The eyes of the LORDare upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The Lord keeps the righteous under His constant watch with tender and special care, and He keeps His ear open to hear their cry for help in prayer. This favor toward the righteous stands against His opposition to those who do evil, and it belongs with His promise to hear them, deliver them from troubles and many afflictions, and draw near to the brokenhearted and contrite. The righteous who are so watched and heard are those whose character is reformed to turn from evil and deceit and to seek peace, who are humble, submissive and lowly in spirit, and who love, obey, seek and depend on Him in faith. His care does not fail in the severest trial and peril, for He sends angels to comfort and protect, keeps His people from being overwhelmed, receives the truly repentant, and lets affliction refine away earthliness to reflect holiness. He bends to hear every needy, praying and believing soul and answers even before prayer is spoken, so that no genuine desire, faltering prayer, tear or unspoken cry goes unheeded, and the discouraged and desponding should therefore trust, pray and praise instead of sinking under the cloud.
Meaning and Context
The eyes of the Lord rest upon the righteous in watchful, favorable, special and tender care, and His ears stay open to listen to their cry and prayer for help. He watches over those who cry to Him, attends to them, surrounds with help those who humbly face duty and trial in dependence upon Him, and searches motives, purposes and inmost feelings even of those in responsible positions. Those who endure wrong and trial while keeping love in the heart, guarding the speech, doing good and pursuing peace may cry to Him with assurance that He attends to them.
That care for the righteous stands set against His opposition to those who do evil, with favor and hearing for the one and His face set against the other. The righteous are those who keep the tongue from evil and the lips from guile and deceit, turn from evil and do good, and seek and pursue peace. The promise belongs in a special way to the tempted, broken, contrite and submissive soul, to whom grace and soothing consolation and tender compassion are given.
In its surrounding verses the promise belongs together with His hearing the righteous and delivering them from trouble and out of all their troubles and many afflictions. He draws near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits are contrite. Affliction so met is to be laid hold of personally as proof that trouble does not mean His anger is upon the sufferer, for He brings trials to draw people near to Him and does not want them to remain under a cloud but to pray and praise.
It belongs to teaching the fear of the Lord for those who desire life and love many days that they may see good, which requires keeping the tongue from evil and guile, turning from evil, doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace. Those of subdued, contrite, humble and lowly heart are tenderly regarded and watched over and listened to, for He does not judge unrighteously but revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite, scattering the proud, putting down the mighty, exalting those of low degree, and filling the hungry with good things. Every verse of the psalm holds an important lesson on this.
The Righteous Who Are Heard
The eyes of the Lord rest with favor upon the righteous and His ears are open to their cry, and the righteous so watched and heard are those who keep the tongue from evil and the lips from deceit and guile, turn from evil and do good, and seek peace and pursue it. This keeping of speech, departing from wrong, doing good, and pursuing peace belongs to learning the fear of the Lord by those who desire life and good days, and it marks a reformed character whose life reflects the change. Those who endure wrong and trial while keeping love in the heart, guarding speech, doing good, and pursuing peace may cry to God with assurance that He attends to them.
In the setting of judgment they are those who sigh and cry over the abominations done in the land, whom God hears even as His face is against evildoers. The promise belongs to the tempted, broken, contrite and submissive soul, to the humble and lowly and to every soul poor in spirit, and to such He gives grace and soothing consolation and tender compassion. He tenderly regards those with subdued, contrite hearts, revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite, scatters the proud, puts down the mighty, exalts those of low degree, and fills the hungry with good things. Before a prayer is spoken or a longing made known His Spirit goes out to meet the genuine desire, so that no weak or faltering prayer and no tear of contrition goes unanswered by grace meeting the grace already working in the heart.
His special care, favor, attention and help are assured to those who love and obey Him, to those who seek Him, and to those who seek wisdom and strength from Christ. When they face duty and trial humbly and depend on Jesus in faith, His angel surrounds them and Christ proves sufficient in every emergency, searching motives and purposes and reading inmost feelings. He bends to hear every needy, praying, believing soul who asks for help in faith, raising the fallen, giving hope to the hopeless, and guiding in sure paths.
The promise is to be laid hold of personally in affliction, and affliction itself does not mean that the anger of the Lord is upon the sufferer, for He brings trials to draw people near to Himself and delivers the righteous out of all their afflictions. One who has been greatly wronged is called to put away a harsh, condemnatory and defiant spirit, to cherish love even for the erring, and to walk humbly and trustingly before Him.
Help and Comfort in Trial
His watchful care does not withdraw in the severest trial and time of peril, but remains with the righteous to comfort and protect them by sending angels around them, and those angels surround especially faithful workers and all who face duty and trial humbly and dependently, with Christ proving sufficient in every emergency for those who seek wisdom and strength from Him. He keeps His people from being overwhelmed and destroyed amid severe trials and burdens. Those who were deceived and tempted into sin but return with true repentance are not cast off, for His strong and tender love still comforts and protects them in their time of peril.
Affliction is permitted as a furnace to refine, consuming earthliness so that Christ's image and a holy character may be reflected, and He brings His people through it thus purified. Trials He sees fit to send are to be willingly endured when temptation feels overwhelming, by remembering that His eye is upon His people. Such trials are meant to draw them near to Him.
Knowing that His eye is upon them and His ear is open to their prayer brings deep satisfaction, happiness and confidence. It means having a never-failing, all-wise, constant and trustworthy Friend to whom the secrets of the soul can be entrusted. A mind thus quiet and satisfied in Him is the best medicine and remedy for diseased body and mind, placing the receiver on the pathway to health and strength under His special blessing. His open ear and promises give reason to trust Him as the only source of help and to rely on Him and believe His power to heal when seeking healing.
His eye notes sacrifices and sorrows, and His ear is open to receive burdens carried to Him, even from those shut away from the world and from earthly friends. Injustice and neglect endured now will make the reward greater in the coming day.
He bends from His throne to hear and sends divine help to every needy, praying, believing soul who asks for help in faith. Before a prayer is spoken or a longing made known, His Spirit goes out to meet it, so no genuine desire however weak, no faltering prayer, no tear of contrition, and no unspoken cry from a soul in need goes unheeded or unanswered. Grace thus meets the grace already working in the heart, raising the fallen, giving hope to the hopeless, and guiding in sure paths.
Affliction does not mean His anger is upon the sufferer, and the promise is to be laid hold of personally in affliction. The discouraged, sad, faint-hearted and desponding should therefore not sink down or remain under a cloud, but should trust, pray and praise. Even when clouds envelop them, they should call to mind His lovingkindness and believe He will not leave them to sink, but His own strong arm will reach down to lift the head above the cloud and reveal His lovely face and favor. The faint-hearted will be made strong and the desponding made to hope, being filled with earnest desire for His image to be reflected in them, for He will take care of His own cause and those who fill their lowly, humble, faithful and holy place before Him will not be ashamed but may trust with holy boldness.
The Lord keeps the righteous under His constant watch with tender and special care, and He keeps His ear open to hear their cry for help in prayer. This favor toward the righteous stands against His opposition to those who do evil, and it belongs with His promise to hear them, deliver them from troubles and many afflictions, and draw near to the brokenhearted and contrite. The righteous who are so watched and heard are those whose character is reformed to turn from evil and deceit and to seek peace, who are humble, submissive and lowly in spirit, and who love, obey, seek and depend on Him in faith. His care does not fail in the severest trial and peril, for He sends angels to comfort and protect, keeps His people from being overwhelmed, receives the truly repentant, and lets affliction refine away earthliness to reflect holiness. He bends to hear every needy, praying and believing soul and answers even before prayer is spoken, so that no genuine desire, faltering prayer, tear or unspoken cry goes unheeded, and the discouraged and desponding should therefore trust, pray and praise instead of sinking under the cloud.
Meaning and Context
The eyes of the Lord rest upon the righteous in watchful, favorable, special and tender care, and His ears stay open to listen to their cry and prayer for help. He watches over those who cry to Him, attends to them, surrounds with help those who humbly face duty and trial in dependence upon Him, and searches motives, purposes and inmost feelings even of those in responsible positions. Those who endure wrong and trial while keeping love in the heart, guarding the speech, doing good and pursuing peace may cry to Him with assurance that He attends to them.
That care for the righteous stands set against His opposition to those who do evil, with favor and hearing for the one and His face set against the other. The righteous are those who keep the tongue from evil and the lips from guile and deceit, turn from evil and do good, and seek and pursue peace. The promise belongs in a special way to the tempted, broken, contrite and submissive soul, to whom grace and soothing consolation and tender compassion are given.
In its surrounding verses the promise belongs together with His hearing the righteous and delivering them from trouble and out of all their troubles and many afflictions. He draws near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits are contrite. Affliction so met is to be laid hold of personally as proof that trouble does not mean His anger is upon the sufferer, for He brings trials to draw people near to Him and does not want them to remain under a cloud but to pray and praise.
It belongs to teaching the fear of the Lord for those who desire life and love many days that they may see good, which requires keeping the tongue from evil and guile, turning from evil, doing good, and seeking and pursuing peace. Those of subdued, contrite, humble and lowly heart are tenderly regarded and watched over and listened to, for He does not judge unrighteously but revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite, scattering the proud, putting down the mighty, exalting those of low degree, and filling the hungry with good things. Every verse of the psalm holds an important lesson on this.
The Righteous Who Are Heard
The eyes of the Lord rest with favor upon the righteous and His ears are open to their cry, and the righteous so watched and heard are those who keep the tongue from evil and the lips from deceit and guile, turn from evil and do good, and seek peace and pursue it. This keeping of speech, departing from wrong, doing good, and pursuing peace belongs to learning the fear of the Lord by those who desire life and good days, and it marks a reformed character whose life reflects the change. Those who endure wrong and trial while keeping love in the heart, guarding speech, doing good, and pursuing peace may cry to God with assurance that He attends to them.
In the setting of judgment they are those who sigh and cry over the abominations done in the land, whom God hears even as His face is against evildoers. The promise belongs to the tempted, broken, contrite and submissive soul, to the humble and lowly and to every soul poor in spirit, and to such He gives grace and soothing consolation and tender compassion. He tenderly regards those with subdued, contrite hearts, revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite, scatters the proud, puts down the mighty, exalts those of low degree, and fills the hungry with good things. Before a prayer is spoken or a longing made known His Spirit goes out to meet the genuine desire, so that no weak or faltering prayer and no tear of contrition goes unanswered by grace meeting the grace already working in the heart.
His special care, favor, attention and help are assured to those who love and obey Him, to those who seek Him, and to those who seek wisdom and strength from Christ. When they face duty and trial humbly and depend on Jesus in faith, His angel surrounds them and Christ proves sufficient in every emergency, searching motives and purposes and reading inmost feelings. He bends to hear every needy, praying, believing soul who asks for help in faith, raising the fallen, giving hope to the hopeless, and guiding in sure paths.
The promise is to be laid hold of personally in affliction, and affliction itself does not mean that the anger of the Lord is upon the sufferer, for He brings trials to draw people near to Himself and delivers the righteous out of all their afflictions. One who has been greatly wronged is called to put away a harsh, condemnatory and defiant spirit, to cherish love even for the erring, and to walk humbly and trustingly before Him.
Help and Comfort in Trial
His watchful care does not withdraw in the severest trial and time of peril, but remains with the righteous to comfort and protect them by sending angels around them, and those angels surround especially faithful workers and all who face duty and trial humbly and dependently, with Christ proving sufficient in every emergency for those who seek wisdom and strength from Him. He keeps His people from being overwhelmed and destroyed amid severe trials and burdens. Those who were deceived and tempted into sin but return with true repentance are not cast off, for His strong and tender love still comforts and protects them in their time of peril.
Affliction is permitted as a furnace to refine, consuming earthliness so that Christ's image and a holy character may be reflected, and He brings His people through it thus purified. Trials He sees fit to send are to be willingly endured when temptation feels overwhelming, by remembering that His eye is upon His people. Such trials are meant to draw them near to Him.
Knowing that His eye is upon them and His ear is open to their prayer brings deep satisfaction, happiness and confidence. It means having a never-failing, all-wise, constant and trustworthy Friend to whom the secrets of the soul can be entrusted. A mind thus quiet and satisfied in Him is the best medicine and remedy for diseased body and mind, placing the receiver on the pathway to health and strength under His special blessing. His open ear and promises give reason to trust Him as the only source of help and to rely on Him and believe His power to heal when seeking healing.
His eye notes sacrifices and sorrows, and His ear is open to receive burdens carried to Him, even from those shut away from the world and from earthly friends. Injustice and neglect endured now will make the reward greater in the coming day.
He bends from His throne to hear and sends divine help to every needy, praying, believing soul who asks for help in faith. Before a prayer is spoken or a longing made known, His Spirit goes out to meet it, so no genuine desire however weak, no faltering prayer, no tear of contrition, and no unspoken cry from a soul in need goes unheeded or unanswered. Grace thus meets the grace already working in the heart, raising the fallen, giving hope to the hopeless, and guiding in sure paths.
Affliction does not mean His anger is upon the sufferer, and the promise is to be laid hold of personally in affliction. The discouraged, sad, faint-hearted and desponding should therefore not sink down or remain under a cloud, but should trust, pray and praise. Even when clouds envelop them, they should call to mind His lovingkindness and believe He will not leave them to sink, but His own strong arm will reach down to lift the head above the cloud and reveal His lovely face and favor. The faint-hearted will be made strong and the desponding made to hope, being filled with earnest desire for His image to be reflected in them, for He will take care of His own cause and those who fill their lowly, humble, faithful and holy place before Him will not be ashamed but may trust with holy boldness.