The Word of God in The Heart of Man: Unshakeable Security in a Fallen World - Psalm 119:89-96 (Psalms 119:89-96)

1:44And then again, in verse 68, he says, You are good, and you do good. You are always doing good for me. And in verse 71, he says, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. And then in verse 75, he makes this startling statement: you have afflicted me. So that the answer to the psalmist prayer comes actually through God's affliction. He wants to keep his commandments, and he says, Because of the goodness of God, he has afflicted me to answer my prayer so that I would keep his commandments. So he gets this in his mind.

2:32And then, as we looked at last time, in this cough stanza, he goes through the darkest point. Just because he knew God was good, and just because he knew God was sovereign over all things, and that God was bringing this about, it didn't lessen the pain of his affliction. In fact, in verse 84, you see this cry in the middle of this darkest night. Night, listen to the low point of the psalm. He says, When will you execute judgment on those who persecuted me? Persecute me? They've almost destroyed me. They've brought me to the end. They want to bring me down. When are you going to step in and remove this source of affliction from my life? And affliction, as we've discussed, literally means humbling circumstances or a source that brings me to the point that I know I'm in need. And so it's against this backdrop that we come to the Lamed stanza. And the cough stanza is very dark. He's in the darkest night. And the only hope that is shown in this is in verse 88, where he says, Revive me according to your loving kindness. The morning star of the revival in his heart is the loving kindness, the faithfulness of God, the loyalty of God. And then in Lamed, you sense this release, this release, this security that just resonates through the whole eight verses. Let me read these to you. Keep in mind, he's coming off the darkest night.

4:21And then he says, This forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues. Continues throughout all generations. You established the earth and it stands. They stand this day according to your ordinances. For all things are your servants. If your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have revived me. I am yours. Save me, for I have sought your precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me. I shall diligently consider your testimonies. I have seen a limit to all perfection. Your commandment is exceedingly broad. Well, life in a fallen world can be very predictable, unpredictable.

5:27It can even be painful at times. God's going to take you through some dark nights. He has a good purpose, but still it doesn't lessen the pain of the dark night, does it? The Lamed Stanza shows us how God caused the psalmist to stand through this dark night. And we can look at his life and we can glean truths from his life. What caused him to stand in his darkest night will cause him to stand in his life. You to stand in your darkest night and every dark night and difficulty that you have in between here and your darkest night or after your darkest night, whatever it may be.

6:13But it's clear that the psalmist's security through his darkest night came from his certainty in the unchanging realities of God's word. His certainty. His security was in his certainty. And boy, that flies in the face of our postmodern times, doesn't it? Postmodern times who thinks that certainty, well, is uncertain. Can't really be certain about certainty, even. 2 Timothy 3:7 speaks about those who are always learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Well, that describes our times, does it not? A constant searching but never finding? Because they really don't want answers. They want the search. They themselves have elevated themselves above God's Word, and so they're going to look for that which will satisfy their ears. It's the times we live in. But God's word is certain. And he has given his word to us so that we could find security in certainty. There are some things that you can know for sure, and you need to know for sure, because if you learn and Base your life upon these certainties, it will give you an unshakable security even in the midst of a fallen world. Life in a fallen world can be very unpredictable and painful, but if you have these four certainties and they characterize you, you will be unshakable even in the midst of a fallen world. I know this isn't your typical Christmas message, but as we walk through this, I cannot help but make links to our Lord Jesus Christ. I see the pattern, I see how he interacted, and some of the truths that are laid out here are so most fully seen in Christ. I cannot help but take our minds to Christ. And so I will this morning. Let's just walk through this passage. First of all, I want you to know that there is security in the certainty of God's Word. You want to have an unshakable security in this fallen world. You need to know that there is security in the certainty of God's Word. Look at verse 89. Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven. Word for settled is stationed. It's fixed. It's used to describe people. And in Exodus 7:15, when God said to Moses, go, say, Station yourself by the bank of the Nile so Pharaoh can see you.

9:06God in Psalm 82:1 takes his stand in his own congregation. He has stationed himself for a definite purpose. It's the idea, settled, stationed for a settled purpose. And in the ESV, the translation is, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed. The NIV, Your Word stands firm, but you get the sense that it refers to God's word being fixed as a monument in heaven, like a monument etched, like a monument of stone etched with the words of God. It is there, it is stationed, that's where it is, set up, and it continues to stand.

