Faith: Exemplified

So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.

So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!”

The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.

And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. …

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

Then Moses said to Hobab, the son of Moses’ father-in-law Reuel the Midianite, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”

If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.

Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”

Now therefore give me this hill country that the LORD promised me on that day, for you yourself heard then that the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps with the LORD’s help I will drive them out, as the LORD has spoken.”

Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”

But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. …

And now, O Lord GOD, You are God! Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.

He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. …

Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?

Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.

David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.

Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”

Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.

With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”

Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, …

So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”

Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed? …

However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—

…the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.

You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

You will call, and I will answer; You will desire the work of Your hands.

Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. …

Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.

“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.

But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.

I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side.

Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him.

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard my weeping.

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save me and deliver me from all my pursuers,

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before You.

For You have upheld my just cause; You sit on Your throne judging righteously.

For the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain!

But I have trusted in Your loving devotion; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation.

A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.

I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.”

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.

I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

I call on You, O God, for You will answer me. Incline Your ear to me; hear my words.

For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength. …

They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.

For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.

For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall.

May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions. …

For the king trusts in the LORD; through the loving devotion of the Most High, he will not be shaken.

In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them.

They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. …

Of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

…in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.

Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.

My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.

Guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You.

Of David. Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD.

Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?

For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be held high above my enemies around me. At His tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness.

For You are my rock and my fortress; lead me and guide me for the sake of Your name. …

But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. …

All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”

O Lord, my every desire is before You; my groaning is not hidden from You.

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

Blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, who has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my helper and deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.

O my God, my soul despairs within me. Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon—even from Mount Mizar.

The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

Through You we repel our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies.

In God we have boasted all day long, and Your name we will praise forever. Selah

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. …

God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.

The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

He subdues nations beneath us, and peoples under our feet.

He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves. Selah

As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish her forever. Selah

For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.

Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.

Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.

In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle—are they not in Your book?

Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.

…in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul into the cave. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed. …

I will keep watch for You, O my strength, because You, O God, are my fortress.

My God of loving devotion will come to meet me; God will let me stare down my foes.

To You, O my strength, I sing praises, for You, O God, are my fortress, my God of loving devotion.

Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

Have You not rejected us, O God? Will You no longer march out, O God, with our armies?

With God we will perform with valor, and He will trample our enemies.

From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

Increase the days of the king’s life; may his years span many generations.

May he sit enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness to guard him.

For the choirmaster. According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him.

When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.

For You are my help; I will sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.

He preserves our lives and keeps our feet from slipping.

The earth has yielded its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.

You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You.

For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it.

The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will settle in it.

But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.

Be my rock of refuge, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.

For You are my hope, O Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth. …

But I will always hope and will praise You more and more.

I will come in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will proclaim Your righteousness—Yours alone.

Though You have shown me many troubles and misfortunes, You will revive me once again. Even from the depths of the earth You will bring me back up.

You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.

Yet God is my King from ancient times, working salvation on the earth.

So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.” …

Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.

In the day of my distress I call on You, because You answer me.

Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation.’

A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, You have been our dwelling place through all generations.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling—my refuge, the Most High—

…no evil will befall you, no plague will approach your tent.

But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed.

…to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and in Him there is no unrighteousness.”

For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage.

Surely judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Unless the LORD had been my helper, I would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me.

But the LORD has been my stronghold, and my God is my rock of refuge.

You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor—the appointed time has come.

Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? …

The LORD is mindful of us; He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron; …

Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

The LORD is on my side; He is my helper. Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.

All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.

I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.

Then I can answer him who taunts, for I trust in Your word.

Never take Your word of truth from my mouth, for I hope in Your judgments.

The LORD is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words.

May those who fear You see me and rejoice, for I have hoped in Your word.

My soul faints for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.

You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.

You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are true.

I wait for Your salvation, O LORD, and I carry out Your commandments.

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning—more than watchmen wait for the morning.

If I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve me from the anger of my foes; You extend Your hand, and Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands.

I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, O LORD, my cry for help.

O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You shield my head in the day of battle.

I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor and defends the cause of the needy.

But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.

Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me.

I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge.

He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

…to Him who gives victory to kings, who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not happen. For God is with us.”

I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”

And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation is established as its walls and ramparts.

Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.

O LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble.

For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.

O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.

Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame. …

Yet You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.

I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.

Why are You like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? Yet You are among us, O LORD, and we are called by Your name. Do not forsake us!

Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.

O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited nothing but lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.