Faith Fuels Faithfulness
God’s past faithfulness is a prod for my faithfulness. Faith fuels faithfulness. God has been faithful to fulfill His past promises, and His future ones will certainly come to fruition.
God’s Past Faithfulness
Mary recalled God’s past promise and praised Him for His present fulfillment (Luke 1:54-55). Zechariah remembered that God spoke “by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old” (Luke 2:70) and he realized that those promises were being fulfilled before his face. God kept the mercy (v. 72) and the oath (v. 73) He promised, and He delivered His people.
God kept His promise because He’s a promise keeper. He will keep all His promises. He does, in fact, give light to those who sit in darkness (v. 79) and He will yet give perfect and eternal peace. We know this because His word is true. He has kept it. Yes, in radical and unexpected ways—way surpassing what is suspected—He has kept it. Yes, sometimes it takes longer than fickle humans would like, but God always delivers on what He says.
Trusting God’s Faithfulness into the Future
God has been faithful in the past and He will be faithful in the future. So, I should therefore trust in His promises that are yet to be fulfilled. Just as Christ came, He is coming back! Although it’s true that He’s coming in a much different way and for a different purpose. But just as on a real day in history He came, so He’s coming back. And just as Jesus brought salvation and peace, so will He bring salvation and peace when He returns, but it will be of a different kind. The peace that Jesus will bring upon His next return will not be merely of the heart and of relationship with God, it will be whole—pervasive. God’s peace and glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Peace will be palpable. Every foe and woe will be vanquished.
So, amid a land of war and woe, and where the enemy reigns and claims his own, may I never weary or tarry or tire, because God’s promises are true. Though the battle may bruise and be scary, may I ever remember He has been faithful and true, and He is good. The reality is, soon every tear will be wiped dry, and the sun will eternally shine.
Perspective on God’s Promises
A failure of faithfulness on my part is probably a failure of faith. I have doubted God’s faithfulness. My faith faltered. I have thought of God as failing. But God has—over and over again—shown Himself to be faithful. God has not failed. My faith failed. Our faith is often frail.
When I see the past and the present with the proper perspective (one that takes into account the reality of God’s radical faithfulness), the future fulfillment of His promise is seen more clearly. That is, with faith—the assurance of things unseen. So, faith fuels faithfulness.
Prayer for Faith
So, here’s my prayer:
“God hedge me up with faith. Let me not see mainly my failings, let all be eclipsed by a vision of Your faithfulness. You have been good and faithful way beyond what I deserve. Help me see that, so I never desert in disbelief. The reality is You are good, have done good, do good, and will do good. Let the past pave the way for my future trust.”
Frail Faith
Our faith is often frail.
I was reminded of that when I was reading about Abraham[1], the man of faith. He left his homeland in response to God’s call (Gen. 12:4). He sent out trusting the LORD who had promised to bless. He stands out as a tower of trust. Indeed, he’s highlighted in the hall of faith (Heb. 11:8). Abraham’s faith was commendable. He was accounted righteous by faith (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3).
Yet, Abraham’s faith was sometimes frail. The solid pillar of faith, sometimes staggered. The same chapter that tells of Abraham setting out in faith, also tells of him lying in fear.
Our faith too is frail. It must be cultivated. Thankfully the Lord Yahweh’s faithfulness is not frail (Deut. 7:9). The LORD is mighty to save, even when we only have faith as a mustard seed.
The LORD shows His “never stopping, never-giving-up, unbreaking, always, and forever love” in amazing and unexpected ways. We see this highlighted in Genesis chapter 15. God makes a covenant, a type of special promise, with Abraham.
The LORD obligated Himself to keep His promise and He said, “know for certain” I will keep my promise (Gen. 15:13). In that time when two people were making an agreement, they would do something very strange to us. They would take animals and cut them in half and then walk in between the divided animals.
They did that, it is believed, to represent what would happen to the person that failed to keep their promise. When God made His promise to Abraham only God “walked” between the divided animals (Gen. 15:17) because the LORD made Abraham fall asleep (v. 12).
The LORD God said He would take the curse of the failed covenant upon Himself. He would both keep His promise and take the punishment of the broken promise of His people. That is exactly what the Lord Jesus did. He always obeyed His Father, He kept the covenant, yet the curse was upon Him. He was sacrificed like the animals that prefigured Him.
I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness as seen in Christ. Even when our faith is so often frail, God is amazingly faithful.
With God’s faithfulness in mind, let’s press on in faith, not fear.
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[1]His name was Abram at this point.
*Photo by Sincerely Media
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