Sermon Text: Psalm 119:169–176
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 4th January 2026
Sermon Text: Psalm 119:169–176
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 4th January 2026
Matthew 7:11—“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
With these words, Jesus appeals to something every human understands: even sinful parents, marked by weakness and selfishness, still desire to give good gifts to their children. If even flawed human love prompts parents to give generously, how much more will divine, perfect love compel our heavenly Father to bless His children?
Christ’s argument is based on God’s character. God is not merely willing to give. He delights to do so. Moreover, His gifts are not careless or random; they are “good things,” always for our true good. As the Psalmist says, “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).
Yet Christ also reminds us that we must ask God, not so much to inform God of our needs, for He already knows them, but to express our humble dependence and confidence in Him. Like children who ask their fathers, whom they trust, we too must ask our heavenly Father for all good things He delights to bestow.
We must remember, sometimes God’s “good things” differ from our desires. He gives not what spoils the soul, but what sanctifies it. His gifts may come wrapped in trials, discipline, or delay, yet they flow from unfailing love.
So let us always approach our Father in heaven with confidence. If sinful parents know how to bless their children, our perfect Father will surely give what is truly good to those who ask Him.
Matthew 6:32—“For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
In these gentle yet searching words, our Lord contrasts two ways of living. The Gentiles, those who do not trust in the true God, seek after material things as though life depends upon them. Their hearts are filled with anxiety because they believe provision ultimately rests on themselves. But Jesus turns our eyes to a far greater reality: “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
Here is the comfort of the gospel. Through Christ, God becomes our Father, not merely in name, but in covenant love. And if He is our Father, He is not ignorant of our needs, nor indifferent to our burdens. He knows. He cares. He provides. The One who feeds the sparrows and clothes the lilies has pledged Himself to care for His children.
Anxious striving belongs to those who have no Father in heaven. But believers are invited to rest in His wise, sovereign care. This does not promote laziness, but trust. We labour, yet we lean upon Him. We plan, yet we depend on Him.
So today, bring every concern to your Father in heaven. He knows your needs better than you do—and He never fails His children.
Matthew 6:9—“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
Jesus taught us to open our prayers with tender yet majestic words: “Our Father which art in heaven”. These words speak of the close relationship God gives to sinners when He makes them His children. Yet Jesus immediately added, “Hallowed be Thy name,” signifying that the Father we approach is infinitely holy. To call God “Father” is never casual; it is an act of reverent awe. When we address God “our Father,” we must remember that He is the sacred One who sits enthroned in heaven.
Here is a question for us to consider. Is God truly pleased when we call Him “Father”?
In Jesus’ day, many Jews claimed God as their Father because of their heritage. Yet Jesus said plainly to them, “If God were your Father, ye would love me” (John 8:42a), and then, with piercing clarity, “Ye are of your father the devil” (John 8:44a). Their claim that God is their Father meant nothing when they refused Christ, whom the Father sent to redeem men.
Even today, a person may say “Our Father, which art in heaven” while living far from Jesus Christ. So when you pray to God, the Father, let it be with trust, love, and a sincere desire to follow His Son, who alone makes us God’s children (cf. John 1:12).
To name Him Father with lips untrue,
While hearts rebel and wills eschew,
Is but a hollow, fleeting claim,
A mockery of His holy name.
Isaiah 25:1b
1b I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
Praising God is the outflowing of a thankful heart. When a heart is full of gratitude towards God, it hastens to bless His name. A thankful heart is resolute to praise God’s name, just as Isaiah said, “I will praise thy name”. Here the prophet was determined to praise God.
Isaiah was about to proclaim the great wonders which will occur upon the establishment of the LORD’s kingdom on earth. In chapter 25, Isaiah (speaking in the first person) described the great wonders which will occur when the LORD’s kingdom is established on the earth. His heart, being full of adoration and thanksgiving, was greatly excited to express itself to magnify the LORD. It is those who are so stirred up within themselves to praise God that will stir up others also to do the same. Isaiah thus began with an intensely personal affirmation that the LORD is his God. He had already laid claim that the LORD is his God; he had earlier said, “O LORD, thou art my God”. Such acknowledgment of the LORD as one’s God provides the desire and motivation to exalt Him.
