Faithful

In studying this word and looking at even two versions of the Bible I found that faithful relates back to trust and assurance that God will do what He says. He has to be speaking the truth or else He would be a liar, in which case we would not have faith in Him. All these qualities work together for a full picture of who God is and what His Law does.

The following verse is in two versions to help you understand what God wants to do for you.

1 Cor 1:9 NKJV:  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Cor 1:9 NLT:  God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

He is not just our God and the Lord of Lords, but He wants a relationship with each and every one of us as a close friend. He wants to help you be what He created you to be and to keep you safe.

2 Thess 3:3-4 NKJV:  But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

That is a great promise to hold onto through everything, like what the psalmist writes about in the following verses. I shared the entire eight verses because it explains a lot of how we feel despite what we know of God. The flesh is weak and hates to wait. However, this man knows to hold on to following the commandants given by God because they are trustworthy and faithful in what they say.

Ps 119:81-88 NLT

I faint with longing for your salvation; but I have put my hope in your word.

82 My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me?

83 I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting. But I cling to your principles and obey them.

84 How long must I wait? When will you punish those who persecute me?

85 These arrogant people who hate your law have dug deep pits for me to fall into.

86 All your commands are trustworthy. Protect me from those who hunt me down without cause.

87 They almost finished me off, but I refused to abandon your commandments.

88 In your unfailing love, spare my life; then I can continue to obey your decrees.

The psalmist may have written this a few hundred years before Jesus Christ came, but knew in his heart what was written to the Hebrews after Christ’s death and resurrection.

Heb 10:23 NKJV:  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

I stand firm in my belief in God. The more I study and write about what I’m learning, the more I believe it compared to the other options in the world. It’s because I can have faith in God and trust Him. I’ve had people break friendships and even talk behind my back about this change, but here I am sixteen years later still confessing I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. And the main thing that solidifies it for me is that God is love and wants us to love the world no matter what. We can do that if we do things His way.

Does what you put your faith in have a solid foundation or will it melt away under persecution? Does it keep you safe and treat you like a true friend?