I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. (vs8-9)
The Lord Jesus hoped in God's faithful character, and so do we. He rewards those who trust Him, gives us a great inheritance, and He shall deliver us into eternal pleasures in the end. By this hope, we conquer death.
First, the Lord Jesus hoped in God, knowing that He saves all who trust in Him (vs1-2). He said, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, You are my Lord”. Submitting to God's care guaranteed Him, and us, God's salvation. He came down here, not to increase God or make Him holy, but to save the elect, the saints whom the Father gave Him (vs3). In redeeming us, He pleased God, refusing to give His love to any other. He refused sin, saying, “Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names on my lips” (vs4).
Secondly, the Lord maintained His faithfulness by the magnitude of His GREAT inheritance (vs5-7). He says, “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance”. John 13 says, “Jesusd, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towal and girded Hmself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet”, serving us. He knew God had given Him the throne, the souls of His elect, and the neck of His enemies. Therefore, He persevered in holy faithfulness, and paitence, waiting upon God as He served us unto the end, laying down His perfect life a ransom for sin! He knew, like we do, that so great a God as to give so great an inhertance deserves our trust amidst the hardships of life, even the most excruciating agonies that we endure. We have nothing to fear when Almighty Goodness predetermined blessings that cannot fail, not because we decided this, but because He did.
Thirdly, this great hope of salvation comes with certainty and pleasure (Ps 16:10-11). We read, “For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”. Eternal blessings, more sure than the air we just breathed, compels us to rejoice now, to depend upon Him amidst the most painful of circumstances, and to come out on the other side as blessed. Look up to God's faithfulness and know the end result of what you endure. Christ, as He pondered death for us, looked up, set God before His face, and received the encouragement of heaven to come, the resurrection, and the intense pleasure of eternal bliss. If you look upon the eternal REALITIES, then you'll endure the light afflictions of time, which are not to be compared to what we receive (2 Cor 4:16-18).
Finally, perspective is everything. If we believe God, then we'll endure, conquer, and win. If we look to Christ as Example and Savior, then we have access to God to do what must be done, which is believe on Him. Jesus said, and we say with Him, “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved”.
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