How Do You Know That God Is Faithful?

Let us explore one aspect of God’s character today: faithfulness. One Word is not enough to describe God. God is many, many things, and faithful is just one of them.

As sinful, fallen people, we may doubt His faithfulness, or not fully trust it at times. We run across hard times like the loss of a job, a broken marriage, or financial struggle and we question things. However, God is always faithful. When we come to understand that, we are able to feel more and more blessed by it!

Here are three ways we can better understand how God is always faithful:

1. His faithfulness is constant, like the moon in the sky.

“It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is faithful.” (Psalm 89:37)

God has placed a constant reminder of His faithfulness in the sky. It may seem strange to think of the moon as a reminder of faithfulness, but remember that God created this good world for us to live in and enjoy.

Did you know that the moon stabilizes the rotation of the earth? All of our being depends on God’s intricate design! It is over time that we begin to realize that He can be trusted to be who He says He is.

His faithfulness can be known through His creation. Imagine all the detail that went into making our world! Continue to look at the moon as an example of who God is, how He loves us, and the way He has made the world for us to live in.

2. God’s faithfulness makes it possible to trust Him with the details.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8)

Once we begin to trust God’s faithfulness and know that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do, we begin to realize that He also has a very detailed and intimate interest in each of us.

Not only does God give us creation for us to enjoy, but He is also aware of every detail in our lives, and we can trust His faithfulness with details. He watches over us, teaches us, guides us, and cares for us as only He can.

Our lives are as important to Him as His creation, and we can trust in His faithfulness!

3. God is faithful to provide.

“He found him in a desert land and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. The Lord alone guided him…” (Deuteronomy 32:10-11)

What is True Worship According to the Bible?

In John 4:23-24, Jesus spoke about worship with the Samaritan woman. Let’s try to understand what true worship is according to the Bible, and how you can apply it to your own relationship with God:

1. True worship requires our spirit.

“. . . true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit . . .” Does this mean our spirit, or God’s Holy Spirit? Actually, it’s both! Worship is meant to include our whole self. This is why the Lord commanded Israel in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Both publicly and privately, we must not just go through the motions of worship, but be fully involved with our heart and soul – our inner selves.

2. True worship requires to worship in the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:19-20 tells us, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” When we are filled with God’s Spirit, a natural result is heartfelt worship – singing to God, and talking about Him to others.

3. We need to worship in Truth.

What is the truth? A better question is, who is the truth? The answer is Jesus: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)

Jesus also said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). The more we know Jesus, who is the truth, the more we will be able to worship in truth. We get to know Jesus through prayer (we talk to Him) and His word (He speaks to us).

When you worship God in a church or anywhere else, ask the Lord to help you “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2). He will help you to worship him with your whole heart, and not just go through the motions. The Lord will be glorified, and your faith will grow, and others will hear about Him.

Why Suicide is Not an Option

Life can sometimes feel hopeless. Maybe you are going through the death of a loved one, a permanent disability, failure or betrayal. You’re not alone.

Do not choose Judas’ path of ending his own life with suicide. Instead, read on to see how some of God’s people have responded to these feelings rather than suicide:

1.Betrayal: David

David, the “man after God’s own heart,” was running away from King Saul, whom he had served. He fled to Israel’s enemies and they betrayed him, taking his family captive. Even David’s trusted followers began to turn on him: “David, too, was in anguish. Some of his men talked about stoning him because they were so bitter about their families being taken.” Who else was left at this point? “But David took comfort in the Eternal One, his True God” (1 Samuel 30:6). With God, David had stood against impossible odds before. (See 1 Samuel 17)

2. Loss: Job

Because of the devil’s attack, Job lost everything: his riches, his family... even his health. “Why does God let me live when life is miserable and so bitter? I keep longing for death more than I would seek a valuable treasure. Nothing could make me happier than to be in the grave.” (Job 3:20-22). It’s hard to imagine Job’s suffering. But he came to realize how unwise these words had been: “I have said things that I did not understand, things too great for me, which I did not know.” (Job 42:3)

3. Hopelessness: Paul

Paul was the fearless missionary (Acts 21:13) who sang in prison (Acts 16:25) and wrote part of the New Testament. He once admitted, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it” (2 Corinthians 1:8).

