Trusting in His Faithfulness
“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
Have you ever felt like you were being faithful to God, but He isn’t being faithful to you? It often seems like we are doing all that God asks- but He isn’t keeping up His end of the bargain.
Maybe we’re doing the right and wise things- speaking to our parents with respect, not following the crowd, and doing what God asks of us- but we don’t see God showing up in the places we want Him to. We spend nights sitting at home instead of hanging out with people we know aren’t good for us, so why isn’t God providing us the right type of friends? Why do we seem to still find ourselves eating take out with our parents and watching Netflix on Friday nights?
I think a lot of our frustration comes from a misunderstanding of why God wants us to do what He asks us to do. It’s not because He wants us to live confided to a miserable set of rules that will lead us to an uneventful and boring life. It’s because He created life, and knows how to live it best, and He wants US to reap the full benefits of abundant life.
Our second misunderstanding is in the word faithful; look at that word for a minute. Do you see what it says? To be faithful you must be FULL of faith. It doesn’t say that we must be perfect, or rule followers, or the world’s best Christian. It simply means that we need to have faith in what God has promised over our lives.
Being faithful doesn’t mean being faithful to God so He will in turn be faithful to you- it means having a life full of faith He will do what He says. If we believe God isn’t being faithful to us, then we aren’t truly being full of faith.
1 Thessalonians remind us that our God is faithful and He will do it. And in Hebrews we are reminded that He who promised is faithful. I love these verses because they remind us that our God is a faithful God. If God says He is going to do something- He will do it. God can’t not be faithful because FAITHFUL is who God is.
Unlike us, God is perfect and true in character- He can’t deny Himself. This means that all of God’s promises are “yes and amen” to us through Jesus- every single thing that He promises us He will do; He will do.
When God says in Jeremiah that “He knows the plans for us, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a hope and future” He really means it! He is working out everything in your life- from the very small to the giant things for your good.
The kicker is that the verse says that “HE” knows- not that we know. Often we see the smallest corner of the truth while God is painting on the giant canvas of our lives. The small corner may be lonely at times and we might just be sick of it- but we can trust that God sees the entire painting and in the end our lives will be beautiful if we trust in Him.
So while you’re waiting- for friends, for a broken heart to be healed, for God to show up- remember to stay faith-full and have faith to believe that God always does what He says will.