A personal record

The road is difficult. Some days are better than others, while there are some moments when I feel like I cant survive another second - Yet time will always show how amazing God's grace is, that it is sufficient for every believer, and for every son or daughter born again of Jesus Christ grace will not only get us through the storms of life....but will lead and guide us to our ultimate destination. Grace.

Another couple of short devotions taken from Spurgeon's "The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith." Once again I feel as if the verses and the writings of Spurgeon were written just for me. Im determined to make note of these things as often as possible. Marching on the path I go, continuing to move forward...my only true source of nourishment being the Word of God...I need it...I long for it...its the only way I can take another step...

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Let the hearing of Your Word, be mixed with faith always...



NOVEMBER 26

“Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
John 16:20.




THEIR particular sorrow was the death and absence of their Lord, and it was turned into joy when he rose from the dead and showed himself in their midst. All the sorrows of saints shall be thus transmuted; even the worst of them, which look as if they must for ever remain fountains of bitterness.
Then the more sorrow the more joy. If we have loads of sorrow, then the Lord’s power will turn them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. The remembrance of the grief shall heighten the flavour of the delight: we shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the brilliance of the diamond shall be the more clearly seen because of the black foil behind it.
Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I shall be as glad as I am now gloomy. Jesus tells me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it, and I begin to sing by way of anticipation. This depression of spirit is not for long; I shall soon be up among the happy ones who praise the Lord day and night, and there I shall sing of the mercy which delivered me out of great afflictions.



NOVEMBER 27

“And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
Ex. 33:14.




PRECIOUS promise! Lord, enable me to appropriate it as all my own.
We must go at certain times from our abode, for here we have no continuing city. It often happens that when we feel most at home in a place, we are suddenly called away from it. Here is the antidote for this ill. The Lord himself will keep us company. His presence, which includes his favour, his fellowship, his care, and his power, shall be ever with us in every one of our marchings. This means far more than it says; for, in fact, it means all things. If we have God present with us, we have possession of heaven and earth. Go with me, Lord, and then command me where thou wilt!
But we hope to find a place of rest. The text promises it. We are to have rest of God’s own giving, making, and preserving. His presence will cause us to rest even when we are on the march, yea, even in the midst of battle. Rest! Thrice blessed word. Can it ever be enjoyed by mortals? Yes, there is the promise, and by faith we plead it. Rest comes from the Comforter, from the Prince of Peace, and from the glorious Father who rested on the seventh day from all his works. To be with God is to rest in the most emphatic sense.

Happy Thanksgiving

If I sat here and thought and pondered on the things I am thankful for, I could probably compile a decent size list. The things that I take for granted would likely add up to a similar sized list, if not larger. Im so thankful for my God, and the redeeming, perfect, and complete work He has accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. Thankful for my wife, and the fruitful vine she is, in the very heart of my home. I am thankful for a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I am also very thankful for my beautiful family. So thankful for an amazing church family, and a church to call home. Thankful for difficult, faith testing times....that I might see more clearly on this side of eternity, how personal, loving, and faithful the God of Holy Scripture truly is....and that I might be more conformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

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Another Spurgeon Devo


NOVEMBER 25

“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”
Zech. 4:7.


AT this hour a mountain of difficulty, distress, or necessity may be in our way, and natural reason sees no path over it, or through it, or round it. Let faith come in, and straightway the mountain disappears and becomes a plain. But faith must first hear the word of the Lord—“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” This grand truth is a prime necessity for meeting the insurmountable trials of life.
I see that I can do nothing, and that all reliance on man is vanity. “Not by might.” I see that no visible means can be relied on, but the force is in the invisible Spirit. God alone must work, and men and means must be nothing accounted of. If it be so, that the Almighty God takes up the concerns of his people, then great mountains are nothing. He can remove worlds as boys toss balls about, or drive them with their foot. This power he can lend to me. If the Lord bids me move an Alp I can do it through his name. It may be a great mountain, but even before my feebleness it shall become a plain; for the Lord hath said it. What can I be afraid of with God on my side?

The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith - Spurgeon

NOVEMBER 16

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.”—Isa. 54:17.