9:54Monument in God's presence forever, your word, and that's the general term for word. It refers to the written word, but all the all-embracing purpose and will of God, his word. And we know, impart, we don't know all the secret things. We know what has been revealed to us. And this word, your word is settled. Every word that has ever been uttered, both written and in heaven, it's there. It's etched. God's will. It stands. It's settled. It's fixed. And this is in stark contrast to the fickle and changing philosophies of man. God's word is a certain foundation for life, and man needs that. You need some certainties in your life.

10:48I think I've told this story a while ago, or told this story before, but there were these two siblings. And I think it was an older brother, younger sister. My memory serves me correctly. It was related to me. The older brother set down a wagon. This sounds like something a big brother would do to a little sister, by the way. Sets the wagon up, ties a little string to the handle. And then he sets it up, then he puts a skateboard in the wagon. Then he puts a box on top of the skateboard. Then he puts a chair on top of the box. It's on top of the skateboard. It's on top of the wagon. He says to his little sister, why don't you go crawl up there and stand on the seat?

11:34Like a good little sister, boom, boom, boom, boom, stands up there. And guess what he does? One little yank of the string, and guess what happened to the wagon and the sister and everything on it? Goes tumbling down. Can you imagine trying to stand on something like that and then entrust it to a big brother that loves to wreak havoc in your life? Well, get that picture. In your mind. That's like the philosophies of man. Go stand on a wagon on top of the chair that's on top of the box, that's on top of the skateboard, and it's on top of the wagon with some little kid down there pulling it. That's not a very stable foundation, is it?

12:21Well, God's word is the certain foundation. And look at that opening word: forever, perpetual duration. It is always this way, always this way. Cannot help but think of Jesus and his indirect claim to deity here. When he says in Matthew 24:35, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Whose words are etched forever? Yahweh's, forever, Lord. Yours is there. And here is Jesus saying, My words will never pass away. Matthew 7:24, he tells us, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Storms are going to come. They are. But if you're founded on the word, words of Christ will not fall. But everyone who hears these words, Of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house and it fell and great was its fall.

13:46Such will be you if you do not regard the words of Christ. But do you see how he exalted his own words to the position of deity, to the place of deity? There is a warning for us not to disregard his words, but there's also an encouragement that there is a security in the certainty of God's word, the certainty of Jesus' words. There's a certainty, and you can build your life. Yes, and storms are going to come. Ultimate storm is going to be the storm of God's judgment, but you will stand.

14:28You will stand because there is a security in God's word. Second, you're going to have an unshakable security in this fallen world. There is a security in the certainty of God's faithfulness. There's security in the certainty of God's word. And boy, isn't that nice? We can have something solid to build our life upon, something that doesn't change. But there's also a security in the certainty of God's faithfulness. Look at verse 90. Your faithfulness is. Continues throughout all generations. You establish the earth and it stands. Now, look at the expression throughout all generations. It's actually in the place of emphasis.

15:16Throughout all generations, that is, all lifetime cycles, throughout all the ages, throughout endless time. This implies an ongoing duration, always, throughout all generations. Your faithfulness continues. Your loyal steadiness continues. Your hands continue to be stable, steady, and faithful. Faithful. But notice that his faithfulness is to his word. It links it. Your faithfulness continues. Your faithfulness to what? Your faithfulness to his word. He is faithful to that which He has set up in His presence. He is faithful to that forever, which also implies a faithfulness to the generations that He will do everything that He has said. I mean, isn't it He's going to be faithful to His Word? And there is security in that, knowing that God's Word is good.

16:25His promises may be ancient, but they never diminish one bit. The promises that are in these pages, the pages that you hold in your hands, they're eternal promises. They're etched forever in the presence of not a single one is ever going to fail. And they speak about you and they make promises and commitments to you. Though they are ancient, they have never diminished one bit. And so God's stability in life is actually found in the stability of God Himself. God's word is good because God is good. God's Word is stable because it's a characteristic of God. He is stable.

