July 8

Morning

So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” — Judg 16:6 BSB

Where does faith draw its strength? Its power comes from the nourishment it receives. Faith feeds on the promise. It considers what the promise is—an outpouring of divine grace, a reflection of God’s great heart—and faith says, “God wouldn’t have given this promise unless it came from love and grace, so it’s certain that He will fulfill it.” Then faith asks, “Who gave this promise?” It focuses not on the size of the promise but on the One who made it. Faith remembers that it is God who cannot lie—God who is all-powerful, God who is unchanging—and so it concludes that the promise must be fulfilled. With this certainty, faith moves forward. Faith also reflects on why the promise was made: for God’s glory. And faith knows that God will never tarnish His glory or diminish His majesty, so the promise must stand.

Moreover, faith looks to the incredible work of Christ as evidence of the Father’s intention to keep His word. “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” Faith also draws strength from the past, remembering the battles it has fought and the victories it has won. Faith recalls how God has never failed, not once, and how He has always provided for His children in times of need. Reflecting on past dangers and deliverances, faith declares, “I will not believe that He can change and abandon His servant now. The Lord has helped me thus far, and He will continue to help me.”

In this way, faith examines each promise in light of the One who made it, and because of this, it confidently proclaims, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!”

Evening

Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You. — Ps 25:5 BSB

When a believer begins their journey with God, they often do so with trembling steps, asking the Lord to lead them onward like a child held by their parent’s hand. They also long to be further instructed in the truths of God. This is what David prayed for—he knew much, yet he felt his own ignorance, and so he desired to remain in God’s school. In just two verses, he made four requests to be a student in the school of grace.

It would be wise for many believers today to stop following their own ideas and cutting new paths of thought for themselves. Instead, they should seek the old ways of God’s truth and ask the Holy Spirit for sanctified minds and teachable hearts.

“For You are the God of my salvation.” The triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is the Author and Finisher of salvation for His people. Reader, is He the God of your salvation? Do you find your hope grounded in the Father’s choosing, the Son’s sacrifice, and the Spirit’s life-giving power? If so, use this as an argument in prayer! If the Lord has saved you, surely He will also guide and instruct you. It is a great blessing when we can approach the Lord with the confidence that David shows here. Such assurance gives power to our prayers and comfort in our trials.

“I wait for You all day long.” Patience is faith’s beautiful companion. When we are certain that we will not wait in vain, we wait cheerfully. It is both our duty and privilege to wait on the Lord in service, worship, and trust, all the days of our lives. True faith is tested faith, and if it is genuine, it will endure trials without breaking. We will not grow tired of waiting on God when we remember how long and how graciously He waited for us!