The "Always" of Scripture

"I have set the Lord always or continually before me." Notice David does this "always," not "sometimes." This was a conscious effort of his will. David is saying, "I do this always!" Let's focus now on the word ALWAYS. When we look through Scripture, there are some things we always have or do.

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The "Always" of Scripture

1. Always PONDER the principles of Scripture & be established in them.

2 Peter 1:15—

Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

2 Peter 1:12—

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

What "things" is Peter referring to? Notice verses five through eight where he speaks about God's Word and work. Remembering and obeying Scripture are elements of endurance.

2 Peter 1:5-8—

... And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. [8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Always PRAY for others with the Holy Spirit's help.

Ephesians 6:18—Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Philemon 1:4—I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers.

Praying for others will help us to endure.

3. Always be PLEASED and thankful for all things and for others.

2 Thessalonians 1:3—We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

1 Thessalonians 1:2—We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

We should live in such a way where others are grateful for us. Being grateful for all things will help us to persevere.

Ephesians 5:20—Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Why can we be thankful for all things. Paul gives the answer in Romans 8.

Romans 8:28—And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he 143 would feed them from his bucket.

Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 airplane, to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea. But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life. Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. For nearly a month, Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five feet. The biggest shark was around ten feet long, but of all their enemies at sea, the one that proved most formidable was "starvation." Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them and a miracle occurred.

In Captain Eddie's own words, "Cherry," that was the B-17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, "read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off." Now this is still Captain Rickenbacker talking... "Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don't know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food... if I could catch it." And the rest, as they say, is history.

Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it. And now you also know... that he never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset... on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast... you could see an old man walking... white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket was filled with shrimp in order to feed the gulls... to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle... like manna in the wilderness.

4. Always be PASSIONATE or zealous in doing good things.

Galatians 4:18—But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

Zeal and enthusiasm for144 that which is good and righteous will help us to endure our trials.

5. Always POWERFULLY PROCLAIM & PROMOTE the Lord in your life.

We are to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. This is an important element of endurance.

Philippians 1:20—According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Paul makes some personal decisions that were among life's choicest. In all this situation, Paul has one expectation and hope. The word for "expectation" is rich in meaning. It is the word apokaradokia. It is formed from three Greek words.

apo which means "looking away from; ignoring other interests"

kara which means "the head"

dokein which means "to look or watch"

This word means "the eager, intense look which turns away from everything else to fix on the one object of desire; to watch with head outstretched." The word was used of watchmen looking into the darkness for a beacon of light. Paul fixed his eyes on Christ and was determined that in nothing he would be ashamed. He would be a witness for Jesus Christ. Paul knew he must appear before the Lord someday and did not want to be ashamed.

2 Corinthians 5:10—For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

6. Always PERFORM or obey the Lord's Word.

We are to "live out" the Bible in our lives. What God has done "in us" should be "worked out" in daily living. This is vital if we are to be faithful to the Lord.

Philippians 2:12—Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Paul encourages the Philippians to continue in faithful obedience and submission to the Lord. The word "obeyed" is from the Greek word hupakouo which is a compound verb composed of the preposition hupo and the Greek verb akouo. Akouo forms our English word acoustics. Hupakouo has the basic meaning of placing oneself under what has been heard, and therefore submitting and obeying to it. A Christian needs to 145 listen to God's Word first before he obeys it. This is why many Christians don't obey it because they are not listening at all to what God has to say.

Paul says, "Work out your salvation!" Paul does not say work for your salvation, work toward your salvation, or work at your salvation, but work it out. These words are written to believers, not unsaved people. No one can work out his salvation unless God has already worked within his heart. The words "work out" are from the Greek word katergazomai which carries the idea of bringing to completion.

• It was used to describe the work on a math problem and getting the right answer.
• It was used to describe the working of a mine and getting all the ore.
• It was also used to describe the work in a field and reaping a big harvest.

Katergazomai deals with applying what Christ has done in us in our outward living. The life of the Christian is not a series of up's and down's, but in's and out's. God works in us and we work out what He has done within us. Working out your salvation deals with the practical application and everyday living of Bible principles. It deals with the salvation of a life that has been spared from the destructiveness of sinful living. It is an adventure of discovering all the wonderful things that God has done for us, and what He wants to do through us.

The tense of the words "work out" are in the present middle imperative tense which indicates a command that has a continuing emphasis. The idea is we are to "keep on working out to completion or to ultimate fulfillment" our salvation. It is to be a constant, ongoing matter in our daily lives. When we "work out" our salvation, we are able to live straight in a crooked world and endure the struggles of our lives.

