All the Days of Your Life

Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

I Kings 15:14

King Asa wasn't a perfect man by any means. Nor is he particularly anyone's biblical hero. His place in the biblical record is small, and many Christians are completely unfamiliar with his name. But this verse tells us something about him that I think we often gloss over, and that is that his heart was fully committed to the Lord all the days of his life. 

Life is long. And the Devils' tricks are many. There is something to be said for simple consistency in the faith over the long run of life. It's difficult to walk closely with the Lord for many weeks or months, let alone for many years. Sin is always trying to get at us and tear us away from our God. The Devil is always laying traps for us and trying to lure us off the narrow path which we walk with our Savior. As humans we can grow tired. We can grow complacent. We can grow bored or inconsistent over the long term.

Sometimes believers say things to me like "I've already read the entire Bible. Why do I need to do it again?" And there answer is simply because there are more spiritual treasures there for you to mine out of God's Word. Some believers figure this out and persevere in the faith. I only recently had a believer in their eighties say to me with a smile on their face that they were working their way through the Bible for the fifth time. 

There is a special virtue to the believer who can get up and enjoy having quiet times, reading their Bible, praying and communing with God, and worshipping Him not only when they are young in the faith and it is all new to them but even when they grow old in the faith and it has become a habit. 

But I believe there is a special nearness to the Lord and a special reward for those who stay fully committed to the Lord over the long term, those who persevere in their loyalty and faithfulness to the Lord over many years. So, strive to not just be fully committed to the Lord but to be fully committed to Him all the days of your life.  

Talking about God's Faithfulness

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

Psalm 89:1

We don’t talk about God’s goodness nearly enough! This verse is a great reminder that we should make His faithfulness known! Don’t keep it to yourself. Somebody needs to know what God has done for you. Chances are you know someone who is struggling in their faith right now and the story of God's faithfulness in your life may be just what they need to hear to give them the encouragement to keep on believing.

Verse 1 goes a little beyond that though. The psalmist doesn’t just want to tell those who live in his day about God’s faithfulness. He wants to make it “known through all generations.” Amazingly, God did just that. This song was inspired by God and preserved in Scripture so that even now, over 2,500 years later, this psalmist's words remind us of God’s faithfulness.

Think about this. How will your children and grandchildren know about all God has done for you if you don’t tell them? How will they know about all the times God provided for you when you didn’t know how you were gonna pay the bills or put food on the table? How are they gonna know about how God healed you when it looked like you might die? How are they gonna know about how God forgave you and showed you mercy when you deserved judgment? They can’t know if you never tell them! 

Make time to tell the next generation about God’s faithfulness in your life. Tell them what God has done for you. Because if you don’t, a generation will rise up and is rising up that doesn’t know the Lord. We are locked in a battle for the souls of our children and grandchildren. The world is telling them that the Bible isn’t true, that the stuff we believe is outdated and unnecessary and maybe even oppressive. They’re hearing lie after lie after lie about God. There are plenty of people telling them that God isn’t good. Who is going to tell them that He is good! Who is going to stand up and make God’s faithfulness known to the next generation? No one is better suited to do it than you. You tell them.

Polycarp and Praise

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

Psalm 89:1-2

"Polycarp of Smyrna was a prominent pastor who had personally known the apostle John. When several Christians were executed at the arena in Smyrna- a city in modern Turkey- the crowd began to chant, 'Find Polycarp!' When confronted, the elderly pastor surrendered peacefully. At the judgment seat the Roman governor said, 'Have respect for your old age. Say "Away with the atheists!"' [Christians were sometimes called atheists by the Romans because they didn't believe in the Roman pantheon of gods.] Polycarp slowly surveyed the throng that surrounded him. Pointing to the very people who considered him to be an atheist because he rejected Roman gods Polycarp said, 'Away with the atheists!' Turning back to the governor, Polycarp declared, 'Eighty-six years, I have served Christ, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king, the one who has saved me? Polycarp was burned alive" (*Jones, Christian History Made Easy, p17).

More than 1800 years after his death Polycarp remains one of the most remembered Christian martyrs. Polycarp is remembered not because of the horrible way in which he died, but because of his admirable faithfulness and steadfast love for the Lord. He's remembered because in the face of certain death, he bravely and convincingly remained true to his God. 

Men like Polycarp are few and far between. Even our everyday interactions with people confirm that faithfulness is a rare human quality. Proverbs 20:6 says, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" 

So let us take a moment to rejoice today that God is not like men. As the psalmist says God's faithfulness is established in the heavens and his steadfast love is built up forever. God will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). To this kind of faithfulness there are only two right responses. 

First, God's faithfulness merits our praise. As the psalmist says, "Sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with [your] mouth make known [God's] faithfulness to all generations." When was the last time you praised God for the fact that He is always on your side? When did you last brag on God's relentless, never stopping, never giving up love for His children?  

Second, God's faithfulness deserves faithful love in return. We should all emulate the steadfast commitment to God that Polycarp demonstrated so many years ago. Be unwavering in your love for the Lord! Be steadfast in your commitment to Him. And when you feel your feet beginning to slip, remind yourself (as Polycarp did) of God's faithfulness to you. May God's faithfulness inspire you to new heights of service to your King.   

Jones, Timothy Paul, Christian History Made Easy. Rose Publishing: Torrance, CA. 2009.