April 13 Daily Devotional

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. This form of speech is taken from the common apprehension of men, who think that God regards them not, unless he really show his care of them by its effects. According to the judgment of sense, afflictions hide his countenance, just as clouds obscure the brightness of the sun. David therefore supplicates that God, by affording him immediate assistance, would make it evident to him that he enjoyed his grace and favour, which it is not very easy to discern amidst the darkness of afflictions. Now, God is said to lift the light of his countenance upon us in two ways; either when he opens his eyes to take care of our affairs, or when he shows to us his favour. These two things are indeed inseparable, or rather, the one depends upon the other. But by the first mode of speech, we, according to our carnal conceptions, attribute to God a mutability which, properly speaking, does not belong to him: whereas the second form of speech indicates, that our own eyes, rather than the eyes of God, are shut or heavy when he seems to have no regard to our afflictions.

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. The Psalmist here speaks of the protection and other blessings which belong to the preservation of the present life; which he declares to be so manifest that even the ungodly themselves are forced to become eye-witnesses of them. The world passes over all the works of God with its eyes shut, and is especially ignorant of his fatherly care of the saints; still it is certain that there shines forth such daily proofs of it, that even the reprobate cannot but see them, except in so far as they willingly shut their eyes against the light. David, therefore, speaks according to truth, when he declares that God gives evidences of his goodness to his people before the sons of men, that it may be clearly seen that they do not serve him unadvisedly or in vain.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,* all you who hope in the LORD. As no man is able of himself to sustain his daily conflicts, David urges us to hope for and ask the spirit of fortitude from God.

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