Psalm 84:12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you. I. THE JOY OF TRUSTFULNESS. The deepest and purest joys are the outcome of trustfulness and the abandonment of oneself to another. The law holds good of our relationship to God, as of our relationship to each other, namely, that we receive according to our faith. Trustful people have a way of communicating their own simplicity and generosity to those with whom they have dealings. To trust the goodness of another is to make goodness seem to him at once more desirable and more possible of attainment. God has created us with this natural capacity for trustfulness, and the exercise of it is a source of joy. The dearest and most precious relationships are founded upon it. The joys of love and friendship are deeper and purer than those of material possessions. II. THE BELIEVER'S JOY IS THE OBJECT OF HIS TRUST. Trust is sometimes misplaced. There are those who are base enough to take advantage of trust reposed in them. Many tragedies are caused by the discovery of untrustworthiness in the man or woman in whose hands we have placed our lives. The most interesting stories in literature are those of heroes and heroines whose trustworthiness is for long under a cloud, but which is finally vindicated. That which underlies our trust in each other is our love for goodness itself. "We needs must love the highest when we see it." Our real love is for God, who is goodness itself. We love persons in whom we trust that goodness is to be found in large measure. The believer who makes God his trust is happy indeed, nor. is there any danger of shock and disappointment to such a trust. If other trusts bring much joy, this brings supreme joy. III. THE SUPREME CHARACTER OF THE BELIEVER'S JOY — BLESSEDNESS. There is something heavenly about the word. The kind and degree of joy which God experiences is known by this name. He is "the ever-blessed God," "blessed for evermore." Blessedness is calm and tranquil; it brings a sense of steadiness to the mind, and enables it to do its work without distraction or anxiety. (R. C. Ford, M. A.). Parallel Verses KJV: O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. |
    |