2020 5/13 #32 - A Faithful God

Here is a thought to engage everyone of us - what of God's steadfast love do we make known in such a way that the generations after us will hear of it?

The thought makes me want to pray: Lord, allow my legacy to be that those who come after me, for as long as Christ tarries, will hear of your goodness in the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ until His appearing. Let me leave that to them that they might be saved, and your glory made known.

That and more as we consider Psalm 89. I’m Reid Ferguson, and this is Through the Word in 2020.

Mark 10:17–34; 2 Corinthians 5:1–6:13; 2 Samuel 5–6 and Psalm 89 round out our readings for today

As Psalm 89 progresses, watch how it begins contemplating God's promises to David (and thus to His Kingdom) and how David in person does not see all those promises fulfilled - how One must yet come who will be THE David of whom David is but a type.

Then note how the author of this Psalm - Ethan - wrestles with how God will yet bring those promises to fruition which due to sin seem to be ruined. And how Ethan ends simply trusting that somehow, because God is faithful, all WILL yet come to pass. Whether we experience seasons which seem to contradict God's promises or not, He will be faithful, and in time, they will come to pass. None will fail.

Now what is the device Ethan uses to encourage his own heart in this regard? As is stated elsewhere, "the heavens declare the glory of God, and day unto day utters speech".

Here, the Psalmist reminds us that one way the created order "speaks" to us is in its amazing regularity. The sun rises and sets on its perfect schedule. The tides rise and fall. The orbit of the earth around the sun, the moon's orbit around the earth and the earth's rotation on its axis are all demonstrations of God's faithfulness. How He can be counted upon to be always the same in His person and in His plans. The regular operations of the "the heavens" are undeniable testimonies of His faithfulness. Don't let their reality just slip by you unnoticed.

When life seems random and skewed, remember that the sun will rise and set today right on time. The seasons will still come and go. A year will still be a year. Because God is running His universe. And you and I are in it.

Ethan then makes a powerful connection in reasoning this all out. He records God’s words: Even if the King’s children “forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I WILL punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will NOT remove from Him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah.” Vss. 30-37

Why will you endure Christian? Not because of your great faithfulness, but because of His. And Because Christ Jesus is your King to whom all these promises are sworn. If He is your King - all of this is divinely and eternally secure, and cannot be broken.

Let that soak into your soul today weary Christian. Christ is on His throne, and you are His.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.