Tag: God’s faithfulness

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Judges Devotionals

Faithless heart

repentance

Israel was greatly oppressed, so they cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you. We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals…Deal with us as you see fit; only rescue us today! ”

So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the LORD, and he became weary of Israel’s misery. (Judges 10:9-10, 15-16)

I was wondering today just how sincere the Israelites’ repentance was. At a guess, not very.

And God clearly knew that.

Yet ultimately, he showed them mercy.

The amazing thing is that God hadn’t allowed them to be destroyed long before. But as he would tell them later through the prophet Malachi,

Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. (Malachi 3:6)

That’s comforting to me. Though God knows my faithlessness, he remains faithful.

That said, I don’t want to be like the Israelites. I want to be as faithful to God as he is to me.

Father, please cure my faithless heart.

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1 Thessalonians Devotionals

God is faithful. He will do it.

God's love and faithfulness

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely.

And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you is faithful; he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

“He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.”

Those words rung in my mind this morning.

It brought to mind what Paul wrote in Romans 8:29-30:

For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

I wonder. Do we really believe this?

He started this work, choosing us before we were born. Choosing us to become like his Son, our whole spirit, soul, and body sound and blameless before him.

And what he started, he will complete. Because he is faithful.

Do you like what you see in the mirror? Or do you see your sins and failures, the dirt and grime, and grimace?

Our Abba doesn’t grimace. He knew you from the first. And he still chose you. He called you. He justified you, wiping away your entire record of sin.

And whether you can see it or not, he’s in the process of sanctifying you through and through.

This is God’s will: your sanctification, your becoming like Jesus. (1 Thesssalonians 4:3)

And he’s not going to stop until he’s completed the process and he glorifies you, making you completely like his Son.

So put on the breastplate of righteousness. Not your righteousness, but the righteousness of God that comes by faiith. Let confidence in God’s love for you guard your heart. (Ephesians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:8)

And know that the hope of your salvation, of your becoming like Jesus is a certain hope. Wear that hope every day.

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ… (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

And again,

He who calls you is faithful; he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

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Exodus Devotions

The One who goes ahead of us

Pillar of cloud and pillar of fire

The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night.

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people. (Exodus 13:21-22)

Father, you are the one that goes before me. Night or day, you never leave your place in front of me.

Lead me by your wisdom. You know me better than I know myself. You know what I can handle and what I can’t. (Exodus 13:17-18)

May I have the faith of Joseph, confident that what you have said, you will do. (Exodus 13:19)

May I have the faith of Moses, following wherever you lead.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Acts Devotionals

Appealing to a higher power

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him. (Acts 12:5)

On the one hand, Peter was arrested and kept in prison by the power of Herod.

But the church appealed to a higher power.

I think that’s always worth remembering.

We often face powers stronger than we are. Powers that are antagonistic to us.

They may be demonic powers. They may be earthly powers.

But no matter what powers may confront us, we have the right as children of God to appeal to a higher power.

Let’s take advantage of that right, praying as fervently as the church did for Peter. And remember that however God may answer our prayers, he is faithful.

He was faithful to Peter, delivering him from Herod’s hand.

But he was also faithful to James. While Herod killed James’ body, he could not destroy James’ soul. (Matthew 10:28-31)

And in his faithfulness, God led James home.

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High
dwells in the shadow of the Almighty…

He will cover you with his feathers;
you will take refuge under his wings.

His faithfulness will be a protective shield. (Psalm 91:1, 4)

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Romans Devotionals

God’s faithfulness, Christ’s faithfulness

This past Sunday, I gave a message at church about how we come to God, not on the basis of our faithfulness to him, but his faithfulness to us.

And that’s what Paul talks about here. He starts by talking about God’s faithfulness to the Jews. He said,

What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?

Absolutely not! Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar. (Romans 3:3-4)

But then Paul goes on to talk about how all of us, Jew and non-Jew are unfaithful to him (Romand 3:9-18).

And yet, God shows his faithfulness to us. How?

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (although it is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed—namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe… (Romans 3:21-22, NET)

I really like this translation. Normally, verse 22 is translated “through faith in Jesus Christ.”

But it can also be translated as above, “through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.”

For all of us who put our faith in Jesus, he proves to be a faithful God and Savior.

He proved it in that though we were unfaithful to him, he didn’t give up on us. Instead he went to the cross, taking the Father’s anger upon himself, paying the price for our sin by his blood shed on that cross.

I don’t know about you, but that kind of faithfulness makes me stand in wonder. It’s what keeps me from getting discouraged when I fail him.

