Psalms 119:49 - Homilies By R. Tuck

Man's trust a plea for securing God's faithfulness.

"Because thou hast made me to hope." "Those that make God's promises their portion may with humble boldness make them their plea." In ordinary life nothing so surely calls forth the best in a man as to be trusted. No persuasion acts on us more forcibly than this, "I must do it for him because he trusts me ." We may in everything that is good, or that works out good, rise from man to God, seeing that in God's image man is made. In another psalm the feeling of God towards the man who trusts him is precisely expressed ( Psalms 91:14 ), "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him."

I. THE GROUND OF MAN 'S TRUST IS GOD 'S OWN PROMISES . This needs to be opened up both in a lighter and in a deeper sense.

1. Man's trust rests upon God's spoken promises. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises." How God makes spoken words the basis of trust may be illustrated in a very precise way from the promises to Adam ( Genesis 3:15 ); Abraham ( Genesis 12:2 , Genesis 12:3 ); Moses ( Exodus 3:7-10 ); Joshua ( Joshua 1:5 , etc.). Later on, such books as Isaiah contain most gracious Divine promises. And the wonderful discovery of advancing religious experience, and of increasing knowledge of God's Word, is that promises in exact adaptation to the ever-varying disposition and circumstance of godly men have been given; so that a man can never be so circumstanced that he need fail to find a written promise on which to ground his trust in God.

2. Man's trust rests on him who gives the promises. And the promises never fulfill their true purpose unless they lead a man to this higher trust. If we seem to hope in God's Word , we really hope in him who spoke the Word. When this is seen, it is further seen that if God found it best to change his word to us, that would not affect our trust in him .

II. MAN 'S TRUST BECOMES AN EFFECTIVE PLEA WITH GOD . Because the honor of God's Name is bound up in response to trust. Illustrate by Joshua's plea ( Joshua 7:9 ). Reminding a man of his promise is the highest plea man can use with man. "You told me to trust you." That is just what God has done—told us to trust him for life, for redemption. He will remember his Word unto his servants.—R.T.