The Ninth of January

GREAT PEACE HAVE THEY--- 119:165.

"I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: I will keep thy statutes. Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies; for all my ways are before thee. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments." --- Psalm 119:145, 165, 168, 176.

The word of God should ever be connected with prayer; for why is it many hear and read without being the better? They do not pray in faith for a blessing.

We must, like David, pray with the utmost fervour, that we may understand and retain the word of God, and bring forth fruit; for a Christian has nothing so much at heart as that he may always act up to the word and will of God: his prayer is, Lord, let my footsteps be sure, according to thy word; and let nothing contary to thy law have dominion over me, either in my doctrine or practice.

If this prayer be granted, great will be our peace: Jesus himself will be our peace, and then nothing shall offend us; we shall take heed unto all our ways before God, and so walk before him as to continue humble, like David, who considered himself as a straying and lost sheep. Lord, we are by nature straying and lost sheep; seek and fetch us back from the error of our ways, and preserve us in thy pastures.

My soul has gone too far astray,
My feet too often slip;
Yet since I've not forgot thy way
Restore thy wand'ring sheep.