Faithfulness

"God is faithful. The same yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

IN HEAVEN, we’re going to see things familiar to us. Trees, villages, castles. On a more personal level – books, photos, imagery we have collected on earth which has meaning. I once had the Holy Spirit speak to me about records of what we’ve said and done. Not the negative, the hated, but the lost, those things we can’t remember but He does. It will all be there and unfold in us. How marvelous!

He is faithful. This is the reason for today’s devotion. Remember the faithfulness of God. Not only His faithfulness TO you but especially IN you. What He’s done to alter your point-of-view and heal your thoughts. His mind is life and peace (Romans 8:6). But to have those working in us, we must change HOW we think, and we can’t do it on our own. He is faithful to Guide us. To Forgive us when we mess up. In fact, He’s so faithful that we can let go of any fear we will or any fear that when we do, we’ll pass His forgiveness limit.

We can come boldly to the throne of grace and find forgiveness in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

We are bold because we know Him well. We’re not twisting our hands, wondering what He’d say or do. We KNOW it. I apply this to the Old Testament as an example. I KNOW Jehovah – as the Father, the Son (our Savior), and the Holy Spirit. Israel knew Them as one. But who they are to me, as a daughter of God, doesn’t change when I read Old Covenant stories. Wherever it says “judgment,” I read “mercy.” Because that is Their heart. When it says wrath, I know love is forefront. He IS love. He also IS holy, and as a holy God, He despises sin. As love, He pours out Himself to enable us to walk in holiness. This was why all the Old Covenant Laws were written. They were meant to bring hope of the coming of Jesus. In the process of offering sacrifices and offerings, they were to rejoice in His care of them.

But there were sins like Ezekial’s view inside the temple (Ezekiel 8:9). Horrible behavior that appalls us and caused Israel’s captivity. Read then Jeremiah’s Lamentation and see God weeping over Jerusalem’s abandoned state. He shows His love in words of faithfulness.

“They [mercies] are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:23 KJV)

We see His heart for the Gentiles in the Old Testament as well. Abraham became Israel, but when called to leave Ur and go to Canaan, he was not a people and had no covenant. Yet God promised to go with him the entire journey and to bless him beyond imagining. We see Pharaoh’s judgment in the miracles performed in front of him. That he drowned in the Red Sea was a consequence of the hardness of his heart. He refused to repent. See Jonah’s words to Ninevah, the capital of Assyria. What Jonah did not want to pronounce because of the violence of the behavior of Ninevah became their repentance. God knew what they would go on to do to His people, yet He forgave them through his prophecy.

There are many more stories of Gentile kings and nations urged to walk upright. The story of Job is of a man not an Israelite. It should not be any wonder to us then when we hear Jesus’ words of sheep “which are not of this fold (John 10:16)." And see the irony that Peter, a Galilean fisherman was sent to the Jews, and him without an education, yet the apostle Paul, a Pharisee, was sent to the Gentiles, who knew nothing about Jewish law (Galatians 2:7). God is faithful. The same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Who the Word was in the beginning, it was in Jewish Law, and it is in New Covenant promises. Who Jesus is as the Word is the same, without shadow of turning and the Father, such immense gentleness, as He has always been. The Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, was Resurrection life in history, Resurrection life in Jesus, and is Resurrection life in me and you, life which will one day remake this world in a breath, Genesis on steroids.

Until then, They walk with us, revealed entirely to us, each beautiful, bountiful day. Just as they were, so they are. Faithful.

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6 KJV)

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:” (Ephesians 1:9 KJV)

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

Image by Piyapong Saydaung from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com