17:16And the psalmist looks at an example. Look at you established the earth. And he stands. He says, I look around and I see that you established the earth. The word means literally you caused the earth to stand. You caused the earth to stand. Talk about one of the earliest engineering disasters, maybe after the Tower of Babel, is what happened in Judges 16 after the Philistines had captured Samson, brought him into this house going to worship Dagon and make sport of Samson. And they brought him to the center. And Samson said to the boy in verse 26, Let me feel the pillars on which. The house rests, that I may lean against it. Now, the whole house is resting on two pillars. I think, well, what kind of an engineer would design something like that? And then 3,000 people are on the roof. Okay, now, 3,000 people on a couple pillars, and then you bring the strongest man in the world, or at least the former, that's another problem you have. I mean, what kind of engineer would design something like this? Then, what kind of a doofus would put the strongest man in the world right between these two pillars, even though you had gouged out his eyes? And so, Samson, you know, pushes, and the whole thing comes down. Well, that's that's the idea of established to stand. You cause the earth to stand. God is the pillar on which the earth stands, it's God's word, that is the pillar, it's unshakable. And so, what the psalmist is saying is that I can see your faithfulness in creation, and there is comfort in knowing that you are faithful to your creation, because the same faithfulness that I see in the earth and your sustaining of the earth is the same faithfulness that governs your relationship with me. And so, the psalmist can look at the world, we can look at the world, and we can see God's faithfulness, and that that's how He governs His relationship with the world, and it gives us great security because that is how He governs His. Relationship with you and me. It stands. It is standing. The earth is standing to this day. Cannot help, but again, my mind goes to Christ and the child in the manger that we celebrate and his exalted state and who he is, who he was, and who he is. And Colossians 1 says this in verse 13, for he rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. For by him, his son, all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

20:19Christ sustains it by his word. Listen to Hebrews 1. God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days, has spoken to us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world, and he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature, and upholds all things by the word of his power. God walked among us.

20:53I stand because the word of Christ says, Tom Baber stands. And that gives confidence. That gives us security. And you know what? He causes this baby in the manger, this glorified Christ, causes the fallen to stand. That's the message of Christmas. That's the message of the gospel. He causes the fallen to stand by the word of his power. You see, your ultimate security is in the certainty of God's faithfulness to you. That is where our ultimate security is.

21:38There is a certainty of God's faithfulness and a security that comes from that. God's word is certain, and God's faithfulness to his word and to you is secure. Certain. And that brings security. Third, not only is there security in the certainty of God's word, and the security in the certainty of God's faithfulness, but there is security in the certainty of God's sovereignty. Look at verse 71. They stand this day according to your ordinances, for all things are your servants. Word for stand, they are standing. They, what does that refer to? What does they refer to? Does it refer to the earth? No, I don't think so because earth is singular. Some think it means heaven and earth. It's doubtful because they're not really grammatically linked.

22:30Weekly linked grammatically, at best. Some think it may refer to all generations. It's difficult because not all generations are standing today. So, what is he referring to? Well, you can look ahead and they stand. I think probably the best thing it refers to here is all things. They stand this day according to your ordinances, for all things are your servants. But the bottom line is it's a reference to everything, whether it's heaven, whether it's earth, whether it's all things, whether it's the generations. They stand. Why do they stand? Because all things are your servants. All things. Everything stands because God wants them to stand.

23:20And because all things are God's servants. Now, everything, that's a very broad statement, isn't it? Everything. Everything. All things are your servants. Let that truth percolate deeply into your soul. All things are your servants. All things. And this would certainly include kings, certainly include everything, all things, big and small. You know what it also includes? It includes the psalmist's enemies. If you put this in context, all things stand, they stand. My enemies stand this day, those who are causing my affliction. The source of my affliction exists today because it is your servant. And that's where this psalmist is coming to. The source of my affliction is your servant.

24:30Think about that. There is security in knowing that all things are his servants, even the things that are afflicting you the most. All things. Every person, every situation, every infirmity in your body, every small detail, everything. It's his servant. Isn't there a certain amount of comfort in that? Habakkuk dealt with this as he saw and knew of the coming Babylonian invasion. And he says this in chapter 1 and verse 6: Behold, I know you are raising up, or God says, I am raising up the Chaldeans, which are referring to the Babylonians, that fierce and impetuous people who march throughout the earth to seize dwelling places which Are not their own. They are dreaded and feared. Their justice and authority originate within themselves. So he's saying, these Babylonians, their justice, they do what they want, their justice and authority, they have no fear of God. They're doing what they want to do. And he says in verse 11, they will sweep through the land like the wind and pass on, but they will be held guilty.

