I awoke a few weeks ago hearing "I am faithful."
So, of course, I had to check it out in the Word.
'No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.' [1 Corinthians 10:13]
'If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.' [2 Timothy 2:13]
'Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful...' [Hebrews 10:23]
'Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful...' [Hebrews 10:23]
His faithfulness does NOT depend on us! It is not conditional upon our performance in any way! He is faithful because that's Who He is.
Revelation 19:11 says that one of the names of Jesus is Faithful and True!
His word is settled forever [Psalm 119:89] and He cannot lie. [Titus 1:2]
Have you ever wondered why He can't lie? Because by the time the lie came out of His mouth, it would be true! If He started to say 'dog' where there was no dog, by the time He finished there would be a dog there! It's not so much that He won't lie out of some moral character, although I believe that, too...it's more that He can't lie, because everything He says COMES TO PASS!
So His Word—His precious and magnificent promises by which we become partakers of THE DIVINE NATURE—is true. Why? Because HE SAID SO!
Eternity
We already know some other things about God...He is eternal, the Alpha and Omega. His Word is settled forever and it will accomplish what He sent it for in the earth.
We already know some other things about God...He is eternal, the Alpha and Omega. His Word is settled forever and it will accomplish what He sent it for in the earth.
I love Isaiah 46:9-11.
"Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, DECLARING the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, SAYING, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure;' CALLNG a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country.
"Truly I have SPOKEN; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it."
An important note...eternity is not just forward—it's backward, too! The Hebrew word for 'forever' in Psalm 119:89 is owlam—continuous existence, unending—without beginning or ending! His Word is without beginning or end! Now that is faithful!
Hagar’s Well
Let's read about Hagar again. If you remember, she was Sarah's maid, who she gave to Abraham to have a child with. But when her child Isaac was born, she became jealous of Ishmael and asked Abraham to send them away.
Let's read about Hagar again. If you remember, she was Sarah's maid, who she gave to Abraham to have a child with. But when her child Isaac was born, she became jealous of Ishmael and asked Abraham to send them away.
'"And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.
'So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.
'When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, "Do not let me see the boy die." And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept.
'God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.
"Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him."
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.' [Genesis 21:13-19]
Why is this story so important?
Because it demonstrates His faithfulness.
His promise to Abraham was really for the child of promise—Isaac, through Sarah—but because Ishmael was also a descendant of Abraham's, He honored His word.
Plus, it's a great look at eternity. That well was already there...the angel just revealed it to her. Since His works were finished from the foundation of the world [Hebrews 4:3] technically it was there before He ever made a promise to Abraham!
"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments..." [Deuteronomy 7:9]
Remember...even if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. [2 Timothy 2:13]And as we've seen, faithfulness, like eternity, is both forward and back, without beginning or end.
Just like God.