Though I am unfaithful to him, he is faithful to me (2 Timothy 2:13).

So when I fall, he doesn’t say, “I’m disappointed in you, you let me down.”

Nor does he say, “Renew your broken vows to be faithful to me.”

Instead, he says to us what he said to Peter, “Do you love me? Yes? Good. Follow me.” (John 21:15-19)

Thank you Father, thank you Jesus for your incredible faithfulness to me.

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2 Thessalonians Devotionals

That I might bear fruit

In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

Father, I pray that you would make me worthy of your calling.

I fall short so often. I desire to do good, to bear much fruit for you, but so often fail to do so.

Jesus, you are the vine. I am the branch.

By your power fulfill my every desire to do good.

Not so that I will receive praise from others.

But so that your name, and your Father will be glorified in me.

And that I may hear your words of praise, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Thank you for your grace, Father.

You, who have called and chosen me, are faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

And I believe that what you started in me, you will complete. (Philippians 1:6)

In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Exodus Devotions

When we’re discouraged

Moses told [all God’s promises] to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor. (Exodus 6:9)

Let’s be honest. When we’re discouraged, when we’re feeling beaten up by the world, we often don’t want to hear it when people try to give us God’s words of encouragement.

It’s so easy to get jaded because we think, “I’ve heard these promises before, but I’m worse off than I ever was.”

But the thing we need to remember is God is Yahweh.

God’s name itself implies that he is the one who never changes. That he is the one who always keeps his promises. And that he is the one who is always faithful.

That was his point in saying, “I am the LORD; I am Yahweh.” (2, 6, 8)

So if you’re struggling right now, meditate on that truth: “I am the LORD; I am Yahweh.”

And know that the God who was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who was with Moses and the Israelites…this same God is with you.

He was faithful then. He is faithful now. And he will be faithful for all eternity.

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1 Corinthians Devotionals

The foundation of our salvation

1 Corinthians

God is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:9a)

Think about those words for a minute.

God is faithful.

If there is one reason that our salvation is sure, it’s those three words:

God is faithful.

Through his great love, he called us into fellowship with his Son. (9b)

By his grace, he sanctified us. He called us as his saints. (2)

And because of his faithfulness, he will strengthen us to the end so that we will stand blameless before him on judgment day. (8)

I’m so glad my salvation doesn’t depend on my faithfulness. Because there are so many times I am unfaithful.

But as Paul wrote Timothy,

if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

So if you’re ever feeling down on yourself for your faithlessness to him, remember those three little words:

God is faithful.

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2 Thessalonians Devotionals

Keep on keeping on

2 Thessalonians

In these difficult times, Paul’s words really struck me.

But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

In these times of pandemic, in these times of fear and anger because of all the evil we see around us, it is easy to just get tired.

To get tired of doing what’s right.

To get tired of doing good, serving the Lord and ministering to others.

To instead become self-centered and idle.

That’s the temptation the Thessalonians faced in the midst of persecution.

But Paul says, “Don’t get weary. Keep on keeping on.”

The key to being able to do this?

May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance. (5)

Ultimately it’s God’s grace and his faithfulness that allows us to keep on keeping on.

That’s one reason why it’s important to pray for each other in these times.

We pray that the Lord will direct our hearts to God’s faithful love to us. A love that Christ proved by enduring far more than we ever have by going to the cross.

But when we are tired and struggling, it is so easy to lose sight of these things.

So let’s intentionally take the time to encourage each other, reminding each other of God’s faithfulness, and praying for each other as Paul did.

And for you, I pray as well.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you…The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (16-18)

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Jeremiah Devotionals

A prayer

Jeremiah

It’s always good not only to read scriptures, but to pray them. And as I read this passage today, it led me to pray. May it be your prayer today as well.

Father,

You are my God, and I am your child.

Give me integrity of heart and action so that I will fear you always, for my good, and the good of the next generation.

Thank you for the new permanent covenant we have in Jesus. Because of this new covenant, you will never turn away from doing good to me.

Put the fear of you in my heart, so that I will never again turn away from you.

In your faithfulness, and with all your heart and mind, plant me in this land. And today, may I bear fruit for you. May I be a channel of your love to those around me today.

In Jesus name, amen.

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2 Thessalonians

When we’re in the midst of trial

Paul in the storm

I’ve mentioned many times that God has never promised us an easy life.

Paul certainly didn’t have an easy life. He was beaten and persecuted for the sake of the gospel. He was shipwrecked and stretched beyond his ability to endure. And ultimately, he was martyred for his faith.

