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Week Six:
Trusting God’s Faithfulness - Part 1:
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” Deuteronomy 7:6(NKJV).
God is indeed a God of His word, and is faithful to fulfill all of His promises. God is so different from the world’s norm because he always carries out the promises he has given. When we dwell on God’s faithfulness and let it nourish our hearts, our faith and trust in Him grows. When we focus on doing good things, our thoughts won’t stay parked on the changes we don’t like. Instead of allowing our minds to wish things were like they used to be or feeling discouraged or upset over a hard season of life, we can place our trust in Him and live with peace and joy, not stress and distress. He is a faithful God, who can be trusted to fulfill all that he has said in his word. Just as he was faithful to the promises to Abraham that we studied last week, so he will be faithful to his promises to you. Over and over we have seen God’s faithfulness to his promises. Just as he fulfilled his word to deliver the people from Egypt, so he was faithful to his promise that they would die in the wilderness rather than enter the land. Only those who had been children at the time of the spies’ report were able to possess the Land of Promise. “Delight yourself also in the Lord,And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him,And He shall bring it to pass” Psalm 37:4-5 (NKJV). Once that entire generation died, Moses took the people a second time to the border of the land. There he gave his farewell sermon to the people. He recounted God’s faithfulness and the people’s faithlessness. He gave them God’s final instructions for possessing the land and warned them of the consequences of disobedience. Being delighted with God means our hearts find peace and fulfillment in Him, regardless of our season of life or the changes we’re facing. When we look back to see how He has been faithful and trustworthy in the past, which delights us, we can better trust He will be faithful now and in the future, too.
Trusting God’s Faithfulness - Part 2:
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” I Thessalonians 5:23-34 (NKJV).
If He has called you to carry out His will, you can trust that He’s faithful to accomplish it through His Spirit living and working in you. So if you tell Him, “I can’t do that, Lord and what if I fail?” you’re actually doubting that God keeps His word. And yet, our total expectation should be in Him, and not in our own energy, ability, or experience. When you doubt God’s trustworthiness and unbelief becomes a gap in your spiritual armor, when and it is where Satan wants to attack you. You’ll begin to doubt other elements of God’s character, such as His goodness and distrust will become baggage that’ll weigh you down in every area of life. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.His praise endures forever” Psalm 111:10 (NKJV). You might feel that you do not have enough faith to obey, but the Lord isn’t asking you to trust in favorable circumstances. He’s asking you to believe that He is who He says He is. It’s easy to doubt God when you’re focused on the obstacles in front of you, but when you fix your eyes on Him and believe what Scripture says about His faithfulness, then you can do anything He requires. No matter what lies ahead, remember that God is not a liar, and He is faithful. It’s actually when life gets rough that you’ll recognize the reality and sweetness of God’s faithfulness. As you walk through those storms in complete reliance on His strength, your trust in His character will become part of who you are and provide strength from within. “They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Forever, O Lord,Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides” Psalm 119:87-90 (NKJV). God has divinely allowed every season of our life with His sovereign wisdom, and those seasons may include some type of hard change. We can fight change, or we can trust God has a plan and purpose for it and allow our trust in His faithfulness to be the foundation for joyful living.
God is in the Midst of Your Faith - Part 1:
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Romans 5:3–5 (NKJV).
You must learn how to ground your faith in God’s sovereign goodness so that when the waves break over you, you can handle them. The Word of God tells us regardless of conflicts and oppositions we have learn how to effectively walk by faith and not by sight. Throughout this journey called life, you will consistently be searching for answers and learning to view “bad things” as “good things in disguise” are disciplines that God wants His children to develop as they mature spiritually. As you mature in your faith, God uses tests and trials to develop your character and ministry, however, this is the season for you to evolve into season faith walker.
Below are brief descriptions of Eight Types of Tests that every Christian will likely face:
(1) Fiery trials: intense encounters or struggles; bursts of anger, grief, or lust.
(2) Infirmities: physical limitations and illnesses.
(3) Reproaches: ridicule and rejection on account of faith or holiness.
(4) Persecutions: harassment and oppression due to religious convictions.
(5) Necessities: wear and care of daily responsibilities.
(6) Distresses: disappointments and deep hurts.
(7) Tribulations: unusual pressures and challenges.
(8) Temptations: opportunities to yield to our sinful nature.
“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:27-28 (NKJV).
God is in the Midst of Your Faith Part 2:
“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:27-28 (NKJV).
What should believers do when they are faced with disappointment, disaster, and despair? God has the ability to protect us from every trial or distress. God’s goal through our trials is to strengthen our dependence on Him. We must trust Him to work in the ways and in the time frame that will produce the most good in our lives and the most glory for His name. As we call to the Lord in our distress, He will deliver us. The Apostle Paul regarded these “tests” as opportunities to grow spiritually. Instead of despairing when he encountered trials, Paul said he would glory in his infirmities so that the power of Christ would rest upon him.“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV). As we, like Paul, choose to trust God and accept the grace He gives us, Christ’s character will be formed in us. Perhaps the greatest reason God has for taking us through the trials of life is to bring us to the firm conclusion that we need God. What is God’s purpose in giving us commands that seem impossible to carry out? He desires to work powerfully through our lives; therefore we must learn to depend on Him. He alone must become our source of strength, provision, protection, and direction. “The Lord your God in your midst,The Mighty One, will save;He will rejoice over you with gladness,He will quiet you with His love,He will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17(NKJV).