Life is tough. But you can stand strong.
None of us is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. Even followers of Christ face difficult days. Wouldn’t it be great to know we have a constant source of strength and encouragement to depend on, no matter how difficult life may become?
I have some good news: we do!
A constant source of comfort, encouragement, strength, and promise is available to all people. God has given us His Word to help us navigate this exciting—and sometimes challenging—journey called life. The Bible is filled with promises that come directly from the heart of God to encourage us no matter what we might be facing. Through those promises, we can see how God truly wants to establish deep connections with His children.
In other words, God’s promises reveal just how much He loves us.
God never promised this life would be free from trouble, but He did promise to walk with us every step of the way. With God on our side, we can stand strong.
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Building Your Life On God's Promises
Lesson titles:
1. God's Promise of Faithfulness
2. God's Promise of Eternal Life
3. God's Promise of Provision
4. God's Promise of Answered Prayer
5. God's Promise of Victory
6. God's Promise of a New Home
God's Promise of Faithfulness
What are some common promises people make?
We've all been left hanging by failed promises:
- "I'll pay you back."
- "It won't hurt a bit."
- "The doctor will see you shortly."
Some broken promises can't be avoided. We can't do anything about traffic snarls or sudden illness. Others are much more painful.
In either case, when we experience enough broken promises - from slight irritants to devastating blows - we may begin to question the ability of anyone to remain faithful to their word.
The good news is God never forgets or neglects His promises. He is always faithful! No matter how difficult life becomes, God is always by our side. Psalm 89 is a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness - a reminder that gives us hope in the most hopeless of situations.
The Point
God is faithful in every circumstance.
What Does The Bible Say?
1 I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth.
2 For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.”
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5 Lord, the heavens praise Your wonders—Your faithfulness also—in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord?
7 God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, more awe-inspiring than all who surround Him.
8 Lord God of Hosts, who is strong like You, Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds You.
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15 Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your presence.
16 They rejoice in Your name all day long, and they are exalted by Your righteousness.
17 For You are their magnificent strength; by Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 Surely our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Psalm 89:1-2
Psalm 89 is a fresh reminder of the greatness of our God. It also highlights His closeness. Knowing God is mighty, great, and powerful should cause us to shout for joy - not to mention knowing that He's ready to put every one of those attributes to work for us. God is there for us because of His love. His faithful love. Even in the midst of our worst pain, we can find joy in God's power and closeness to us.
When I was in middle school, a friend told me a girl in my class actually liked me. As you can imagine, this was a pretty big deal for an awkward middle-school kid, and it caused me to crow a bit. I was pretty happy about the situation, and I wanted everybody else to know about it. Why? Because I wanted to make sure everyone knew somebody out there valued me.
Psalm 89:1-2 leads us to recognize that God's love is something to shout about. And His love isn't just some middle-school type of love. Nor is God's love the self-centered kind we see through movies and television. Instead, it's a love that never fails. The God of the universe sees value in you! His love for you goes to the end of the universe and back.
In our culture, we are relentlessly bombarded with superficial relationships that are readily tossed away over seemingly insignificant conflicts and misunderstandings. But God's love for us will never end, no matter what we do.
The psalmist wrote in verse 1 that he would forever tell the world of God's faithfulness. The Hebrew word for "faithfulness" used in this verse is emuwnah, which means "firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, and steadiness." In other words, God's love will always remain strong, will always remain steady, and most importantly, will always remain!
We see God's faithfulness in His rule over heaven. In verse 2, the writer penned, "You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens." Since God's sovereign rule over the universe is consistent and steadfast, we certainly can count on Him in our own lives. God's faithful rule over all creation means He can be trusted with whatever we're facing.
When have you experienced the blessing of faithfulness?
Psalm 89:5-8
When have you felt a strong sense of God's majesty and power?
One evening as I was driving home with my family, one of my children yelled from the back seat, "Look at that moon!" The moon that night was larger - and significantly brighter - than I had ever noticed before. I found out later this was a phenomenon called the "super moon." This occurs when a full moon happens to coincide with a perigee moon; that is, when the moon makes it's closest approach to earth, causing the moon to appear as much as 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter. I couldn't help thinking that we live in such an amazing universe. It's mind-boggling to realize God spoke it all into existence with just a word. That's powerful!
