Near the center of Psalm 146 is a tiny phrase that caught my eye yesterday. Amid ascriptions of creative power and kindness to the vulnerable, this phrase shines a spotlight on one pillar of God’s character: God “keeps faith forever” (verse 6).
The wonder of Psalm 146 is not that God “made heaven and earth,” as much as we love stars and sunrises (verse 6). It isn’t that God “sets the prisoners free,” although we were all slaves to sin, so we love that about him (verse 7). Those are good things, but Psalm 146 knows what kind of people we are. Sometimes, we know instinctively that those who do good once might not do it again; those who deliver us today might not rescue us tomorrow. This fallen world has taught us distrust. We know God was with us yesterday, but how do we know he’ll show up today?
Psalm 146 tells us: God keeps faith forever. God’s reputation isn’t built on a single act of goodness, like a one-hit wonder. It isn’t even built on a track record of generosity, like a reliable investment. God’s reputation comes from the fact that he has never and will never deny himself.
God keeps faith like the Israelites were meant to keep his law—binding it on their hands, holding it in front of their eyes, writing it on the doorposts of their houses and gates. God guards his faithfulness like they were meant to guard themselves, making sure they didn’t forget his goodness in the promised land. God keeps faith like the disciples were supposed to keep watch: alert to temptation, staying awake, ready at the right time. In all of these things, God’s people have failed. But God keeps faith forever.
God keeps his promises in front of his eyes. He holds his own character at the center of his attention. When he speaks a word, he watches over it. He shows kindness to the downtrodden, heals the suffering, and fills the creation with goodness and beauty, not as if proving himself to doubting people, but because he overflows with expressions of his own character. God is who he is! He keeps faith forever.
You already know God’s goodness. Jesus once suffered for you. Someone once told you about him. You once read God’s word, and hoped in his promise, and walked forward in his power. But do you know his faithfulness? Do you know that the old truths are still true, because God is keeping them true? He is. And he wants you to live like it.
This fallen world has taught us distrust. But God is in the business of opening eyes, setting free, and lifting up—and he rushes to help any who call on him. He has blessed us, he is blessing us even now, and he will bless us again. God keeps faith forever.
Liam Wood
3rd-Year Seminary Apprentice