THE FOCUS, FROM THIS TIME FORTH

Many in the world will be waking this day with heads sore because of the foolish excesses of yesterday, but the Christian can wake with a calm and peaceful heart. So may we greet the day in the spirit of Psalm 131. This short psalm of three verses is potently sufficient to express the true blessing of Christmas-tide. Three ideas are latent in the psalm:

1. The Change of Mind, v. 1.
2. The Confidence of Soul, v. 2.
3. The Concept of the Heart, v. 3.

The great truths of yesterday’s psalm have checked the self-life. Pride and self-esteem have gone, v. la, and egotism has been subdued, v. lb. Meeting with the Christ of redeeming grace has changed the perspective: “Not I, but Christi”. The writer thinks not as he did, sees not as he did, seeks not as he did; his thoughts, desires and ambitions are changed. What a change Christ makes, since He now reigns within!

Secondly, there is now rest of soul. When Christ reigns, peace follows. A deep confidence is manifest in verse 2. There has been a new birth; the once arrogant-one has become a little child. Rest and contentment are now found in Another. The milk of new life has been received (note, “weaned”), and the softness of the bosom of God has become the place of assurance. Here is the joy and fulness consequent on simple dependence—the life of faith has now been entered.

If verse 1 reminds us of what used to be yesterday, and verse 2 of what is true today, then verse 3 now leads into a new realm for tomorrow and all the succeeding days. The mind has now a new concept. The focus, perspective, prospect and sole hope of the heart is the Lord. “Let Israel hope in the Lord”, and that controlling and all-consuming hope is “from henceforth and for ever”. Like our Lord before us, we can be described like the One who has made the change within us, “in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God”, Rom. 6. 10. The one ruling passion, prospect, hope and ambition is “hope in (and unto) the Lord”, and the mind has now one focus, the soul one contentment, and the life one decided goal. As Paul wrote,

“For to me (now) to live is Christ”, Phil. 1. 21.