The God who created this breathtaking universe is the same God who loves you. Even as the heavens call His people to celebrate God's glory and power, His faithful love should also be the cause of great celebration. Psalm 89:5-8 shows us the universe declares God's faithfulness even as it declares His awesome power.
"The heavens praise Your wonders" (v. 5). Nothing and no one is more deserving of praise than the One who created everything. As Psalm 19:1 states: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands." Everything we see in this world and beyond is a testament to the power of Almighty God. Simply by gazing into the world around us, we are reminded again and again of God's matchless ability.
Read that again: "The heavens praise Your wonders." Even the majesty and beauty of the universe pale in comparison with God. Nothing can compare with the majesty of God. The heavens declare His faithfulness and praise Him. The angels have witnessed it and sing of Him. The world was shaped by His very hand and gives witness to His greatness. Be encouraged in knowing that the same God who created it all is the One whose strength and faithfulness we can count on when we need it most.
What the connection between God's majesty and God's faithfulness?
Psalm 89:15-18
Up to this point, the psalmist had declared the importance of celebrating God's love and faithfulness. But what good is talking about the love and faithfulness of God if you've never experienced the love and faithfulness of God?
Every couple of years in the United States, we go through election cycles to decide who will lead our government. During the campaign season, we inevitably hear myriad promises from the candidates about what they will do to make our city, state, or country - and our lives - better. But too often those campaign promises fade away after the election is over. And when the next election rolls around, we find ourselves wondering: Did anything get better?
In verses 15-18, we see that when we trust God's faithfulness and choose to live in His presence, we will experience great comfort and joy. When we live in His presence, He exalts us and imparts His righteousness to us. God did all this for us through Jesus Christ. In His faithful love, God sent Christ to forgive us, redeem us, and bring us back to Him.
As a result, happiness and joy are sure to follow. We find encouragement, comfort, strength, and joy by walking in the presence of God. We can experience the faithfulness of God when we are fully connected to Him and His will for our lives. As followers of Christ, we are given a great privilege of knowing His joy, walking in His presence, and being exalted by His righteousness - just as He promised.
How can we actively increase our trust in God?
LIVE IT OUT
We all need reminders of how much God values us and loves us. What will you do this week to reflect on God's faithfulness? Consider the following suggestions:
- Choose forgiveness. God will never break His promise or let us down, but we can't say the same for people. When someone breaks his or her word in the coming days, choose to forgive that person rather than marinating in bitterness and disappointment.
- Note God's faithfulness. Make a daily habit of writing down how God has blessed you each day. Keep a journal of God's faithfulness as a constant reminder that God will never let you down.
- Share God's faithfulness. Do you know someone who is struggling with faith because of the trials in their life? Use the principles found in Psalm 89 to help you serve as a witness and testimony of God's faithfulness and love. Find those individuals who need to be encouraged and tell them what a mighty God we serve. Let your story be a reminder of God's faithfulness.
"I promise." You can be sure that people will let you down - even those you love and trust. But not God. His promises are a trusted foundation on which you can stand every day of your life.
Prayer Commitment
Lord, all I can say is "Great is Your faithfulness." Amen
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“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. Chorus |
| “Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me! |
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Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. |
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Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! |
"I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever..."
Our Lesson Outline:
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God's Promise of Faithfulness
We live in a non-commitment world. Some people go from church to church like butterflies looking for the perfect flower. People change jobs like they change shoes. Marriages dissolve and fall apart when the mood changes or someone more appealing comes along. Longevity in almost any arena is rare. Yet, there is one thing that we can count on to always be there and that is God’s promise of faithfulness to His children. God never forgets or neglects His promises. He is always faithful! No matter how difficult life becomes, God is always by our side.
The Point: “God is faithful in every circumstance.”
The Setting: Psalm 89 is a lament. It is a wonderful reminder of God’s faithfulness—a reminder that gives us hope in the most hopeless of situations.
I. God’s Faithfulness is Cause for Praise
Psalm 89:1-2
1 I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth. 2 For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; You establish Your faithfulness in the heavens.”
Psalm 89 is a fresh reminder of the greatness of our God. It also highlights His closeness. Knowing God is mighty, great, and powerful should cause us to shout for joy - not to mention knowing that He's ready to put every one of those attributes to work for us. God is there for us because of His love. His faithful love. Even in the midst of our worst pain, we can find joy in God's power and closeness to us.
What two attributes of the Lord are at the heart of these verses?
· Love comes from one of the most important and dynamic Hebrew words in the Old Testament (hesed, or chesed) used to describe the Lord’s relationship to His people. Other translations include: mercies, lovingkindness, great love, steadfast love, and faithful love. It is love characterized by loyalty and devotion from the one who gives it and expects the same from the one who receives it. As a covenant word, it has the unfailing promise of God behind it.
· Faithfulness comes from the word that at its root means “firm,” “stable,” or “steady.” It implies absolute fidelity, total reliability, and complete integrity. The word suggests a conscientious way of acting which reflects inner stability and consistency. He is trustworthy, true, dependable, and consistent. He does not change at a whim. What He says, He does.
Knowing about the Lord’s faithful love and faithfulness demanded a response. The psalmist could not withhold his praise. His response would be internal and external – we ought to celebrate God’s goodness internally, in our minds and hearts and that praise ought to overflow so that others also are aware of who the Lord is to us. “I will sing…forever” “I will declare…”
When have you experienced God’s faithfulness? What are some everyday reminders of God’s faithfulness?
· I have found out over the course of my life that God is faithful. He’s an awesome God. He has protected me when no one else could. He has sheltered me from the storm. He has strengthened me when I’ve been weak. He has healed me when I’ve been sick. He has helped me when I’ve been in trouble. He’s been my lawyer in a courtroom. He’s been my friend when I was all by myself.
Points:
1. The Lord is steadfast in His love and faithfulness in all His ways; thus, He is worthy of praise.
2. Knowing the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness gives us cause to rejoice.
When to experience God’s faithfulness?
1. When we stay in His will. There is protection, provision, satisfaction, fulfillment, success, joy & peace, contentment, and confidence.
People who ran from the will of God: Jonah, prodigal son, Israelites
2. When we stand in His word. Because His word is trustworthy and dependable, indestructible, unchangeable, and powerful.
3. When we serve in His way. God’s way is the way of Servanthood (Phil. 2:7), Sacrifice (Luke 9:23), and Sanctification (Rom. 12:1-2).
4. When we sow in His work. (Galatians 6:7-9)
God wants us to experience His faithfulness everyday!
When is God's faithfulness experienced?
This comment reminds us that the ideas in the first stanza and the chorus of the hymn are mainly taken from Lamentations 3:22-23.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Now the book of Lamentations is a series of laments mourning the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC by the Babylonians. The inhabitants experienced extreme suffering; most of the survivors were exiled to Babylon. It was a time of utter despair and hopelessness. In the midst of lamenting over this unprecedented tragedy, the Spirit-inspired author burst into exuberant praise of God's faithfulness. A believer experiences the faithfulness of God most deeply in the darkest moments of his life. Why is this so?
When we think of God's faithfulness we tend to think of God's provisions for our needs. This is reflected in the chorus of the hymn: "All I have needed Thy hand hath provided." But under what kind of circumstances would a believer confess from the bottom of his heart that it was indeed God who has provided for all that he needed? Is it during times of prosperity, or during times of adversity? When people commemorate God's faithfulness they commemorate how God had seen them through difficult times. Why is this so?
How is God's faithfulness experienced?
In Deuteronomy 8 God explained to the Israelites who were about to enter the Promised Land why they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Certainly the 40 years of wandering were needed to allow the earlier generation to die off in the wilderness because, except for Joshua and Caleb, they were forbidden to enter the Promised Land due to unbelief and disobedience. But God causes all things, even unfortunate things, to work for the good of His people. So the 40 years of seemingly aimless wandering were also needed to teach the generation of Israelites who entered the Promised Land "that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD" (verse 3).
