Unwavering Faith

“Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” - Psalm 112:6-7

“Never be shaken.” “Remembered forever.” “No fear of bad news.” “Steadfast.” “Trusting.” These two verses are packed full of adjectives describing a righteous man who fears the LORD, and as verse one of this Psalm puts it, “Greatly delights in His commandments.” How many of us would describe ourselves as steadfast in our faith? To be steadfast means to be firmly established, fixed, and securely determined. A steadfast trust in the LORD is unwavering, even when tested by the storms of life.

Notice how verses 2-3 describe someone with a steadfast heart. The psalmist says such a person won’t be shaken or have fear of bad news. Does this mean bad news will not come to such a person? No. In fact, Jesus assures His followers repeatedly in the New Testament that hardship will mark the life of a Christian. Such a truth would cause most of us to live in constant fear if not for the comfort of Christ. When we steadfastly trust Christ by obeying His Word, regardless of what might be around the corner in our lives, fear melts away.

God is holy, mighty, righteous, and jealous. But God is also good. God is good! So often we forget this and allow our circumstances to steal the joy that is ours in Christ. It is impossible to have a steadfast heart if feelings are in control. It is so dangerous to be led by emotions. They change hourly, sometimes by the minute. Feelings are based on what is happening around us, which we cannot control. Faith is based on what has happened, is happening, and will happen within us, which is secured for eternity and can never be taken away.

So, is your heart steadfastly trusting in the LORD, or are you allowing your feelings to dictate your faith? Remember that God is good, even when He allows circumstances that are hard into our lives. We must learn to trust His ways, even when we do not understand them. We must learn to trust His heart, believing that He is for us. If we do this moment by moment, before long those choices will result in a steadfast heart that is fixed on Christ alone.

Dear Father, thank You for loving me, and for reminding me today that You are for me. Please forgive me for sometimes allowing my feelings to rule my actions and attitudes. Help me, Lord, to remember who You are, what You have done, and all of Your promises. Help me to trust You more, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.