7. Always be PROLIFIC or abounding in the work of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58—Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We are not to get discouraged or quit. On March 6, 1987, Eamon Coughlan, the Irish world record holder at 1500 meters, was running in a qualifying heat at the World Indoor Track Championships in Indianapolis. With two and a half laps left, he was tripped. He fell, but he got up and with great effort managed to catch the leaders. With only 20 yards left in the race, he was in third place—good enough to qualify for the finals. He looked over his shoulder to the inside, and, seeing no one, he let up. Another runner, 146 however, charging hard on the outside, passed Coughlan a yard before the finish, thus eliminating him from the finals.

Coughlan's great comeback effort was rendered worthless by taking his eyes off the finish line and not doing his best. Beloved, it's tempting to let up when the sights around us look favorable, but we finish well in the Christian race only when we fix our eyes on the goal: Jesus Christ. We are not to be looking back, but going forward for Christ.

Hebrews 12:1-2—... Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Luke 9:62—And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Philippians 3:14—I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

8. Always have a PURE conscience.

Acts 24:16—And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

The word "exercise" comes from the Greek word askeo {as-keh'-o} which means "to adorn; to exercise (oneself), take pains, labor, strive; to practice; to do one's best." We are to do our best and take great pains to have a conscience "void of offense." What does Paul mean "void of offense?" This phrase comes from the Greek word aproskopos {ap-ros'-kop-os} which means "to having nothing to strike against, not causing to stumble, not leading others to sin by one's mode of life." There should be nothing in our lives that would cause others to spiritually stumble. If we have offended others by our sinfulness, then we need to make the matter right with God and men.

God will remove our calm and peace and replace it with guilt when we stray from Him. The guilt from sin can be very agonizing. Jeremiah said—

Jeremiah 2:19—"Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts".

Joseph's brothers agonized for years from the guilt of their mistreatment to Joseph. The Bible says in—

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Genesis 42:21—"And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us."

David penned his agony and burden over his sin in Psalm 51. He said, "For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me (vs. 3). Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit" (vs. 12). David was grieved over his sin and God used his grief to bring him back to the Lord and to clear his conscience.

A clear conscience is one cleared of offenses toward God and men. Having a good conscience involves several areas that affect it.

Every Thought—

2 Corinthians 10:5—Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself  against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Every Word—

Matthew 12:36—But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Every Deed—

2 Corinthians 5:10—For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Every Motive—

Jeremiah 17:9,10—The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings

In order to have a clear conscience, you must examine yourself for faults, confess any wrongs to God and others, and restore any damages.

9. We can always have the PEACE of God in our lives.

2 Thessalonians 3:16—Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Father's Day was an enjoyable day for the Simonton family in 1990. The day that followed was not. Lee Simonton left for work with his new Father's Day wing-tip shoes and a promise to be home for lunch. At 10:40 a.m. his promise to return was broken. An irate customer stormed into the Jacksonville, Florida, General Motors Acceptance Corporation office where Lee worked and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun. He shot two customers and twelve employees before turning 148 the gun on himself.

Lee became a fatality, because he shielded a female co-worker from the gunfire. His tragic death brought unbearable pain to his wife and two children. The loss of both love and security were terribly frightening for them. They were hurt, scared, and angry over the lot they had received. Yet, from the pages of God's Word they found divine peace and hope. Psalm 37 gave Debra the strength to forgive the man who took her husband and replaced her bitterness with peace. Six-year-old Melissa took comfort in verse 25 of her mother's Psalm: "I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread."

In Exodus 22:22-24, the little man of the house, eight-year-old Josh, claimed the promise of God to defend widows and orphans. Together they bravely walked the pathway of sorrow and along their journey they found "the peace which passes all understanding." It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can provide such peace in the midst of painful sorrow.

10. We can always PREVAIL or be victorious in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14—Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

11. We can always be POSITIVE or confident about our future in Heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8—... Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: [7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) [8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

The hope we have in Christ helps us to endure.

In Psalm 16:8, David said, "I have set the Lord always BEFORE ME..." He is revealing to us some wonderful truths or elements of endurance. [1]

Appendix / Bibliography





[1] Mattoon, Rod. Treasures from Treasured Psalms, Volume 1. pages 142 to 148 Springfield, IL: Lincoln Land Baptist Church, n.d.. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

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