The Heaton File

I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’ Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it. (Isaiah 45:5-8)

God’s Wondrous Works

The power of God’s creative hand is found in the forces of nature as they spread across the land in rain, wind and storm. It can be frightening with the thunder booming as lightening streaks across the sky. Rain will pour incredible amounts of water covering the land in flowing rivers. Storms bring wind pounding on everything in its path. Weather patterns are amazing to watch as they blast across the globe in their own wandering designs. Man is helpless to stop these storms enduring whatever fury is brought. There are difficulties encountered with inconvenience and destruction. Sadly, at times lives are lost. On the face of such events, there is also a reminder of the majesty of God’s power.

The forces of nature are God created established in the six days of creation. There is purpose and design in these natural occurrences. Man can observe, chart and predict the course of storms but all he can do is say where the storm has been and what the storm has done. In all its wrath there is a beauty that speaks to the character of a God that is like none other. Scientist know a lot about the weather because there is design and function allowing them to make certain predictions and models of what weather will do. Found in these forces of the natural world is the hand of God among the affairs of man.

The prophet Isaiah proclaims the greatness of God’s power as in the future of restoring His people to the Promised Land. The king of Persia would be the instrument used by the Lord to carry out His will. This edict was established long before Cyrus was born showing the power of God in calling forth His chosen one. As God created the world by His mighty hand, so also will the Lord direct the salvation of His people through the hand of those He chooses. The restoration of the people to the land will be like the power of a great storm. His blessings are so numerous. Israel being restored will show the majesty of God’s power that no one can accomplish what He can in the sphere of man’s wisdom. The Holy One of Israel directs the affairs of men, establishes kingdoms, and removes kingdoms. No man will be able to take credit for what the Lord has done.

Storms remind us of the power of God. They should also tell us of how He accomplishes His will. It is done by His wisdom. The joys of salvation come from Him. Righteousness rains upon the earth through the Spirit of the Lord. God is Lord. He is the only one that can bring hope to desperate man. The Bible is the mind of God showing the wisdom of the Father to man. There is nothing like it and no message of man can compare. When the Lord God speaks, it comes to pass. Like the story of Cyrus, the word of the Lord can make a prophecy that will be hundreds of years in the making and come true in every detail. His word never fails. Modern times will not change the character of the Holy One of Israel. He is still the Lord and there is none like Him.

Scripture, which proves the truth of its historical statements by the accomplishment of its prophecies, gives no false information. (Augustine, The City of God, Book XVI, Ch. 9; 426)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)

What God Will Do For Me

Questions linger in the minds of the people of God whether forgiveness will be granted, salvation is assured and eternal life will be secured. An effective tool of Satan to attack the heart of the Christian is to instill doubt the Lord God will do what He says He will do. How can He forgive me when I have done what I have done? My sins are so terrible God could not and would not allow me happiness. It makes no sense that my sins can be washed away when I think of all the things I have done. Becoming a child of God was an occasion of great joy but in time sin still plagued my life. When I tried to be the best I could be, I still failed. The Lord has promised salvation but I am not sure that I am truly saved. Sin clouds my mind with the guilt of my inability to live perfectly before a powerful and mighty God. Salvation becomes a ‘maybe’ that I will be lucky to achieve if things work out okay in some mysterious way. This results in my living each day with a doubt that eternal life is real. Heaven is a long shot. Obedience to God is a hit-and-miss proposition because I do not know if I am going to be saved. Death terrifies me because I can only marginally hope that I will be with God in eternity – but I am not sure. Truth be told: salvation can be a miserable feeling because it is not clear. Satan finds success in many hearts like this.

Paul had a lot of territory to cover in his letter to the Roman Christians. In the first part of his exhortation, he dealt with sin. It is real, powerful and overwhelming. There is no denying its potential to destroy the life of a Christian. The battle between flesh and spirit is legion in its magnitude. Paul shows the reality of sin and what it will do when left unchecked and unchained. The power of the gospel is the salvation through Jesus Christ and the apostle undresses sin for what it is and then destroys it with the reality that in Jesus Christ there is nothing to fear about sin. Whatever life a person chooses to live is a life of bondage but the child of God is no longer in bondage to sin because we have become slaves of Christ. The Holy Spirit is active and alive in the heart of God’s children. No matter the suffering in this life, there is no comparison to what lies ahead in the glories of eternal life. Sin will not have dominion. The tentacles of Satan cannot destroy the hope of a Heaven bound child of God. There is an eagerness and expectation of the glory that awaits the saved of God.

