A Winter's Discontent

Introduction:  You are probably wondering why this winter’s tale in the midst of one of the hottest weeks of summer thus far this year.  Quite simply, the image is drawn from Shakespeare’s play Richard III, where the lead character, Richard, sets the theme for that dark play covering his own uncivilized machiavellian maneuvers to accomplish the throne of England.

“Now is the winter of our discontent,” the bard mouths the emotions of a wicked man who set his heart on taking the throne by any and all means foul.  Lives were thrown away recklessly on the way to accomplish his rule.  Two nephews, whose bodies were later found under a stairway in the Tower of London, disappeared to clear the way for his success.  Years ago, I stood on the spot in the Tower and looked into the dark, dank cupboard where those young lads were hidden.  As the force of the murderous deed became evident, I realized how dark and black was the heart of the man who would be king at any price.  Well indeed was the tragic end of such a creature who knew nothing more than that which pleased himself!

Sadly, if the truth were known, such is the natural state of all mankind – who would serve his own belly and enjoy every heartfelt desire.  It is for such a reason that the Old Covenant reports that man’s lifespan was shortened – to lessen his time to accomplish any and all wicked mischief.  It is for this reason that politically we are encouraged, by common wisdom, to change the political power structure as often as underwear!

Now, as we move on into our text for today, we must realize the discontent described by Shakespeare – it is a discontent of wickedness not yet accomplished.  The conscious poor Richard knew no restraint and thus like so many of Shakespeare’s tragic figures went in the way of all flesh, offering even in a recent movie version to the hero, an invitation to come “hand in hand to hell”.

Development:  Our NKJV translates the opening of verse twenty-nine in these words, “Remove from me the way of lying”.  I would think that the force of those words needs to be strengthened, and so from various translations I have chosen these words for our text today:

“Keep the false ways from me;

                                 be gracious to me through Your law."

Remember the condition we left our text in verse twenty-eight last week?

“My soul is weary with sorrow;

strengthen me according to Your word.”

There we saw the condition of the soul in sin.  There is the image of weariness.  So seldom does the world feel the weariness of sin anymore.  So seldom do people even realize the true extent of the burdens that they regularly carry.  Back when I kept livestock, during the spring, summer and fall I could drive my truck right into the barn and unload the heavy sacks of feed.  I did it all the time without much thought or effort.  Yet in cold and snowy weather, all of the normal activities of the farm become very burdensome!  When the snow is deep and the temperature drops below 10^o every bag of feed, every gallon of water for the livestock had to be carried the length of a football field!  In times like those one hundred pounds of corn or sixty pounds of water each trip can wear you down!

Let us shift the image of that labor to the worldly burden of living continuously in sin.  Have you ever felt the burdens of sin in a winter's of discontent?  Have you ever known these periods of depression caused by a load of sin?  "My soul is weary with sorrow" runs the phrasing of David.  Yet, there is hope in the word of God for everyone so afflicted.

 "Strengthen me according to Your word"  David, the king pleads.  Remember, David was a king, whose own hands were red with blood.  Here, by the power of the Spirit - he realizes his true need.  And is this not the whole purpose of worldly pressures and the sickness of our bodies to bring us to the point of acknowledging our need for God's strengthening!  If you are regularly burdened the Lord may be trying to get your attention!  Many people are put off this track by being conditioned to think that burdens are just a fact of life!  Yet, we know that all things work to good for those who are being called according to the plan and purpose of God our Father.

 In addition David prays that he be kept from the deceitful ways of sin.  His plea here is for deliverance from the ways of sin, error, idolatry, folly, self-righteousness, formalism or hypocrisy.  We must realize that even as we are being saved and sanctified we may often have false motives or we may fall into mistaken notions of our own spiritual condition before God. 

When such things happen we need further gracing from the law of God. Deceitfulness can only be cast out by the power of God's truth.  And that truth we must seek and serve as we see in the last three verses of our passage today:

                "I have chosen the way of truth;

                                 I have set my heart on Your laws.

 I hold fast to Your testimonies, O Lord;

                                 do not let me be put to shame.

 I run in the path of your commandments.

                                 for you have set my heart free."

