A Steadfast Heart
(A sermon preached by Rev Hien Nguyen at Brisbane BPC on 17 January 2010)
“He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies” Psalm 112:7-8.
How about your heart and my heart when we receive bad or evil news? “Your loved one has passed away!” or “Your house has been completely destroyed!” or “Wicked people are planning to destroy your reputation and even take away your life” or “You have been sacked!” or “You suffer from cancer!” Dear friends, it is a great blessing for you and me if we can have a steadfast heart while we are living in this cursed, troubled and wicked world, not to mention the attacks and temptations from Satan, the wicked one, our adversary, who does not leave us alone when we are determined to follow the Lord closely and His Word to the jot and tittle. David had a steadfast heart when he trusted in the Lord and cried unto Him for deliverance from his troubles and distress, saying, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Ps 57:7; 108:1). How about you and me?
Steadfast: Meaning
The Hebrew term for “fixed” is kûn, which means established, firm, steadfast, fixed. With 219 occurrences, the KJV translates as “prepare” 85 times, “establish” 58 times, “ready” 17 times, “stablish” five times, “provide” five times, “right” five times, “fixed” four times, “set” four times, “direct” three times, “order” three times etc. “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established (kûn) my goings” (Ps 40:2), and “The steps of a good man are ordered (kûn) by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way” (Ps 37:23), and “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD” (Ps 112:7). Another equivalent Hebrew term is sam̄ ak, which means supported, sustained, upheld, established, unmoved, firm. With 48 occurrences, the KJV translates as “lay” 18 times, “uphold” nine times, “put” five times, “lean” three times, “stay” three times, “sustained” three times, “holden up” once, “borne up” once, “established” once, “stand fast” once, for example, “His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies” (Ps 112:8) and “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand” (Ps 37:24).
The Greek term for “established, steadfast” is bebaioo, (from bebaios), which means firm, steadfast. With 8 occurrences of bebaioo, the KJV translates as “confirm” five times, “establish” twice, and “stablish” once, “Now he which stablisheth (bebaioo) us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God” (2 Cor 1:21). With 9 occurrences of bebaios, the KJV translates as “stedfast” four times, “sure” twice, “firm” once, “of force” once, and “more sure” once, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast (bebaios), and which entereth into that within the veil” (Heb 6:19). Another equivalent Greek term is hedraios, which means settled, steadfast, firm. With three occurrences, the KJV translates as “steadfast” twice, and “settled” once, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled (hedraios), and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Col 1:23).
A Steadfast Heart
Thus, a steadfast heart is a firm and faithful heart unto the Lord and to His Word without being shaken or moved or changed by wrong doctrines, difficulties, trials, temptations, persecutions, or dangers. Looking at the life of Job, we see that his heart was steadfast and trusting in the Lord unto death although he lost his children, his wealth, and his good health, saying, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). How about the apostle Paul? After being converted, Paul served the Lord faithfully unto death despite all difficulties, opposition, or persecutions, saying, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7), and God used Paul to encourage us, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast (hedraios), unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). Do you and I have a steadfast heart for the Lord and His Word?
How to Have a Steadfast Heart
Know and Trust in the Lord and His Word: It is very vital for you and me to have a heart-knowledge of the Lord and His Word so that we may wholeheartedly trust in Him and His Word and be established and firm in heart. We cannot wholeheartedly trust in a person whom we do not know well. We cannot wholeheartedly trust his word if we do not know him well. How can you and I know God and His Word so that we may wholeheartedly trust in Him and His Word? There is only one way. We must humble ourselves and read His perfectly inspired and perfectly preserved Word with a teachable, reverent, trusting and submissive heart, and the Holy Spirit will help you and me “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Surely knowing that our living, true, almighty and faithful God is sovereign and able to make all things work together for good unto His dear children who love Him and obey Him (Rom 8:28), we shall trust in Him and give thanks unto Him for all things and in all things (Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:18). Moreover, God and His Word are always the same, everlasting and endure for ever, so He and His Word are able to make our hearts steadfast, firm and established, “Now he which stablisheth (bebaioo) us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God” (2 Cor 1:21) and “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled (natsab, fixed, established) in heaven” (Ps 119:89). The more we trust and obey God’s Word the firmer foundation we are building in our spiritual life, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matt 7:24). Then, do you know and trust in the Lord and His Word? “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies” (Ps 112:7-8) and “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Ps 118:8).
Cry unto the Lord for His Mercy: God uses trials, difficulties, opposition and persecutions to mould and establish His children’s hearts. Then, you and I must turn to the Lord and cry unto Him for help and deliverance, through which we may grow in faith and in His knowledge. David trusted in the Lord and cried for help and deliverance, so his heart was fixed (steadfast), “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me… My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise” (Ps 57:1, 2, 7). Dear friends, do you and I turn to the Lord and humbly cry unto Him in our trials and difficulties?
Rooted and Grounded in the Lord and His Word: A person who gladly received God’s Word “yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended” (Matt 13:21). Being rooted and grounded in the Lord and His Word means being totally dependent on the Lord and His Word and living by the Lord and His Word moment by moment and day by day like the branch on the Vine (John 15:1-5). Are you and I rooted and grounded in the Lord and His Word? “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished (bébaios) in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Col 2:7), and “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled (hedraios), and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Col 1:23).
Be Attached to the Anchor of Our Souls: A ship without an anchor is easily moved or tossed to and fro. God does not want you and me to be shaken and compromising, but “come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph 4:13-14), Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Anchor of our troubled souls. If we keep a living fellowship with Him moment by moment wherever we are, we shall be established by Him and His Word, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast (bébaios), and which entereth into that within the veil” (Heb 6:19).
Fear God and Depart from Sin and Evil: God is holy and righteous and He never condones sin or unrighteousness. It is always good and wise to fear God and keep ourselves from sin and evil. Job “feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1), so his heart was established. As the Lord is the Anchor of our souls, and sin will separate us from the Lord and trouble our souls, the only way for us to have peace is to come back to Him in repentance and restore our living fellowship with Him, “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments … He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD” (Ps 112:1, 7).
Conclusion
Dear friends, it is a great blessing to have our hearts established by the Lord and His Word. May God help you and me grow in His grace and in the knowledge of Him and His Word, trust in Him and His Word, cry unto Him for help and deliverance. Fear God and depart from sin and evil, and keep a living fellowship with our Lord so that we may enjoy His peace and be established and faithful unto the end. Amen.
