Verse of the Day 4/24

Psalm 112:6-7 For the righteous will never be moved;

    he will be remembered forever.
⁷ He is not afraid of bad news;
    his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.  English Standard Version (ESV)

I read this psalm the other day and it stayed on my mind as we considered the verses of the past couple of days which dealt with the faith of Paul and of Job.  They were both great examples of today's verses.  In spite of all that they went through and endured in their lives, they lived by faith and their faith held and because of this they will be remembered forever.  Their hearts were firm, trusting in the Lord.

The motto for John Piper's "Desiring God" ministry is "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him".  Job in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament are great examples of this.  As we've considered the past couple of days, they faced some of the most severe trials imaginable but still trusted, still held on to their faith.  Piper writes "the glory of God in and through the Scriptures is a real, objective, self-authenticating reality. Christian faith is not a leap in the dark. It is not a guess or a wager. God is not honored if he is chosen by the flip of a coin. A leap into the unknown is no honor to one who has made himself known. "

The faith of Job and of Paul, and our faith as well, if it is a true faith, is not a leap in the dark or a flip of the coin.  It is solid, solid as the Rock, our faith has substance.  May there be no "shuffling or stumbling around" (The Message) but may we have a "sterling and solid and lasting reputation" (The Message), trusting all the way.

So when doubts arise and cloud your mind
My friend, don't be deceived
For with a knowledge of the Word of God 
In our hearts we can believe

You can take God at his word
He is faithful kind and true
Not a prayer will go unanswered
In His time He'll see you through

Keep believing in what you know is true
Keep believing, you know the Lord will see you through
When troubles rise in your life 
and you don't know what to do,
You'll be fine if you just keep believing   (Gaither Vocal Band - "Keep Believing)

   --   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Psalm 112:6-10The Message (MSG)

112 ^1-10 Hallelujah!
Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,
Who cherish and relish his commandments,
Their children robust on the earth,
And the homes of the upright—how blessed!
Their houses brim with wealth
And a generosity that never runs dry.
Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—
God's grace and mercy and justice!
The good person is generous and lends lavishly;
No shuffling or stumbling around for this one,
But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.
Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,
They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!
Someone wicked takes one look and rages,
Blusters away but ends up speechless.
There's nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.