25:57They will be held guilty, they whose strength is their God. And the comfort to Habakkuk then flows out of this. Are you not from everlasting? O Lord, my God, my holy one, we will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge. And you, O rock, have established them to correct. In other words, you're raising up this source, this scourge that you're going to bring upon Israel to correct Israel. And there's a certain security in knowing that all things are under God's control, and all things are his servants, bringing about his good purposes. All things happen to us for his good purposes, even though those who may bring them to us may not have good intentions.

26:52So God is sovereign over all things, infinite or infinitesimal, and including us. We fit under that all things. Not all things are noble, are they? Some things are very wicked. And the challenge to us is to be noble vessels by surrendering and obedience to him. So there's security in the certainty of God's word, security in the certainty of God's faithfulness, and security in the certainty of God's sovereignty. Next, I want to see a result that comes out of this. In verse 92, the result of this is stability in the face of trials. Stability when that wind blows. Look at verse 92. If your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. First, notice there is a delight in God's law. Very natural progression. Certainty in God's word leads to the certainty in God's faithfulness, which leads to the certainty of God's sovereignty, which leads to a delight in his word because the word tells us of wonderful things.

28:05Delight, joy, my extreme pleasure. The psalmist enjoyed God's law and preferred God's law over his tendencies to give in to temptation. And this is a great place to be in when you love God's law more than you love the temptation to give in to temptation. So there's a Stability, or there is a delight in God's law. But then, look at the result of that in verse 92. There is a stability that comes in the face of trials. Natural progression. Let me go back to this. There's the certainty of God's Word leads to a certainty in God's faithfulness, which leads to a certainty in God's sovereignty, which leads to a delight in His Word, which leads to stability in the face of trials or affliction, those painful, humbling circumstances. And he's saying, If I had not delighted in your word, then I would have perished when the storm of life came. And you know why he would have perished? Because if you don't delight in God's law, there is no internal encouragement to keep you going on. But the word of God gives us life, it gives us a delight, and it gives us that encouragement to go on, even though all around us the world may be caving in on us. So it is joy in God's word that upheld the psalmist in his affliction. And the moment you start losing joy in God's word, you lose a great deal. You lose your ability to stand in the face of trials.

29:54It was his joy in God's word that was greater than the despair of his circumstances. And his logic is solid. God is stable. God's word is stable. God has created and preserved his creation. Therefore, I am secure. So let your joy be in God's word. It says wonderful things, wonderful things about your past, your present, your future. It says wonderful things about the earth's past, present, and future. Wonderful things. But you know what? You really want to get down to one of the biggest problems in the church. If I can narrow it down to perhaps the basic problem in the church, is we're not very certain about God's word. In fact, that's where the attacks have been throughout the millennia, undermining your certainty because in God's Word. If certainty in God's word goes, then faith goes out the window.

30:57But even as believers, I feel like we're not as certain about God's word as we ought. When certainty goes, then when the certainty of God's word goes, then the certainty of God's faithfulness to you goes, and the certainty of God's sovereignty over everything goes, and everything just starts falling down. No, you've been given a window into eternity. What has been revealed to us is sufficient. And it speaks of what that has been spoken in heaven and set up as in a monument.

31:30The word serves as a window into that which is fixed forever in the presence of God. And knowing that brings security. That certainty. Well, moving on to the fourth security. There is security in the certainty of God's word, God's faithfulness, God's sovereignty, but also there is a security in the certainty of God's salvation. Psalmist gives two reasons for certainty in the next couple verses. But first, I want you to see this remarkable statement that he says in verse 93: I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have revived me. The word really starts out with the same word that started this whole psalm, or this whole stanza, verse 89, forever, forever. And you read it literally, it's forever I will not forget.

