Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Unrelenting Faithfulness of God

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
-Lamentations 3:21-23

“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.”
-Psalm 18:46

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
–Hebrews 6:17-19

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”
- Psalm 61:1-3

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
– Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, 1529



God is faithful.

Like the constant vacillations of a weaver’s shuttle my inclinations and emotions run to and fro. But not so with God’s unrelenting faithfulness. Indwelling sin, difficult circumstances, weariness, and a fickle heart contribute to my instability, but God is steadfast and immovable. The psalmist likens Him to a rock. If you’ve ever been to Beacon Rock (Washington State’s claim to the second largest free-standing monolith in the Northern Hemisphere[1]) in the Columbia River you’ll see something similar to the One unmoved. At 850 feet tall the howling gorge winds and the incessant waves of the Columbia River are no match for the rock. No matter what the opposition the rock is unflinching.

I need an immovable Savior. I need One who is unaffected by the relentless onslaught of the world, the flesh and the devil. By myself I cannot be trusted to remain unmoved. But God’s purposes stand firm, unfazed by the will of men. His purposes always are unmovable regarding His people and His church. He is faithful to accomplish His holy will regarding them both. He is sworn by oath to Himself and His will cannot be thwarted. His faithfulness endures to all generations. It’s here that the Cross stands as the demonstrable witness to God’s enduring faithfulness. History itself bows as the God-man is resolute in manifesting God’s faithfulness in His mission. In the mind of God from eternity past a Son has been given to redeem lost sinners. By the oath-bound promise of faithfulness God makes it so here and now. His glory and our good are the intended and assured consequence. A promise was made and it cannot fail. We have a never-failing bulwark (a place of protection). We have a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul and this helps us during tumult. Our rock is steadfast and immoveable. We can place all of our trust and hope in Him. Come what may, we can stand confidently with our feet firmly planted. All other ground is sinking sand.

“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock.” -Isaiah 26:4

Thanking God for His Unrelenting Faithfulness

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