 Initially here we see three actions on the part of the penitent psalmist.  There is a choice, an aspiration and a clinging.   About ten days ago I rescued a puppy that had been dropped off in the middle of a country road.  Even almost two weeks later, whenever we sit down to wash, groom or pet the newly pampered pooch; she clings to us for satisfaction.  So content is she with her new found home that she hardly strays more than fifty feet from the back porch where her rug and food dish have been placed.  Would that we as humans would cling to our precious Father God who has made even a better home for countless stray runaway humans from every tribe and nation!

Last week, we listed four steps to being released from the bondage of sin.  After confession of sin, the remainder focused upon knowing and understanding the revealed word of God.   Once we would pray for that release and receive God's gracious answer then like David here we must begin to exercise that will which is released from bondage to sin.

                First we must choose to accept God's truths.

                Second we must set our hearts upon His Laws.

                Third we must hold fast to His statutes.

 The important thing that we need to realize here is that once we are out from under the bondage of sin, our will is partially restored.  By this I would compare our situation to that of Adam and Eve.   In their initial state of grace they naturally did what was good in the sight of God.  Yet, their condition allowed them to possibly choose what was apart from God's truth.  In our sanctifying state of grace we are still naturally inclined to choose or cling to that which is wrong.  However, in the reverse of Adam's situation we are empowered and encouraged to choose truth. To this endeavor we should set our hearts by holding fast to the statutes of God's word.  We must also pray that our Lord and our God would keep us from being put to shame.

As our newfound pet grows accustomed to her new home, it may be necessary to establish boundaries by some artificial means.  The last pet that we had was confined within a fenced yard.  This time, I may look into an invisible fence?  But then again – there are problems in all sorts of artificial means and methods.  The real trick is to teach and encourage obedience to a dumb animal.

If you think that is hard, just remember the human species, while different is not a whole lot smarter.  When I raised sheep, fencing was always a problem.  Food at regular periods proved to be the glue to keep them close to the barn, since I could not practice the age-old method of constant presence with the flock.

Food, spiritual food is the key as David well knows to keep the human flock close to the Lord.  The best a pastor and session can do is act like the old shepherd’s dog – yapping and nipping the members of the flock who would rather wade into the nearest swamp!  Yes, several times, I have had to bark more loudly than you are used to hearing – I only do that in private – when one of the sheep does something really, really stupid!

The way they get that way is because they do not feed on the word provided by our Father God!  You see God would be with us daily, if we would read, listen and think about what He has to say.  To many within the Church of Christ imagine that their green pastures are carefully fenced in, or that the Holy Spirit will zap their conscience when they stray beyond the ordinary limits of behavior.  Thank goodness, as one saint observed – if lighting struck every time someone began to sin, there would be a lot more lightning and a lot fewer sinners on this small planet!   A lot fewer, I might add!  Who indeed could live in such an environment?

God’s economy in these regards is wiser than we would design.  He has provided a way of escape in and through His only Son Jesus Christ.  And He has provided the wisdom and encouragement of His word for our daily reading and meditation.

Conclusion:  One final note, we have to always remember that it is completely by God's grace that we are allowed to run in the paths of God's commands.  And on this last verse we must note that the same word is used with which we started this eight verse section.   But there is a wonderful twist to the text.

“I run in the path of your commandments.

                                 for you have set my heart free."

Thus we should end this portion noting well that henceforward we should stick like glue to the way of His commands.  Since our bondage to sin has been effected we should seek a new bondage to God's precious truths.  Notice the translation I have used, “you have set my heart free.”  There is indeed a great freedom in Christ that the world little imagines!

By and large, the worldly presume that it is Christianity that burdens mankind with all manner of thou-shalt-nots.  Commands that would limit the lust for life that comes so naturally.  However, one doesn’t have to dig too deep into the popular ongoing soap opera of confused sinful lives to realize that, quite the contrary to the worldly wisdom, there is freedom, security and life within the fold of the Great Shepherd of the sheep.  All we have to do when we hear Him call our name is to come in the same manner as David the king, and listen to the words of life inscribed in the Testaments.

For today, do remember that it is by His grace we are enabled to do this because He indeed has set our hearts and minds and wills free to now choose His divine self, His perfect plan and His revealed Son, even Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.   May this ever be your personal path to that glorious day when we shall finally behold Him and in His eternity once more put on His perfect righteousness.  Amen.