The Faithfulness Of Our God In Fearful Times

Uplook –September 2016 — Grace & Truth Magazine

The Faithfulness Of Our God In Fearful Times

It is no secret that we are living in difficult days. There are wars and rumors of wars (Mt. 24:6), the economy appears to be on the brink of collapse, and it seems as though every time we turn around someone is sick with a devastating disease. In these trying times there is one thing that every Christian can rest on, one thing that can bring peace and comfort: Our God is faithful!

What Are Some Of God’s Attributes?
There are many attributes of God. As a foundation, let’s review five:

Omniscient – He is all-knowing! He knows the past, present and future. He knows every detail about each one of us!Omnipotent – He is all-powerful and able to fulfill every promise!Omnipresent – He is everywhere. We cannot be out of His reach!Immutable – He does not change!Truthful – He cannot lie. What He says He will do!

When we consider these attributes along with His faithfulness, we simply stand in awe of Him.

What Does God Say About His Faithfulness?
The terms “God” and “faithful” are first joined in Scripture when the second generation of Israelites was about to enter the Promised Land. The first generation had disobeyed the LORD and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years as a result of their lack of trust. But this second generation was reminded, “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Dt. 7:7-9 NKJV). Our God is the faithful God!

But what does this word “faithful” really mean? What are we saying when we declare “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:18)? The word “faithful” has several meanings: trustworthy, dependable, consistent, constant, firm, loyal, steadfast and stable. In other words, everything that God has promised in His Word will surely come to pass! It is no wonder that Jeremiah would declare in Lamentations 3:22-23, “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!’”

This man, the weeping prophet, knew that the faithfulness of God was his confidence – the very foundation of his hope – and it caused him to rejoice! Knowing that our God is faithful saves us from despair and gives us courage to press on, affecting our faithfulness to Him. During fearful times Jeremiah relied on the faithfulness of God. Even in times of failure we can cling to our God because, as Paul affirmed, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13).

The Lord is clothed with His faithfulness as Psalm 89:8 declares, “O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” A psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, was so occupied with this that in the same psalm he sang, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, ‘Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens’ ... And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints” (vv.1-2,5). In Psalm 36 David said, “Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep” (vv.5-6). We can never understand the greatness of our God, but we do get glimpses of it, in part through His faithfulness in our lives. His “faithfulness endures to all generations” (119:90).

His Faithfulness Endures Today
There are many persons in Scripture whose lives were changed because of the faithfulness of God. But let’s look at how His faithfulness endures for us today. First of all, God is faithful through His Word. We have already seen that God is truthful; He is not a man that He should lie (Num. 23:19) and in fact He cannot lie (Ti. 1:2). The psalmist could say, “Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful” (Ps. 119:138). We can rest on His Word because “He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

God is faithful in preserving His people. Paul said, “so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:7-9). Later to the saints at Thessalonica he said, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Th. 5:23-24).

Our God is faithful in disciplining us. May our attitude be that of Psalm 119:75: “I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.” We read in Hebrews 12:6 that “whom the LORD loves He chastens [disciplines or trains].” Because He loves us and is faithful, there are times in our lives that God the Father must discipline us. This is what is meant in Psalm 89:32-33, which says, “Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail.” Keep in mind that God never afflicts us without cause and is always righteous during this training process.

God is faithful when we are tempted. Paul declared, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). In His faithfulness He has and will always provide us a way of escape! The hymn writer Joseph Scriven expressed it this way:

“Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.”

Our Lord promises to be faithful to forgive us when we sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). This forgiveness is based on the finished work of Christ who is the propitiation for our sins. He Himself is our Advocate with the Father because He is Jesus Christ the righteous (2:1)!

The Impact Of God’s Faithfulness
What impact should God’s faithfulness have on our lives? How should His faithfulness affect our living for Him? First, it should give us a sense of peace and assurance, knowing that He empowers us for whatever He called us to do and that He is always in control (2 Pet. 1:3, Rom. 8:28). He will meet our every need (Mt. 6:33, Phil. 4:19). Psalm 91:4 reminds us that “He will cover you with His pinions [feathers], and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark” (NASB).

Just as He is faithful to us, we ought to be faithful to Him, even though our faithfulness is never complete since it wavers so much. But faithfulness should be our goal! Consider all that He has given, then think about what Paul told the Corinthians: “It is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).

Faithfulness should be heard in our speech. “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies” and “A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful ambassador brings health (Prov. 14:5, 13:17). But there are times when concealing a matter is important as well – also being an act of faithfulness: “A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter” (11:13).

According to Proverbs 27:5-6, we are to be faithful in helping a fellow believer see their error. Those verses say, “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

Scripture also reminds us that we are to be found faithful serving the Lord until He returns: “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing” (Mt. 24:45-46). The Lord challenges us in Luke 16:10-11: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

We are to be faithful with our spiritual gifts. Telling a story with a lesson for the hearers, the Lord Jesus said, “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (Lk. 19:17). Paul added, as led by the Holy Spirit, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

We serve the perfect Servant of God who is called the “faithful and true” three times in the book of Revelation (3:14, 19:11, 21:5). It ought to be the heartfelt desire of every Christian to hear those lovely words roll from the lips of Him who is the Faithful and True One, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Mt. 25:21).

Concluding Thoughts
I would like to close with a quote from A.W. Tozer’s book, The Knowledge Of The Holy:

“Upon God’s faithfulness rests our whole hope of future blessedness. Only as He is faithful will His covenants stand and His promises be honored. Only as we have complete assurance that He is faithful may we live in peace and look forward with assurance to the life to come.”

Tozer went on to say, “Every heart can make its own application of this truth and draw from it such conclusions as the truth suggests and its own needs bring into focus. The tempted, the anxious, the fearful, the discouraged may all find new hope and good cheer in the knowledge that our heavenly Father is faithful. He will ever be true to His pledged Word.”

By Timothy P. Hadley