WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
AUGUST 31, 2024
TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS (2)
BY T. O. BANSO
“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise” (Hebrews 11:11 New International Version).
The Bible tells us many times that God is faithful. Therefore, a child of God needs to understand the concept of God’s faithfulness and its benefits. If God were not faithful, the story would have been different. But if God is not faithful, He will no longer be God. As I said yesterday, the Hebrew word for faithfulness is “emunah.” It means “firmness, steadfastness, fidelity” (Strong’s Concordance).
In this second part of the topic, I want to discuss ten truths about God’s faithfulness, some of which I referred to in the first part.
Ten Truths you should know about God’s faithfulness
Having said all this, I want to highlight fourteen truths you should know about God’s faithfulness some of which I’ve mentioned.
1. God does not change. God is immutable. He doesn’t change. His nature is the same from eternity to eternity. God is who he has always been and will remain so. He is forever the same. This is because He is a faithful God. The Lord says in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (New King James Version). James 1:17 describes God as the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
2. God’s word neither changes nor fails. Matthew 24:25 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (New Living Translation). God’s word is immutable. Just like God’s nature is immutable, God’s word is. He doesn’t say one thing today and contradict it tomorrow. To show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, God confirmed it by an oath (Hebrews 6:17).
God’s word doesn’t fail. It will do what God says it will. God is faithful to His promises. Hebrews 10:23b says, “He who promised is faithful” (New King James Version). God cannot lie – it is impossible (Hebrews 6:18). He says, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips” (Psalm 89:34 New King James Version). Deuteronomy 7:9 describes God as the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Genuine prophecies come to pass because God from whom they come is faithful. For example, without God’s faithfulness, the prophecy of Jesus’ birth and His ultimate crucifixion through which humanity obtained salvation wouldn’t have come to pass. If not for God’s faithfulness, how could a virgin conceive and bear a son as the Prophet Isaiah had prophesied several years in Isaiah 7:14? But God’s faithfulness ensured the prophecy was fulfilled through Mary.
In the gospels, we find “that it might be fulfilled”, “that the scripture might be fulfilled”, and “is fulfilled” or its variation is a common phrase concerning the conception, birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For example, we find such a phrase in the book of Matthew many times (Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35, 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9). This phrase, in a way, testifies to the faithfulness of God who spoke in the past through his servants and brought it to come to pass even when they were no more. God is still fulfilling genuine prophecies today.
God is not a man, that he should lie, or a human that he should change his mind. He will do what He has said and fulfil what he has promised (Numbers 23:19). In Hebrews 11:11, the Bible says, “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise” (New International Version). God is faithful. He was faithful to Sarah; He will be to you.
3. God’s faithfulness continues forever; He can never be unfaithful God’s faithfulness is from generation to generation. His faithfulness is to all generations. The writer of Psalm 100 says in the latter part of verse 5 that God’s faithfulness continues through all generations or to each generation. God is faithful in every generation.
God can never be unfaithful. God is faithful to Himself. Man’s unfaithfulness cannot make Him unfaithful. Romans 3:3-4 says, “What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: ‘So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge’” (New International Version). Nobody’s unfaithfulness will nullify God’s faithfulness. God will remain true even if everyone else is untrue or lying. God is forever faithful.
4. God’s faithfulness is great. Lamentation 3:22-23 says, “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (New King James Version). Note the phrase “Great is Your faithfulness.” The Amplified Bible says, “Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.” In other words, God’s faithfulness is abundant or immeasurable. That is why it has not been exhausted from generation to generation. It is available in every generation. Life without God’s faithfulness is inconceivable. His faithfulness is great and abundant; hence He is faithful to all generations.
5. All God’s work is done in faithfulness and nothing is too hard for Him to do. Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness” (English Standard Version). Note the expression “All his work is done in faithfulness.” The Good News Translation says, “All his works are dependable” while The Holman Christian Standard Bible says, “All His work is trustworthy.”
Another aspect of God’s faithfulness is that nothing is too hard for Him to do. Jeremiah 32:17 says GOD made the heavens and the earth by His great power and outstretched arm, and nothing is too hard for Him. The angel Gabriel told Mary that, with God, nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37). The latter part of Matthew 19:26 says with God all things are possible. Also, Luke 18:27 says what is impossible with men is possible with God. God is faithful.
6. God’s faithfulness will establish and guard you against the devil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one” (New King James Version). Without God, human efforts will amount to nothing (Psalm 127:1). God’s faithfulness makes all the difference.
7. God’s faithfulness delivers His children from temptations. Nobody can overcome temptations by his power. Without God’s help, the most careful and sensitive Christian will be trapped in the tempter’s snare. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (New King James Version). Because of God’s faithfulness, He shows His children how to escape from their temptations.
8. God’s faithfulness forgives sinners and will make unrepentant sinners receive their due punishment. Without God’s faithfulness, no sinner can receive forgiveness from God. But God forgives genuinely repentant sinners because He has promised to do so. He cannot do otherwise. That’s why the Apostle John said, “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 New King James Version).
God’s faithfulness will make unrepentant sinners receive their due punishment on Judgment Day. It will be against the character of God to allow unrepentant sinners to go unpunished. The psalmist says in Psalm 119:75, “I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (New King James Version). God has said the soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). God is bound by His word; He cannot overrule Himself. He cannot allow the sinner to enjoy the same reward as the righteous.
9. God’s faithfulness makes fellowship with Jesus possible. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (New King James Version). Without God’s faithfulness, nobody can come into fellowship with His Son. People answer the call into the Kingdom of God or ministry because God called them.
10. God’s faithfulness makes Him answer prayers. God has committed Himself to answer prayers and He keeps His words. Thank God for prayer warriors! But their prayers will amount to mere exercise if God does not answer prayer. So prayer warriors have nothing to boast about. Suppose they prayed and God didn’t answer. But thank God, He has said, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3 New King James Version). God’s faithfulness guarantees the answer to prayer possible (Matthew 7:7-8). Glory be to God!
CONCLUSION: Believers owe a lot to God’s faithfulness. Therefore, they need to appreciate and proclaim His faithfulness. “It is good to announce your mercy in the morning and your faithfulness in the evening” (Psalm 92:2 GOD’S WORD Translation). The Contemporary English Version says, “It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are.” Declare His faithfulness always. Talk and sing about it. Great is His faithfulness.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and 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 must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-obedient church 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: Father, I thank You for Your faithfulness and the benefits in my life. Holy Spirit, help me to declare or announce God’s faithfulness constantly. I shall live in consciousness of God’s faithfulness in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 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
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