Having in his heart the knowledge of the great wonders of God which will occur when the LORD’s kingdom is established on the earth, the prophet determined to praise God. Here he gave two specific reasons for praising the LORD. The first reason for exalting the LORD is that He “hast done wonderful things”. In fact, Scripture presents our God as “the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things” (Psalm 72:18). Even when the LORD acts to chasten us or try our faith, we must confess that all His works are wondrous. His works are perfect, great (cf. Psalm 92:5), marvellous (cf. Psalm 139:14), powerful (cf. Psalm 111:6), merciful (cf. Psalm 145:9), holy (cf. Psalm 145:17), and in truth (cf. Psalm 33:4).
The second reason for Isaiah’s dedication to the LORD’s praise is that His “counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” The ancient counsels of God’s Word are perfectly trustworthy. All that God has revealed in the days of old remain steadfast and true even today. Not a word of His revealed counsels shall fail. The fact that His promises and prophecies continue to be fulfilled assures us of the veracity and profitability of all the counsels of the Scriptures. Isaiah later declared that “the LORD of hosts… is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working” (Isaiah 28:29). Praise the LORD!
Isaiah 25:1a
1a O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee.
The prophet Isaiah gives himself wholly to the worship of the LORD. He appears to be totally consumed by the desire to glorify the LORD. Nothing is more important to Isaiah than exalting his God. Every child of God must be gripped and driven with this singular passion to exalt the LORD.
Like Isaiah, Moses said in Exodus 15:2, “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Similarly, David said in Psalm 34:3, “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together”. In Psalm 99, the psalmist twice exhorted, “Exalt ye the LORD our God” (vv. 5, 9).
What place has the worship of God in your life? Have you consecrated yourself wholly to praise and magnify the LORD? Do you promptly join the church to worship the LORD? Do you joyfully participate in the service of God? Are you mindful to exalt the LORD as your God through daily private and family worship? Have you been mindful to speak of the LORD’s goodness before your family members, friends, colleagues, and neighbours? Oh, how greatly it would please the LORD, if you would dedicate yourself to glorify Him! Jesus exhorted us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Isaiah’s consecration to exalt the LORD proceeded from his love for the LORD. With great delight, he said, “O LORD, thou art my God”. He unreservedly acknowledged the LORD as his God. There was no hesitation on Isaiah’s part to declare his allegiance to the LORD. It was his absolute joy, honour and privilege to have the LORD as his God.
Like the prophet Isaiah’s testimony, the testimony of God’s people should be heard and seen everywhere. Every believer must be ready always to testify that the LORD is his God. Let our attachment to our God be known to all, both friends and foes. None of His people should be reluctant in affirming his relationship with the LORD. Our heart’s love for the LORD must be openly confessed. He takes note of our open avowal of love and adoration for Him, and shall speak of it even in eternity. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32; cf. Luke 12:8).
Psalms 36:5
5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
David was greatly troubled by the cruel premeditated designs of the wicked. Concerning the wicked, he said, “The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil” (vv. 3-4). Against the backdrop of the malicious purposes of the wicked, David purposefully recollected and exalted the LORD’s mercy and faithfulness. Amidst the depravity of man, we must turn our eyes to the LORD’s glorious mercy and faithfulness.
David remembered and affirmed that the mercy of the Lord “is in the heavens”. Mercy is divine love extended to persons who might expect to be pronounced guilty. The LORD’s mercy gives us the hope of forgiveness and blessings instead of condemnation and death. All His goodness, forbearance and help are the expressions of mercy. Indeed, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22; cf. Ezra 9:9; Nehemiah 9:32).
While we are on earth, the mischief of the wicked may disturb us. However, the mercy of the LORD that fills the heavens shall come to us as showers of mercy. The heavenly mercy is divine, eternal, pure, refreshing and renewing. It is of the highest and noblest kind. It never changes nor diminishes. Its goodness and praise are as high as the heavens. Elsewhere, David reiterated, “For thy mercy is great unto the heavens” (Psalm 57:10).
David also recollected and praised the faithfulness of the LORD – “thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds”. The Hebrew word for “faithfulness” (’emuwnah) comes from the root word “amen” (’?m?n), which means “truth”. God’s faithfulness means that He is true to all that He has revealed Himself to be, and to all that He has revealed about the past, present, future, as well as to all His promises and works. His fidelity to His people is so lofty that it is aptly said to reach to the clouds. Though the treachery of the wicked abounds, God’s faithfulness is steadfast.