And yet through all his trials, he kept on. How was he able to do so?

He asked the Thessalonians,

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 

And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

I think there were several things that gave Paul the ability to keep going.

First, he saw the fruit of what he was suffering. That through the Thessalonians, the Philippians, and others, he could see God working and was reassured that all his work and suffering was not in vain.

Second, he had people praying for him. And he always made sure to ask people to pray for him. He never said, “I’m okay. I can get through all these trials on my own.”

Rather, he said time and again, “Pray for me. There is a lot of evil out there. And there are a lot of evil people around me. So pray. I need it.”

Third, he realized the Lord is faithful and good, even when he was among hostile people. He said

Not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2-3)

And so he encouraged the Thessalonians to keep on as he was keeping on, saying,

We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. (4)

He then concludes with the key to being able to stand in the midst of trial. He prayed,

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (5)

So often, we let trials lead us into bitterness, anger, and feelings of abandonment by God and others. And because we feel this way, we turn inward and throw pity parties. How could anyone, after all, understand what we are going through?

But Paul prays, “Don’t let your trials lead you away from God. Instead, let them lead you to him. Don’t run away from God because of your trials. Run to him.”

More, he says, “Remember Christ. Remember what he endured for you. That he was betrayed and abandoned by those he loved. That he was mocked, beaten, and then crucified. And yet he endured. Why? Because he loves you.

“So when you are feeling like you can’t endure any more, look to him. He understands exactly what you’re going through. And he cares. You have not been abandoned.”

The writer of Hebrews put it this way,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3) 

And again,

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. 

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

So if you are feeling beaten down by life and abandoned, my prayer for you is the same as Paul’s.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (1 Thessalonians 3:5)

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1 Corinthians

Sanctified and called to be holy

Sanctified and Holy

The church in Corinth, as we will see throughout this book, had its share of problems, many of them serious.

That said, it’s really amazing the things Paul said about the church. He called them “sanctified in Christ” and called to be holy.

Considering their problems, it’s hard to see the former, and while they were called to be holy, set apart for Christ, they certainly weren’t living that way.

But it’s a reminder to me that God does not merely see where we are now, but where we will be. And we are to look on other brothers and sisters in Christ the same way.

We are not to see them simply where they are at now in their Christian walk. But we are to see them as people Christ has already set apart for himself. They are now his.

And so as Paul did with the Corinthians, we are to remind our brothers and sisters that they are called to live that way. To no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again.

Just as importantly, we need to see ourselves the same way.

It’s easy to look at ourselves as Christians and get discouraged. We see our sins and how we struggle, and we wonder how God could accept us.

But let us remember that we have already been accepted. God has already set ourselves apart for himself. So now, let’s live that way.

But remember too that we don’t need to do this on our own strength. For Paul tells us,

He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)

We may not always be faithful. But God is. And he will never stop working in us until the day we stand before Christ, holy and blameless in his sight.

How about you? How do you see your brothers and sisters in Christ? How do you see yourself?

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Psalms

The God who fulfills his purpose in me

Psalms

After the depressing nature of Psalm 137, this psalm is quite refreshing.  Why?  I suppose it’s because the focus is back where it should be:  on God.

When David composed Psalm 138 is uncertain, but I suppose it’s possible he wrote it sometime after his ascension to the throne of Israel.

Perhaps as he wrote it, he was looking back on just how far he had come, and how God’s hand had been on his life.

He starts with praise, singing,

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.  (Psalm 138:1)

The word “gods” is a bit obscure in the Hebrew.  Whether he was proclaiming God before the false gods of the nations, or simply the kings of the nations is not clear.  Some ancient translations have even rendered it “angels.”

But whoever David meant, it’s clear that he places God over all,  even before the “mighty ones,” whether on heaven or earth.

Why?  Because of God’s love and faithfulness to him.  That when he called out in his distress, God reached down from above to deliver him.  And whenever David was afraid for his life, God gave him courage to stand once again.

Now as David looked back on his life, he saw just how great God was, and how faithful He was to His word.

So he sings in praise,

May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth.

May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.  (4-5)

And because of God’s faithfulness to him the past, he could say with confidence,

The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever.  (8)

Are you struggling with doubt in your life now?  Are you feeling lost and abandoned by God?

Think of the times God has been faithful to you in the past.

Think first to the cross and what Jesus did for you.

Think to the people who first brought you to Christ and the circumstances surrounding your salvation.

Think of what God has done for you since.

Then remember that the same God who was with you then, has not abandoned you now.  His love does endure forever, no matter how many times we may fail him.

