Can God be trusted?
God promises us in His word that if we are faithful with little things He will trust us with bigger things. Do we extend that same level of trust towards Him? He is certainly faithful in ALL things...little and big. Do we trust Him in both? Let's start with the "little things"....
God shows us His faithfulness in "little", "common" miracles such as the rising and setting of the sun. Every single day! Every year, seasons change. OK, unless you live in Antartica or the Tropics...but you get my drift.
Every day (no matter where our head is- smile-) He keeps our feet on the ground with the perfectly balanced gravitational pull of our planet. The same gravitational pull keeps the ocean tides in line.
The world continues rotating on its axis...as it has done since creation. If you're like me some days all that spinning makes you dizzier than others.
The sun continues to shine. Below or above the clouds, it's still there even if we can't see it.
Day continues to be day and night continues to be night. Yes, even in those strange, remote parts of Alaska or Scandinavia...thier days and nights just sometimes last a little bit longer than ours!
As He gives us our daily bread, He reminds us to watch His provisions for tiny helpless sparrows. He faithfully feeds them too!
As He faithfully clothes us, He reminds us how He adorns even the lilies of the field and the wildflowers we see along the road.
All of these things, and many more mirror His plans and concerns for humanity. He cares for every part of creation.
His concern also gets very personal....He knows how many hairs populate each one of our heads. He knit us in our mothers' wombs and numbered our days.
He has a unique purpose for each one of our lives. Never feel like you are an exception to that. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made. As each snowflake that falls to the ground in the wintertime is unique, so we each have unique "fingerprints" and characteristics! No two of us are the same!
Another theme of "faithfulness parallels" laced throughout scripture is the theme of Israel. Co-mingling this theme with the theme of nature, the Lord tells us in Jeremiah that the only way His covenant with Israel can be broken is if the ordinances that He set in place for the sun, moon and stars are broken.
That's good news for both Israel and.....everyone else.
If God's promises to Israel will never be broken, neither will His promises to us!
Throughout scriptures, that nation stands as an amazing symbol of God's sovereignty, faithfulness and purpose. Even despite amazing obstacles, and times of their own rebellion. (Hmmmm sounds kind of like my own journey so far....)
Now on to the "bigger things"...well, bigger to us anyway. You know...the more personal things.
I've had disappointments, and I still have some unfullfilled dreams. Quite a few actually. I've had to move when I wanted to stay and stay some places long after I wanted to move on. You too? If so, does that mean God isn't faithful?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Here's why. One key to understanding God's faithfulness is recognizing that He knows WHAT is best for us and WHEN it should happen.
God is not a genie in a bottle...granting us all of our wishes, or even just three. He gives us what we need, and that is SOMETIMES a little different than what we "want."
He also never promised us life would always be wine and roses, but He did promise that lo, He'd be with us always, even until the end of the road. And then He's taking us home...so it's a WIN - WIN.
He made clear the disclaimer that in this world...this fallen world...we'd have trouble. (No! kidding!)
He then reassured us to TAKE HEART. Why? Because He has OVERCOME "this world". Who is an overcomer? The Lord and who-so-ever belongs to Him. So, we, too, can overcome because He overcame, and we belong to Him!
(if you don't belong to Him, you can. He stands at the door, knocking and waiting with open arms.)
To me, that's faithfulness..telling you how it really is...and promising to see you through it.
He tells us in His faithful word that "blessed is the one who perservers under trail" (James 1:12) Faith that is never tested is weak and not worth much. If it's never been tested or used, how do we know that it even works?
Faith that has been USED and made STRONG and DURABLE...all the dross burned off hrough trials....the foundation proved firm EVEN through storms...is to be celebrated like rare gold. For The Lord God is the refiner, FAITHFULLY making us into vessles of pure gold that will reflect His glory and share in the eternal benefits of His victory! Yes, I'd say He is faithful, and can always be trusted. What say you?
Luke 16: 10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much"
Psalm 145: 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
by Stephanie Connor
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