The Gospel Pillar of God’s Faithfulness
Today’s Scripture reading from the ESV Bible Reading Schedule took me to Psalm 105. Through this Psalm the Lord moved me to ponder His faithfulness.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.”
One of the strong pillars of the gospel is the faithfulness of our covenant keeping God. Let’s be honest, day after day is filled with struggles and failures for the Christian. The more we grow in Christ the more we realize how far we are from his likeness. But then we are called, once again, to sink the roots of our faith into the good news of the gospel:
We, who were dead in sin, have been given new life through the power of his Spirit.
The Lord has provided an atoning sacrifice for all of our sin – yes, all of it.
The Lord has draped around our forgiven shoulders the prefect righteousness of his Son.
In Christ we now can stand unashamed before our God and can cry out “Abba, Father!” with the assurance that he hears us with unmatched tenderness and care.
We have a myriad of precious promises to trust in as we look at our own hearts and at the path he has laid before us in this life.
He is at work in us.
He is at work around us.
He holds us in his hand and is shaping us into his likeness.
And so much more.
Why are these glorious gospel promises reliable? How is it we can find solid comfort and hope in them? Because God is faithful. Let that truth ring in your ears… God is faithful. Ours is not a shaky, fleeting hope. No! It is hope built upon the very character and purposes of the Lord God Almighty whose judgments are in all the earth and who remembers his covenanents forever.
May the Lord use his Word, even today, to potently remind you of his faithfulness and provide you with comfort, hope and strength for today.
Gospel Blessings,
jc
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Thank you.
You helped me realize the possible cause for my injured pinky. Perhaps its because i fill my life with surfing, sports, and working at the zoo. That perhaps its taking me away from God, and i needed to slow down a bit, and realize where i am in my walk with him. So, yes. A+ on the Youth Pastor advice.
C=
Caroline - April 23, 2008 at 10:35 pm
It is my privilege to help in any way I can! So much of life is having our false escapes exposed. We run to so many things for enjoyment, meaning and significance. But how often do we run to the Lord, our only true joy, refuge and strength?
Good, enjoyable activity is a gift from God, but it can quickly turn into a dominate idol. We so easily worship the gift instead of the Giver – a sad, sinful, ironic fact! I’m afraid our crazy-busy schedules can mask some serious drifting from the Lord. I even face that in ministry. If our hearts are, as John Calvin once said, ‘perpetual idol factories’ and if we are, as Augustine once said, ‘restless until we find our rest in Thee’, then maybe your injured pinky crisis is actually a kind and gentle providence of God. As you already said, perhaps he is slowing you down so you can look honestly at where you go for refreshment, enjoyment and significance.
As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). I’m making those same discoveries about false escapes & idols every day. So, welcome to the sanctification club! I look forward to hearing about how the Lord uses this situation to grow your appetite for Christ and help you put all your activities in the right place. May the words of Psalm 105:1-4 direct our focus…
Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the people.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.
Jason - April 24, 2008 at 10:12 am