GOD IS FAITHFUL
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:24
God never calls us to do anything without faithfully keeping His Word and enabling us to do it. We aren’t always faithful to do what God tells us, but He remains faithful and stands by His Word to fulfill what He’s promised (see Isa. 46:11).
When the children of Israel reached the Red Sea, they might have concluded that God had abandoned His promise to them. The sea was barring their advance, and the murderous Egyptian army was racing to overtake them (see Ex. 14:9-10). Yet God proved then, as He has ever since, that He’s absolutely faithful to every word He speaks to His children.
Near the end of his life, Joshua took time with the Israelites to review all God had done for them since they first began following Him. God had given them an impossible assignment: to conquer a foreign, hostile land with fortified cities and armies more powerful than their own. The Israelites were to go forward with nothing more than God’s promise that He’d go with them and take care of them. Now Joshua looked back over their experience and reminded the Israelites that God had kept every promise. They had experienced numerous victories and had enjoyed God’s provision for every need (see Josh. 24:1-28).
God may have spoken to you about something in particular—a ministry in your church, the way to raise your children, or directions for your job. You’ve obeyed Him, but now you face a Red Sea experience. It seems what you thought God wanted to accomplish isn’t happening. Perhaps your ministry hasn’t been well received, your children are rebelling, or coworkers are criticizing your actions.
Trust in the character of God. His nature is to be faithful. Regardless of how bleak your present circumstances are, don’t lose hope. No one has ever experienced unfaithfulness on God’s part. Allow time for God to reveal His faithfulness to you. Someday you’ll reflect on what God has done, and you’ll praise Him for His absolute faithfulness to you.
Sometimes hindsight gives us a clear picture of how faithful God has been. We’re tempted during a crisis to wonder whether God will be faithful to His promises. We focus on our problems, and our trust in God begins to waver. Twenty-four years after God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, they were still waiting on God to fulfill His promise. But in the 25th year Abraham and Sarah could look back and see that God had been faithful. As David was fleeing for his life, he may have been uncertain about how God would keep His promise to make him a king. But at the end of his long, prosperous reign, David could review ways God had kept every promise.
You too can rely on God’s faithfulness. Are you in a crisis? Hold to the promises of your Lord. He won’t forget His promises to you. Look back over your Christian life and recount the many ways God has been faithful to His word.
What has God called you to do that will be impossible to accomplish unless God miraculously intervenes?
Take a moment to review God’s faithfulness in your past. In hindsight how have you experienced His power, even if you didn’t recognize it at the time? How does God’s past activity in your life give you confidence for the future?
What biblical story gives you the most encouragement in your current situation? What biblical character do you most relate to? Why?
What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture you read today?
Reword the statement or Scripture into a prayer of response to God.
What does God want you to do in response to today’s study? [Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby (2014). Seven Realities for Experiencing God – Member Book. LifeWay Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]