Psalm 89:1-13 One of my favorite hymns is “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” We sang this at my oldest son’s wedding. As we sang this song, I thought of how faithful the Lord was in hearing and answering my prayers for wives for my sons. For years I prayed two things for my future daughters-in-law. I prayed they would first love the Lord with all of their heart, and second, they would simply adore my sons. After many years of waiting, I saw all three sons married in a nine-month period of time to the most wonderful young Christian ladies. They are just as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside.
Psalm 89 is about God’s faithfulness. He extends, establishes and encircles us with His faithfulness. When we are not faithful, He is faithful. When we look at the word faithful and reverse this syllables, we see “full faith.” We have the faith of Jesus who works within us to cause us to have full faith. None of us have this power to remain faithful, except through the Holy Spirit who provides us the abiding presence of Jesus Christ in our hearts.
Yesterday we talked about the substance of faith, which is hope. Jesus Christ is our hope, and more than that He is our very faith. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (KJV).
There is a chorus I love that says, “I walk by faith, every step I take, I walk by faith.” Remember we are walking on the sure substance of faith called hope. Some people say, “I don’t have enough faith to believe for this miracle (it may be healing, financial provision, a job).” We all need these kinds of miracles in our lives, and often we feel so lacking in faith. The truth is we never lack faith if we have invited Jesus to come and abide in our hearts. Jesus Christ Himself is our faith. He is the faithful One who enables us to remain faithful. Great is His faithfulness, and His great faithfulness is imparted to us by Jesus Christ. If we abide in Jesus and His Word abides in us, God’s own character of faithfulness will be formed within us and displayed out of our lives.
Just this week I heard a testimony of a missionary in Sudan who saw her husband and five children killed by Muslim radicals. They cut her throat and left her for dead. She survived. Her picture was passed around our ladies meeting so we could pray for her. As I looked in her face I was awed at the glory of God that shone through her face. She did not look hopeless. She was radiant. Wouldn’t you think her first thought would be to leave Sudan immediately and never return? This was not the case. She chose to remain in Sudan to finish the call she and her husband had to this war-torn land. How could she remain? She has the faithful One.
READ: Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 13:15-16
