God is Faithful
Faithful: constant; loyal; worthy of trust; consistently reliable; adhering firmly and devotedly
In Hebrews chapter 11 we read a narrative of many who trusted God, though the God given promise was not yet seen. In verse one we read “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
In John chapter six we read about great multitude of people who followed Jesus because of the signs and wonders they had seen Him perform. Jesus joined His disciples up on the mountain and, looking at the crowd, He knew that they were hungry. He turned to Phillip and asked a question, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” What must have gone through Phillip’s mind! Of course Jesus knew that the situation looked impossible. Surely there was no human response that would meet the need. Phillip offered an answer but acknowledged that it would in no way feed the large crowd. The Scripture then reads, “He already had in His mind what He was going to do.” Why, then, do you think Jesus asked the question? The passage suggests that Jesus was simply trying to test Phillip – to put his heart in a place where he must trust in the faithfulness of God. The provision had already been made. It came about because a little boy was willing to give his lunch to Jesus. This one miraculous act of provision ministered to everyone who had gathered there.
Author, Peggy Joyce Ruth says, “Faith is not a tool to manipulate God into giving you something you want. Faith is simply the means by which we accept what God has already made available.” In Isaiah 65:24 (NLT) we read, “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” There is no problem that we face that God has not already solved. Like the little boy in the crowd, we simply must give what we have to Jesus and trust Him to do the rest.
Recently at a church service we sang the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness. As I sang this familiar hymn I began to focus on the words and how they express the ways that God is faithful. The hymn declares that God is unchanging, compassionate and eternal. God is merciful, provider, creator and loving. God is forgiving, present, strong, and the giver of enduring peace. God is the source of blessing and His faithfulness to me is great.
I discovered that this hymn was written by Thomas Chisholm, not as a result of great challenges, but as a testament to God’s faithfulness day in and day out regardless of the circumstances. He said, “I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”
There are times when we experience challenges or situations that we do not understand. It seems impossible to see a positive outcome. Yet, the fact that God is faithful is not dependent upon our understanding of Him. Our trust in Him is the key to experiencing His faithfulness. In hindsight, as we trust Him, often we see how God was at work for our good. His faithfulness is revealed and our faith in Him grows strong.
Today may be a good day or a challenging day for you. Whatever you are experiencing, take time to praise God for His faithfulness. Our trust, hope and assurance in God’s provision rests in the fact that God is faithful.
“All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” Lamentations 3:22-24 (NLT)
I enjoy singing the old hymns. Yes, God is faithful indeed; even if we feel that He doesn’t hear our prayers, He does answer them in His time.