2 Samuel 7:20

Unutterable thoughts and feelings known to God.

God's knowledge of the heart, which is a terror to evil men who think upon it, is often a joy to his servants. "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee" ( John 21:17 ). So David, with his heart too full for adequate utterance, finds satisfaction in the thought that God knew what his thoughts and feelings were.

I. THE FELT INADEQUACY OF LANGUAGE TO EXPRESS THE DEEPEST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF THE GODLY SOUL . In our ordinary condition we feel not this difficulty. Our expressions are more likely to go beyond our thoughts and feelings, especially when we use forms of devotion prepared by others. But when the soul is deeply stirred, as David's at this time, we struggle in vain to express fully what is within. It is thus with

1 . Our sense of the value of God's gifts. Christ, God's "unspeakable Gift" ( 2 Corinthians 9:15 ). Salvation. Everlasting life. Gifts of God associated with these which are from time to time bestowed—special help in temptation, comfort in trouble, guidance in perplexities as to truth or duty, etc.

2 . Our sense of the love which bestows them. We can only say, "How great is thy goodness!" "How excellent is thy loving kindness!" "God so loved the world;" "The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" ( Psalms 31:19 ; Psalms 36:7 ; John 3:16 ; Ephesians 3:19 ). Or, as David ( 2 Samuel 7:22 ), "Thou art great, O Lord God; for there is none like unto thee."

3 . The emotions excited by them. Our gratitude, affection, penitence, humility, confidence, joy ("unspeakable," 1 Peter 1:8 ), longing for fuller experience of them ("groanings which cannot be uttered," Romans 8:26 ), anticipations of their perfect enjoyment ( 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 ). In our times of intense devotion we feel how utterly impossible it is fully to express what is in our hearts.

II. THE SATISFACTION WHICH ARISES FROM GOD 'S PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF US . "What can David say more unto thee?" I cannot express what I feel; and I need not labour to do so, "For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant." It is the same thought which St. Paul expresses, when, speaking of the unutterable groanings with which the Holy Spirit intercedes in the Christian soul, he says, "He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit" ( Romans 8:27 ). God knows much more about us than our words express; is not dependent for his knowledge of us on our own account of ourselves. As we cannot by any words conceal from him the evil which is in us, so our deficiencies of expression will not hinder his discernment of the good. Even earthly parents see the meaning which their children try to express in stammering words and broken sentences; how much more does the heavenly Father, who is not at all dependent for his knowledge of us on our words, see beyond the poor utterances of his children, into their hearts! This is

But it is not a reason for either

Since

Finally:

1 . David's emotions on this occasion are at once an example and a reproach to us. For the gifts and promises of God to us, if not greater than those to him, are greater than his understanding of them could be. They stand out to us in the light which streams from Jesus Christ, unfolding into all the precious revelations and assurances of the gospel, and all the happy experiences which the Holy Spirit produces. Yet how seldom are we so affected as to feel language too poor for the expression of the wonder, love, and gratitude which we feel!

2 . How sad to be utterly insensible to the goodness of God and the greatness of his gifts to us!— G.W.