God is Faithful
God is faithful. That’s all she wrote.
Well, okay. That’s not exactly all she wrote but it’s all anyone needs to know. If only we
believed it, there would be such a radical shift in human behaviour the world
would turn on its end and we would experience “heaven on earth”.
The reason we can’t or won’t believe God is faithful is because
we see him through our own unfaithfulness.
When Peter declared Jesus is the Anointed One, the Son of God, it was a revelation
of the Father, by the Holy Spirit and not of himself (Matthew 16:16-17). The
same is true when we grasp the revelation of God’s faithfulness.
According to dictionary.com, faithful means: strict or
thorough in the performance of duty; true to one’s word, promises, vows; steady
in allegiance or affection, loyal; reliable, trusted, or believed; adhering or
true to fact, a standard or an original.
God is faithful to his word. For simplicity, and for
argument’s sake, pretend God hasn’t uttered a word or promise since we’ve been
handed the Holy Scriptures. If the Bible is the only word(s) God has given his
church (it’s not because he continues to speak today), he is faithful to finish
every incomplete promise. Nevermind about the length of time it may take. When
God spoke to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3, He gave him a directive, “Go, to the land
I will show you...and I will make you a great nation.” When Abram set out, he
didn’t know where he was going, but God was faithful to give him a glimpse
(Genesis 12:7). In Genesis 13:14-17, God reiterated the promise of land and a
nation of descendants. Again, in Genesis 15:1-21, God again gives Abraham a
promise and add to it - it won’t be fulfilled for another 400 years.
Mankind’s lifespan was already shortened to 120 years by the
time Abram received this promise so he knew it he wouldn’t be around to
personally collect, but still God remains faithful. Despite the obvious setback
(Abram and Sarai were old, and past childbearing years when the promise was
given), or the tests (God tested Abraham to sacrifice Isaac – the only heir to
the fulfilled promise), God was still faithful.
We read about the commencement of the fulfillment of the
promise in the exodus story. The literal seed of Abraham had become a great
nation, and the Lord brought them to the land he had already promised and shown
Abraham would be for his descendants. The fulfillment is still unfolding, even
to this day because the promise also included the blessing would be for all
nations, which includes Israelites and Gentiles alike. It was a promise, and it
was meant to continue on expanding.
In the Psalms, David tells us to taste of God’s goodness
(Psalms 34:8) but to feed on his faithfulness (Psalm 37:3). A taste is a taste,
fleeting and not sustaining, but when you feed on something, it’s like gnawing
on a bone. It takes time and it will sustain you. You can grow fat from what
you feed on, but a taste won’t make you fat.
I encourage myself and remind others of God’s faithfulness to
his promises – the ones we read in the Bible, and the ones He gives to us
personally. If they haven’t been fulfilled, then the story isn’t finished. Keep
eating, feeding on his faithfulness.
#40lessons: Isaiah reminds us the word of the Lord does not
return void, and no plan of God’s can be thwarted. His plan is unfolding to
bring about his promises. He is faithful, that’s all we need to know and believe.
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