God's faithfulness

As leaders, we often see people’s faithfulness, as they remain loyal in tough times or go the extra mile to achieve superior results. Yet, we also experience people’s forgetfulness, half-hearted efforts, and disloyalty to us personally and to the larger organizational cause.

I’m so thankful that God is faithful. Even after the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah could write in Lamentations 3:22-23, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is always with us as we go through the highs and lows of life. As the Israelites stood on the edge of the Promised Land for the second time, Moses exhorted the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” The Israelites could count on God’s faithful presence and provision. We can, too.

Even when we face temptation, our faithful God has promised a way of escape. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Of course, sometimes we chose not to follow the way of escape from temptation. Thankfully, we know from 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 2 Timothy 2:13 tells us that even when we are faithless, God remains faithful because He cannot deny Himself. Nothing can separate us from God’s love as we see in Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We also know that God is faithful to fulfill His promises as we see in the last half of Psalm 145:13: “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.” Near the end of his life, Joshua could attest that every one of God’s promises had been fulfilled; not one had failed (Joshua 23:14). The Bible is full of God’s promises to us. We can stand on these promises!

And one of those promises points to His faithful work in our lives. Paul could say about the Philippians that He who began a good work in them would finish it (Philippians 1:6). God is doing the same finishing work in all His children.

As Samuel neared the end of his life, he delivered a speech to his people (1 Sam. 12). He exhorted them to remember God’s faithfulness in delivering them from their enemies. Yet, the Israelites were prone to forget the Lord. Sound familiar? Living a life of praise and thanksgiving helps us to remember God. As we acknowledge his faithful involvement in our lives in the past, we are more likely to recognize His activity in the present and to trust that He will work out His plans in the future.

I remember as a kid singing a verse from the old hymn, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, that encouraged me to raise my Ebenezer. The only Ebenezer I knew was good old Scrooge from Dickens' Christmas Carol. I later learned that the hymn writer's Ebenezer call was part of a larger story in 1 Samuel 7. In this chapter, we see how Samuel led the Israelite army to victory, with the Lord's help, against their archenemies, the Philistines. After the battle, Samuel set up a stone to commemorate the victory; he named it "Ebenezer," which means "stone of help." He wanted the Israelites to remember God's faithfulness - "Thus far the Lord has helped us" (v. 12).

How has God helped you? How is He helping you today? Don't forget God's faithfulness. As we remember and share God's faithful acts in our lives, we will raise an Ebenezer that will encourage us and others to trust God with the challenges that come our way.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (second verse) by Robert Robinson, 1758