More understanding may not change how you feel, but don’t trust your emotions. For a child of God, life is never hopeless. How can you really say you trust God with your eternity if you don't trust Him now? All of these men suffered greatly, but God had a greater plan for their lives on earth which they fulfilled. Please read 2 Corinthians 4:1 through 6:1. This is where Paul reveals this plan, and how it includes you

The Selfish Life? Or Jesus?

Nehemiah was a leader who did not let pressure, apathy, ridicule or opposition stop him. He knew what to do and how to do it. Most of all, he knew his identity: a chosen and beloved servant of the most High God.

Here are three ways God can give you the same identity:

1. God makes sure you can relate to sinners

Sometimes new believers are surprised to find that their old nature is not gone. You’ll always need God’s grace. Without Christ as your center, you can do nothing. (John 15:1-5) Colossians 2:6 says "As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step." If you have nothing you did not receive, (1 Corinthians 4:7), and nothing to hide, (Proverbs 28:13) judgmentalism and hypocrisy make no sense.

2. God means for you to make His mission your own

Hebrews 2:10 says that God "…chose to bring many children into glory.” In chapter 12, we are told how to follow Him: "…by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross…" (Hebrews 12:2) For Jesus, the joy was anticipating you with Him in glory! Soon, heaven will be your home! But while we’re still on earth, will you be “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19) to those who have never heard His name?

3. God gives you a new nature

Last week's devotion described turning away from a selfish life. Once you put all your hope in Jesus, many great things happen to you: Christ comes into your life, (Revelation 3:20), you become God’s child, (John 1:12) and receive the Holy Spirit, (Romans 8:15). All your sins are forgiven, (Colossians 1:14)and you have the gift of eternal life! (1 John 5:11) You go from being a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) to a worker alongside God Himself! (1 Corinthians 3:9) God even approves you to represent Him to the world: "So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'" (2 Corinthians 5:20) Like Nehemiah, you are a servant of the Most High God!

God’s Way To Self-Esteem

When Jesus quoted Leviticus 19:18, He was not teaching us to love ourselves. In stating that we already love ourselves, He was using the quality of that already-present love for ourselves to teach us how to love others. One who really loves is fully-invested in the loved one's best interests. Here are three ways that attitude towards self is supposed to be altered when God gives us a new heart (Psalm 51:10) with His love poured out (Romans 5:5) in it.

1. Practice repentance: Guilt brings shame and hopelessness.

The whole time God is working through the things which happen to you to conform you to Christ's image (Romans 8:28-29), the world is also trying to force you to conform to its own. (Romans 12:2) One of the ways this is done is through subtle reasoning meant to make you arrogantly ignore God and your obligation to obey Him. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Two equally harmful reactions to guilt feelings are often advised by the wisdom of this world. We can excuse them by labeling them "false guilt", or we can blame others (parents, teachers, or other authorities) for them. But the Bible warns us, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Guilt feelings are usually due to real guilt. Our new nature still wars with an old one, (Galatians 5:17) and we still sin. Obeying God, (and loving ourselves His way), means confessing and agreeing with Him about our sin. (1 John 1:7-9)

2. Practice humility: We do not want to be judged by our actions.

An unhealthy self-image tends to bounce back and forth between the hopelessness of guilt and the pride of accomplishment. Spiritually speaking, you are in one of two categories. If you are "in Adam," you are destined to be judged by your works—and will perish. If you are in Christ, you are credited with His perfection—and destined for eternal life. (1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21) Embracing God's plan to conform you to His image (Romans 8:28-29again) means making God's will, (Christ's exaltation, not yours), the point of your life. (Matt. 5:16; Luke 22:42; Philippians 2:5-9)

3. Accept Assurance: We have value to God!

Look to Jesus to find your identity. To keep from bouncing back and forth from pride to shame, center on God Himself. He wants all people everywhere to turn away from sin and a selfish life, (Acts 17:30), and find security in Jesus' statement on the cross: "it is finished!" (John 19:30) Your sin has been paid for. Christ's sinless record can be credited to you.

Esteem means value. Value of self, apart from what God says about us or wants for us, is idolatry. On the other hand, God's investment in you is total. He has invested His image in you. (Genesis 1:27) He has invested His life's blood in you. (Acts 20:28) He is not ashamed to call you His children, brothers and sisters to Christ. (Hebrews 2:11-13, 1 John 3:1) Will His investment in you bring a return?