God’s Unchanging Faithfulness!

 

“I will be faithful to you and will not leave you alone.” Joshua 1:5 NLV

Have you had people who came into your life and shared your vision? You thought they would be with you only to find out later they valued face and prestige from other people, not the face of the Lord who initially worked inside them? Was it heartbreaking for you? You felt groping in darkness without knowing where to go, right?

But listen to what God says to you, “I will be faithful to you and will not leave you alone.” You expect not such behaviors from Christians. Let me say it another way. You would expect such tendencies least from those who claim to be Christians. However, this type of behavior is everywhere –Christian or non-Christian. Listen! You are not alone.

I want you to hear what God says to your heart when you face such heartbreaking situations. He says, I will be faithful to you and will not leave you alone.” TLB translates the verse this way, “I will not abandon you or fail to help you.” Did you notice that His ‘faithfulness’ prompts ‘not to leave you’? It is His faithfulness that keeps him stuck with you. How great is God’s faithfulness?

Numbers 23:9 says, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” You see, people would change their words and minds. However, if God has spoken, He will fulfill it. Psalm 91:4 says, “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” Beloved, God’s faithfulness is a shield and buckler to you in which you would undoubtedly find refuge.

The historical background is described in Deuteronomy 31. It says there Moses spoke to all of Israel and said he is now a hundred and twenty years old and unable to lead anymore. He also said to the people what the LORD told him. He told God Himself would cross over ahead of the people of Israel. He will destroy those nations before them, and they will take possession of their enemy’s land. Moses also said Joshua would also cross over ahead of them. He told the congregation, “do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave nor forsake you.

After this, Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of the people, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them. Moses repeated the promise the third time –”The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

To the Israelites, Moses was the only great leader with a towering personality. Joshua, still a young man with fewer experiences and a timid personality, was all the reason to worry about the future and the enormous task ahead of him. What would he do? He was worried and confused.

This tremendous promise was like drops of cold water to cool off Joshua’s restless and disturbed spirit. Beloved, are you worried and confused? You do not know where to turn and what to do now, right? The Lord God says this to you, believe Me, I am with you, and I will be with you, and I will not abandon you or fail to help you.

God’s unchanging faithfulness is what I am thankful for the most in my life. He knows all about me. But He still loves me and helps me. If you are a believer in Christ, is this not what you must emulate in your lives? I know you can be most faithful sometimes, but they can still be unfaithful to you. There is nothing more humanly you can do in such situations. Give the matter to the hands of the Lord in prayer. God has many ways to deal with such people and their attitudes.

However, remember God’s promise to you. “I will be faithful to you and will not leave you alone.”

God’s faithfulness toward you is publicly shown by sending His one and only Son, Jesus, to this earth to die, bury, and rise again for all your sins. The Bible says Jesus carried your sins and shortcomings on his body, went to the cross, and willingly paid it all so that you can be welcomed and accepted in God’s Holy presence in heaven at the moment of your death. This is his commitment and faithfulness toward you. Would you take his love and faithfulness into your heart today?

Would you pray after me? “Father in heaven, I believe You sent Jesus to this earth. He died, buried, and rose again for my sins to make way for me to live with you in heaven. I repent and accept Jesus as my savior and Lord. Please forgive and save me today. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”