Steadfast With God
The Psalms are powerful and can show us much. Psalm 78 teaches us about being steadfast with God. In the Hebrew, the word rendered “stedfast” in the King James Version is aman, which means to build up or support; to be firm, faithful, to be permanent, to be true. We are to be faithful, firm and true to God.
Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Psalm 78:1 (KJV)
We must listen to God’s Word to know His Word and be faithful to it.
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. Psalm 78:2-8 (KJV)
We are to share the Word with our children. The devil attacks us to steal the next generation.
In verse 8, we see that our hearts must be right with God by knowing and obeying His Word. This makes our spirits steadfast with God. When our hearts are steadfast with God, we will believe Him. No matter what we face, we’ll keep His ways and walk in them. we will speak right of God and to God.
The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Psalm 78:9-22 (KJV)
As we remember God’s works, we will continue to believe in Him and trust His salvation. We will not sin against Him or displease Hin as we remember and recall all He has done for us. Bringing God’s acts to our remembrance creates a heart of gratitude in us. And a grateful heart will not speak against the Lord.
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Psalm 78:23-32 (KJV)
As we desire God, we will not desire wrong things. As we desire Him, He comes to us and gives us Himself- and everything we need. Those who desire God above all else do not come against Him. The children of Israel allowed the supernatural provision and miraculous acts of God to become commonplace. They did not see them as the amazing feats they were because their hearts were not towards God but towards what He could do for them. No matter what God would have given them, they wouldn’t have been satisfied. When we desire God Himself, we won’t complain against Him or forget His kindness towards us. For all God does, we won’t sin, but will keep believing God.
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. Psalm 78:33-41 (KJV)
We must return and remember God, speak truth to Him, and keep our hearts right before Him. We must remain steadfast in His covenant with us, not limiting Him by a lack of belief. Thank God for His compassion and understanding of our human limitations. Without His compassion, where would we be?
They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan. And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand. He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. Psalm 78 41-69 (KJV)
We can be steadfast with God as we remember His works. God will fight our battles, give us victory, and lead us safely into what He has for us. We must learn from the mistakes Israel made and the hardness of their hearts and not repeat that.
He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. Psalm 78:70-72 (KJV)
The place where we are now is our training ground. As we learn to serve God and others, God develops a servant’s heart in us; a heart to be a servant-leader. This will enable us to lead and rule according to God’s heart. As we have a heart for God, to love Him and His Word, we are steadfast. We will follow and obey God as we believe Him and His Word. Nothing will turn us away from God, but we will walk where He leads us- through good times and dry times. Let us follow Him with all our hearts and believe Him no matter what- this is what it means to be steadfast with God.