THERE is great clatter in the forges and smithies of the enemy. They are making weapons wherewith to smite the saints. They could not even do as much as this if the Lord of saints did not allow them; for he has created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire. But see how busily they labour! How many swords and spears they fashion! It matters nothing, for on the blade of every weapon you may read this inscription: It shall not prosper.
But now listen to another noise: it is the strife of tongues. Tongues are more terrible instruments than can be made with hammers and anvils, and the evil which they inflict cuts deeper and spreads wider. What will become of us now? Slander, falsehood, insinuation, ridicule—these are poisoned arrows; how can we meet them? The Lord God promises us that, if we cannot silence them, we shall, at least, escape from being ruined by them. They condemn us for the moment, but we shall condemn them at last, and for ever. The mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped, and their falsehoods shall be turned to the honour of those good men who suffered by them.

Lamentations 3:22-34

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.
To crush under one’s feet

A personal record

In so many ways, through so many people and so many different avenues God has encouraged me...encouraged me when I was feeling weak and tired....encouraged me when I felt I could not take another step...so many things I hope to write down. Surely there are some things I have already forgotten. God is too good! And His lovingkindess to His children is beyond complete comprehension and measure!!! Hopefully God will help me to remember the times of encouragement in the past, but for now I press on - to embrace His Word and every milestone along the way which builds me up, strengthens my faith, stirs up hope...to document and record all of the tangible ways by which God shows His mercy, love, and grace to me...all the while being assured deep down that my AWESOME GOD is also showing me these things, and working in ways I cannot begin to see or even imagine!



Morning, November 12 - SPURGEON (Again)

“The trial of your faith.”
— 1 Peter 1:7

Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.

Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: the full portion will be measured out to you in due season. Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.

Ubelievably Personal

Oh my goodness...its as if God actually knows EVERYTHING that is going on in my life, and in my thoughts.. =) Pslam 121 in its entirety has been a real encouragement in the recent past...one of those Chapters in the Bible that I have referred to over and over in my heart...with hope. But there are so many times when I have thought, "is that REALLY GOD's word to meeeee?" Well....


Spurgeon - The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith

NOVEMBER 10

“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved.”
Ps. 121:3.


IF the Lord will not suffer it, neither men nor devils can do it. How greatly would they rejoice if they could give us a disgraceful fall, drive us from our position, and bury us out of memory! They could do this to their hearts’ content were it not for one hindrance, and only one: the Lord will not suffer it; and if he does not suffer it, we shall not suffer it.
The way of life is like travelling among the Alps. Along mountain paths one is constantly exposed to the slipping of the foot. Where the way is high the head is apt to swim, and then the feet soon slide: there are spots which are smooth as glass, and others that are rough with loose stones, and in either of these a fall is hard to avoid. He who throughout life is enabled to keep himself upright and to walk without stumbling has the best of reasons for gratitude. What with pitfalls and snares, weak knees, weary feet, and subtle enemies, no child of God would stand fast for an hour were it not for the faithful love which will not suffer his foot to be moved.

“Amidst a thousand snares I stand
Upheld and guarded by thy hand;
That hand unseen shall hold me still,
And lead me to thy holy hill.”

OK! THATS IT!

Why God has so much patience with me I will never truly understand in this life. He is too kind to continue with me...I feel...but on the other hand I realize this is who HE is! Loving, merciful, longsuffering...oh the wonders of my God. Universe Creator, yet He is well acqainted with every detail of my life. I have been so blessed by Charles Spurgeon's writings lately. In a time of great faith testing, God continues to encourage me, and reinforce His promises to me. Wow, He knows....He really knows...


Evening, November 9

“His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.”
— Isaiah 33:16

Do you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil his promise? Shall the munitions of rock be carried by storm? Shall the storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father, though he knoweth that you have need of food and raiment, will yet forget you? When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt him? Perhaps your affliction will continue upon you till you dare to trust your God, and then it shall end. Full many there be who have been tried and sore vexed till at last they have been driven in sheer desperation to exercise faith in God, and the moment of their faith has been the instant of their deliverance; they have seen whether God would keep his promise or not. Oh, I pray you, doubt him no longer! Please not Satan, and vex not yourself by indulging any more those hard thoughts of God. Think it not a light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember, it is a sin; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal. The angels never doubted him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonour him by unbelief, and tarnish his honour by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in our past life we have proved him to be true and faithful to his word, and with so many instances of his love and of his kindness as we have received, and are daily receiving, at his hands, it is base and inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God—enemies to our peace and to his honour; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what he has promised he will also perform. “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” Spurgeon

Spurgeon Devotional - The Chequebook of the Bank of Faith

This blew me away - God knows exactly what we need at just the right time! Thank you LORD for not being how I think you often are - distant and not interested in the details of my life. Thank you for being so much more than my simple little mind can even comprehend. Thank you Jesus!!!