32:35Forever, I will never be prone to forget and go my own way. Now, that's a remarkable statement. Forever, I will not forget your precepts. How can you make something, how can you make a statement like this? Well, he tells you, for by them, for that is because of them, by them. By your precepts, you have revived me. By your precepts, your fixed expectations of me. By those, you have revived me. Notice that it is not changed circumstances that revived him. Look back. It is God's precepts that revived him. See, many times we look for changed circumstances. That's what we want to revive us. But that's not what revived the psalmist. Circumstances are going to come and go. Perhaps an excellent, just read to you a portion of Daniel chapter 3, speaking about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedigo. These were three men who were certain of God's salvation. Let me read to you a portion. You remember Nebuchadnezzar sets up this idol and says, you are to worship this. He says, but if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. And what God is there who can deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abego replied to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. In other words, I don't need to think about this one. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver, and that's the word, save us, from the furnace of blazing fire. And he will. Will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. In other words, we're going to be delivered one way or another from you, King Nebuchadnezzar. We are delivered. We live as a delivered people, and we are not going to bow down and worship you and your idol.

35:01You see, we really don't know how our circumstances are going to play out, do we? And what we need to do is we need to be people who can see beyond our circumstances and understand that God is going to save his people. It's etched in stone. It's forever in the presence of God. All who call upon him will be saved. Do you think one word of that is going to stand as a testament throughout eternity that God did not make good on his promise? Never.

35:32But the psalmist is saying, think about this. If someone saved your life, you probably wouldn't forget them, would you? Him or her, somebody saves you. You kind of remember those things, don't you? Well, and this is what the psalmist is saying: I will never forget your precepts because by them you have revived me. You have caused me to live. Thinking God's thoughts and obeying God's words does something wonderful. Within us, it revives us. It gives us life. It does what healthy food does for the body. It gives life.

36:11When you think the right thoughts and you do the right things, there is an energizing effect. And boy, I learned this when I first came to Christ. This is what awakened me. I remember my awakened moment when it's like, I want to do what's right. And I heard God's provision for sin, and I heard, and it's right to respond to Him. It's right to give Him my life. And that awakened me. And that drove me. I want to do what's right. And I was energized. And there is an energy, a life-giving effect that thinking God's thoughts and obeying His Word gives. And you never forget them. That's what the psalm is saying. I know them, and I will never forget them. But he goes on to give two reasons why he was certain of God's salvation. Look at verse 94. I am yours. Save me, for I have sought your precepts. And there's the plea, save me, the imperative command, imperative plea, cause me to be saved, cause me to be delivered. And he gives two reasons why he expects that God's going to answer him. First reason, I belong to you. Save me because I belong to you. Look at verse 94, first part. I am yours. Literally, To you, I am.

37:34What a beautiful expression of our name. What is your name? To you, I am. Remember, think about God's name in Exodus 3:14 when Moses asked him, What did he say? I am. I am. So, God's name is I am. And the psalmist is saying, To you I am. Good name for us, right? God's name is I am. To him we are. But we belong to him. Eternal, certain truth. What father in this room does not come to the aid of his children? If your son or daughter is in trouble and cries out to you, what father will just turn his head and not listen? Not even one of us, right?

38:30You think God is any different? No, far and away above. All who call upon the name of Jesus, he will save. We belong to the Lord. Get this settled in your mind. He created us, he elected us, he drew us to him, and he redeemed us. He caused us to turn to him. We accepted him. We are his by his choice. But we are also his by our choice. We turn to him. We called upon him. So either way you look at it, we are his. By his choice and by our choice, we belong to him. So save me.

39:11It's good confidence. God's a good father. And he will save. Second reason that he gives why he's confident in God's salvation. Look at the second part of 94. Save me, for I have sought your precepts. That is, I have sought you. And the word for sought is: I have sought with the intention of obeying and relying upon. I have resorted to your precepts in my situation rather than my own inclinations. I have sought with the intention of obeying your precepts.

39:49You expect me to cry out to you for salvation, and so I do. Save me. And that's the psalmist's thought here. Do you think God expects you to turn to anyone else for help in your time of need? No. Yeah, he may use other people in your life, but you're primarily to cry out to him. And he wants it that way. That is part of his precepts given to you, that in your time of need, you will go to him, whatever that need may be. Even if you've fallen into sin, there is provision for how you deal with that in the scripture. You're to follow his expectations. Expectations of you.

