Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Steadfast Heart

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Psalm 108:1

A steadfast heart is secure in Christ, and not even the devil can drive it from its devotion to the Lord. Indeed, you can be steadfast, because your Savior is steadfast. Markets may crumble and economies erupt in uncertainty, but a steadfast heart stays fixed on the faithfulness of its heavenly Father.

A steadfast heart understands its sufficiency is in Christ, so it goes there first by faith. Sometimes you climb to praise God by the ladder of prayer—and at other times you bless the Lord for the past, so in prayer you have faith to plead to Him in the present. The Holy Spirit seizes your steadfast heart, so you can pray your way up to praise, or so you can patiently praise the Lord until you are ready for prayer.

You know your heart is steadfast when sin’s allure loses its luster. You do not want to go to the playground of pride, because you know it will bully you into bad behavior. A steadfast heart sees the awful consequences of disobeying God and does not go there. Because you are anchored in the fear of God, He stabilizes you in the face of fear. You remain fixed on trusting the Lord with your finances, your family and your future.

Grace gives you the gumption to tame your fickle nature, and it develops the discipline of a resolute and determined frame of mind. Your steadfast heart results in your soul exploding in joyful songs of praise to your Creator. Paul eloquently exhorted this high degree of faith focus when he said:

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58, KJV).

Therefore, do not waver in your commitment to Christ and to your promises to people. Circumstances may have changed and caused you great consternation, but you remain steadfast of heart. Stay true to what you said, for your faithfulness is not contingent on your circumstances, but on the integrity of what’s right.

Be steadfast in your heart by giving what you said you would give, by going where you said you would go, and by doing what you said you would do. When your faith begins to flicker, go to God and He will ignite its bright flame. Christ creates a steadfast heart and He blesses a steadfast heart. Indeed, your soul sings praises over steadfast security in your Savior!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (I Peter 5:10).

Where is the Lord calling me to remain steadfast and trust in Him?

Related Readings: Psalm 51:10; 57:7; 112:7; Proverbs 4:26; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:1

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