The Word
“Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” ~Psalm 89:8
The Thought
I read Psalm 89 last night and could not pen the verses fast enough. I’ve mentioned before that this year I am reading the Bible chronologically for the first time. Something else I am doing new is actually writing my favorite verses down in my Growth Book journal.
Yes, it takes a lot of time, but the actual act of writing out the Scriptures by hand cements His Word in my heart in a way that is different than when I simply read the words upon the page. His truth seeps in as I reaffirm the inspired words with my pen.
After reading of all the abominations of Judah, their hope in Egypt to save them rather than God, and the final fall of the beloved city of Jerusalem, the psalmist, probably Ethan the Ezrahite, asks questions in the midst of his crisis: Has the Lord forgotten his covenant with David? Would his unbroken line now end? Is God still the Covenant-Keeping God?
I love how Ethan begins the Psalm:
“I will sing of the LORD’S great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” ~Psalm 89:1-2
In the midst of all that he had seen, in the midst of all his doubts, the psalmist begins with doxology. I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever. Ethan commits his mouth to declaring God’s faithfulness to those who come after him. He shouts his praise to as many as he can reach.
The psalmist also affirms that despite all he has witnessed, the Lord’s love has not changed: it stands firm forever. You have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Ethan knows that faithfulness is the cornerstone of all of Yahweh’s behavior. He has promised that He would secure David’s line.
This is where hope was found: not in chaos surrounding the nations before his eyes, but on the very foundation of heaven itself. Faithfulness surrounds the Lord Almighty.
It can be disheartening to look at all that is transpiring in the world around us. The nations are in uproar, desecration of the beautiful is the currency of the day, and yet we can bet on this fact: God has established His faithfulness in heaven itself.
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