In the wilderness they could not sow and reap and bake bread as they normally did ("live by bread"). God demonstrated His faithfulness by feeding them manna, which they had never known. This experience was to teach God's people that even when they are completely deprived of the normal means of livelihood, God could provide through means they had never known. The lesson they needed to learn was that God is faithful and hence they could and should "live by everything that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD." By doing so they would confirm through experience that God is indeed faithful.
So God's people are to live by (depend on) whatever God says, and not live by (depend on) the normal means of livelihood only. This means when God's will requires us to act in such a way that seems to jeopardize our livelihood, we still trust and obey Him. This is well illustrated in the life of Elijah after he had prayed for no rain. God asked him to hide himself by a brook, assuring him that He had commanded the crows to provide for him there. Then when the brook dried up in answer to Elijah's own prayer, God asked him to go live with a widow who was about to use up her last handful of flour to cook the last meal for herself and her son. Elijah obeyed both times and thus lived by God's word, and not by "bread" alone. He experienced God's faithfulness in a way not otherwise possible.
People in "full-time Christian ministry" can easily identify with this teaching. For when God called them into the ministry, like the Levites in the Old Testament, they are called to renounce the normal means of making a living. Instead they are called to live by faith in God's faithfulness. But this teaching applies to all Christians, as we are all called to put God's will above the need to make a living. In fact, Jesus rephrased this teaching as, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [your livelihood] shall be added to you". Jesus recognizes that we all need to make a living. But He commanded us to "seek first" (give priority to) God's Kingdom. To help set us free to obey this command (live by His word) He promised to "add all these things" to us.
Why is God's faithfulness experienced?
The Israelites needed to learn this lesson, and learn it in the wilderness, because they were going to enter and possess a land flowing with milk and honey. God desires to prosper His people in every way. But the problem is that when God's people experience material prosperity, they tend to forget God and think that it is their own ability that brought them the prosperity (verses 11-17). We only confess from the bottom of the heart that it is God who has provided when we find ourselves in desperate circumstances where we could not have provided for ourselves. For then we cannot help but recognize God's faithfulness. This was the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness. Similarly, we can best perceive God's faithfulness in times of crises when we have no one else to turn to except God. This was the experience of the author of Lamentations.
This explains the basic thrust of Deuteronomy 8, which is to impress upon God's people that during prosperous times they must remember what they had learned during desperate times (verse 2). To recognize God's faithfulness during times of prosperity, we need to remember the times of adversity when we experienced deeply God's faithfulness. Only then can we sing from the bottom of our heart "Great is Thy faithfulness!" at all times.
II. Heaven Celebrates God’s Faithfulness
Psalm 89:5-8
5 Lord, the heavens praise Your wonders—Your faithfulness also—in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord? 7 God is greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, more awe-inspiring than all who surround Him. 8 Lord God of Hosts, who is strong like You, Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds You.
Which of the questions in these verses do you find the most compelling?
The God who created this breathtaking universe is the same God who loves you. Even as the heavens call His people to celebrate God’s glory and power, His faithful love should also be the cause of great celebration. Psalm 89:5-8 shows us the universe declares God’s faithfulness even as it declares His awesome power.
Who else joins the psalmist in giving praise to the Lord?
· Heavens is the same word used in verse 2 and is understood the same way.
· The assembly of the holy ones also joins in praise to God for His faithfulness. Most commentators agree the reference is to heavenly servant beings or to a heavenly council of divine beings, such as is found in Job 1. Both phrases refer to those who dwell in heaven—that is the cherubim, seraphim, and all other angelic beings. The angelic beings praise the Lord for His wonders. Wonders are miraculous acts of God that cause viewers to gaze in amazement. Such wonders cause even angels to be amazed. The angels also praise God for His faithfulness. The parallel placement of faithfulness and wonders provides insight into the angelic praise. The Lord uses wonders in faithfully upholding His promises. He is awesome in His faithfulness and awesome in the performance of His wondrous actions.
How do the beings of heaven respond to God?
· God is greatly feared and awe-inspired, revered, or reverenced. The two words together suggest God is both to be feared in the sense of being terrified of Him and to be held in reverence in the sense of being awed by Him.
When have you felt a strong sense of God’s majesty and power?
What’s the connection between God’s majesty and God’s faithfulness?
