Psalm 112:7-8 (NKJV) 7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
Our study of living in God’s unshakable Kingdom has given us a foundation for living stable Christian lives. Hebrews 12 tells us that we are receiving an unshakable kingdom. This picture of stability is something the world needs to see reflected in the lives of believers. As I was praying about this, the Lord reminded me of Psalm 112. This Psalm describes a man who is living the unshakable and supernatural life about which we have been studying.
In today’s scripture, we see a man who is not afraid of evil tidings. I know we have all had that 3 AM phone call. What is the first thing we think when the phone rings? For most of us, it is not, “I wonder who is giving me a million dollars?” Usually, our heart will race, and we will imagine the worst. As a pastor, I have had my share of those calls and they are never pleasant.
Most of us have been through some kind of stressful situation in life. It may be financial or physical. We fear bad news from the bank or the doctor. Maybe a loved one is ill and we fear the news that they have taken a turn for the worse or they have passed away. One of the most impressive things about this man is that he is not afraid of evil tidings. He does not react in fear about anything. Why is this true in his life?
The heart of man is what we might call the subconscious mind. It is the place where our attitudes are formed. It is the filter through which all our thoughts flow. It is the part of us that determines our perspective about all things. There are two words used in these verses to describe this man’s heart. One is steadfast and the other is established. Look at the Amplified Bible’s translation of verse 7.
Psalm 112:7 (AMP) 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.
I like the word used here in place of steadfast. The word is fixed. This implies a number of things. Evil tidings cannot shake this man because his heart is fixed on something. We are not talking about fixing something that is broken. Something that is bolted down is fixed in place. It is not going to move from where it is. This man’s heart is fixed in place and it cannot be moved. What is it fixed to? The bible says it is fixed to “trusting in the Lord.
There is another use for the word “fixed.” We say that we get a “fix” to aid in navigation. That comes from the days of stellar navigation at sea. The sailors would find a fixed or stationary point in the heavens. If they could maintain the location of that fixed point, they could find their way. We need to make “trusting in the Lord” the one fixed point of our lives so that our navigation through trials is based on that one unchangeable truth.
A synonym of fixed might be set as in setting our radio to a specific station. Some years ago, my wife and I took a vacation where we drove over 6000 miles. We really enjoyed seeing our great nation. As anyone who has traveled by car knows, you cannot listen to the radio effectively on such a trip. Radio stations are primarily local. You search until you find a station you like, but in a few hours at most and sometimes just a few minutes, you are out of range and the station dissolves into static.
We purchased a new car just before this trip. It was equipped with something called satellite radio. Although there are some limitations, for the most part the stations on satellite radio are available everywhere. We would pick the station and no matter how many miles we drove or what state lines we crossed the signal was the same. What a marvel for travel entertainment.
Why is satellite radio so different? The answer is that it comes from a higher source. The local stations are dependent upon towers and transmitters that have a limited range. Even the strongest stations cannot reach everywhere. Even if they had unlimited power, they cannot find a hill high enough to overcome the line-of-sight limitations. Satellite radio has no such limitation. It is broadcast from satellites far in space. One satellite covers much of the earth and there are many available. The whole earth can be covered at once in this way.
This man is not afraid of evil tidings because his heart is fixed or set to a higher “station.” His heart is set to “trusting in the Lord.” No matter where he goes, he receives the station. As long as he stays tuned in, all of his news is delivered through the point of view of that station.
Today, we are inundated with news 24 hours a day. Every outlet has its own point of view and often its own agenda. A story from one station can be made out as bad news while another station reports the same story as good news. We need to be careful what station we listen to.
If we are tuned into “my own strength” FM, we are going to hear our news from the perspective of the limitations of our flesh. If we are tuned into “doubt and unbelief” AM, we are going to find that there is no good news. There is only bad news. If we listen to “the devil” 24 hour network, we will be continually deceived. We will never be able to overcome because we are listening to the wrong station.
We need to set our hearts to “trusting in the Lord” on the special Jesus band. When we do, we will hear the same bad news that may be in our world, but we will not respond to them based on the devils agenda but on what the word has to say about the situation. The more we listen to that station the more it has the ability to cleanse us of doubt and unbelief. The more we hear the news from the point of view of God’s unlimited ability, the more we will believe that anything is possible.
The bible is full of this kind of thinking. When Joshua took over leadership from Israel, the Lord gave him some specific instructions.
Joshua 1:7-8 (AMP) 7 Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
Joshua was fighting fear. Throughout this chapter, God encourages him to “fear not” and “be very courageous.” Then he tells him how. He needs to get his radio set to “this book of the Law.” He needs to meditate on the Word of God “day and night.” He needs to keep it tuned in to his ears and eyes until it fills his heart. The written word is where it starts, but it extends to our fellowship with God. We must tune our ears to not only his Word but also his voice and the sense of his presence. Then we will be like this man in Psalm 112.
Verse 8 tells us that he is not just unafraid of bad tidings he is simply unafraid. His heart has gone from “steadfast” or “fixed” to established. The difference is that there are no other “stations” for him. His whole life is focused on trusting in the Lord. Every challenge and every blessing is filtered through that one perspective. The Lord is with me, who shall be against me. He will make me overcome in every situation as my heart is fixed and established in him.
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