01 September 2010
He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations. Psalm 105:8
Long ago a man who was imprisoned unjustly, beaten without mercy, and thrown into a slime pit where his persecutors expected him to die a slow and agonizing death wrote these words: "Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him'" (Lamentations 3:22-24). His name: Jeremiah, the prophet of Israel whose salvation was waiting patiently for the deliverance of the Lord.
From generation to generation men and women have learned that deliverance from the difficulties of life doesn't come by griping and complaining but by trusting. If anyone ever had reason to complain about the way he was treated, it was Jeremiah; yet he said, "The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (Lamentations 3:25).
As I'm preparing today's Guidelines, I'm reflecting on the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. Forty-seven years ago this week, I prepared the first week of programs that launched the Guidelines commentary and ministry. The world of the early 60's was much different from the one we live in today. Instead of the electronic music theme that now lets you know Guidelines is on the air, we used a short burst of Morse code which then was commonly used to introduce newscasts. We signed off to the musical theme inspired by Jeremiah's words, "Great is Thy Faithfulness."
Since 1963, when the first Guidelines commentary was produced, our world has changed greatly. Nations which were enemies are now friends, using the term somewhat loosely. Whereas programming such as Guidelines was jammed by powerful radio transmitters in Russia, some of those same transmitters are now broadcasting Gospel programming. Our Guidelines' commentary is now translated and broadcast in Russian, Chinese, Spanish and a half-dozen other languages. In the mid 1970's when I traveled in the former Soviet Union, Christian literature was confiscated; today, my books translated into Russian are distributed throughout the former USSR.
Ten of my books relating to families have been translated, and they, along with over 20 DVD messages in Chinese, are being widely circulated, something which we never considered a possibility in my lifetime.
When Jeremiah lifted his heart towards heaven and cried out "great is your faithfulness," it was not because he felt good about what was happening around him. His beloved country was crumbling in moral and spiritual decay. His message was that of doom, not vibrant hope.
I sometimes feel like Jeremiah, however, when I see the moral disintegration which is affecting our day. Nonetheless, God's faithfulness abides from generation to generation to those whose trust is in Him. It is more than sufficient to meet your needs and those of your children as well.
In the early years of Guidelines' ministry, more than a few times I would sit and talk into a microphone, bouncing a baby on one knee. Now a generation later, my three children are adults, and they, in turn, are passing the baton of faith to their eight children. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood and boldly proclaimed that the promise of God's grace would extend to "you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
The Psalmist wrote, "He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations" (Psalm 105:8). A thousand generations should be long enough for anyone.
Resource reading: Psalm 78:1-8