NOVEMBER 3


“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Hab. 2:3.

MERCY may seem slow, but it is sure. The Lord in unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of his gracious power, and God’s time is the best time. We are in a hurry; the vision of the blessing excites our desire, and hastens our longings; but the Lord will keep his appointments. He never is before his time; he never is behind.
God’s word is here spoken of as a living thing which will speak, and will come. It is never a dead letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long watched for its fulfilment. The living word is on the way from the living God, and though it may seem to linger, it is not in reality doing so. God’s train is not behind time. It is only a matter of patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the faithfulness of the Lord. No promise of his shall fail; “it will not lie.” No promise of his will be lost in silence; “it shall speak.” What comfort it will speak to the believing ear! No promise of his shall need to be renewed like a bill which could not be paid on the day in which it fell due—“it will not tarry.”

In Your Father's Arms

On Thursday we got to go to the Wild Animal Park and hang out with family. It was great to see Kim and Mady, and hang out with them. Also, hanging out with my girls is always such a blast for me. I enjoy and love being a husband and a father so much more than I ever could have imagined. I have my God to thank for this, Im sure. Observing this world from the time we are young to the time when we actually get married and have kids, for many (including myself) the road traveled up until that point can shape and form pictures and ideas of these important relationships which can often be described as lacking...to say the least. In many cases the world terribly distorts these very important roles, both for men and women. The commitment and responsibility are great, but thus far the fruits and rewards of these relationships has in a very short time far outweighed the work and time put into them. The room for growth and improvement is great, but I have confidence in my Mighty God, who has begun this work in us, to complete it...day by day, by His grace. I trip out on how the marriage and parent dynamics work. With the Lord in the center of our lives, I believe that as we grow and mature in Him, we are able to function in and enjoy the blessings of marriage and parenthood as He has designed them to be. God knows what He is doing, and although this design might vary slightly from couple to couple, He is the designer. Only in Him can we find everything needed to fulfill our roles and enjoy the blessings of family.

One of the most amazing things that God has done in my life, is teach me through my little girl.

Back to my main point - when we entered the park on Thursday, there was a large beautiful carousel with music and lots of animals to ride, going round and round. It caught Isabelle's eye immediately. So Tifiny, Isabelle, and Mady all went on. As it started going I could see that Isabelle seemed afraid, and by the second go-around she was crying. When they got off, of course she said "moooore." We moved on, which upset her for the time being. But there was much more to see. As the end of our time came about at the park, we decided to let the girls have another go at the carousel. This time I went on with Isabelle. I sat here down on a panda or something. And before we even started moving, she was making sounds and facial expressions indicating that she was afraid. But I was right there, with both hands on her. Although she couldnt completely understand, she had NOTHING to be afraid of. Her father was right there with her, with both of his hands on her! I instantly realized the spiritual lesson in this. So many times....time and time again the Lord tells us not to be afraid. He told the children of Israel over and over again, "do not be afraid."

In that moment I also realized that my Father in heaven is not just near, He is with me. He has His hands on me. And although everything that is currently surrounding me might cause me to fear greatly, He's got in under control. He knows and understands what is going on. And I am safe, in His hands.

Psalm 121

***Thank You!***

I just wanted to send a THANK YOU to those who joined us in prayer. Our Mighty God is sovereign, faithful, and trustworthy. These are some of the things that the Lord is driving deep into the person that I am. For those who are going through difficult times, please know that God is working, perfecting, and maturing...not wanting to leave us as we are.
1 Peter 1:7 says that "the genuinenes of your faith" is more precious than gold...

Over the course of the past year, I believe God has made some very personal promises to us through His Word. Although we cannot see what we hope for at the moment, we eagerly wait....wait for God.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your prayers!!!

