Our reading tonight is to be found in 2 Samuel 7, and we're going to read from verse 18 down to verse 22. 2 Samuel 7, verse 18 down to verse 22. Then went King David in and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any god beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Amen. May God bless the reading of his word. Oh dear brethren, we ought to be more often lost in wonder, love and praise as we consider the grace of God. God has been so gracious to us up to this very time and there is a vast river of grace still to flow your way, like a mighty ocean. which has surrounded us so far, we, dear brethren, will never get to the end of God's amazing grace. Now, David here in this prayer is taken up with God's grace towards him. As we saw a few weeks ago in verse 18, he said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto? He's so amazed that God has favoured him and his house. And as we go on through this prayer tonight, we see further that David was lost in wonder and amazement at the grace of God. Notice verse 19. And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. You see there he's speechless. There in verse 20, what can David say more unto thee? He feels his unworthiness, but he also considers the vastness of God's grace towards him, and he's left speechless, as it were, there in prayer. And oh, that we would be found more often speechless in admiring the grace of God. Well, let's put this prayer again into its context. It's been a few weeks since we were hearing this prayer. You remember that after hearing of certain promises and blessings that would be to his family, he turned to the Lord in prayer. If you recall, he had purposed in his heart to build God a house, particularly for the Ark of the Covenant. and Nathan first approved of it. However, Nathan was informed in the night by the Lord that this was not permitted. We know in Solomon's time the temple would be built. Well, this news is relayed unto David. He was not permitted to build the house. However, he was informed of God's favour towards him and his family. Now, David, upon hearing this news, instead of becoming angry or cross that he was not allowed to build the house, goes to the Lord in prayer and in thanksgiving he utters these words before the Lord. He goes into that tabernacle that he had pitched for the ark. We notice that in verse 18 and when King David in it was into that pacific tabernacle that David had pitched for the ark. where David was so thankful, and we notice that here in this prayer. He was not allowed to build the house, but he had been assured of God's favour, as we note in the previous verses, verses 15 to verse 16, and he's so thankful for God's continuing grace towards him. Dear brethren in life, things may not turn out the way we planned. David had planned to build the temple but he was not permitted. There are things in our life that do not turn out as we might have planned. There may be disappointments, but dear brethren we can be assured of and rest in the grace of God. Disappointments may come your way, things may take a different course to what you considered, but you can still rest in the grace of God. And that's what David does here in this prayer. Well tonight we're going to briefly look from verse 19 to verse 22. And as we do so I'd like us to consider first of all grace, secondly amazement, thirdly thankfulness. And as we think of those things, and we will note them tonight, as we think of the grace of God, that we will be truly amazed. We're not amazed enough, are we, at the grace of God? But in being amazed at the grace of God, that we might be so thankful. David here, he considers God's grace, he's so taken with it, he's amazed at it, and he comes with a thankful heart. Well, first of all, grace. Verse 19, and this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, But thou hast spoken also at thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? You see, David's looking higher. He's looking to God's amazing and infinite grace. Verse 20. And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. He's humbled there. God knows everything, He's humbled what favour has been shown. Then particularly verse 21, According to thine own heart We think, as we will note in a moment, of the will of God, God's purpose, but then particularly of God's grace. Not because of David, anything David had merited. No, because of God's grace in his own heart. where David feels his unworthiness. Notice verse 20. And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. And dear brethren, when we consider ourselves, And we take note that God knows everything about our lives. He knows our disappointments, He knows our trials, but then He knows our every sin. Are we not led to consider with amazement the grace of God? He knows us all together, yet He shows us such favour. Note again, verse 20, For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. He knew everything. He knew everything about David, all his shortcomings, all his sins, all that he had done so far in his life. For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. Everything was known. But then consider this. God knew how David would sin against him in the future. That David here is looking back over his life and recognizing that God knew everything, had seen everything. But consider this further, God knew what David would do in the future. He knew that he would so sin against him. God knew that one day David would have an emotional but then a physical affair with Bathsheba. Just turn over the page to chapter 11. We read of it there in verse 2 and turn to verse 4. God knew this. David did not know this yet but God did. That David would have an emotional and a physical affair. It was all known. Dear brethren, God knows it all. And as God looks on us tonight, he knows our whole lives. And it's a very humbling thing, isn't it? It's humbling when we consider that God has known everything we have done wrong so far. But it's also even a more humbling thing, isn't it, tonight? God knows all the sins we're going to commit from tonight until we're taken home to glory. For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. His eye scans over our whole lives tonight. He knows everything about us. There's nothing hid. He knows our open sins. He knows our secret sins. The things we