J. H. Jowett, M.A.)
Divine strength:—
They that wait on the Lord, and encourage themselves to do, in the times of affliction, shall have the Lord in mercy to put strength into them, for their better enabling to wait on Him (Ps. 31:24; 40:1, 2; Isa. 40:30).
1. Reasons—
(1) To wait on the Lord, and to encourage ourselves in affliction, are notable actions of faith. Now, the grace of faith entitles us to the participation of God’s power (2 Chron. 20:20).
(2) In waiting on the Lord, and encouraging ourselves in time of affliction, are the right improving and employing of the talents which the Lord hath left with us; for in so doing we set faith a work. And this behaviour hath little to increase (Matt. 25:28, 29).
2. Uses—
(1) For instruction. See here plainly that God’s gracious gifts and works in our hearts are vouchsafed, though not for, yet in, and upon our endeavour, in obedience to His will, in the use of those means wherein He is pleased to work the same (Isa. 55:3; Rom. 10:17; John 11:26). See here the true fountain of all that courage and boldness which in all ages God’s children have shown for God’s glory and for the maintenance of His truth (1 Sam. 17:32, 34; Ps. 3:6; 23:4; Dan. 3:16, 17; Acts 3:13).
(2) For admonition. Observe the ways and means whereby God strengthens the hearts of His children, that so we may therein wait upon God in the day of affliction, for increase of strength, and courage in our souls. His Word spoken, either by God Himself (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9), or by His servants (Heb. 12:12). The works of His providence, wherein we have had experience of His goodness in former deliverances (1 Sam. 17:34–37; Ps. 22:4, 5; 2 Kings 2:14). The company of the godly (Acts 28:15; Prov. 27:9, 17). Prayer to God, as well by ourselves as by others in our behalf (Acts 4:24, 29; Eph. 6:19). God’s inward way of strengthening the heart is by the work of His Spirit (John 14:16; Isa. 11:2; 2 Tim. 1:7). We must labour to be such, both in state of soul and behavior of life, as to whom God will vouchsafe the blessing of strength of heart in evil times. That beforehand, in the days of peace, we beware of sin, and break off the cause thereof by true repentance. That we are truly in covenant with God. That by faith we rest and rely on God’s mercy in Christ Jesus. That we be upright-hearted towards God (2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 18:2). (T. Pierson.).[10]
14. Wait thou on Jehovah. It may be doubted whether David, having in the preceding verses spoken of himself, here addresses his discourse to others, and exhorts them by his own example to fortitude and persevering patience, as he does in the conclusion of Psalm 31:19, where, after speaking concerning himself particularly, he makes a transition, and addresses himself to all the godly. But as he speaks here in the singular number, and uses no mark to show that he directs his discourse to others, it is in my opinion probable that he applies it to himself, the more to encourage his confidence in God, lest at any time his heart should faint. As he was conscious of his weakness, and knew that his faith was the great means of preserving him safe, he seasonably strengthens himself for the future. Under the word waiting, too, he puts himself in mind of new trials, and sets before his eyes the cross which he must bear. We are then said to wait on God, when, withdrawing his grace from us, he suffers us to languish under afflictions. David, therefore, having got through one conflict, prepares himself to encounter new ones. But as nothing is more difficult than to give God the honour of relying upon him, when he hides himself from us, or delays his assistance, David stirs himself up to collect strength; as if he had said, If fearfulness steal upon thee; if temptation shake thy faith; if the feelings of the flesh rise in tumult, do not faint; but rather endeavour to rise above them by an invincible resolution of mind. From this we may learn, that the children of God overcome, not by sullenness, but by patience, when they commit their souls quietly to God; as Isaiah says, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength,” (Isaiah 30:15.) As David did not feel himself equal to great and difficult efforts, he borrows strength from God by prayer. Had he said no more than Act like a man, he would have appeared to allege the motions of his own free-will, but as he immediately adds, by way of correction, that God would be at hand to strengthen his heart, he plainly enough shows, that when the saints strive vigorously, they fight in the strength of another, and not in their own. David does not, like the Papists, put his own efforts into the van, and afterwards supplicate for divine aid, but having done his own duty, although he knew that he was destitute of strength in himself, he requests that his deficiency may be supplied by the grace of the Holy Spirit. And as he knew that the war must be continued during his whole life, and that new conflicts would daily arise, and that the troubles of the saints are often protracted for a long period, he again repeats what he had said about waiting on God: Wait thou alone on Jehovah.[11]
Ver. 14.—Wait on the Lord. This is an exhortation, not to others, but to himself (comp. Ps. 62:5; and see also Pss. 42:5, 11; 43:5). His stronger self exhorts his weaker self not to despair, but to wait upon God—to tarry, i.e., the Lord’s leisure—and, meanwhile to be of good courage; or, be strong (comp. Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:6; 1 Chron. 22:13), as the phrase is elsewhere generally translated. “Be strong,” he says to himself, and he (i.e. God) shall strengthen thine heart. “Aide-toi, le ciel l’aidera.” Make an effort to be strong, and the strength will be given thee, as thou makest it. Then in this strength, thus given, continue thy waiting—Wait, I say, on the Lord.[12]
[1] Warstler, K. R. (2017). Psalms. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 841). Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 27:14). Lexham Press.
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