Christians can rejoice when they understand that sin is crushed through the power of the Father. If the Lord God Almighty Creator of heaven and earth is for us – what is there to fear about sin? From creation, God has always shown Himself powerful, faithful, loving, merciful and full of grace. He has not changed. His power has not diminished. The faithfulness of His character remains intact. His love is as immense as it has ever been. There is no measuring the mercy of God. Grace fills the universe with the incredible love of a forgiving Father. He is the same yesterday, today and will be throughout eternity. The proof is complex but it is simple. Why should the child of God doubt their salvation when they have only to look at the cross of Jesus Christ? God did not spare His only begotten Son. It was not by chance or the will of men that Jesus died on the cross. The Father delivered His Son, gave up His Son, delivered Him over for us to die a horrible death. This was the will of the Father. God so loved the world that He gave – He gave His only begotten Son. Paul’s argument is that if God was willing to give His Son for all men then why should we not believe the Father will take care of our needs? The Father will give us all things. Why? Because He gave us His Son.

Hope rest upon the promises of God. This hope does not disappoint because it is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Assurance of salvation is given because of what God has already given. There is no reason a child of God should live without the full knowledge that sins are forgiven, salvation is assured and eternal life is an absolute. The blood of Christ takes away our sin. We can live in the knowledge that we are saved. Death is no longer to be dreaded but embraced as the bridge that takes us to our Heavenly home. A crown is waiting. Glory awaits. Thank God for His infinite mercy and love.

[Hope] As it was preached by the first apostles, it meant nothing more or less than a confidence on the part of the Christian that he or she would attain happiness in a future life. (Ronald A. Knox, God and the Atom, 1945)

Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:8-10)

The Joy Of Repentance

Man was created as a being lower than the angels were. The Bible speaks about angels as ministers of the Lord. Gabriel and Michael are named as angels of the Lord. One angel destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Often “the angel of the Lord” performed mighty works in the presence of the people of God. John, in the Revelation, saw each congregation having an angel. When the apostle fell down before an angel to worship, he was forbidden to do so. There are many great stories about angels involved in the affairs of man carrying out the will of the Father. One of the most amazing things about angels is what happens when a man repents.

The struggles of man are many. Sin continues to plague the righteousness of godly people on a daily basis. Satan makes every effort to destroy the child of God and is successful in tempting man to sin. Great men like King David fell prey to the wiles of the devil. Righteous men and women fight against powers of wickedness succumbing to the desires of the flesh and sin. God has not left man without His grace. He has promised that if a man will repent of sin seeking the forgiving power of the Father, mercy will be granted. When Nathan the prophet came to David confronting him with his sin, the shepherd of the Lord repented. His sorrow was deep and godly and David begged for God’s grace to cover the terrible things committed in the sin with Bathsheba. While the Lord forgave David, the angels rejoiced.

There is great joy in knowing the forgiveness of God. What is often missed is the joyous reaction of the myriads of angels in heaven who rejoice because one man or woman has repented. There is joy in the presence of the angels of the Almighty God because of what one man has done. The angels of God are impacted by what men do. Imagine the time of Noah when there was little rejoicing in Heaven because only eight people were righteous. When Noah and his family were saved the angels rejoiced. The chorus of angels voices echo throughout the expanse of Heaven when godly men and women turn their hearts to the Lord. What a sound that must be.

Repentance is a joy for man because he restores the grace of God in his life. Hearts humbled in devotion to the terrible price of redemption cause the foundations of Heaven to reverberate with the joyous praise of angels. Our sorrow is their joy. They see what man can do when he allows the love of God to bring them back to the joy of salvation. Seek forgiveness to gain the tender hand of a loving Father. Let there be joy in the presence of the angels of God when we repent.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. (Matthew 27:27-31)

One Man Against Six Hundred

Daniel described the Roman Empire as a nation of iron in his message to Nebuchadnezzar. The image seen by the Babylonian king represented four kingdoms that would rule the world but none of the four nations would be as powerful as the fourth kingdom of iron. When the Roman Empire spread its wings throughout the world no power could stand in its way. No kingdom of man has been so vast controlling such a large area of land as the Romans. They were a fierce and brutal army. Soldiers of the Romans were highly trained, disciplined and without mercy. It was this army the Jews delivered Jesus of Nazareth to be crucified.