have kept. The things we would never tell anyone else. He knows it all. He knows every failing, every iniquity, every transgression, every sin. He knows it all together. Psalm 139. O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my uprising. Thou understandest my fall to far off. Thou compassed my path and my lying down. And art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue. But though, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. It's all known. What a thought that is. God knows what you're going to say from tonight to glory. And God knows what you're going to say for all eternity. Everything is known. God's eye is far-reaching. His knowledge is infinite. He knows us all together. Verse 3 of Psalm 139, I'm not acquainted with all my ways. He's acquainted. We think of an acquaintance. One who knows. One who's acquainted with. But God is acquainted with everything about us. Listen to Spurgeon. Thou art familiar with all I do. Nothing is concealed from thee, nor surprising to thee, nor misunderstood by thee. He knows all things. Now that can be a comfort, isn't it? He knows us in the veil of trial and suffering. But we're humbled, aren't we? He knows all our sins. Verse 20, for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. And David here, he's humbled. Can you understand why he's so amazed at the grace of God? And dear brethren, when we consider ourselves tonight in the spotlight of God's eye, he knows everything. He knows all our sins, our open sins, our secret sins, all that we have done, all that we will do. How amazing is God's grace, what grace to us. And David recognizes here afresh, he has not merited God's grace. Verse 20, for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. And when we think of grace, it's favour not merited, favour undeserved, and we see that there in verse 20. And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. He knows us all together. How amazing is the grace of God then. He knows all my sins. Oh, what grace has flown my way. We'll note verse 21 now. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, Has thou done all this great things to make thy servant known? Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none unlike thee, neither is there any God beside thee according to all that we have heard with our ears. Now go through this here, verse 21. First of all, we think of his promise. See, David's considering God. It's all of God, all of his grace. Verse 21, for thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, for thy word's sake. Remember, he had promised that he would be king and his family would be blessed. Gracious promises were made to David for thy word's sake, but there's something even more precious here. We can think of Christ here, and if you go through the old commentators, they all bring us to Christ. Verse 21, for thy word's sake. We can think of Christ who is the word, John 1. For thy word's sake, listen to Matthew, Henry, for the sake of Christ, the eternal word, it is all owing to his merit, not David's merit, but to his merit, for thy word's sake. What a wonderful truth we're seeing here. It's all of grace. We haven't merited any blessing. We can think of the moving cause in salvation, it is the grace of God. And the meritorious cause, verse 21, is Christ and his righteousness. For thy word's sake. And when we think of grace, oh grace has been displayed to us through Christ. For thy word's sake we read. But then we can consider in little more detail God's will, His pleasure, and then particularly His grace, verse 21. And according to thine own heart. You see it flowing through here, verse 20. For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant, nothing in David's heart that would merit blessing. It's all of God and His grace. We think of Christ there, verse 21, and the promises through Him, and then think of God's will, His pleasure, and particularly His grace, according to thine own heart. And God has shown us grace because of His grace. Note that there in verse 21, according to thine own heart. Why have you been shown grace? Because of the grace in God's heart. For thy word's sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things. Grace in God has meant that grace, his grace, has flowed to you. Listen to Gil, of his own sovereign goodwill and pleasure, of his own grace, and not according to the merits and deserts of David. Oh, what unmerited favour we have been shown. And so you see in this prayer that David, all those years ago, had a right understanding of the doctrine of God's grace. It's all here in the Old Testament. David had this right understanding. Favour unmerited, all of grace because of his grace. Oh, what grace has been shown to us. Notice verse 21. For thy word's sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them. They've been revealed to David. And that's our blessed position, isn't it? God's grace. And because of Christ, grace has flown to us. It's been revealed to us in the gospel. Dear brethren, what a blessing. That we've tasted of God's grace. That we know tonight such grace that is to be found in God. We've had a little glimpse of it, haven't we? It's infinite, we'll never get to the end of it. But it's been made known to us. Well, let's think of God's grace. First of all, his electing grace. Ephesians 1 verse 4, According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he have made us accepted in the beloved to the praise of the glory of his grace and it's displayed through christ we see that in verse 21 for thy word's sake and according to thine own heart electing grace How wonderful that is. Chosen not for good in me, said Robert Murray McShane. It's all of his grace, electing grace. And secondly, God's grace is seen in effectual calling. Galatians 1 verse 15. But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, Now we can consider there that Paul recognises it was the grace of God which was towards him and so he found himself in the ministry. Call me by his grace. He was called to the work of the ministry and it was a gracious call but he also can go back a little further and he admires the grace of God in effectual calling. He was effectually called, he was born again and was converted. And so we read in Ephesians 2 verse 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith. God's grace