One of the unique things human beings have over other creatures is the ability to walk upright on two feet. It’s something many of us take for granted – until that moment when we slip or fall. In less than a second our sense of security vanishes as we lose our footing; a wave of panic comes over us, we feel the rush of adrenalin through our bodies and our muscles tense as we brace for impact.
That’s not just true in the physical realm; it’s also a reality in the realm of faith. The unexpected occurs, our spiritual “feet” start slipping and we lose our stability. If we don’t regain our balance, doubt, discouragement and despair sink in.
Right now we are being tested as believers. We have just endured two years of government mandates and mask-wearing and social distancing. The cost of living has gone up but our quality of living has taken a dive. People are frustrated and weary. Then we look at the horror that is taking place on in Ukraine and it feels like the world is falling apart.
It’s at these times we need a strong anchor, a firm foundation. And we find that in God’s Word. When we find ourselves in the midst of difficulty and it feels as if life is falling apart, there are things we need to know about God, things we need to know about mankind, and things we need to know about the gospel.
1. Things we need to know about God
There are three unshakable truths about God that will help you stand firm in days of difficulty. The first is:
1. God is good – he is gracious to the undeserving
In Psalm 103 we find these words:
1 My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits.
3 He forgives all your iniquity;
he heals all your diseases.
4 He redeems your life from the Pit;
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.
Forgiveness, redemption, compassion, faithful love – these are benefits because of God’s goodness. We do not deserve any of these wonderful benefits. What we deserve is God’s judgment. What we deserve is death – as the psalmist makes clear in verse 10:
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.
Let that sink in: whatever you are experiencing right now, whatever trial you are enduring, whatever deep water you are wading through, God has not dealt with you as your sins deserve. Instead, he has shown kindness, love and forgiveness.
2. God is faithful – he can be trusted
In a world of broken promises, breached contracts, and forgotten vows it is good to know there is someone who is faithful, who does keep his word, no matter what the cost. That is our God – he is faithful. And his faithfulness is closely tied to his unchanging nature. God’s unchanging nature sets him apart from everyone and everything.
Everything else around us is in a state of flux and change. The earth is subject to change. People are subject to change. They are flaky. They promise one thing and do another. God is not like that. He never changes. That is why he is compared to a rock that remains immovable, steadfast and firm even when the wind and waves beat upon it. A.W. Pink writes:
Herein is solid comfort. Human nature cannot be relied upon; but God can! However unstable I may be, however fickle my friends may prove, God changes not… But, all praise to His glorious name, He is ever the same. His purpose is fixed, His will stable, His Word is sure! Here then is a rock on which we may fix our feet, while the mighty torrent is sweeping away everything around us.
There’s a third truth about God that will hold us fast and it is this:
3. God is sovereign – he always has the last word
In Psalm 93 we have a clear picture of an important attribute of God that we must grasp clearly in this world: his sovereignty.
1 The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.
The Lord God reigns; that is he rules, he has dominion, he has power over all creation – nature, the natural forces, nations, rulers, life, death, demons, powers in heaven and on earth – all of them come under his kingly authority. “The world is firmly established.” Let those words sink in. Because God rules, the world cannot fly apart. Nothing – not sickness or disease or cancer, not Covid, not President Putin, not rising food and fuel prices are outside of his grasp. He has a handle on everything. Nothing can happen in this world or your personal life unless God either allows it or decrees it.
Those are things you need to know about God. Now let me give you some things you need to know about mankind.
2. Things we need to know about mankind
The first thing you need to know about people is:
1. He has a sinful nature.
I was talking to a friend the other day and he said, “I cannot believe what took place on the streets of Wellington. I cannot believe people picked up pavement stones and threw them at Police. I cannot believe Putin would fire missiles at innocent civilians.” My response was, “I can.”
Have we forgotten? Do we not read our bibles? How long after Genesis 3 does it take for the sinful heart of man to be revealed and they start killing each other? Not long. Things get so bad that by chapter 6 we are told,
“The Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5)
That’s a comprehensive description of the human condition. It doesn’t mean that people are as bad as they possibly can be (there are plenty of sinful people who do things), but their hearts and minds have been thoroughly corrupted by sin. So it should not surprise us when we see or hear of wars and murder and rape and sex trafficking and human abuse of every kind. That’s what sinful people do. It might disappoint us, but it should not surprise us.
