But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.
— Luke 16:17
Faith and hope are intertwined: if the object of our faith is fallible, then so is our hope. If it is perfect, then we have a transcendent hope of things to come. Fortunately for us, it is upon the strength of the Word that our convictions lay.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
— Psalm 19:7-11
“Keeping” the Word of God (e.g., “testimony, precepts, commandment, rules”) means cherishing it, abiding in it, loving it. We derive our hope by trusting that the Word is, in fact, true – this is our personal investment in it. Our outlook on the future depends upon this. The kingdom of darkness has propagated lies in order to rob us of this hope, so we must be diligent to continue “keeping” the Word of Truth.
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
— 1 Timothy 4:1-10
Our faith depends upon the veracity of that which we hold as truth, namely the Word of God. If it were to falter or prove untrue at any point, the Author, Himself, would be discredited and our faith would be held in vain. The Word is our “Rock”(John 1:1; 1 Corinthians 10:4), He is our salvation!
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
— Matthew 7:24-25
The Word of God, this ‘Rock of salvation’, cannot be diminished in any way. In fact, it’s an impossibility. All else in this world may be destroyed in an instant, but God’s Word will remain as it always has, even before human history began. This truth ought to be like a concrete foundation in our souls!
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
— Mark 13:31-37
If the Word of God is this trustworthy (it is), then what say you of the hope that is in you? Might you simply remember, during those times of doubt and despair that it is the holy, sovereign, perfect Word of God that you cling to? Might you cling to it with all of you, as Jesus spoke, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Might you love His Word all the more, as the psalmist expressed?
Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love.
The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
— Psalm 119:159-160
Do you see how the psalmist’s heart was given over to the Lord’s Word? Do you see how he surrendered himself to it? In any other instance, such abandonment would be reckless; however, in this singular case, where the object of our faith is the immutable Word of Truth, it is the safest place to entrust our hope in things to come. Please remember this perspective always: Jesus Christ is our Rock, the Word of God, and it is in Him that our hope rests! When we read the Bible, we are engaging with the immutable mind of Christ, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His mind is like an iron fortress. Whatever His Word states to be true, rest assured that it is. Have hope. Be encouraged.
Scripture cannot be broken.
— John 10:35b
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins