WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DECEMBER 28, 2022
TOPIC: ARE YOU FAITHFUL?
BY T. O. BANSO
“Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many” (Nehemiah 7:1-2 New King James Version).
The Holman Dictionary defines the word “Faithful” as steadfast, dedicated, dependable, and worthy of trust. It says that it is derived from the Hebrew root having the basic meaning “to trust (a person)” Faithfulness is a character that every Christian should develop because our God is faithful. Faithfulness is one of the attributes of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13, and 2 Corinthians 1:18, the Bible says that God is faithful.
From Psalm 12:1 and Proverbs 20:6, we learn that faithful people are scarce. Believers must be faithful to God and fellow human beings. In other words, we should be steadfast, dedicated, dependable, and worthy of trust. Unfaithfulness is one of the reasons some have not become all that God wants them to be in life. It is the reason some have lost their place. Nobody wants to retain an unfaithful person in a position. He may only be tolerated for a season and be removed at the slightest opportunity.
Luke 16:10-12 says, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (New King James Version).
In Matthew 25:21, the master who gave different amounts of talents to his three servants said to the servant who was given five talents and earned five more, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (New King James Version).
Also, he said to the second servant, who earned two talents from the two talents he was given, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (verse 23 New King James Version).
But the servant who was given one talent went to hide it in the ground. His master said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents” (verses 26-28 New King James Version).
In a similar parable that Jesus told in Luke 19, we also learn about faithfulness. A certain nobleman, before he travelled to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, gave ten minas to ten of his servants to do business with. Upon his return, he called them to give an account. He said to the first servant who earned ten minas from the ten minas he had been given, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (verse 17 New King James Version).
Another servant earned five minas and was put over five cities (verses 18-19). But one servant kept his mina, putting it away in a handkerchief and claimed that he feared his master because he was an austere man who collected what he did not deposit and reaped what he did not sow (verses 20-21).
His master said to him, “Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?” (verses 22-23 New King James Version). He ordered that the mina be taken from him and given to the servant who had ten minas.
Are you a faithful man or woman? Nehemiah 7:1-2 says, “Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many” (New King James Version). Note the description of Hananiah in this verse: he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
Is it any surprise that Nehemiah gave the two persons mentioned in this scripture, especially Hananiah, the responsibility to be in charge of Jerusalem? You need faithful people to carry out responsibilities, particularly important ones. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Are you a faithful man/woman, Christian, spouse, staff, friend, and so on?
What to do
1. Be faithful to God and in Christ. 2 Chronicles 16:9a says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (New International Version). The phrase “fully committed” also means faithful or loyal. The Bible says Christ Jesus was faithful to God who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house (Hebrews 3:2).
Also, Paul, writing to the Ephesians refers to the Ephesian saints as “faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1 New King James Version). Be faithful to God; be faithful in Christ.
2. Be faithful with small things or a few things. Some people think that they will be faithful with big things or many things when they’re unfaithful with small things. They are deceiving themselves. Faithfulness begins with small or few things. The master of the servants in Matthew 25 said to the two servants who were faithful that they had been faithful with a few things and he would put them in charge of many things (verses 21-23). Be faithful where you are now.
3. Be faithful to others and with what belongs to them. Many people are unfaithful to others and in what belongs to others but desire to have their own thing. Such people think that they are smart but they work against themselves. They are like Gehazi who was unfaithful to his master, Elisha. Eventually, the leprosy of Naaman was transferred to him and his descendants forever (2 Kings 5:20-27).
Are you faithful to others? David was so faithful to King Saul, who wanted to kill him, that when he had two opportunities to kill him, he didn’t. David could tell Saul, “May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD’S anointed” (1 Samuel 26:23 New King James Version).
Be faithful to others and with what belongs to them. Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (New King James Version). The shrewd steward in Luke 16 was unfaithful. He wasted the goods of the rich man, his master (verse 1). Verse 12 says, “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (New King James Version).
4. Be faithful in the unrighteous mammon or worldly riches. Luke 16:11 says, “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (New King James Version). You may never know how unfaithful some people are until you test them with money or material things. Are you faithful with worldly riches or money? The New Century Version renders Luke 16:11 thus: “If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then who will trust you with true riches?”
5. Be faithful to the end. Don’t just be faithful for a season; be faithful to the end. Be faithful until death. He who endures to the end shall be saved (Matthew 10:22a; 24:13; Mark 13:13b). “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10 New King James Version). Note the phrase: Be faithful until death. Those who are faithful until death will receive the crown of life.
Are you faithful? God is ever faithful. His faithfulness reaches to the clouds or extends to the skies (Psalm 36:5). God’s faithfulness endures to all generations (Psalm 119:90). Be His true child. Be faithful: steadfast, dedicated, dependable, and trustworthy. Be faithful to God, and others, including your spouse, parents, children, pastor, employers, superiors, and friends.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to be faithful to God and fellow human beings. I pray that every unfaithful person will repent and become faithful henceforth in every area of his/her life.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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