What Marks Your Life?
Each of our lives is marked by something. Psalm 1 teaches us that the righteous man is marked by meditation on God’s Word day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields much fruit in its season. If those closest to you, or if your friends who are not followers of Christ, were asked what marks your life, what would they say? In a (seemingly) obscure verse in Nehemiah, we read of a testimony of a faithful; man. Each of us should want this trait to mark our lives:
I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. (Nehemiah 7:2)
David Platt’s comments on the value of being faithful to God and of fearing Him:
I read that description at the end of that verse, and my heart just says, “I want that to be true of me.” And I trust your heart says the same thing. “He was a faithful man and he feared God more than many.” I pray in my own life, I pray that for us today.
A Prayer for Faithfulness:
God, may the world say that of me, of us. May it be said that we were all faithful. That we were faithful to you, and we walked in faithfulness to you and that we followed you faithfully. May people say that we were faithful in marriage; God may people say I was a faithful husband. I pray that for other husbands who are listening to this. I also pray for the wives are listening to this. Additionally, May the world say that they are faithful wives.
Family and Work
That they would be faithful dads and moms, faithful children, faithful singles. And faithful to use and maximize singleness for the spread of the gospel. As we see in I Corinthians chapter seven. May people say that we are faithful sons and daughters. So in our families and our work, help us to be faithful. Additionally, help us do our work well, and wisely, in a way that honors you with integrity. Help us to be faithful church members.
Community
Help us be faithful to the community of faith around us. Furthermore, may all creation know that we fear you, oh God. That we had a fear of you and that we walked in humility before you. We were humble men and women, children, and we had an awe of you that permeated everything we did. That we didn’t treat life lightly. Because we didn’t treat you lightly. And we knew all of life is for your glory.
So God we pray that people will know that we fear you. And in all this, even by a world that doesn’t know you around us. May people say of us that we were faithful. Furthermore, we were faithful to share the gospel. Even when it wasn’t popular. That we were faithful to live as salt and light in the world around us, in a way that brings glory to God. May it be said, it was obvious to people, even who didn’t believe in God, that we feared God.
Closing Sentiments
God may this be the commentary of our life. I know that can only be true by your grace in my life. In closing, I pray for your grace in my life today, for your grace in others’ lives today, to cause us. May the world of us, oh God, that we were completely obedient to you
This excerpt from David Platt is adapted from the Pray the Word podcast titled “Faithfulness and the Fear of God.” View more episodes of the Pray the Word podcast.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