Points:
1. The Lord s worthy of praise from all that dwell in heaven and earth.
2. The Lord is incomparable; there is none like Him.
3. The Lord is to be feared and revered.
4. God’s faithfulness is great and powerful.
In verses 1‑2, the Lord’s faithfulness is paired with faithful love. In verse 5, the Lord’s faithfulness is paired with His wonders. In verse 8, the Lord’s faithfulness is paired with His strength. Such awesome faithfulness warrants faithfulness from the angels as well as from us.
III. God’s Followers Experienced His Faithfulness
Psalm 89:15-18
15 Happy are the people who know the joyful shout; Yahweh, they walk in the light of Your presence. 16 They rejoice in Your name all day long, and they are exalted by Your righteousness. 17 For You are their magnificent strength; by Your favor our horn is exalted. 18 Surely our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
God’s faithfulness is experienced by His followers. In verses 5 through 8, we saw praises from the angelic beings in heaven. Beginning in verse 15, the praises flow from the people of God. They are blessed by His faithful presence. Joyful worship leads to a daily walk or lifestyle that pleases the Lord. In the light of Your presence is literally “in the light of Your face.” In the Scriptures, God shining His face on someone is a picture of His grace (see Numbers 6:22‑27). That is the gist of this verse.
Summarize:
· “Up to this point, the psalmist had declared the importance of celebrating God’s love and faithfulness. But what good is talking about the love and faithfulness of God if you’ve never experienced the love and faithfulness of God?”
· “In verses 15-18, we see that when we trust God’s faithfulness and choose to live in His presence, we will experience great comfort and joy.”
· “As followers of Christ, we are given the great privilege of knowing His joy, walking in His presence, and being exalted by His righteousness—just as He promised.”
Guide: Use the final paragraph on page 25 of this Leader Guide to help group members see the presence of Jesus in these verses.
Ethan’s second our is our shield. Shield is another reference to his king. The king’s duty was to be the defender and protector of the nation. Because their shield belongs to the Lord, it’s clear that the Lord is the true defender of His people. The third use of our is in relation to our king. Belongs is understood to apply to both lines of the verse. The Holy One of Israel is the Lord God. The king belongs to Him. He is to be a great servant of the Lord. In the New Testament, demonic spirits called Jesus “the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24). More than once, the Father announced His pleasure with His beloved Son (see Matt. 3:17; 17:5). Jesus is our Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Ethan and the Israelites could sing praise to an earthly king and to the power and protection of God the king represented. Modern Christians can sing praise to Jesus—the King of kings and Lord of lords, who has all power and authority, who has redeemed us by His blood, and is our God. How blessed are we to experience His faithfulness!
How can we actively increase our trust in God?
Points:
1. Those who are loyal to the Lord are blessed by Him.
2. The Lord blesses His people with His presence, favor, goodwill, strength, and protection.
3. God’s people have a distinct purpose in God’s redemptive plan for the world.
The first result of a lifestyle blessed by God’s gracious presence is a rejoicing that lasts continually, all day long (see Phil. 4:4‑7). Such rejoicing is specifically in the Lord’s name, which represents His faithful character and His faithful actions. Notice the cycle in verses 15-16: joyful worship leads to daily living in God’s favor, which leads to rejoicing—and with it the desire to worship again with God’s people.
The second result of a lifestyle blessed by God’s gracious presence is being exalted by the Lord’s righteousness. He lifts up those who please Him in their walk.
The third result of a lifestyle blessed by God’s gracious presence is experiencing His magnificent strength. Our Lord’s strength is transcendent, both in beauty and power. His omnipotent strength is more than sufficient for any need a believer will ever face (see Ps. 28:7; 46:1-3; 73:26; 84:5-7; 105:4).
All of us have gone through some period of trial. Some trials come because of the evil actions of others, some from living in a fallen world, and some because of our own poor choices and rebelliousness against the Lord and His Word. During those times, we need something to provide us stability and give us hope. God’s merciful love and faithfulness is a solid foundation. Even if we displease Him and even though He may chastise us, He still is filled with mercy and overflowing with faithfulness in every circumstance.
In His Love,
David & Susan