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

***Prayer Request***

***Prayer Request***

Hey friends, I have a very important PRAYER REQUEST. In the Old Testament both Esther (Esther 4) and King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20) in times of great need asked others to PRAY and FAST with them for the need. Here goes nothin......

We have been going through a very difficult time for the past year. We are asking our friends and family to join us in prayer and fasting this Monday thru Wednesday - that God would deliver us from this difficult storm we are in. Some may or may not join us in fasting, but everyone's prayers are so VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

Please join us as the Lord would lead you. God bless you!

A Most Unexpected Opportunity / A Most Amazing Blessing!

What an amazing week it has been! What an amazing thing it is that we GET TO serve God and others...and in the process God just blesses us right back!? But this week was that, and sooooo much more.

Every weekday of this week was jam packed with so much stuff to do, with about 95% of that stuff being VBS related. But within this jam packed week, I was able to experience so much joy, refreshment, peace, and flat out FUN! This week was like a prescription...not from the doctor though...straight from God. Despite the fast paced week (at least during the day) I was able to unplug from work and the stresses of everyday life. And it seemed as if God had kicked the doors wide open, allowing me to take part in this amazing opportunity to serve...He knows what He is doing...He is GOOD!

The following is some of the things that stood out to me this week.....

***Serving with my beautiful wife - this is one of the things that blew me away the most. The theme verse for our wedding was Psalm 34:3 Oh magify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. This was the desire of our hearts. We have served together in the years we have been married, but this time it was different....the dynamics of our spiritual gifts working together....its as if there was loads of things for us to do throughout each and every day - and without fail we got through it together...working together...stepping in and stepping up to meet needs and get things done. The cool thing is that we were like spectators throughout the entire week, almost observing as if we were in the background....yet we were the ones right in the middle of the action. By days end we were both just in awe of what happened...and how it happened....day after day. It was amazing to see God using my wife in the giftings He has given her....just amazing!

***The Ninos - Getting to meet with the kids that were in VBS day after day was just awesome! Getting to know them was a really cool and amazing opportunity. We were able to build a foundation for friendship because we saw these kiddos day after day. And the most important thing of all, we got to share God's Word with 100+ kids throughout the entire week....HAAA! So cool!

***God's Provision - One of the other things that I observed throughout the week that was really really cool was God's provision for everything we needed to successfully complete our daily tasks. We had to build a ship, an island, a sea, a temple gate and walls, portals....everyday it was something different...and everyday we came across items and things to not only help build these things, but to be able to build these things in a way that made the entire experience visually stimulating and exciting for the kids. God provided EVERYTHING needed, every step of the way. And it was awesome to be a part of it. Interestingly enough, CARDBOARD is very very handy! Thank you Lord!

***Funny Stuff - while I didnt get to talk to many others about funny stuff that happened, there is one instance that happened in our classroom that I could not help but mention. PLEASE NOTE that I feel this was both heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time...but I am sure the little girl will have forgotten all about this by now. So....we were on day 3 and were acting out Paul's shipwreck on the island of Malta. We were supposed to have jumped ship and swam to the island, when Paul (which I was acting as) had come back from scouting the island to the kids with good news and bad news. Just as the "news" of the island is being shared sound effects come on with snake sounds. As I tell the kids that the island is crawling with snakes I hear this little girl say "I dont want to get bitten by a snake! I want to go home!" As she is saying this a CREW LEADER picks her up. Poor little thing! I felt so bad. What I felt most bad about was that the "show" wasnt even at its most climactic point yet. Within seconds I was supposed to go get some more firewood - at that point I was supposed to pretend like I got bit by a snake....WITH THE SNAKE STILL ATTACHED TO MY HAND! How could I continue....how could I go on...??? But I had to..."I MUST!" I thought....So I did. I threw the snake across the room and then asked all the kids to check my bite...and see if I was ok. I tried to show her that it was a fake snake after we were done...I tried to comfort her . Oh man.....as we replayed this in our minds while we were unwinding for the day, we couldnt help but find the humor in the entire situation.

