His Steadfast Love

T he writer of Lamentations knew trouble, pain, and strife when he said, “My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness.” The author of these passages, the prophet Jeremiah, knew all too well about anxiety, stress, and trials. At the same time, he knew a lot about peace, comfort, and the source of his peace and salvation—the Lord! We can learn a lot from Jeremiah about victorious living.

In these uncertain days, there are times when we feel as though the enemy is throwing everything at us. He seems to know every weakness and soft target in our lives. Satan fails to remember, and we must never forget, that the great “I Am” has always been and always will be. “I Am” never changes. Indeed, great is the Lord, and He is to be praised! We’ve read the end of the story, and we know how this will end.

But what about the interim? What happens in the meantime? We must stand firm with the confidence that the victory has already been won. While circumstances and situations may seem daunting, even overwhelming at times, our Lord God Creator has everything in the palm of his hand. Nothing that may befall us is happening without His knowledge and His permission. “I Am” is sovereign, and He reigns over all things, including the games played by the enemy. Believe it or not, the enemy is restrained by the power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture assures us that the current situation is nothing compared to what life will be like when the Holy Spirit is removed and the enemy is given free reign for a short period.

In the interim, my encouragement to you is to know with confidence that we serve a risen Lord who is unchanging, loving, constant, steadfast, and faithful. The temporary things of this life are nothing compared to what awaits believers in eternity. To live a victorious life on this side of heaven, we must stand firm like Ephesians 6:13 describes, knowing that we have nothing to fear. The battle truly is the Lord’s! Sometimes we have short-term wins—hour by hour or minute by minute. Some days we are doing good to put one foot in front of the other, taking one step at a time. However, when things are going well, we may be more inclined to notice the victories in our daily lives. For example, watching your child graduate from high school or college, receiving a well-earned promotion after years of hard work, or even finishing a successful project that took dozens of hours planning the strategic use of available resources. Spiritually, a long-term victory includes answered prayer after years of intercession and pleading.

While Jesus calls us by our name, the enemy will always call us by our sin. Satan is the great accuser, liar, thief, and killer. Peter describes Satan as a roaring lion prowling around, seeking someone to devour in 1 Peter 5:8. When these moments happen, we must always be prepared to recognize the lie, call it out as a lie, and replace it with the truth of God’s Word. That’s another reason scripture memory is so critically important to living victoriously. If Satan pulls you away from the flock, you are more vulnerable and likely prey to his schemes. If you are not good at scripture memory, try writing down key verses on notecards. You can place your cards by your bathroom mirror, nightstand by the bed, the dashboard in the car, next to your computer monitor, under a magnet on your refrigerator door, or any other place you may be susceptible to attack. Subscribe to a “verse of the day” app to arrive on your phone every morning. Listen to Bible teaching podcasts. Plan your drive to work around a radio broadcast of Dr. Jeffress on Pathway to Victory. There are so many simple things you and I can do to set ourselves up to stand firm every day. There is no reason for a believer to be in a place to fail.

As brothers in Christ, we can encourage one another. Life isn’t getting any easier. The direction of our culture and our country suggests that the return of Christ may be near. With that in mind, get your spiritual affairs in order. If that means letting your brothers encourage you along the way, then so be it. We are not supposed to take this journey alone. God put us in the paths of others for this very purpose. Do not be discouraged. Instead, be strong, be confident, and stand firm. Because “The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

• What can you do today to stand firm? Start simple. Press on. If the first one you try doesn’t fit, try another one. Keep trying until you find/apply the tools that work for you.
• Are you actively engaged in a Sunday School? At First Baptist Dallas, classes meet every Sunday morning at 8, 9:15, and 11am. We can help you locate a class suitable for you.
• Are you willing to open up with other men at First Dallas so that they can help guide you through your struggles? Multiple layers of resources are available to everyone.