And God will fulfill his purposes for you in your life.

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Psalms

Unshaken

Psalms

Psalm 125 is another of my favorite psalms, in part because there was a song we used to sing at my church way back when that was based on it.  I especially love the first two verses.

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalm 125:1-2)

These are two vivid pictures the psalmist gives us here.  First, of a mountain that cannot be shaken.  And he sings that those who trust in God are like Mount Zion.

Why could it not be shaken?  For its mere size?

No.  Mount Zion is only about 2,400 feet high compared to say Mount Everest at 29,000 feet.  Compared to Everest, it’s a mere hill.  But it could not be shaken because God himself was watching over it.

More than that, God surrounds us as the mountains surround Jerusalem.   He is our fortress.  He is the one who protects us from the Enemy that would destroy us.

The psalmist then expresses confidence in God’s justice.  That he would not let the evil rule over his people, lest they fall into doing evil themselves.

This is not to say, unfortunately, that it never happens.  It does.  But I do believe God puts limits on it.  Limits to what evil rulers can do to believers, and limits to their length of reign.

As Charles Spurgeon rightly points out, the last days will be like this when God shortens the time of the tribulation for the sake of those he has chosen.  (Matthew 24:22)

The psalmist thus prays that God would pour his goodness on those who are his, and reminds himself that the day of judgment will come for those who do evil.  (4-5)

He then closes by praying,

Peace be upon Israel.  (5b)

Life is not always easy.  But let us always put our faith in God, knowing that he is watching over us, and that he is with us.  Because of that we will never be shaken.

When times do get tough, let us pray as the psalmist did, for God’s favor and for his peace.

If we do, we will find that the same God that watched over Israel thousands of years ago, is the same God that watches over us today.

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Psalms

Where we put our hope

Psalms

And so we hit the halfway point of this psalm.

I love the psalmist’s words to open this section.

My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word.  (Psalm 119:81)

Sometimes we go through hardship in our lives.  The psalmist surely did.  People were plotting against him, persecuting him, and trying to destroy him (Psalm 119:85-87, 95).

He calls himself a wineskin in the smoke.

Apparently in those days, when people were traveling in the desert, if a fire was needed inside a tent, they would hang a wineskin (containers of wine made from goat skin) in the tent, and it would absorb the smoke.

As a result, the skin would become hardened and shriveled.

In other words, he was absorbing (that is, suffering from) all the evil that people were plotting against him.  And so he cried out,

When will you comfort me?…

How long must your servant wait?

When will you punish my persecutors?  (Psalm 119:82-84).

Yet despite this, he put his hope in God’s words and God’s promises to him.  He refused to let them go, even in the worst of situations.  Why?

Your word, O LORD, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
you established the earth, and it endures.  (Psalm 119:89-90)

In other words, he knew that God and his promises never change.  That God will be faithful to his word, though people are not.  And he had confidence that no matter what happened, God would come through.

How about you?  Are you confident even in the darkest times that if you follow God’s word, that God will prove faithful?

When things start falling apart on us, it’s easy to just say, “Doing things God’s way isn’t working.  I might as well start doing things my way.”

And because we fail to trust, our finances fail, our marriages fail, as well as every other aspect of our lives.

When things look dark, let us not put our trust in ourselves and our own wisdom.  Rather, let us continue to put our hope in God.

God’s word has not changed in thousands of years.  And it’s not about to change now.  As Isaiah put it,

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.  (Isaiah 40:8)

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Psalms

The God who never fails

Psalms

After such a depressing psalm in Psalm 88, Psalm 89 starts off on a much brighter note.  Nevertheless, it too was also written in a time of trouble.

The psalmist starts by singing,

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.  (Psalm 89:1-2)

He then remembers the Lord’s greatness, singing,

The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.

Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?  You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.  (5-8)

He goes on to sing about the joy of those who follow him (15-17) and remembers God’s promises to David that he would establish his line forever as kings in Israel.  (3-4, 19-37)

But then we have a sudden change of tone.

Right after he talks about all these things, he talks about how all of these things seemed to have failed.  That God had rejected and turned his back on the descendants of David and on Israel because of their sins.

So the psalmist cries out,

How long, Lord?  Will you hide yourself forever?  How long will your wrath burn like fire…

Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?  (46,49)

But though things seemed bleak, God had never changed.  He eventually brought back the Israelites to their land, not just once, but twice.  And one day, Jesus will take the throne, fulfilling the word God gave David thousands of years ago.

Let us never remember that though we can’t always see it, God’s love and faithfulness towards us never changes.  When he makes a promise he will keep it.