The mock trials of the Jews and Romans had been completed. God’s people railed against His Son for Him to be crucified. Pilate’s feeble plea was ignored. Bowing to the will of the people, the spineless ruler sent Jesus to the scourging pole to be beaten severely in one of the most inhumane acts of cruelty. The Romans soldiers were not finished with their victim. They took the man from Nazareth into their barracks and gathered the whole garrison around Him. The number varied from 400 – 600 men. Elite soldiers of the governor stood against one man. In the middle of the dimly lit room filled with smoke and sweat, one man stood silent before His tormentors.

Jesus had survived the brutal scourging. His back was inflamed with ribbons of flesh clotting against his clothing. As the soldiers laughed and mocked Him, they tore off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him. Wincing with unyielding pain, Jesus stood quietly as they pierced His head with a crown of thorns. His right hand barely could hold the reed they forced on Him. Six hundred men were having sport with a destitute, broken man. Laughter filled the room as vile men did their best to humiliate their victim. Bowing their knee before Jesus, the garrison mocked the supposed King of the Jews. Their treatment of Jesus was more severe because He claimed to be a king. They filled their mouths with mucus and spit on Jesus covering His face with their phlegm. Taking the reed from His hand they struck the Lord repeatedly on the head driving the thorns deeper. Searing pain wracked His body as Jesus of Nazareth endured the mocking of six hundred men.

Six hundred powerful soldiers of the governor, who treated their victim without mercy, surrounded Jesus Christ. He said nothing. He did nothing. The mockery, the pain, the weakness and the torture was more than any man could bear. In the midst of six hundred men – stood the Son of God. He had created the world. He had created the men who treated Him so vile. By the Finger of God, Jesus of Nazareth healed every disease, raised the dead, cast out demons and walked on water. When He stood in the midst of six hundred Roman soldiers, there would be no healing, no power and no miracle. In quiet submission, the Son of God bowed to the Father’s will. The worst was yet to come. When the soldiers tired of their sport, they took the Son of God to Golgotha and nailed Him to a cross. It was there He finally spoke. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Six hundred men went back to their work as Roman soldiers. Each man would die in time to come. The memory of that day with a man called Jesus would fade from their minds dimmed by so many others they treated so cruel. It was in death six hundred men would find the truth of that day. The eternal torment that fills their minds is the day they stood before their Judge and treated Him with the contempt of ungodly men. They now know that Jesus is the Son of God. It is in His presence they stand. He is alive. He is all-powerful. He was their Savior but they treated Him with contempt. And yes – He really is a King. Jesus of Nazareth is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Poor was his station, laborious his life, bitter his ending; through poverty, through labor, through crucifixion his majesty of nature more shines. (Gerard Manley Hopkins, Notebooks and Papers of, 1937)

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. (Acts 14:8-18)

The Witness Of The Lord

Idol worship has been a problem for man since the beginning of time. Man was formed a creature of worship. The problem has always been the object of worship and man has chosen more often than not to worship himself. He enjoys that more because it does not inhibit his desire to do what he wants to do. Worshipping an idol eases the conscience that what he engages in is right because his god has said he could do that. Idols come in many forms. They can be made of wood, stone or metal and forged into any image man desires. Idol worship is also made of flesh and is more prevalent today than what is normally associated with idols. Man worships the god of pleasure, desire and fame. He still worships himself; it is just not a wooden idol he falls down before.

Lystra was a city given over to idol worship. The arrival of Paul and Barnabas caused a great stir when the people witnessed a powerful miracle of a man crippled from birth healed by the apostle Paul. Their immediate response was to worship the gods Zeus and Hermes giving credit to their idols for the miracle instead of the one true God. Paul and Barnabas tried to dissuade the multitude but had little success. What the people failed to see was the power of the one true God and the witness He had given all men to see His great might. The Creator of heaven and earth was the author of everything good. He is the one who brought the rain from the sky. Crops that yielded plentiful in the fields or groves came from the hand of the true God. Food was a blessing from the only Creator. Everything in the world that blessed all men came from a benevolent hand of a loving God. The witness of the Lord was clearly embedded in the world but man failed to see it.

