Even though we can’t always depend on other people, we can always rely on God’s faithfulness. He will always keep His promises.

What does it mean that God is faithful?

We live in world where faithfulness is rare.  It used to be that man’s good name and handshake were enough to seal a business deal, because a man didn’t dare go back on his word.  It used to be that the words “till death do we part” were a promise being made between a newly married couple, not just empty words in a ceremony.  Unfortunately, times have changed.  Although there are many out there who keep their promises and are true to their word, it seems like there are many more who are just as quick to break their promises.  So, in a world full of infidelity, it may hard to understand a God who is faithful.

However, according to Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”  God is faithful.  He will keep His word, honor His promises, and fulfill His covenants, forever.

God’s faithfulness means that He will always do what He says.  There is a consistency between His words and His actions.  He doesn’t say one thing, then do another.  He is completely trustworthy.

Evidence of God’s Faithfulness

In Creation

We see evidence of God’s faithfulness in many different places.  First, God’s faithfulness is seen creation.  Genesis 8:22 says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”    Here we see that God is faithful to maintain His creation.  Day always follows night.  Spring always comes after winter.  Plants always grow to produce a harvest.  God is controlling it all. 

In the Bible

Second, we see evidence of God’s faithfulness in the Bible.  Story after story bears witness to God’s faithfulness to His people.  For example, His care, protection, and provision for the Israelites during their wilderness wandering is a sign of His faithfulness.  He called them out of Egypt and promised them a home, and He fulfilled that promise.  Also, the fulfillment of so many prophecies shows that God is a God of His word.  He can be trusted to care for us in the same way that He cared for the people in the Bible.  He will keep His promises to us now, just as He did to them then. 

In History

Third, we can also see signs of God’s faithfulness throughout history, outside of the pages of the Bible.  Many events in history showcase God’s faithfulness, and people who trusted God and were not disappointed.  I think of Corrie Ten Boom and her awful experience in the concentration camp.  Yet God was faithful to her.  He did not abandon her, but He took care of her even in those horrible conditions.  I also think of God’s faithfulness to preserve the Church, throughout years of attack and persecution.  Not only has the church survived in those conditions, but it often flourishes in the middle of hardship. 

In Our Own Lives

A fourth place we can see evidence of God’s faithfulness in our own lives.  I’m sure we all have stories about how God has been faithful to protect us and provide us.  In my own life, God has always been faithful to provide for our needs.  We’ve never had to do without.  And I’m sure there are many more times that He was faithful and we weren’t even aware.  He has made so many promises to us, and He will keep them all. 

Examples of God’s Faithfulness

We know that God has been faithful throughout history, and even in our own lives in many different ways.  But let’s look at some specific ways that God is faithful to His people, some specific promises that He will keep for us:

1. God is faithful to provide for our needs.

• Psalm 37:25
• Matthew 6:31-33
• Philippians 4:19

2. God is faithful to comfort us during times of trial and temptation.

• James 1:12
• 1 Corinthians 10:13
• Revelation 2:10

3. God is faithful to forgive us of our sins.

• Ephesians 1:7
• 1 John 1:9

4. God is faithful to save us.

• Philippians 1:6
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Implications of God’s Faithfulness

We can trust God completely.

Because God is faithful, He will always keep His promises.  He will always do what He says He will do.  In fact, because God is holy, because He doesn’t change and cannot lie, He is not capable of breaking a promise.  People will let us down, but God will never let us down.

This means that we have no to worry.  At its root, worry is really a lack of trust.  When you worry about something, you’re basically saying you don’t believe that God is trustworthy.  You don’t believe that He’s in control or that He will do what’s best for you in that situation.  Worry is doubt.  But we do not have to doubt, because even when things are hard or don’t go the way we want, we know that God is still in control and will keep His promises.  He will work out everything for our good and His glory.

We also have no room to complain.  If God faithfully keeping His promises, then everything that happens is part of His plan.  When we complain, we’re telling God that we don’t like what He’s doing in our lives.  But God has promised to give us all that we need.  God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.  God has promised to save us from our sins and bring us to heaven someday.  When we think about all that He is doing for us, we have no right to complain about what we think we’re lacking.

We should be faithful to God.

Sometimes, being a Christian is just hard, and it’s only going to get harder as our society becomes more secular.   When things get tough, we may want to give up.  Sometimes, this daily battle with sin seems like too much.  However, when we became a Christian, we made a commitment to God.  We chose to turn away from our sin and follow Christ.  We must be faithful to our commitment. 

Fortunately, we don’t have to do it on our own.  Psalm 31:23 says that God preserves the faithful.   He is helping us do what is right.  That doesn’t mean that we won’t sin occasionally.  We may even sin really badly sometimes.  But those who are truly saved can never lose their salvation.  Salvation is a gift from God, and He will never take that gift back.  John 10:28-29 says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Our faithfulness is a joint effort.  We do our best to remain faithful to God, while He give us the strength we need to endure.

We should be faithful to others.

In a day when a person’s word doesn’t mean much, we should be the exception.  We should be known as women of our word.  Why is that important?  Because we reflect the character of God.  When people comment about how trustworthy we are, we can say, “I serve a trustworthy God, and I want to be like Him.”

This means being faithful to our marriage vows.  It means following through in business deals, keeping the promises made to a friend, and taking your commitments seriously.  If you say you’re going to be there, then be there.  If you say you’ll do it, then do it. 

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This post is part of a series entitled Seeking God’s Face: Discovering the God of the Bible, which is based on a Bible study I’m teaching at my church. In this study, we’ll be rethinking our impressions of God by searching the Scriptures to find out who He really is. You can find other posts, as well as additional Bible study resources, here:

SEEKING GOD’S FACE: DISCOVERING THE GOD OF THE BIBLE

The information in this post was based on the following resources:

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin

The Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.