Homilist 2 Samuel 24:14 And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great… David had learned from the history of his nation and his own personal experience the blessedness of all who put their trust in the living God. Let us notice a twofold train of thought, suggested by our text, peculiarly appropriate for the new year. I. WHY FEAR MINGLES WITH OUR GREETING OF THE NEW YEAR. 1. We are confronted by sorrowful memories of the past. Frailties, failures, sins of omission and of commission, broken vows, ideals not reached, prayer restrained — "unprofitable servants"; we have fallen short of the glory of God. 2. Painful consciousness of present feebleness. No reserve of strength, imperfectly equipped, hands hanging down, knees feeble, heart faint, mind weary. We cannot pierce the impenetrable veil and see what battles we may have to fig]it, what storms we may have to encounter, what burdens we may have to bear, what sufferings to endure. Our only refuge is to fall into the hands of the Lord. II. HOW FAITH MAY SUBDUE FEAR IN OUR GREETING OF THE NEW YEAR. 1. Faith in the unseen God. In His(1) Power; that is, He is able to do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. (2) Wisdom — to guide as well as guard amid the vicissitudes and mysteries of our earthly pilgrimage. (3) Faithfulness — that He will never leave nor forsake, never falsify His Word. (4) Goodness — To supply our ever returning wants, to withhold from us no good thing and. make all things work together for our good. (5) Mercy — to bear with our ingratitude and proneness to forget and wander from Him. Such faith in God stimulated and sustained the Old Testament heroes and New Testament saints; they all endured as seeing Him, who is invisible, realising His glorious and gracious presence ever with them. III. FAITH IN THE UNSEEN WORLD. David felt that if desolation and death overtook him he would be safe if, when leaving this life, he fell "into the hand of the Lord." With home in view, pilgrimage will be cheered, the heart will be calmed and comforted. With the eternal God for our refuge and the eternal arms underneath us, "forward" may be our fearless watchword. Into the infinite, unfailing "hand of the Lord" let us commit ourselves. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. |
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