The living God made the heaven, the earth, the sea and all things that are in them. His witness is stamped upon every part of the created world. Paul would write to the Romans and describe the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in the things that are made. The problem lies in the heart of man. There is no dispute about the power of creation – the denial of man to believe in one true God is the heart of the problem. Our world is filled with the inventions of man that he has little time to see the real creation. Man is so full of himself he has no time to see God. Man is worshipping himself and doing a fine job. But the witness of God remains. Every day that awakes heralds the voice of God. Each night spreads a canvas of the power of God throughout the heavens. The witness of God is there. Have you seen it?

To assert that a world as intricate as ours emerged from chaos by chance is about as sensible as to claim that Shakespeare’s dramas were composed by rioting monkeys in a print shop. (Merrill C. Tenney, Science and Religion, ed. J. C. Monsma, 1962)

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:1-4)

Killing A Man Made Them Happy

Abraham was promised three things from God: a nation of people from his loins, the land of promise where they would dwell and a Seed that would bless the entire world. Centuries later, the Hebrew’s were saved from Egyptian bondage by the hand of God becoming the nation of Israel. This nation was the apple of God’s eye. They were the people given the written law beginning with the Ten Commandments and instructions concerning righteousness, truth and mercy. The glory of the Lord dwelt in their presence. Isaiah would describe them as the vineyard of the Lord.

It would not be long before Satan had his way with the people of God. Sin brought the nation to destruction with only a remnant coming out of the slavery of Babylon. The nation never returned to idolatry but the character of God’s people changed dramatically. When Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, the hearts of the Jews were filled with arrogance, pride, hatred and envy. It was hard to recognize the earlier nation of holy people who loved the Lord with all their hearts, souls and minds. Through envy, the Jews cried out to their Roman masters, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Filled with hatred against Jesus, the Jews murdered the Son of God. This would be the beginning of a long standing hatred of the nation of God against the church of God.

In the early days of the church, Stephen would feel the brutal wrath of Jewish fury. Enraged against his accusations against them, the Jews dragged the innocent man out of the city and stoned him to death. Their lust for blood was wet. Herod Agrippa the king decided to do harm against the church and he took James, brother of the beloved John, and killed him with the sword. Albert Barnes wrote, “This was the principle on which he acted. It was not from a sense of right; it was not to do justice, and to protect the innocent; it was not to discharge the appropriate duties of a magistrate and a king, but it was to promote his own popularity.” And the Jews loved it. The nation of God’s people loved it when Herod killed an innocent man.

The history of Israel is filled with wars and destruction of untold numbers of people. What the Jews failed to learn was the righteousness of the Lord was not the same as their righteousness. When the Lord destroyed the city of Jericho, it was because of the righteous act of God’s punishment upon rebellious people. What the Jews did to Jesus and Stephen and later rejoiced in the death of James was a misguided zeal of human hatred. The death of an innocent man pleased the Jews. Their hearts were so hardened with sin they could not see the hatred that replaced the love of God. Any nation or people that are happy in the death of a human being have lost the focus of God’s righteousness.

Sin is terrible. The consequence of sin is disgusting. God is the righteous judge who will render His own punishment upon those who rebel against Him. The people of God have no reason to rejoice in the death of those who live in sin. James was a man who was innocent and the Jews were pleased Herod murdered him. When the guilty suffer, there is no joy in their death. Let the children of God shine as examples of humility showing the grace of God in their actions toward others. Let us rejoice but let us rejoice in truth alone. Now that is a great story.

The most malicious kind of hatred is that which is built upon a theological foundation. (George Sarton, History of Science, 1927)

I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. (Zechariah 10:6)

Mercy And Forgiveness

It is very clear when reading the books of the prophets the Lord is angry with His people. Whether prior to captivity or after captivity, the fierce judgment of God is rendered upon a rebellious people refusing to repent. In the early days of the divided kingdom, God’s messengers pleaded with the people to change their hearts. The northern kingdom Israel went into complete revolt against the Lord and was destroyed by the Assyrians. During that time, God warned Judah to see what was happening to her sister Israel and change her ways. There were good years of righteousness intermingled among the wicked and eventually Judah fell to the might of the Babylonians who took them captive. Seventy years later the people return to rebuild their nation. As before the bondage, prophets warned the people against turning away from the Lord. The fierceness of the wrath of God was clearly portrayed in their history and would be brought against them again if they fail to obey. All nations who came against the people of God felt the power of the Almighty’s wrath.

