What is God’s Faithfulness?
Encountering God’s faithfulness to humanity in Numbers 23:19.
When we say God is faithful, we mean he can be trusted to do what he says he’s going to do. If God weren’t faithful, then that would mean he either lied or changed his mind, and we know that God is unchangeable (see Jas 1:17), so he will not tell you one thing and then change his mind and do another. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?” That means that God is faithful. You can trust him, so you can trust what he has says in his Word.
Faithfulness is an essential attribute of God and the foundation of our faith in him. You cannot have faith in someone who is sometimes unfaithful. That would be dangerous. But God is always faithful, and that’s what makes him so safe. His faithfulness means you will never be put to shame in the areas of your life where you trust him. “For the scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame’ ” (Rom 10:11). You would be ashamed if you told the world about the God who was merciful to you when you didn’t deserve it and then he rejected you.
This passage explains God’s faithfulness like this: he doesn’t lie, he doesn’t change his mind, he does what he says he will do, and he has the power to do it. So, he’s not just posturing. He’s not a poser, pretending to be someone he’s not. No, he has the power to back it up. That’s part of why when he says he’s going to do something, we know he’s going to do it, not just because he can, but because he is faithful. He does not lie. He isn’t boasting, bragging, or fronting. He is everything that he says he is.
God’s faithfulness and you
Do you trust God, or do you think he is prone to lie? Ask yourself which promises of God you doubt, and then ask God to give you faith. God is holy, perfect, and set apart from man. He is so perfect that he never needs to change, and so he can be trusted to always be faithful. All of God’s attributes are in harmony; none of them contradict another; they all work together. None of them disappears or changes. God is always perfect, always holy, and always faithful. And thank God for that!
Encouraging others with God’s faithfulness
Who do you know who has been hurt by someone unfaithful? Look for an opportunity to talk to that person about a Father who cannot not be faithful!
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Content in this article is taken from the TEXT Bible.
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