DON’T FORGET GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN THE PAST

 

God is faithful! He never goes back on His Word: “He always does what he says….  For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ and through Christ, our ‘Amen’ ascends to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:19-20). Based on His unchanging nature, we, His children, should live in confidence.

Too often, we live in fear and worry, as though we were orphans, or God our Father was an unreliable human father. Our Father is the King of kings and the Lord of lords; He has all power and can do anything and everything. Everything belongs to Him; after all, He called the world into existence by the Word of His mouth. As the Scriptures remind us, “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32) If God gave us His most prized possession—Jesus -- what can stop Him from meeting our needs?

Knowing who our Father is, how can we eliminate worry and fear from our lives?

Here are a few things we should do:

●     Live in obedience— “The LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” (Psalm 84:11). God does, however, withhold blessings when we disobey. 

●     Trust His promises- “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1). God has made us numerous promises; the only way we can find His promises encouraging and helpful is to trust that He does not lie, and therefore will do what He has promised.

●     In addition to trusting His promises, let’s claim them. At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus commanded them to move the stone away from the tomb’s entrance. Martha, one of Lazarus’ sisters, objected because she was sure the smell would be terrible: after all, he had been dead four days. But Jesus’ response to that was: “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40)

●     Remember His provision in the past

Would you like to confidently trust God when situations look bleak? We can learn from Abraham’s example. Abraham, formerly known as Abram, was a pagan. Yet he obeyed God’s calling to leave his country, family, and all that he had known, and go to a place he knew nothing about. Although he had never had any direct dealings with God, he believed what God told him: “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I’ll show you. I will make you into a great nation. … All the families on the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham obeyed, apparently without question or hesitation. Years later, when he and his wife Sarah were old, beyond child-bearing age, God gave them a son, through whom the promises made to him would be fulfilled. So far, so good!

God later asked Abraham to go and sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on a mountain in the land of Moriah (see Genesis 22:2). Again, Abraham obeyed! Why didn’t he hesitate, or ask for clarification about how he was going to be the father of many nations if the son of promise is dead? But of course, God stopped Abraham in time; Isaac’s life was spared and he lived to be the father of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Abraham had learned to trust the God of creation completely. Everything God promised had come to be so far; he had no reason to doubt. He figured God was able to raise Isaac to life, even if he had sacrificed him. Do you remember any prayers God has answered or any promises He has fulfilled in your life? Based on the demonstration of His faithfulness and power in the past, can you trust Him completely with both the present and the future? Can you obey Him even when it makes no sense?

There’s a chorus to a song that should serve as a reminder for all of us: “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done; count your blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, see what God has done!” 

When difficulties and challenges come our way, let’s recount God’s past provision and blessings in our lives, in the lives of others we know, or that we have heard about. If He answered or did something in the past, He is able to do it again. He doesn’t change. His power and abilities don’t diminish with time.       

Abraham, being human, was not perfect, but is a good example of trust and obedience; let’s imitate that aspect of his faith and complete trust in God!