Zechariah was a prophet during the days of restoration following captivity. He begins his message with the warning the Lord was angry with their fathers and they should not follow their disobedience. There is great hope in the promise of God’s love for the people and that He will save them. His mercy will be evident in forgiving them of their sins and embracing them once again. The Lord tells them He will have mercy on them and this mercy will be so great it will be as though nothing had happened against them. Reading the history of Israel it seems hard to think a day would come the nation would forget all the misery and horror that was their burden. The punishment of the Lord was immense. Their sin was so grievous and the hand of the Lord was so hard against them. Mercy brings forgiveness. The joy of being a child of God is to know His mercy removes the guilt of sin completely. It is as if sin had never been committed.

There is a path to salvation. Sin mars the relationship with God separating man from Him. In the infinite mercy of God, a way of escape is offered. Man turns his heart to God in repentance and the mercy of the Lord God removes the sin as far as the east is from the west. When forgiveness is granted, it is as if the rebellion never occurred. Man stands whole before the Lord unstained by the ugliness of sin. The mercy of God is so unbelievable to think He would take away the sin and its guilt so complete He looks at it as if it never happened. Forgiveness is complete. It is gone forever. There is no record of the sin. Washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.

In the mind of God, there is no remembrance to forgiven sin. The mercy of God is hard to understand but His promise is true in Jesus Christ that if we confess our sins He is willing and just to forgive our sins. This means it does not exist. The forgiven shall be as though He had not cast them aside. Understanding the mercy of God is to know that in forgiveness He remains our Father, our Lord and our Savior. He hears us. Mercy means that God hears us. We are not downtrodden or forgotten. The Lord God has forgiven our sins and we are blessed with the merciful grace of His love. Thank God for His mercy and His forgiveness.

I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. (Philippians 4:2)

Euodia And Syntyche

It is difficult to write about something that little is known. Two women are mentioned in the closing of Paul’s letter to Philippi that have no reference in any other passage. By the language of the text, it seems that Euodia and Syntyche have some things to quarrel about and the apostle kindly admonishes them to work things out. These women apparently get the message without any further instructions. We are left to wonder what the problem was. The answer is what is the key to the verse. Whatever problem they had they were not glorifying the Lord by their actions. Paul’s exhortation was to show the mind of Christ toward one another and be at peace. Good advice.

We are not always in agreement with one another and sometimes disputes or arguments arise. Lost in the shuffle of who is going to win out on top is the need to resolve matters with the mind of the Lord. When husbands and wives argue and fuss with one another are they trying to win their position or have they stopped to ask what God wants them to do? Having the mind of Christ is looking out for the interest of the other as Christ did for all men. If a church has a squabble it can end in division because one thing never brought to the meeting table is the word of God. Arguments ensue instead of prayers lifted. Whatever problem Euodia and Syntyche faced, it needed to be resolved with the mind of Christ. Good advice for churches.

There is a strong lesson for all of the children of God to remember that we have the same Father. Sibling rivalry does not please the heavenly Father. How can we be angry with our brother or sister when we both have to come before the same Father and ask forgiveness? Being of the same mind shows our humility to serve the Lord first. Sharing the blood of Christ bonds our lives together with the same love God has for all of us. His will is first. The word of God is first. Our lives in Christ serve the same purpose. Paul was not asking these women to be of the same mind – he was imploring. The glory of God was not being shown by their actions. Only when they came together united in the bond of peace would others see Christ living in them. That is what it is all about. Our position in the argument is no importance. When disagreements come and arguments begin, they should always be tempered by the presence of the mind of Christ. Be of the same mind in the Lord.

There are enough targets to aim at without firing at each other. (Theodore Roosevelt, Address, 1902)

In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11; To the Chief Musician; A Psalm of David)

The Lord Is Righteous

David faced many trials as he stood before the Philistine giant, the King of Israel and his many enemies seeking to destroy him. His personal battles were lost on the battlefield of adultery, betrayal and a sword never leaving his house. Satan tried very hard to destroy the shepherd king but failed. When David wrote of his undying love for his mighty Shepherd, he exclaimed his trust for a God who never failed him. He never lost faith in what the Lord could accomplish in his life and hope reigned supreme as repeatedly David saw the hand of God working in his life. Facing great trials his friends would beg him to flee and save himself. The strength of faith is well tested in the battles of righteousness when men are tempted to reject the Lord. Surrounded by enemies David was told to trust in himself. He would not. His trust could only be in the Lord because he knew that when trust in God fails there is nothing to stand upon. Faith in the Lord is the only thing life can be built and without trusting God for everything, man is without hope.

