What is your understanding of this word, “Faithful”? As for me, I understand this word, “Faithful”, as referring to someone who has the characteristic of being honest, truthful, trustworthy and reliable. You will feel completely at ease with such a faithful person. How have you, therefore, experienced this characteristic when you encounter God? Do you personally embrace and enjoy this characteristic in God? Do you acknowledge that God is faithful? Do you sometimes feel that He is and sometimes you feel that He isn’t? How do you know God? You can only know God through reading His Word, the Bible. Do you conclude that God is faithful? How has this truth affected and impacted your life?
As for me, I am forever indebted to God for His faithfulness. I am looking at “God is faithful” in four aspects. Firstly, God is faithful in keeping His promises. In Numbers 23:19, it is written that “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” You see, we have such a faithful God. What God has spoken, He will faithfully carry them out. God will not fail in fulfilling His promises. You can be assured and encouraged by this truth that God is faithful in keeping His promises. Another Bible passage which reiterates this truth: “As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:18-20). In 2 Peter 1:3-4, the Word of God says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” Our God has granted to us His precious and very great promises. This reflects to us that God is faithful in keeping His promises. Through these promises, we are partakers of the divine nature. Praise the Lord! Amen.
Secondly, God is faithful in answering our prayers. In John 14:13-14, it is written that “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” When you ask anything in the name of God’s beloved Son Jesus, He is faithful in answering your prayers. In 1 John 5:14-15, it is written that “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” When we ask anything according to the will of God, God is faithful in answering our prayers.
Thirdly, God is faithful in accomplishing His purposes. In 1 John 1:9, it is written that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” By forgiving and cleansing us from our sins, God is faithful in accomplishing His purpose of making us holy in His sight. In Isaiah 55:10-11, the Word of God says, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” By sending out His powerful and precious words, God is faithful in accomplishing His purpose of transforming lives and their circumstances.
Fourthly, God is faithful in making His provisions. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, it is written that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” When we undergo temptation, God is faithful in making provision of escape for us so that we will not fall into sins. God will provide us strength to endure through the temptation. God will provide us wisdom to get out of the temptation. In James 1:2-4, the Word of God says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Through the trials (testings) of our lives, God is faithful in making provision of the right attitudes in going through them such as joy and steadfastness.
Let us be conscious of this truth: “God is faithful”, in every aspect of our lives, knowing that God loves us and wants very much to involve in our lives. Let us be grateful for the faithfulness of God demonstrated in many aspects of our lives.
