Cast me not away from Thy presence
Cast me not away from Thy presence, — Yek. 11a.
IT AVID proceeds in his prayer to entreat the bless- - ings of the new life of grace, and teaches us also by the Holy Spirit what we may expect in that life and from this grace. The clean heart and the steadfast spirit to act according to its dictates, these are great blessings. But there is still something more which he desires, and that is the light of GocPs countenance. He prays for the blessed experience whereby the soul always walks in the presence of God as its friend, and in the consciousness that He looks down upon it in favor and love.
The promise of this blessing in the word of God is very clear. It is frequently and expressly named as one of the privileges of God’s children. For example (Ps. lxxxix. 15): 4 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance.’ It cannot, indeed, be otherwise. What is the greatest joy of a child on
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earth? It is when father or mother looks down upon it with good pleasure. Do we not often see that the little child plays quiet and content when it is simply with its mother in the room? The mother is busy and the child is busy; but the light of its mother’s countenance, the feeling that she is near, is the joy of the child. And should God not bestow this privilege upon those who receive from Him the name and the rights of children? Yes: He desires that in this world they should always move about before His face, in the light of His eye, and with the assurance and experience of His love.
The value of this blessing may be easily understood. What a source of heavenly joy must it be to walk in the land of the living before the face of the Lord. What a joy to do all our work and to carry on our conflict as at the feet of our Father, knowing this: ‘He looks down upon me with good pleasure.5 To be able to look up in every difficulty and in the midst of severe conflict, and once again to refresh myself with a glance at Him and to be encouraged by His divine friendship — what a power does it not give in conflict; what a comfort in sorrow.
And do you ask, perhaps, how this blessing can be enjoyed? To this also the answer is not difficult. The child does not just need to be always looking to its mother to enjoy the light of her countenance. The child is busy with its play or its work, and yet it immediately observes when its mother goes out. In the midst of all its working and playing, it has always the hidden sense of her nearness. And just thus it may be with the true Christian. He can attain to being so closely knit to his God that he cannot miss His presence, and that in the midst of all the severe activities of his calling on earth, there may always remain in his soul the blessed feeling: ‘My God sees me, and I can look up unto Him.’ He works as under the eye of God. Through this living and ever active faith he beholds the Invisible One, and abides in His light. And just as on earth one walks and works in the light without just always thinking of it, so there streams around him the spiritual experience of the presence of God as the light of his soul.
O forgiven soul, it is of the uttermost importance for you to understand what a principal part of true spiritual religion this experience makes. Do not forget that the aim God has in view in His grace and your redemption is to restore the broken bond of fellowship and love betwixt Him and the sinner. True religion consists in this: that the soul should find its highest happiness in personal communion with God. Daily unbroken blessed intercourse betwixt God and you is what grace will bestow. Hence it is that you are taught in this prayer for grace that you must pray for this blessing, and strive after it. Every day, and the whole day, you must endeavor to walk in the light of God’s countenance. And if you would know how one can get up to the point of so living that he
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can enjoy this blessing, this Psalm gives yon the answer.
In the first place, walk in a sense of the forgiveness of si?is. Hold fast to the grace which has blotted ont your guilt. Every day bring each new sin to the blood of Jesus, in order that you may be anew washed from it. Seek every day a living conviction of the grace which beholds you in the righteousness of Jesus as ’ whiter than snow.’ Look up to the holy God, who for Jesus’ sake pronounced you righteous, and loves you. Without this it will be a severe and heavy conflict, indeed, an impossibility to walk in the light of God’s countenance. Remain steadfast in the faith that God is your God and your Father. By this faith alone can you continue in the enjoyment of the light and the love of God.
In the second place, strive earnestly for purity and holiness of heart. Let the ardor of your soul flame out mightily against all inward impurity and sin. Be careful in watching the indwelling unholiness of your disposition. Remember that you are bound to hate it, as God hates it. Rouse yourself to the thought that you are redeemed to be holy, as God is holy; and let this be your fervent and earnest prayer: ‘A clean heart, O my God: a clean heart.’ Knowing that the work of the new creation is not complete at once, cry mightily to God that He would accomplish His work in you. A redeemed soul who remains content with what he has, who does not earnestly desire to be holy, cannot walk in the light of God’s countenance. His woiidly-mindedness, his carnal uncircumspect disposition, is a cloud which must separate him from God.
And, in the third place, to walk before God’s countenance, a steadfast spirit is also necessary. There must be, not a merely idle wish and a dead desire for the blessing, but steadfast resolve, and a purpose of the heart, the resolute choice of a strong will. Yes: forgiven soul, while you cleave to forgiveness and long earnestly for purity of heart, resolve in God’s strength not to rest until you have experienced the blessing of abiding always in the secret enjoyment of God’s countenance. Begin every morning with this steadfast purpose, and seal it in believing prayer, that God may keep you from everything that might cast you away from His presence. Let this be indeed your will, because it is also the wrill of God, and you shall obtain the blessing. You shall experience that grace will also do this for you, namely, will hear your prayer: 6 Cast me not away from Thy presence.’ And in this blessed experience you shall be able to say with rejoicing (Ps. xxxi. 19): ‘Oh, how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that put their trust in Thee before the sons of men. In the covert of Thy presence shalt Thou hide them. Blessed be the Lord, for He hath shown me His marvelous loving-kindness.’