GETTING TO KNOW GOD:
HE IS FAITHFUL
TEXT:
"...great is thy faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:23
It
is difficult to find people you can count on.
Very few people are reliable.
There was a time in our country when written contracts were not
necessary --- a man's word was sufficient.
These
days, it is not uncommon to hear of lawsuits because a company refuses to own
up to its commitment. Many marriages
end with divorce because one or both people prove to be untrue. When a stranger makes a promise, you can't
trust him to keep that promise.
It
is comforting to know that God is still faithful. Our text teaches us that His faithfulness is great. The old hymn, "Great Is Thy
Faithfulness," is based on this verse.
Do you remember the words of that great hymn?
"Great is thy faithfulness," O God, my
Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not,
As thou hast been Thou forever will be.
God
is faithful. Even if everyone proves
unreliable, you can always depend on God.
God's faithfulness will never be compromised by deceit, incompetence or
ignorance. God will never find Himself
unable to keep His Word because of a busy schedule or forgetfulness.
Our
faith rests upon the faithfulness of God.
When we repented and believed, we relied upon Him to keep His Word and
save us. We depend upon Him daily to
meet our needs. We are relying on Him
to keep His promises. Our resurrection
and future in heaven is contingent upon the faithfulness of God.
Consider
our salvation for a moment. Most people
think that salvation is contingent upon our faithfulness. Actually, our salvation is based upon God's
faithfulness rather than our own. Even
when we sin as Christians, we experience forgiveness because of God's faithfulness,
not our own. Look at 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (emphasis added).
If our salvation or preservation were dependent upon our faithfulness,
we would all perish. Adrian Rogers once
said, "I wouldn't trust the best fifteen minutes I ever lived to get me into heaven." Our salvation is based upon Christ
alone. He is faithful to keep every
promise He has made.
Your
spouse may have proven to be unfaithful.
A close friend may have betrayed you.
A co-worker may have deceived you.
But you can depend upon God. In
our text, Jeremiah wrote to God, "... great is thy
faithfulness" (emphasis added).
His faithfulness is great. God
does not have to sign a contract. His
Word is sufficient. He cannot and will
not fail to keep His promises.
This
year, Cumberland Valley Music published a song I wrote entitled, "Faithful
To Me." The chorus summarizes my
personal experience with God's faithfulness:
He's been faithful to me,
He's been faithful to me,
He shows mercy and hears my heart's plea;
I have found Him to be true,
He's done all He said He'd do,
Yes, the Lord has been so faithful to me.
Faith
is nothing more than taking God at His Word.
We can have confidence in God because He is faithful. Our assurance is anchored in the
faithfulness of our Lord.
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