Faith in His Promise- Psalm 52:1

¹Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. 

Psalm 52:1 (NASB95) 

Have you ever been amazed at the faith of some people in the face of overwhelming circumstances? When I was a kid, it was not unusual to watch an afternoon episode of Batman and see the Dynamic Duo (Batman and Robin) trapped, bound, or plummeting to their death when suddenly the tables turned. Further, it seemed that Batman knew it would turn out better all along. Where does that kind of faith come from? 

As David wrote this psalm, he is staring down the consequences of Doeg the Edomite’s betrayal of his location to King Saul. Yet David’s reply… “Why do you waste your time? The He-Sed (covenant, loyal, faithful love of God) endures.” David points to His confidence in God and God’s ability to keep His promises for His glory according to His wise counsel. We see a similar outlook from the Apostle Paul while on a storm-tossed ship at sea:

²¹When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. ²²“Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³“For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, ²⁴saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ ²⁵“Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 

Acts 27:21–25 (NASB95) 

Paul gives us a more direct insight into the answer, “Where does this kind of faith come from?” God said it! 

Four challenges if you want to experience and exhibit faith like this.

• Wait until you hear from the Lord before you act. This does not mean that you are to be apathetic or lazy; rather, I am saying that you should not change course until God tells you to do so. Keep doing what you’re doing. Act on the last thing God told you to do. 
• When God speaks, take it to the bank, regardless of the circumstances in front of you. If God tells you to face down a nine-foot tall giant with a sling and a rock…do it. 
• Action, rather than intention, demonstrates the source of your faith. If you refuse to act, you demonstrate that your guiding directive is the contrary voice rather than the Christ’s. Even if you say you believe otherwise, your actions bear witness. 
• Give God the credit. Not with some watered-down, lawyer-inspired (no offense intended to my attorney friends) middle-of-the-road, “if the Lord might allow it” kind of statement. If God spoke… SAY IT! This way, no one thinks you’re anything other than faithfully obedient and your God is awesome enough to trust. If God did not speak, remain silent, steadfastly moving in the direction of the last calling. 

But what about my circumstances Chris? If they are more desperate than sitting by a Brook in a drought, or more perilous than a Queen’s threats, or more final than death…listen to them. Otherwise, remember that God already showed His power over all these things…and no circumstance can overwhelm and deter the He-Sed of God.