There are two things which often divert men from appealing to God. First, their own efforts on behalf of themselves; and secondly, the appeal to their fellows. But this appeal to God, this lifting up of our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens, may co-exist with effort, with activity, with diligence, with prudence, with the devout pursuit of an object, and with the right use of the strength, the talents, and the resources of our fellow-men and of our fellow-Christians. We owe an appeal to God on whatever concerns us.
I. The throne of God. It is the Lord who reigns inall circumstances, and He reigns overthem. If we do not recognise this we are disloyal, we set up some false god, we are guilty of the sin of idolatry, we break the first and chief commandment in His holy law.
II. We owe an appeal on whatsoever concerns us to the personal providence of God, and the actual government of God. For the superintendence of our affairs is not committed by God to some deputy. He Himself provides, and He Himself rules.
III. We owe it, further, to the character of God. Think of His complete knowledge, His consummate wisdom, His eternal love. He gives you of Himself and of His resources as though you were His only son, and His heart is love towards you.
IV. An appeal to God is due to the paternity of God.
V. We owe this appeal to God's provision for our full reconciliation to Himself.
VI. We owe it to the Divine precepts, invitations, and promises.
VII. We owe it to ourselves to make this appeal to God.
VIII. We owe it to each other. Supposing that you are ready thus to appeal, there are two evils to be guarded against: (1) That of lifting up the spirit without the hands depending upon mental prayer without times for prayer, seasons for prayer, words of prayer without an act of prayer. (2) That of lifting up the hands without the heart. Here is the danger of forms and modes. Do you not sometimes come from the place of prayer with the guilty consciousness that you have not prayed. Try to let the mode in which you speak to God be born of your present circumstances and of the state of your heart towards God. Get time, if it be only a few moments, for meditation before you speak to God, and you will find a freshness in your thought of Him which will certainly inspire and help your supplications.
S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit,1st series, No. 15.
References: Lamentations 3:41. J. E. Vaux, Sermon Notes,4th series, p. 48; Spurgeon, Morning by Morning,p. 285.Lamentations 3:57. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxx., No. 1812.Lamentations 3:58. Ibid.,vol. x., No. 579; Ibid., Morning by Morning,p. 325.Lamentations 4:1. G. W. Conder, Christian World Pulpit,vol. vii., p. 380. Lamentations 4:2. A. C. Price, Ibid.,vol. vi., p. 141.Lamentations 4:22. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. viii., No. 480.