is seen in effectual calling. Thirdly, God's grace is seen in justification. Paul would write in Romans 3 verse 24, The moving cause of justification is the grace of God. The meritorious cause is the righteousness of Christ. The moving cause is the grace of God. being justified freely by his grace. Fourthly, the grace of God is seen in adoption. Ephesians 1 verse 5, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace. What a gracious act to be brought into the family by God. What a blessed position we are in. We're in God's family and it's owing all to the grace of God. Where we could go on, we could think of sanctification, preservation, how he keeps us. What a gracious God we have who keeps us. Consider how it's displayed through Christ. And oh, when we think of what Christ has done, do not we see their grace? Think again of those words in Romans 3, verse 24, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Oh, what grace has been shown to us, dear brethren. Remember a few weeks ago we noted how David looked back, verse 18, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? You see, he's amazed at the grace of God as he looks back over his life, and so should we. We've been brought to this very moment, hitherto, and there's such an abundance of grace in store. John Newton wrote, "'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.'" Look back, look forward, and admire the grace of God. Well, secondly tonight, amazement. Come with me to verse 20. "'And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant.'" What can David say more? You recall that David's gone in, he's before the Lord, and he's uttering these words of prayer, but in his prayer, he's nearly left speechless. What can David say more unto thee? He fills his unworthiness, verse 20. Why such grace? And just pause tonight, think of your life. Think of how you've failed the Lord. Are you not speechless at the grace of God? He knows you all together. What grace has been shown to you? What can David say more? He's amazed at the grace of God. Dear brethren, we should be amazed at the grace of God every day. But like David, we're not at times, are we? But oh, we should be. He deserves that we are taken so with the grace of God every day. This is how it ought to be. We should be speechless every day in considering the grace of God. Verse 20, and what can David say more unto thee? Ought to say such words more often in prayer. And you know the pattern prayer our Lord gave is a help for us, isn't it? Because it begins by considering God. It doesn't begin by considering ourself. That's where we go wrong at times in prayer, isn't it? We begin prayer by considering ourselves. We ought to begin prayer by considering God. And all that we would think of that pattern prayer, you know how it ends, thine be the glory, the power and the honour and taken up with God. or to be taken up with God in our prayers. Sometimes my prayers never seem to go much higher than my head, because my heart is not fixed on God, or that my heart would be fixed on God, that my prayers would go higher to heaven as it were, or that we would be left speechless every time we come to the Lord in our private prayers. Or if we would be left speechless every time we come to times of public worship. To be so amazed at what can David say more unto thee. You think of when one is speechless. Someone's touched your heart maybe. There's been a generous act and you don't know what to say. Maybe you've listened to a choir and the singing's just so affected you and you're just left in amazement, you're speechless. How are they so sung together? How they were all in harmony, the parts were so wonderful and you're so amazed. Oh, to be struck with amazement at the grace of God. Dear brethren, we ought to be every day struck with amazement, so lost in wonder, love and praise, as we consider the grace of God. Think today of his preserving grace, his upholding grace. That's enough, isn't it? What he's done for you today, and it's all because of grace. To leave us speechless, that's how it ought to be. Sadly, things get in the way. Sin is a big problem. We thought earlier tonight of that emotional and physical affair David had with Bathsheba. He wasn't thinking about God. Remember Joseph, when he was tempted, how can I do this and sin against God? But David, he gave in to temptation and he was not admiring the grace of God. And sin is a big problem. And that's one of our biggest hindrances, isn't it? In thinking of the grace of God. Let's open this up a little bit further. Think of self-pity. Taken up with oneself. Absorbed in one's situation. And our minds can be so focused on ourselves. And it's been a while since we've really been amazed at the grace of God. Then worldliness, consider worldliness can be like a shadow on the mind. And it's like a smoke screen over the mind. And the world seems to have our affection. Worldliness can be a problem. Then consider pride. Pride can fester. And the eye becomes focused on self rather than God. Sin is a big problem. But then consider another subject. Weakness in a bodily way can be a hindrance. We get tired. We get weary. And this can hamper ourselves looking to God in amazement. Do you know what it is to be weary? You're tired routine each and every day and you're weary and you're tired and all the mind can be distracted. Consider the busyness of life. We can be so busy and we have to so concentrate on certain things and rightfully so. We need to work hard at certain things. Life can be so busy and it's hard to think of the Lord. But oh stop in your lives. even if it be for a few moments in the busyness of the day and be lost in wonder and amazement at the grace of God. That's where we want to be, isn't it? Every day, not just on the Lord's days. Every day, I want to be lost in wonder, love and praise at the grace of God. Oh, in the busyness of your life, take time to stop and consider God's grace. How amazing is his grace. Notice verse 20 again. And what can David say more unto thee? So lost in wonder and amazement. That's where we need to be, isn't it? For God's glory. For his glory that we're so amazed at his grace. Remember those words of Newton again. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. David here, he feels his unworthiness. but he has a great admiration of the grace of God. And you see, when we feel our unworthiness, the Lord can use this to so cause us to look to him. When we consider ourselves, we're undeserving, how wonderful is the grace of God. Think what you've done in your life. Think of your secret sins that you only know. Maybe you've never told your wife or your husband or your family, secret sins, and you don't want to tell them. God knows it all together how amazing is God's grace how wonderful what grace remember what Paul said 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10 but by the grace of God I am what I am The blessed state we are in, where we are in our Christian lives, is all down to the grace of God. And where we will be one day in perfection and glory is down to the grace of God. It's all of grace, isn't it? And blessed are the days when we put self to one side, pride to one side, and we are absorbed with God and his grace. And that's where we want to be every day, isn't it? It's all of grace. Nothing in my hand I bring. It's all of grace. Look at these words again, verse 20. What can David say more unto thee? Oh, to know it more often in prayer. You stop saying words, but your mind just flows on and you admire the grace of God and you praise God for it. You're so taken up with God That's where we want to be. And it is possible. We see that here. And blessed are those days when we're so taken up with God. And we're so rejoicing in the grace of God. The grace of God that found us out. Well let's draw to a close then. Thankfulness. Grace, amazement, thankfulness. Let's read verse 20 and verse 21 and verse 22. What can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. See here, David, he's lost in amazement, and he comes again to God with a thankful heart. He's admiring the greatness of God. Psalm 48, verse one, great is the Lord, and greatly to be honored. He's so thankful, he thinks of the greatness of God and his grace. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee. He's so thankful. He's been brought down, he feels his sin, he feels so unworthy, but then he's caused to look up with a thankful heart. And you thank God when you're brought to a point and you feel your unworthiness, but then you're called to look up with sincere thankfulness. Lord, thou dost know everything about me. Thou dost know all my secret sins. I thank thee, Lord, that thou hast shown me grace, and thou art keeping me, and thou will bring me home. There's no one like God, is there? So wonderful, infinite in grace. Thank God for his grace. That's a great theme here. David's prayer is taken up with God, his grace, and he's so thankful. Notice again, verse 20, what can David say more unto thee? He's left speechless, but he's got thanksgiving. He's so amazed. He's so thankful. The words, well, he can't think as it were of any more words that really summarize the thankfulness he has in his heart. What can David say more? He's so thankful. Remember the words in Psalm 116 verse 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? What shall I render? Similar to this, isn't it? What can David say more? What shall I render? What could he? Considering particularly God's grace, yet he's so thankful there. Be thankful. Consider the grace of God and thank God for his grace. Be thankful. Colossians 3 verse 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which all see you are called in one body, and be ye thankful. That's interesting, yeah, isn't it? It's a command of the Lord. Be ye thankful. You know we're to be thankful every day. And dear brethren, why can we be thankful? Because of God's grace. And when you consider God's grace, and that is a subject that we will never get to the end of in eternity, just consider the grace of God. We've got so much to thank God for, haven't we? Be ye thankful. We need to be thankful. Thank him every day. That should be our aim. Thank him every day. There's some days when it's difficult, but seek to still thank God. Let me use this illustration. You're going through a difficult trial, and it's hard work. You're wading through affliction. But you've got cause for thanksgiving. Because God has his hand on you in affliction. And God is keeping you in affliction. That's the cause for thanksgiving. Be ye thankful. And then thank him when you enter into the gatherings of the saints. Lord willing we'll note this in a few weeks time. On Lord's Day morning, Psalm 100 verse 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and enter his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless his name. You know, something's striking there, isn't it? Did you notice it? Being thankful to God as you enter. There's so much there, isn't it? Oh, to think of God, the one we're coming to worship. And that can be a great help, isn't it? To think of God before worship. To think of what we're actually coming to do. And there in Psalm 100, enter into his gates with thanksgiving. We ought to have a thankful heart before we open our mouth to sing praise. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. Be thankful unto him. You see we're commanded. Be thankful unto him and bless his name. Thank him, praise him. We're to do it every day. We're to thank Him when we come into the gatherings of the saints. Oh dear brethren, think ahead. When we will be in heaven and in that heavenly world, our hearts will be so full of praise and thanksgiving as we admire the grace of God. We'll be so taken up with God. and how His grace is displayed through Christ whom we will see in that place and our hearts will be so full of thanksgiving, we'll be so thanking God for all eternity. Let's prepare for heaven by thanking God now and thanking Him more often. We will be singing praise in view of his amazing grace. John Newton wrote, when we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first began. And the theme there for Newton was God's amazing grace. We'll be taken with God's amazing grace. We'll be so struck at the grace of God as we behold Christ. And we will be so thankful all the time, every moment, if there were moments in eternity to come, we'll be praising God for His grace. Let's do it more often. Here below, be thankful in view of God's amazing grace and pray that you would more often be lost in amazement at the grace of God. May the Lord answer our prayer. For his name's sake, amen.