40:35So the psalmist expects God to deliver him because he has sought his precepts. Now, a word of caution I'd give here. We must be careful not to dictate the terms of our salvation. It is important that we long for the salvation that he prescribes for us. The salvation that we need is the kind of salvation that accords with his precepts and the kind of salvation that he is active in bringing about. But sometimes we want to tell him the kind of salvation we want, and that runs contrary to the kind of salvation that he is actually bringing about through your circumstances. But the bottom line is, his salvation is certain, and we can trust the salvation that he gives. It's good.

41:24Well, as we look at this, he gives another result. Security in God's word and God's faithfulness and God's sovereignty and God's salvation brings about a result. And that's the stability in the face of trials. We already saw that earlier in verse 92. But verse 95 is a reminder that we live in a fallen world. Look at verse 95. The wicked wait for me to destroy me, but I shall diligently consider your testimonies. They say they wanted to exterminate him, they were waiting to ambush. Him, but he is confident. It won't distract him. He doesn't get all, he doesn't let the source of his affliction become his focus in life. Rather, he keeps his focus upon God's testimonies. And as he focuses upon God's testimony, he is able to withstand and stand in the face of trials. But it's very easy to get all caught up with your affliction or all caught up with your enemies. He doesn't let the source of his affliction control his mind, nor does he play the victim card and complain, but he focuses upon that internal resolve to respond appropriately. God, whatever is in my life, I recognize that it comes from you, even the affliction. Father is a servant of you. I want to respond appropriately. And I do so by diligently considering your testimonies. Well, verse 95 is a reminder that we live in a fallen world and it doesn't lessen the pain. Verse 96 is a reminder that we live in a finite world. Look at verse 96. I have seen a limit to all perfection. Your commandment is exceedingly broad. Now, the psalmist makes a comparison between this world and the eternal realm. He says, I have seen, that is, I have known by experience the limit that. Border, that extremity, that dead end to all of human perfection. It's a height to which perfection is that height to which no one can go higher. And everything in the earthly realm, no matter what it is, has its great moment in time, does it not? And then it diminishes, comes to nothing. You see, the flower of the field has its moment in time and then comes to nothing. This is true of kingdoms. This is true of kings. This is true of countries. This is true of institutions. This is true of the philosophies of men. This is true of the schools of thought, the cultures of man, and individual people. We flourish and then we diminish. And this is true of the sophisticated plot schemes of those who want to bring down God's people.

44:26Your commandment, your straight authority, your government is exceedingly broad. Contrast to the dead ends and the limitation of human perfections, your commandment is exceedingly broad, immeasurable. You see, the Word of God that you hold in your hands is the same word of God or portions of it that the Psalmist held in his hand. And by believing in one It says, we too will be born again, born again to a living hope. Peter would later say, You have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable. That is, through the living and enduring word of God. All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever, and this is the word which was preached to you.

45:34Well, back at verse 96, does he say, I have seen a limit to all perfection, your commandment is exceedingly broad. Can't help, again, as we draw our thoughts, this final thought here is to return to Christ. Every kingdom has its moment, and then it diminishes. But what does it say about Christ's kingdom? For unto us, Isaiah 9:6, a child will be born, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders, and his name will be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, eternal father, prince of peace. There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace.

46:23Incredible. No end to the increase of his government. Christ's The kingdom is very different than the fleeting kingdoms of the earth. Well, as we draw this to a close, these verses, the Lamid stanza shows us how the psalmist's faith made it through his darkest night. And it was by the certainty of four truths. He found security in the certainty of God's word, security in the certainty of God's faithfulness, security in the certainty of God's sovereignty, and security in the certainty of God's salvation. God is unchangeable, he is immutable. It's a big word. The bottom line is that God's word stands, his creation stands, his faithfulness stands, his sovereignty stands, his salvation stands. Therefore, guess what's going to be true of his people? Their faith will stand. That's what this whole thing's about. Raising up a people who were made in his image.

47:31He's the God who doesn't change. And you know what he's creating in us? A faith that doesn't change. That's what he's doing. So let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just pray that you will grant us that unshakable security that comes from the certainty of your word, the certainty of your faithfulness to your word and to us, and the certainty of your Sovereignty over all things, big and small, and the certainty, Father, of your salvation to us. Father, come, cause us to believe, and Father, help us choose to believe these truths and be certain. In Jesus' name, amen.