How can I trust the faithfulness of God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible shows that we can trust in God’s faithfulness. This characteristic of God’s nature is taught throughout scripture (Deuteronomy 7:9; Lamentations 3:22-24; Psalm 36:5; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Hebrews 10:23). It is also shown throughout the Old Testament in God’s consistent faithfulness to the Israelites despite their faithlessness to Him (Nehemiah 9:17; Hosea 11:7-9). Additionally, God’s fulfilled promises show that we can trust Him. This includes, most significantly, the prophecies about the Messiah throughout the Old Testament, which were fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53; Romans 15:8; Acts 13:32-33). Scripture shows that our own doubts often get in the way of trusting God (Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24), but the Bible teaches that God’s love and faithfulness are consistent even when ours is not (2 Timothy 2:10-13).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God expressed His love and faithfulness to His people after delivering them from Egypt: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
• Lamentations 3:22-24 proclaims, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" God is faithful, and we can put our hope and trust in Him. One way to learn to trust in His faithfulness is to remind ourselves of verses like these.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Paul could confidently preach of God’s faithfulness to the Jews by fulfilling promises about Christ made in the Old Testament (Acts 13:32–33; Romans 15:8).
• At times, we may doubt God’s faithfulness because we aren’t always faithful. Like the apostles (Luke 17:5) or the father of the demon-possessed boy (Mark 9:24), we can ask the Lord to increase our faith.
• The good news for us is that God's faithfulness is not dependent on ours. Second Timothy 2:10-13 assures us that even when "we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself."

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

You don’t have to live very long before you realize that trusting others is a gamble. Maybe you learned that on the playground when someone you thought was your friend didn’t choose you for his team. Or maybe it was when the company you bought your refrigerator from refused to cover what the warranty said it would. Or maybe it was the “can’t lose” investment your friend told you about that went south. Even worse, maybe your spouse was unfaithful. These experiences can lead to bitterness—and then you realize that you’ve probably let someone down before, too.

But God never lets us down. If you were saved as an adult, think about your pre-salvation state and the life you led. Think about how God led you to where you are today. Our own experiences powerfully testify to God’s faithfulness.

When we still lapse in our trust of God, we can ask Him to increase it. We can take advantage of the means God has given us to get to know Him better: Scripture. Finally, attending a Bible-believing church builds our trust in the Lord as we see how He has worked in others’ lives.

When all else fails, God never does.

UNDERSTAND

• God’s faithfulness is constant and proven by His fulfilled promises.
• God remains faithful even when we doubt or fail.
• Scripture and personal experience help us trust God despite life’s challenges.

REFLECT

• How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life, especially during times you doubted Him?
• When your faith wavers, how do you ask God to strengthen and increase it?
• What Scriptures or experiences help you remember God’s unchanging love and faithfulness?

ENGAGE

• How do we reconcile our human doubts with God’s perfect faithfulness?
• How can sharing testimonies of God’s faithfulness encourage others?
• How can regular engagement with Scripture and fellowship build trust in God’s faithfulness?