***Church Fam - It was also very cool to see all the people from our church involved in the entire operation. People young and old....it was awesome to see people serving God and loving these little ninos. It was a great time of getting to know our church family better...God is so good! Thanks to everyone that participated throughout the week!

By the time the week was over, we were pooped, but sad that it was over. God and His Word are the most important thing in our lives. We had the amazing opportunity of sharing the Bible with these little ones....to reach into their lives and hopefully their homes and the lives of their family members. What a most unexpected opportunity...what a most AMAZING blessing!

Psalm 34:3 Oh magify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

VBS

Haaaa. So we did our first day of VBS today - Vacation Bible School. Tifiny played a character in the Bible....it was great! I had such a blast! God is so amazing...the way He works. Not only do I get the most amazing opportunity to serve God, but to teach children the Bible! On top of all this, we were teaching the children about how "God's Word is TRUE!" Haaaa! Amazing! We are there to teach the little ones, and God in His amazing wisdom and knowledge decides to reinforce what He has been trying to make clear to me for the past few months....He is taking me to school while I am there to teach the children! I had such a blast! Thank you Lord.....thank you......

Faith

Faith and Believing - Ephesians 1:19

Faith and trust in God have taken on a whole new meaning for me....the call of God to faith for BELIEVERS is so much more different than I had ever imagined or even comprehended before the last 14 months of life. Before this, I thought I had faith in God and His Word. Prior to the past 14 months, I dont recall ever having to completely rely on His Word and His promises....not completely....not like today. Right now, I realize that my life ABSOLUTELY depends on God's Word...on His promises.

The need to have this kind of faith has completely reshaped who I am. Depending on God's Word, His promises, and the fulfillment of those promises for complete survival does that to a person. I realize that is part of His plan. Through difficult times I have realized that God means what He says. For instance in Deuteronomy 8:3 and Romans 1:17 - "man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God" and "the just SHALL LIVE BY FAITH".

As we have journeyed through this past year, I have cried out to God like no other time in my life. In crying out, I never expected Him to respond the way He has. Yet His communication to me through His Word was not lacking. God began answering prayers with affirmative responses...I didnt expect that to be honest! WOW....I was seeking and asking, and God began speaking and confirming things over and over through His Word....WOW!

Now comes the most difficult part - FAITH. "Is God really speaking these things to me?" I wondered so many times. "Can I really believe these things and trust God?" These are just some of the many thoughts I have been bombarded with time and time again. In Ephesians 1:19 Paul states "the exceeding greatness of HIS power toward us who BELIEVE." The word BELIEVE there is a PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE - meaning that this FAITH is ongoing - continually believing God for who He is, what He has done for us, and what He will continue to do for us....believing His Word in general, but also personal promises that He makes.

I realize, or rather God has helped me to realize that I have had serious trust issues all my life. And now, here He has me....in a position where I have to trust...I have to believe....I have to wait....

HEBREWS 11:6
JAMES 1:3
1 PETER 1:7

Now....by God's grace...attempting to trust and wait...wait and trust.......

God is good...God is faithful!

My life is being defined by God's grace and lovingkindness......thats it.........

Philippians 1:19-20

LOVING-KINDNESS (partial definition)

checed OT:2617, "loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion." This word is used 240 times in the Old Testament, and is especially frequent in the Psalter. The term is one of the most important in the vocabulary of Old Testament theology and ethics.

In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: "strength," "steadfastness," and "love." Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness. "Love" by itself easily becomes sentimentalized or universalized apart from the covenant. Yet "strength" or "steadfastness" suggests only the fulfillment of a legal or other obligation.


Behind all these uses with man as subject, however, stand the repeated references to God's checed. It is one of His most central characteristics. God's loving-kindness is offered to His people, who need redemption from sin, enemies, and troubles. A recurrent refrain describing God's nature is "abounding plenteous in checed" Ex 34:6; Neh 9:17; Ps 103:8; Jonah 4:2. The entire history of Yahweh's covenantal relationship with Israel can be summarized in terms of checed. It is the one permanent element in the flux of covenantal history. Even the Creation is the result of God's checed Ps 136:5-9. His love lasts for a "thousand generations" Deut 7:9; cf. Deut 5:10 and Ex 20:6, indeed "forever" (especially in the refrains of certain psalms, such as Ps 136).

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)