2. His heart is rebellious and rages against God
Now, if you ever needed any proof that the hearts of human beings are rebellious from birth, just have kids. It’s a fantastic lab experiment.
There’s a scene I remember with our first child. He was about 9 months old. We said to him, “Don’t touch the heater.” He looked at us, turned back and reached out his hand. We pull it back. “No don’t touch – hot.” He ignored us and reached his hand out again. This went on for about 5 minutes until we finally said, “Fine – go touch the heater.” He did and burned himself and starts screaming at us.
That’s the rebellious heart. It rages against authority – whether it be parents or teachers or police or government. And God calls this rebellious heart to turn from sin (that’s repentance) and submit to his Son.
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:12)
There’s a scene in the book of Revelation, chapter 16, where God’s judgements are coming down upon the earth. These judgements are intended to bring people to repentance, so they may turn to God and be saved. And three times it says, “they blasphemed the God of heaven and did not repent and give him glory” (vv.9, 11, 21).
If you are going to have any measure of stability and sanity in this world, you need to know what we are dealing with. Man is born for trouble as sparks fly upwards (Job 5:7). Unless God, by a gracious work of his Spirit does a work in our hearts, we will die in our sin – raging against God.
3. He cannot be trusted
Time and time again we are warned in Scripture not to put out trust in man. Psalm 146:3-4 says,
“Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save. When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die.”
Don’t put your hope in human saviours and human leaders. They will let you down, time and time again. How long did it take for the people of Israel to learn this? How many lame kings, how many sinful judges and leaders did it take before they realized they needed someone greater than Moses, someone greater Joshua and someone greater than David?
And that brings me now to my last point:
3. Things we need to know about the gospel
When we hear the word “gospel” we think of a message offering salvation and forgiveness of sins. And it is all that, praise God. But when we look at the New Testament, we actually find it to be more expansive and richer than that. Let me give you two realities of the gospel that we often overlook that our world is searching for:
1. The hope of a new heart
Every person on this planet knows they are not what they should be. It’s instinctive. They do not live as well as they could. They do not love as much as they ought. People know this. They also do things they hate and regret. What they desperately need is a new heart. They need, in computer terms, a new operating system. This is exactly what God promised he would do for the people of Israel:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.” (Ezek 36:26–27)
This is what Jesus was referring to when he said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). You need a new nature, Nicodemus. You need a new heart. And the gospel offers exactly this.
The answer to war and injustice and racial discrimination and greed and selfishness is not new laws; it is not better education, it is not better living standards – it is the new heart. And only Jesus can provide that new heart for us. The other reality the gospel promises is:
2. The hope of a new home
Why is it that human beings dream of a new world? Why do they write books and songs about a utopia? What moves songwriters like John Lennon to write “Imagine”? Because we all long for a better world. And as soon as we see some glimmer, some hope of that happening here on earth, that is soon quashed by another war or political scandal or failure of some kind.
The gospel promises that new world. What was lost at Eden by the fall in Genesis 3 was reclaimed by Jesus on the cross and will one day come to full fruition in the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1-4). Then we will experience true peace and harmony. No more wars, no more suffering, no more death, no more children’s hospitals being bombed, or innocent people being killed. No more disease. No more Covid! No masks or mandates or isolation at home. No more tears. No more sorrow. It is what our hearts long for. It is the promise of a new home.
In the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, John is shown the river of the water of life and the tree of life – remnants of Eden, and he says, “the leaves of the tree are for healing the nations” (verse 2). The book closes with a final invitation:
“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
That’s not an invitation in the future, it is being offered now. God is offering to every man and woman a new heart and a new home, by coming to Jesus in faith, submitting to his kind and gracious rule, and they will drink from the water of life.
Now, who would want to refuse that?
Conclusion
Elisabeth Elliot told how in January 1955, as she and four other women were waiting to learn of the fate of their husbands, who had flown a small plane to a sandy landing strip in an Ecuadorian jungle, she was sustained by the words of an old hymn “How Firm a Foundation”. These I believe, are fitting words to close with:
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word
What more can He say than to you He has said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed
For I am Thy God, and will still give you aid
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to His foes
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake
This post is based on a message I recently gave at our church. You can watch or listen to that message here
Feeling God's Pleasure 
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