Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
We are taking a slight detour from our usual study of the book of Hebrews. Yesterday morning I saw something in the news that triggered this verse to my mind and the Lord has not left me alone on this. I want to be clear that I am not a psychic. I do not believe in visions and dreams as part of this dispensation. I do believe that God works in the hearts of His children to impress upon them certain things at certain times for His purposes. I also believe it is unwise to ignore God’s leading in your life. Rather than shrug it off, pursue it. What does God want me to know more about this matter.
We are certainly living in a time when many things are unsettled. We have come through two years of extremely unsettled experiments. Some may recall the original hockey stick model that was used to get the panic ball rolling on this whole man-made, Wuhan virus fiasco. It was soon proven that that model was a fraudulent model made up by a man in England. He admitted to it. That did not matter. His graph worked and the governments had already discovered that mankind in general is extremely gullible and easily given a bill of goods that are false.
What this live experiment proved is that truth is not a settled matter for most people. Most people are drifting in the sea of uncertainty and can be easily manipulated into following a lie. Some of us can see that there is a great cost to living an unsettled life. There is only one way to live a settled life.
In our text, the Psalmist was directed by God to declare: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” That is a powerful declaration. It is important to note, that unlike humanity, God is never ambiguous about what He says. He never waffles in what He says. He knows all things and He always acts with complete certainty.
We as people need that strong and sure foundation, although the devil came on the scene and presented the exact opposite. He said: “yea hath God said?”
What God tells us in our opening verse is that there has never been a moment in time, when His Word has not been settled. Every day I work on a devotional for the future. I put that devotional together and save it and let it sit there. The day I am going to publish the devotional, I go over it again and then ask my wife to read it out loud to me and she helps me catch some of my mistakes in it. The end product, we trust is something that is pleasing to the Lord and a help to those who receive them. My point is that my devotionals are not for ever settled in heaven or here on earth. When I quote God’s Word, that is settled. If I was a fool, I might want to alter what God has said, to my shame. If I am a faithful servant of God, I will ask God to guide me to not mess with His Word, but to seek to glorify Him in the words I use to develop the devotional. My words are not inspired. I want them to be accurate and I want them to be helpful. Your time is too precious to be wasted on words that are of no value.
God never needs to change His Word. Nothing ever happens in life that catches Him by surprise and causes Him to have to scramble to make changes. The word “settled” means exactly that. God’s Word is “stationed” or “positioned” permanently. This is important for us to know. As we have noted, there has been nothing settled about the events of the past 2 years except the goal of the elites to control humanity. They have had a goal to disrupt life as we have known it for many, many years. Their plans have been hindered by God, Who is still giving lost people opportunity to turn to Him in repentance and be forgiven and saved. There is no need for people to be panicked about what is taking place. Those who are in that state have obviously not come to trust in the God Who has settled His Word.
God’s Word is troubling to those who are not saved. His warnings are just as sure as His promises. The lost will know they are in trouble with God and that causes problems for them. It does not need to be that way. God has proved Himself to be merciful and just and He provides forgiveness and eternal life for all who will trust in Him. That trust must be settled in God. A person that wants to waver in what they believe will not be at peace with God.
Christians can be surprised by things that happen. However, if we are saved, we can also have a confidence that will see us through the surprises of life.
Notice as well that the Psalmist addressed God as LORD. He is referring to Jehovah God Who is the self-existent God Who never needs anything from anyone. God created the world for His pleasure. He did not create it because He was lacking something. Because of His unique place, He knows the beginning from the end and He can declare things in truth at all times.
Isaiah 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
It is important not to seek God in vain. Don’t go chasing after false teachers and false teaching. Get to God’s Word and get into a good church that can help you to know the truth. It is important and necessary.
Notice as well that God’s Word is settled in Heaven. The devil was recorded as seeking to tamper with God’s Word. He put doubt into Eve’s mind and she then changed what God had said. There is a “hard copy” of God’s Word that is beyond the reach of man or the devil. That copy is there and God has also seen to it that on this earth there will always be a true copy of His Word available to man. In spite of the many efforts that man has taken to change God’s Word, those who will humble themselves and allow Him to lead them, will always have access to the truth. God’s Word is precious and it is important for us to read and consider it carefully. If we will take God’s Word as our authority we will be blessed by it in ways we never thought possible. We will be given direction in life that will help us to navigate through this life successfully. We will be able to lead others to the sure Word of God so that they too can turn from being panicked to being at peace with God and blessed by Him.
Pastor Bartel
