August 19, 2009
Central Truth
The psalmist is taking time to rest on God's eternal character, reflecting on His majesty over creation, the past deliverances of His people, and His promises (covenant) to them. Reflecting on God's character allows us to find peace and rest even through tough times.
For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
(Psalm 89:6)
1
I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2
For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
3
You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
4
‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah
5
Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6
For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the heavenly beings
2
89:6
Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might
is like the LORD,
7
a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all who are around him?
8
O LORD God of hosts,
who is mighty as you are, O LORD,
with your faithfulness all around you?
9
You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.
10
You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11
The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12
The north and the south, you have created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13
You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15
Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,
16
who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
17
For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
18
For our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Wow, this is one of those "coffee and lounge chair" passages worth reading through really slowly. Doesn't it feel good to read these verses and just rest in the character of God? My blood pressure goes way down when I am reminded of the great love and faithfulness of the God I serve. If I truly believed this all of the time, my life would be so stress-free! But, unfortunately, many times there's a huge gap between God's reality and my reality!
One of my favorite little phrases in life is, "May I live as though the Bible is true." Easy to say, but hard to do. Joy and I recently had to endure being laid off from my job of five years. I'd like to say we walked through it without a glitch, but the truth is, it was really difficult. It was a roller coaster of emotions with many tears and a lot of uncertainty. With small kids at home and bills to pay, we constantly struggled not to focus on the uncomfortable possibilities of how our life might change. One of the most helpful things we did during this time was to remind each other of God's unwavering faithfulness in our lives. There had been many times in our past together when God had come through for us both financially and personally. When we took time to remember God's faithfulness in our lives, it allowed us to experience God's comfort and peace even though the current situation looked bad, and our future was uncertain.
This is one of the great gifts of living the Christian life--our certainty that God is in control, even when it doesn't feel like it. We can trust in Him because He is trustworthy. He is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3), and a very present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1). Thank you, Lord!
1. When is the last time you appreciated the wonder of God's creation?
Can you do that today?
2. Would you also be willing to take a few seconds to consider how God has been faithful to you in times past?
3. How often do you actually dwell on God's character? How would this impact your day-to-day life?
4. Is there anything going on in your life right now that should cause you to stop and remind yourself about the character and trustworthiness of God?