For I am the LORD, I do not change (Malachi 3:6).
One of the best things about our God is that He is the same. He is consistently, constantly, consecutively the same. He is always faithful. He never changes.
Several years ago there was a very popular praise song that said in essence, “No matter how unfaithful God is to me, I will stay faithful to Him.” That is so prideful and erroneous even though I have seen so many people shed tears as they were touched by this song. The song falls way short in describing God and our relationship with Him.
I understand that sometimes it “feels” like God doesn’t care. And sometimes it “feels” like God is nowhere to be found. And sometimes it “seems” like He can’t see what we are going through and we “feel” like He doesn’t care. But our God is never unfaithful. Between me and God, who do you think is the one who is unfaithful to our relationship from time to time? Between you and God, who do you think is the one who is unfaithful to your relationship from time to time? I will give you a hint. It is not God.
Sometimes it seems like we are never going to make it through the season of life we are in. And this is very real and very painful. However, the Bible is our source of inspiration. It tells us faithful is He who has called you who also will do it (1 Thess 5:24). I am confident of this thing that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of our Lord Jesus (Phil 1:6). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He will make a way out in His time. Be encouraged. Be steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). Our shadow changes with every ray of light. Our God is so constant that even His shadow doesn’t change. The Bible says that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
God, who started us in this spiritual adventure, shares with us His Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that (1 Cor 1:9). My hope is that we will take time out of our busy life to contemplate the reality of God’s faithfulness. It doesn’t matter what we did yesterday. He doesn’t love us any less. He is totally faithful to this love relationship with us. He has promised to remain and stay faithful forever.
For most of us we have been mistreated by a spouse, a loved one, a parent, teacher, friend, whoever. Because of all the abandonments and rejections, we project the emotions of disbelief toward God. We sometimes think, “How could God be totally true to me always and forever.” “Everyone else has hurt me, He probably will do the same thing.” But the Bible promises us that when everyone else is a liar, He is true (Romans 3:4). Or we get stuck thinking, “Why would He want to be faithful to me? I have made so many mistakes.” The fact is my friend; the God kind of love is unconditional. It doesn’t make any sense. It is ridiculous and radical. But it is the most powerful force on the earth. Other systems and plans can fail. But God’s plan stands out above the rest. It never fails. And He will never fail you.
He may not do what you want Him to do, but He is true, loving, loyal, devoted, and FAITHFUL. He is faithful to do what He has promised.
God is so faithful at loving us. He is not buying or earning love. He is not working for love. He is not working to build up love in His reservoir or reserve tank. He does not HAVE love. He is love.
This is what makes Him so faithful to us. He is not partial to love the perfect, rich, and smart people. He loves them and He loves you with all your imperfections, quirks, idiosyncrasies, and issues.
Again, it doesn’t make sense especially when we think of human love. Natural human love is temperamental. It is based on what we get out of the relationship. For instance, we love a person because of what they do for us or how they make us feel.
Some people get involved in a relationship because the person is nice. Or the person is cute. Or the person is popular. Or the person is ____, fill in the blank with whatever. But then if the person is not nice, cute, or popular we are ready to abandon ship so to speak.
God’s love is based on unconditional love. He IS unconditional love. The condition of His love for us has nothing to do with us, in and of our good works or our faithfulness. He doesn’t love you BECAUSE of how good we are. He loves us because He can’t stop being love. He can’t stop being faithful to love. He will be love forever. He will love us forever. He is faithful to be faithful to be love. He is all about love because He is love. He doesn’t need to be motivated or ignited because His love never wanes or decreases. He can’t change. So let’s be confident and encouraged in Him. He never changes, so His faithfulness to love will never change.
That means we can depend on His love. He loves us infinitely. He cannot love us more and He who does not change will never love us less. There is no “up and down” with His love. “So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.” We know that when we confessed our sinfulness, admitting that we “have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 6:23). He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:1). “Know therefore that the LORD your God, he is God, the faithful God.” His Name is faithful. His name is who He is and what He does. Our King is called “Faithful and True.”
Paul prays for the Thessalonians, “I pray the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:23). I love this prayer and pray it regularly for friends and family, but don’t miss the context. He follows with “Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it”(1 Thes 5:24). When we pray, God answers. He will answer that prayer by being faithful to be the One who will “sanctify you wholly.” When we pray this prayer, we can be assured, it is HIS FAITHFULNESS, not ours. Rest in HIS FAITHFULNESS.
Can I just summarize by saying it another way. Our God is totally trustworthy and dependable. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13).” “Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:6).” “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is His faithfulness (Lam 3:21-23).”
Meditate for five minutes on this lesson.
Journal one whole page.
Pray this Prayer: Father, help me depend on You and build my trust in Your faithfulness. You are trustworthy, and dependable and true to me. This is reality. Help me to see that You are faithful; the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thank You for your steadfast love. Be the anchor of hope in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
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