The LORD’s mercy forgives and saves us. On the other side of the same coin, His faithfulness secures us by His Word and His Spirit. Similarly, while His mercy gives us His promises, His faithfulness delivers His promises to us. The LORD’s faithfulness is His mercy affirmed and applied in our lives.
Psalm 27:14
14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
David’s troubles had multiplied since he was anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel. He elucidated some of his troubles in verse 2 – “the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh”. The ferocious hostility of the ungodly was relentless in David’s life. Yet he endured the cruel and vicious aggression of his enemies by waiting on the LORD. He would teach himself not to be afraid, but to valiantly do all his duties by relying on the LORD’s might. He would affirm the LORD’s protective power by making such confessions as: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (v. 1); “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident” (v. 3). David also spoke of his confidence in the unfailing help and strength he would receive from the LORD – “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock” (v. 5). So he constantly pleaded for the LORD’s help (cf. vv. 7-13).
As God’s chosen leader of His people, David cannot be faint-hearted. He must be undaunted by the troubles; he must exhibit courage and strength to cheer and lead God’s people forward in the ways of the LORD. Having strengthened himself in the LORD, David then exhorted God’s people at the end of the psalm to find their courage and strength in the LORD, just as he had – “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Christians of our time do feel discouraged, troubled and faint-hearted due to the intense hostility of the world and its prince (i.e. the devil). Besides, the demands and struggles in the service of God can also render us weary and weak, as attested to by the apostle Paul – “Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?” (2 Corinthians 11:29). Paul was no stranger to severe and formidable struggles – “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:5-6). Let us, therefore, also exhort one another to be strong in the LORD as we serve Him in the midst of opposition and trials.
As we come to the close of another year, many of us sense how different its ending feels from its beginning. Circumstances have changed: some unexpectedly, some painfully. Plans we once made confidently may have been altered, and people we relied upon may no longer walk beside us as they once did. Yet amid all these changes, one truth remains a deep and steady consolation for the Christian’s heart: God is faithful.
1 Corinthians 1:9 states, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” God is unchanging, ever dependable, and true. Time does not weaken His purposes, nor do shifting seasons diminish His care. The God who called us “unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”, remains the same at the year’s end as He has been at its beginning.
He has not withdrawn His hand, or forgotten His promises, or altered His commitment to His people. While much around us may have shifted, He abides as our unfailing help and enduring strength. Therefore, as we reflect on the year that will soon pass, and look ahead with uncertainty to the one before us, may we do so, resting not in our circumstances but in the steadfast faithfulness of our God.
God will also remain faithful to all His promises. He will not fail to perform what He has promised. We can trust Him to keep every word He has promised. He will not deceive us. He will not commence anything which He will not perfect and finish. Our confidence in the blessed hope that Christianity gives to us, is wholly built upon the faithfulness of God!
The apostle Paul’s purpose in presenting the truth about God’s faithfulness here, is to provide the proof for his earlier statement that the believers will be kept blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, their ultimate bliss in heaven is guaranteed by the fidelity of God. As Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”.
Paul also reminds the believers that God has called them. He said to them, “ye were called”. It is God who called them. The word “called” here does not refer merely to an invitation, but what the theologians refer to as “the effectual calling”. When the Gospel call is given to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, some hearers will reject it. But some others would experience a deep-felt, inward call to repent and believe on Christ. Those who are effectually called do not just receive the external call of the Gospel, but also the inner call of the Gospel by the working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Westminster Shorter Catechism explains effectual calling as “the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel” (Q & A: 31).
When God calls us, He leads us into a close fellowship or communion with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. To be called into this fellowship is to be brought into a living, personal and abiding communion with Christ Himself. Through every changing season of the year, whether marked by joy or sorrow, clarity or confusion, Christ has not withdrawn His presence from His people. Fellowship with the Son means more than belonging to a Christian community; it means walking daily with the risen Lord, drawing strength from His grace, comfort from His promises, and direction from His Word.
As the year comes to a close, we are reminded that our greatest blessing has not been favourable circumstances, but uninterrupted communion with Christ. Therefore, as we enter a new year, let us seek to live more conscientiously and faithfully in this fellowship – abiding in Him, trusting His leading, and finding our true joy in a close and reverent walk with the Son whom the faithful God has given to us.
Sermon Text: Luke 20:25–26
Speaker: Preacher Kelvin Lim
Date: 28th December 2025