A young girl, in the house of a friend, glanced at an open Bible on a table. These words attracted her attention: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord."
"Oh," she thought, "that shuts me out from blessing, for my heart is not pure. It has been full of vanity all my life."
She mourned over her condition as a guilty sinner before a holy God.
"I could not get away from that scripture," she said later, "and for seven weeks I was so miserable." But God, who had made His voice heard in her soul, did not leave her in that condition. "For God speaketh once, yea twice." Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14).
In due time, God spoke to her again. This time He directed her eyes away from herself to Himself. The verse that brought peace to her heart is in Isa. 55:33Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:3). "Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live." She did listen to His voice; she rested in His Word, and she went on her way with joy in her heart.
Her own vanity and sinfulness were no longer before her, but the love of the Savior who had borne them away, and whose love had drawn her to Himself.
Wonderful love in the heart of my God, Wonderful care, too, for me on the road, Wonderful love in my Savior I see Accepting sin's judgment, He bore it for me.
Is your heart in the enjoyment of this "wonderful love" or is your life still full of vanity? I urge you to consider the fact that everything "under the sun" is vanity, and that by your devotion to the things of time you are shutting yourself out from His blessing.
There is hope for you not in yourself, but in Himself. Oh, look to Him! Rest your soul in simple faith on His unfailing Word, and rejoice in His everlasting love.