To You All Flesh Will Come

O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come.

Psalm 65:2

We have before us a curious but glorious text. ‘O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come.’ Consider, please, what it does say, as well as what it leaves unsaid. We must argue from what we know. God answers prayer. We understand that He answers prayer based upon the Intercession of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, Who ‘makes intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.’ So, when we encounter this verse, which speaks in regard to prayer, and it declares, ‘to You will all flesh come,’ how are we to understand it? Simply this: any soul on earth who desires answers to prayer from the Living God must approach Him to obtain those answers. We have no approach to God that is acceptable apart from Christ. We who are yet operating ‘in the flesh,’ that is, in this earthly frame, have access into the very Presence of God and that, by Christ. Because of Christ we may ‘come, boldly before the Throne of Grace.’ Because of Christ we may ‘obtain mercy.’ Because of Christ we may, ‘find grace to help in time of need.’ ‘All flesh will come.’ The undeclared implication is that to refuse to come to God through Christ is to, in effect forfeit answers to prayer. He answers prayer based upon Christ. Because we know the way, we should therefore make full use of that which God affords. Let us today come to this God Who answers the prayers of His seeking children.

Our Gracious Master and Our God,
We come unto You today,
As children to a Father, standing foursquare upon the merits of Christ,
Hear us today for Jesus’ sake.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice

Performing the Vow

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed.

Psalm 65:1

A promise is a solemn thing. It is common today for people to break promises as easily as they make them. That is a shame upon our culture and upon our character. If we should view promises to people as sacred, how much should we view promises to God as even more sacred. Our text declares, ‘to you the vow (or promised deed) shall be performed.’ Let us consider this in terms of Christ and what He deserves from us. What has Christ done that warrants response from us? He has ‘first loved us.’ He has been ‘made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.’ He has ‘purchased us, with His Own blood.’ He ‘ever lives to make intercession for us.’ He ‘will come again to receive us unto Himself.’ ‘That where I am, there you may be also.’ In the light of these redemptive deeds which Christ has done for us, what may we offer Him in return? Have we embraced Him as He is freely offered to us in the Gospel? Have we promised obedience? Have we said that we would follow Him wherever He leads us? If so, then it is to Him we owe our first allegiance, and our loving obedience. ‘To You the vow shall be performed.’ I cannot in good conscience, receive all these good things from the Hand of a Loving Savior, and then refuse to do what I have promised. Let us consider what we have promised to Christ, and today, take the steps that show us to be as good as our word.

Our Great High King of Heaven,
We are Yours to command. We have made promises to You,
By your Holy upholding Grace,
Enable us today, to do all that we have promised.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice

A Storehouse of Praise

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed.

Psalm 65:1

The praise of God is the high privilege of the saints of God. In our text for today David begins this psalm on this high note, ‘Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion…’ Imagine if you will, a vast storehouse full of praises piled up as high as the eye can see and extending beyond the range of human sight. These praises are stockpiled ‘in Zion,’ that is, where the chosen people of God dwell. Let us begin this morning by taking inventory of the praises which are stockpiled in this vast storehouse. Most specifically, let us inventory these praises as they relate to the Person and Work of Christ. We may praise God for all His Glorious attributes; for that He is, ‘a Spirit, Infinite, Eternal, and Unchangeable in His Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth.’ We may praise Him that all of these attributes are manifested in the Person of Christ. Christ is ‘the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person.’ As the Lord enables us, in time, we will contemplate what God has done. Before we come to that let us stop awhile and praise God for Who and What He is. Let us spend time pouring out loving praise upon the Host, before we come to praise Him for the delicacies of His Table. All the ages of eternity will only afford us sufficient opportunity to offer unto God, and His Anointed Christ, the praise of which He is abundantly Worthy.

Our Great, Triune God, praise awaits You in Zion,
and in the hallways of our hearts.
In every room we offer praise to You and You alone;
both now and throughout all eternity.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice