Talking yourself round

I am a great one for talking to myself. Most of the time there is nobody around to listen and to conclude that I am slowly going round the bend, so it can be done without fear of repercussions!

Quite often, talking to yourself is beneficial. You can sometimes tell yourself off if you are thinking gloomy thoughts: "Cheer up, Timothy, it may never happen", or "Cheer up, Timothy, thinking like that will get you nowhere." Sometimes talking to yourself helps you to solve a problem: "Now, then, what am I to do here?" Voicing a matter like that can pull together the welter of thoughts that are going round and round in your head, taking you no further forward.

But best of all is when the voice of God speaks into our souls. Recently I read a devotional by C.H. Spurgeon on Psalm 35 verse 3. In this psalm King David has his back to the wall, faced with violent enemies. He addresses God and appeals to Him to fight for him. The verse in question reads, "Say to my soul, I am your salvation" (NIV).

Spurgeon helpfully writes, "… The text informs me first of all that David had his doubts; for why should he pray, "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation," if he were not sometimes exercised with doubts and fears? Let me, then, be of good cheer, for I am not the only saint who has to complain of weakness of faith ...

… David was not content while he had doubts and fears, but he repaired at once to the mercy-seat to pray for assurance; for he valued it as much fine gold. I too must labour after an abiding sense of my acceptance in the Beloved …

… David knew where to obtain full assurance. He went to his God in prayer, crying, "Say unto my soul I am thy salvation." I must be much alone with God if I would have a clear sense of Jesus' love. Let my prayers cease, and my eye of faith will grow dim. Much in prayer, much in heaven; slow in prayer, slow in progress.

… David would not be satisfied unless his assurance had a divine source. "Say unto my soul." Lord, do thou say it! Nothing short of a divine testimony in the soul will ever content the true Christian.

… David could not rest unless his assurance had a vivid personality about it. "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation." Lord, if thou shouldst say this to all the saints, it were nothing, unless thou shouldst say it to me. Lord, I have sinned; I deserve not thy smile; I scarcely dare to ask it; but oh! say to my soul, even to my soul, "I am thy salvation." Let me have a present, personal, infallible, indisputable sense that I am thine, and that thou art mine."

Too many people deprive themselves of God's comfort because they do not believe He relates to us personally. It is my greatest, sometimes my only comfort, that God in Jesus Christ died for me, rose again for me and lives to bless me.