He proved it to the Israelites in the past.  He will prove it again in the future.  And he will prove it to us as well, if we’ll just keep putting our trust in him.

So let us sing as the psalmist did,

Praise be to the Lord forever!  Amen and Amen.  (52)

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Psalms

Guarding our hearts in times of trouble

Psalms

Solomon once wrote “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23)

This is always true, of course, but especially in times of trouble.  And Solomon’s father David certainly had his share of it.

Yet in his times of trouble, we can see why God called him a man after his own heart.

He starts out the psalm by crying out for God’s help.  And in doing so, we see where he placed his trust.  Not in his own wisdom and strength to get him through his problems.

Rather, he said,

 I put my trust in you.  (Psalm 86:4)

Then he turns his thoughts to the nature of the God in whom he trusted.  He prayed,

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.

When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.  (5-7)

In other words, “In spite of my problems, I know that you care for me.  And that you are good.  What’s more, I believe you will answer me when I call.”

I suppose as Christians, we should all believe these things, but when we’re facing trials, it’s easy for doubt to creep into our hearts.  But despite his problems, David held fast to these truths.

He then focused on the greatness of God.  On how God was so much greater than his problems.  He sang,

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.  (8-10)

After focusing on God’s greatness, David turned to his own heart.  And he prayed,

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  (11)

The new NIV (which to be honest, I don’t particularly care for — bring back version ’84, Zondervan!) puts it, 

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness.

I think this verse is so important as we face trials in our lives.  Life’s problems can tend to cause our hearts to fray and unravel.

But David prays in the midst of trial, “Lord, teach me your way.  Give me a heart that’s undivided.  A heart that’s united (NASB) in its desire to follow you.  May I walk in your truth and trust in your faithfulness in spite of all I’m going through.”

That’s the attitude we need to have too.  To never lose focus or trust in God.  But to have a heart that’s totally united in its desire to follow him.

Let us be like David, constantly focusing on God and his goodness and his faithfulness toward us, even in times of trouble.  Like him, let’s continue praising him singing,

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me.  (12-13)

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Psalms

Hurry up, God!

Psalms

I debated briefly whether to give Psalm 70 its own blog entry, considering it’s very similar to the latter part of Psalm 40.  But I don’t think I really commented much on that part of Psalm 40, so I decided to write a few thoughts here.

The thing that strikes me is how urgently David wants God to answer his prayers.  He says,

Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.  (Psalm 70:1)

And again,

Come quickly to me, O God.  You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.  (5)

It gives me some comfort that David prayed much as I do.

“Hurry up God!  Can’t you see my need.  I need your help NOW!”

And considering how he was constantly on the run from his enemies, it’s easy to see why he felt things were so urgent.

It’s also comforting to see that though deliverance probably didn’t always come as fast as David wished, it did come.

The same is true with us.  God may not always answer as quickly as we’d like.  But if the need is there, he will deliver us.

Are you waiting for an answer to prayer?  Are you feeling God is a bit slow?  Or very slow, for that matter?

Don’t be afraid to be honest with God in your prayers.  Don’t be afraid to say, “Hurry up!”

But know that though God’s timing is not always are own, he is faithful.  He will not let us down in the end.

So let us wait in hope for his answer.

Categories
Hosea

The unfailing love of God

God's love

Does God love me?

That’s a question that echoes within the hearts of millions.

But there’s another question that aches within the hearts of many.

Does God still love me?

So often, we see the love of others and how quickly it can fade away, especially as they see our failings and our weaknesses.

And so we ask, if they are like this, what of God?  Will he leave me too?

I think we find the answer here in this passage.

God talks about how he led them out of Egypt, how he led them with kindness and love, guiding them and healing their wounds.  How he lifted the yoke of slavery from them and provided for their every need.

Yet in spite of all this, the people turned away from him, worshiping the Baals.

Instead of following God, they determined in their hearts to turn away from him.

And so God warned them of the judgment to come.

But in the midst of it all, he bares his heart saying,

“How can I give you up, Ephraim?  How can I hand you over, Israel…

My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.

I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.

For I am God, and not man– the Holy One among you.”  (Hosea 11:8-9)

In other words, no matter how far we fall away from him, though he may discipline us, he will never give us up.  He will never hand us over to another.

He isn’t a man whose love changes and fades away.  His love is constant, and continually reaches out, waiting for us to return.

Do you ever wonder at the love of God?  Do you ever think that he couldn’t possibly still care for you?

Always remember the words of Jeremiah,

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  (Lamentations 3:22-23)