PSALM 146:5-7 – Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD. The Bible uses many words to describe God’s people. We are His children, His bride, and His sheep to name a few. There are two more used by our Lord Jesus which really define us in our human frailty and often wavering faith in tough times. Jesus quotes from the prophet Isaiah a portion of scripture giving a wonderful picture of weak humans – “Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope” (Matthew 12:15-21).

The two images of frail humans are “a bruised reed” and “a smoldering wick”. They both are pictures of weakness. A bruised reed is easily broken. It stands in a marsh land and just the slightest bit of pressure will snap it. Think about the times in our lives when the pressure of the world, trying circumstances, and tough situations seem so overwhelming we were certain of breaking. The breaking point in our lives was reached and we honestly didn’t think we could continue.

Then there is the image of the “smoldering wick.” Here we see the picture of a lamp or perhaps a candle with its flame light but the wick is short and exposed. A slight breeze from an open window or blow from a nearby human being causes it to flicker, dangerously close to being extinguished. Again, think about those times in our lives; those trying times when we were “smoldering wicks” feeling helpless and ready to be “snuffed out” should just one more “puff” of a trial or temptation come our way.

So, in those times of following the Lord we really do feel our weakness as “bruised reeds” and “smoldering wicks”, how do we hang on and persevere in the faith and respond in a God-honoring manner? We do so by faith, but not a faith beginning within ourselves. Granted, we live by faith. Yet, a life of conquering faith doesn’t look to itself. How often do we waver in faith? A lot. How often do we exhibit weak faith in trying times? A lot. How often does unbelief get the upper-hand and lead us to worry and anxiety instead of trust and peace? A lot. The life of overcoming faith doesn’t begin with us. It begins with God and His faithfulness. In today’s scripture, nestled in the middle, is a wonderful truth to cling to when we are really feeling like “bruised reeds” and “smoldering wicks.” Those words are . . . “who keeps faith forever.” Who keeps faith forever? Our God. God will always be true to His Word and promises, even when we waver. He cannot deny Himself and will come through to always strengthen His “bruised reeds” and “smoldering wicks.” When times are hard and we feel broken and snuffed out, don’t look inside for persevering faith. Look to God and His unchanging faithfulness. It will encourage and strengthen us to continue onward on this life of faith. Being a “bruised reed” and “smoldering wick” are good things. They make us acknowledge and feel our weaknesses, and like the Apostle Paul, in our weaknesses, we will know His strength (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for being always faithful to Yourself and Your Word.”

QUOTE: “Look to the faithfulness of the Lord, not yours, to sustain you in the trials of life. He never changes. We often do”