Today's post is lengthy, but well worth it because we are soaking in the truth and our present reality of God’s faithfulness. I hope this will encourage and bless you! Don't forget to let me know in the comments which verse resonates with your current season.
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🌼Faithful in His Covenant🌼
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,” Deuteronomy 7:9.
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Moses reminds us as he speaks to the nation of Israel that God chose us. It is not because of any merit of our own; instead, it is because of His love. We conclude that God’s choice and redemption are based on the substantive truth: He alone is God, and He alone is faithful. Remember, they (the Israelites) were under the Old Covenant of Law, but we have come under the New Covenant of grace through Christ’s blood. It is the covenant cut between the Father and the Son and is irrevocable. May we find comfort in Him and this astounding truth🌟
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🌼Faithfulness in His Protection🌼
“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” Psalm 91:4.
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The great Psalm of Protection. In this verse, we see that God’s faithfulness is our protection. Friends, I had never had this profound revelation until yesterday. His faithfulness IS the shield and buckler. Did you get that? His FAITHFULNESS IS our protection. Let that sink in. Glory🌟
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🌼Faithful in His Call to Fellowship🌼
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9.
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This verse is the end of Paul’s salutation to the Corinthian church and all saints who have come into the fold of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As I read the preceding verses, I could not help but notice how tethered Paul’s heart is to the Lord Jesus, mentioning His name nine times in nine verses. Astounding! Paul prayed for the Church, noting the effect of God’s grace endowed on us through Christ Jesus.
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It is by God’s grace that we receive conviction and then conversion. It is by God’s grace that we have become part of Christ’s body and partakers of His divine nature. It is because of Christ Jesus that we have received the Spirit and are enriched with spiritual gifts backed by His power. It is because of Christ Jesus that we come to God, know God and are kept by and for God. By the time we get to verse nine, we should be convinced and filled with overwhelming confidence that it is God who has been and continues to be faithful and lavishes His love on us🌟
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🌼Faithful During Our Temptation🌼
“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.” 1 Corinthians 10:13.
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In his discourse to the Corinthian church and us, Paul addresses the issue of idolatry. Drawing parallels between Israel's experience of the Gospel and our own, he poignantly reveals Christ as the Rock providing water in the wilderness—a profound image. Emphasizing the historical example of Israel as a warning against succumbing to similar sins, Paul underscores the consistent provision of the Door (definite article) of escape in times of testing. He urges us to promptly yield to the Spirit and use the Word of God following Jesus' uncompromising example against the enemy (in the wilderness) speaking the word of God decisively. And in moments of uncertainty, we can, like Joseph, take swift departure as a commendable course of action🌟
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🌼Faithful in Santifying🌼
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
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Sometimes, we don't realize the immense blessing we have as the children of God. Yet in these verses, Paul reminds us that the gospel, when received, gives us peace with God. The same Peace is a phenomenal resource for us in the future and is a grace gift through the Beloved. The grace by which we are saved is the same grace that is sanctifying (set apart) us unto God and will keep us blameless (’𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝑜𝓈,’ 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓃𝑜 𝓁𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒶𝒸𝒸𝓊𝓈𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃) until the appearing of Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul reminds us, that God who does the calling—is faithful🌟
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🌼Faithful in Trial🌼
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3
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The reason we can have confidence and boldness is because of the character of God. We can rest in the truth that Christ is all we need. He will strengthen us to withstand trials as well as protect us from the evil one🌟
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🌼Faithful When We Are Not🌼
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
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Verse 13 does not speak to apostates or unbelievers as mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:12b. It gives hope to the children of God who sometimes experience a lull or weakening in the faith, especially during times of suffering. Paul has just spoken of the grace of our Lord Jesus and how He will strengthen us. Then he goes into our association with Christ in His death and the promise of sharing in the glory of His resurrection (everlasting life and reigning with Him). We should remember that Christ’s faithfulness to us is not contingent on our faithfulness to Him but because He alone is faithful! This shouldn't cause us to walk in unbelief but rather move in grace and gratitude to confirm our election, trusting Him fully because He is Good! Let's not forget the end of the verse, which says, “he {Christ} cannot deny himself.” parentheses mine. This confirms that this is meant for the followers of Jesus who are in Him and have become one with Him.
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🌼Faithful In His Promise 🌼
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23.
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What we say reflects what we truly believe (Luke 6:45). We have been saved unto a living hope. May our words align with God, not what we see or feel. As the children of God, we come boldly to His throne, all based on the finished work of Jesus. Remember, encompassed in His work is the promise we've been given a new heart, our consciousness sprinkled by the blood, and our bodies thoroughly cleansed with the water (His Word and the graces of the Spirit). Therefore, we don't shrink back because we are entirely accepted in the Beloved🌟
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🌼Faithful in Our Suffering🌼
“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” 1 Peter 4:19.
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The context of this verse surrounds Christian suffering. And Peter makes the connection or defines how Christian suffering comes about in verse 14– for the name of Christ. It is because we are numbered as His that we share (’Koinonia’ or ‘Koinonos,’ which means communion) in His sufferings (not what He paid for on the cross) but for His name. When we suffer because we belong to and follow Jesus, we must remember we are blessed because “the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you.” v14. An example is Stephen, who was martyred in the early church (Acts 7). I'm not saying it needs to amount to martyrdom, but it is for His Name. We, like Jesus during his ministry, are to trust in and rely on God, our Abba Father, because He is faithful🌟
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🌼Faithful in Our Confession🌼
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
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God’s forgiveness really there are no words to describe. Christ shed his blood for us, and He removed all our sins. Did you get that? All our sins–past, present, and future. So why did John write this verse? As we journey in the faith and mature, there are times when the Spirit will unveil something to us. God is so loving; He doesn't dump everything on us at once; instead, as we keep following Jesus and abiding in the word, things are revealed. In these moments, we get to acknowledge our wrongs and, in our repentance, be grateful to God for the blessing of His forgiveness. Friends, this should cause us to be so thankful and quick to repent. It's a time of communion with our Father where we experience His cascading grace and relentless love and get to shower Him with praise🌟
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I know it was long 😏 but God's faithfulness is so rich and incredible; He is worth it! We shall praise Him all day long just for the graces wrought in this one characteristic of His Person. Relish it as you enjoy the weekend!