Righteousness for David was defined by the presence of God in His holy temple. What power could dethrone the Lord God of heaven? He knows everything about men – good or bad. The wicked do not believe in God and will find harsh judgment for rebellion. Failing to trust in the Lord will bring destruction. David had faith in the Lord’s righteousness. He knew that God was righteous and the heavenly Father loved to see righteousness among His people. The righteous are not forgotten. Why should David not trust in God when every blessing of the Father was given to those who trust in Him?

Satan seeks to destroy the faith of God’s people in the church. Trials come upon the hearts of every Christian tempting them to reject the Lord and trust themselves. David declares there is no hope apart of God. Division within the body of Christ is failing to trust in God. Murmuring and complaining is evidence of a lack of faith. Disease can destroy faith when men look to themselves instead of God. Immorality calls for the soul to reject the Lord for the fleshly pleasures. The Lord is in His holy temple and His throne is in heaven – this is unchanged over the thousands of years when David penned this psalm. The wicked will only find judgment. Those who trust in God will find righteousness.

When the foundation of trust is destroyed, the faith of the child of God is shattered. Trust is found in experience knowing that God’s word is true and He will never lie. Righteousness is the right things of God and the Lord loves to see righteousness in the lives of His people. Trust in God for all your needs and you will never be found wanting. Build the foundation of your life upon the word of God. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Trust in the Lord.

Faith is an awareness of divine mutuality and companionship, a form of communion between God and man. (Abraham J. Heschel, Man Is Not Alone, 1951)

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Romans 4:19-21)

He Did Not Consider Or Waver

Abraham was a man of incredible faith. His story is remarkable in trusting God in matters that seemed completely without hope. At the age of 75 he left everything he knew to go to a land where he did not know for a purpose he was unclear. He and Sarah were promised a son that took 25 years to see fruition. More implausible was the natural ability to give birth to a son considering she was 90 years of age and he 100. It was understood in his day there came an age when the womb died and childbearing was impossible. This would not be a matter of chance but a matter of impossibility. These were not the days of Noah where men lived to bear children into their multiple hundreds of years. The Lord promised Abraham and Sarah a son and it was impossible for this to be a natural occurrence.

Faith and hope are inseparable. The Lord comes to Abraham telling him that one day he would have a son. Contrary to everything he knew, the man from Ur of the Chaldeans believed. He was not weak in faith. Knowing at his advanced age there would be no possibility of him conceiving a son, he firmly believed that God would bring about exactly what was promised. Abraham also knew that having a son by his wife (ten years younger than he) was impossible but he knew that God could perform what He promised. It is easy to sit on this side of the story and not appreciate the immensity of the hope and faith Abraham had in the power of God.

Two elements of the faith of Abraham are at the heart of the story. He did not waver at the promise of God because his faith was not dormant. Faith is an active persuasion of the soul constantly changing the up-look of God’s powerful grace to accomplish everything promised. Abraham was strengthened in faith. His belief in the power of God was daily evidence fortifying his assurance in the impossible. Faith that does not grow diminishes hope and when hope dies, faith is dead. Second, he was fully convinced. He had no question about the ability of God to perform what He promised. Abraham was absolutely convinced he would have a son. Faith cannot be fully realized until there is a complete conviction of the heart that God’s word is true – whether it is understood or not. God is able to perform what He says.

Abraham’s faith was not a special faith. His hope in the impossible was not unique to the days of the patriarchs. His faith, hope and blessed assurance are rooted in the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Essential to the character of the people of God are the elements of having the faith of Abraham. What is impossible for man is possible with God if we believe. The Lord God of hosts will perform His will and His word for man today. Sins can be washed away. Hope restored. Forgiveness granted. Heaven promised. Do not waver. Believe.

Belief is thought at rest. (Charles S. Peirce; 1839-1914; Collected papers)