October 31, 2009 - Psalm 111:7-8

Ps 111:7-8 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are steadfast forever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. NIV

As we have considered God’s power and greatness we must remember that no discussion of God’s being can truly be balanced and complete without considering also His character. Psalm 111:7-8 carries within it a powerful insight into the Lord’s values system and the character that lies behind His every word and deed. First the psalmist points us to consider the nature of God’s works. Every act of God is performed with complete faithfulness and perfect justice. There is never a moment when we have to fear that God will not arrive on time or even show up at all. He is perfectly faithful in His very character and the nature of His being. We can also rest confidently in the knowledge that His decisions will be rooted in a foundation of perfect justice.
When we go to the courts of man for justice there is always the possibility of corruption or mistaken rulings. Man is easily tempted and twisted by his love for personal gain or a misguided personal values system but this is never the case with God. At all times God’s judgments and decisions flow out of the depths of His character, and His omniscient understanding of every facet affecting a particular decision that He chooses to make. With man there is always the possibility of some relevant fact being overlooked that otherwise may have affected the outcome of a ruling. With God there is no possibility of such an error because in all things and at all times God is completely all knowing and this knowledge is handled with absolute wisdom, love, mercy and justice. The knowledge of this reality is powerful to greatly enhance our ability to rest trusting in the Lord and His ways towards us.
Because of the steadfastness of God’s character, the completeness of His knowledge and the perfect application of His wisdom we can at all times trust fully His decisions, His words and the laws by which He governs His dealings with us. He is of such character that not only has He restricted and regulated the affairs of all men by His perfect precepts, God has chosen to restrict His own actions to the clearly stated standards of the Word of God. God has presented to all of the world a clearly articulated document by which we can find confidence and rest in regard to God’s dealings with us. He chooses to act only in accordance with the principles and precepts of His word and because of this our hearts can rest knowing that God will act consistently towards us from a moral basis of trustworthy and faithful character. We may not always understand the fullness of God’s ways and why some things in our lives have come to be, but at all times we can rest safely in the knowledge of God’s trustworthy character and His commitment to deal with us justly and from heart of loving compassion.