The Faithfulness of God by Lewis Kiger

There was a time in America when a man’s word meant something. When fathers taught their sons that a man is only as good as his word. Sadly, this time has all but vanished in our nation. Now, men will tell you one thing, and do the opposite. Or others will make a commitment, never having any intention of following through on it. As a pastor, I have been told countless times, "You’re right preacher, I need to get back in church; we’ll be there on Sunday.” And the vast majority of the time it doesn’t happen. I like to think some unforeseen event keeps them from doing what they said they would, but then weeks pass and you don’t seem them, and you start to think they never really meant it in the first place.

 In today’s society, lawyers must write impregnable contracts just to get people to do what they have committed to do. No longer is a man’s word his bond, no longer can a handshake be trusted and many of us have learned the hard way that mortal men are just not trustworthy or dependable.

 Thankfully, God is utterly unlike humanity in this way. He is faithful. In 1 Corinthians 1:9 we find these three simple words, “God is faithful.” Those who have known the Lord for any measure of time can attest to the veracity of this statement. God is indeed faithful. We are not, but He is.

 Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Even when we are faithless, He is faithful. Our undependability does not change God. He cannot deny Himself and He cannot deny who He is. He is faithful, even when all others are not.  You can always count on God. God will always keep His Word and God is as good as His Word. There has never been a promise made that He didn’t fulfill. Never a commitment that He didn’t keep. God is totally and immutably dependable. Faithful all the time, faithful in everything, and faithful to everyone. God is a covenant keeping God. Absolutely and unequivocally reliable.      

  Deuteronomy 7:9 calls Him “the Faithful God.” 1 Peter 4:19 “A faithful Creator.” Hebrews identifies Jesus as our “merciful and faithful high Priest.” In Revelation 3:14 Christ is named “the faithful and True witness.”  In the little book of Lamentations, we read the words “great is thy faithfulness” which was the basis for the old gospel hymn that bears the same name.

 In Yellowstone National Park there is a geyser that tens of thousands of people visit every year. It is not the biggest geyser, nor the most powerful, yet it is well-known and one of the most popular geological tourist attractions in the U.S. You will recognize it by name; Old Faithful. While it does not propel water as high in the air as other natural geysers, yet it never fails to perform. Day by day. Week by week. Month by month. Year by year. Decades and centuries roll on, and still Old faithful can be relied upon to releases its pressure at its appointed time. Well has “she” earned her name.

 And while it would be inappropriate to speak of God as old, He has certainly earned the title of faithful. Decades and centuries have passed and have borne witness to the fact, that the God of the Bible is a faithful God.

 There is an incredible promise made to both the saved and the unsaved in 1 John 1:9. This promise is based on the faithfulness of God. There we read: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” There is no sin so grievous that the blood of His Son cannot cleanse. No sinner so far gone that the faithful Father cannot restore. God, and God alone can forgive sin, but we must come to Him based on the merits of Christ’s sinless shed blood which alone can wash us whiter than snow.

 Have you come to God and found Him to be faithful?

 Recognizing our own unfaithfulness and living amidst people who cannot be fully relied upon, it is good to have a God that we can always have confidence in. Great is His Faithfulness.

Pastor Lewis Kiger
Memorial Heights Baptist Church 

svdbygrace2@roadrunner.com