Week 9 – Faithfulness to a Faithful God

Nov 22, 2010 Gary Henry D - Commitment

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus described the unstable character of some individuals in this way: “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Matthew 13:20,21). Lifelong faithfulness to God depends, in large measure, on whether we have any “root” in ourselves. Some people choose to have a faithful character that keeps commitments, and some don’t.

The main thing that can help us develop a faithful character is to learn of God’s own faithfulness. Moses proclaimed this part of God’s nature to Israel: “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9). God has revealed Himself to us as a God of perfect, unfailing dependability. He has never told us anything but the truth, and He has never acted toward us in any way that is not faithful. Even when we’ve betrayed Him, He has never betrayed us. Paul said, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

The words “trust” and “truth” are closely related. We are able to trust God because He has demonstrated Himself to be a God of perfect truth. Like a young woman who “plights her troth” to a young man who has proposed marriage to her, we are to tell the truth when we say that God can trust us! To be “faithful” to God means that we choose to be “count-on-able.” We agree to be trustworthy.

In the matter of our faithfulness, God deserves far more from us than a “maybe.” He deserves a genuine, no-strings-attached commitment that binds us to keep His will as long as we live. We should be able to say to God what the Psalmist said: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments” (Psalm 119:106). Having made that commitment, we are then exhorted by Christ to keep our word: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Psalm 25:10).

Monday: Psalm 89:5-8

Key Idea: God is a God of perfect faithfulness.

1. In the last half of vv.5,8, what attribute of God is praised? In v.7, how should we respond to the God described in vv.5,6?
2. What do we learn from the description of God in Deuteronomy 7:9? Compare this passage with Psalm 98:1-3 and 103:15-18.
3. To what is God’s faithfulness compared in Psalm 36:5,6? In 37:3,4, what can we “delight” in?
4. Consider 2 Timothy 2:13. If there is ever any break in the relationship between God and His creatures, whose untrustworthiness is always to blame? After we have broken faith with God, what can we count on Him to do?
5. In Genesis 24:27, what did Abraham’s servant attribute to God’s faithfulness? Are there things in our own daily lives that we ought to attribute to God’s faithfulness to us? Give some examples. According to Psalm 119:89-91, what is said to depend on God’s faithfulness?
6. What does 1 Corinthians 10:13 say concerning God’s faithfulness to us when we are being tempted by Satan?
7. Should God’s dependability make any difference in our praying? What is said in Psalm 143:1?
8. In Psalm 40:9,10, what did David say he had done? How might we do the same thing?

Tuesday: Psalm 51:10

Key Idea: With God’s help, we should make faithfulness a part of our own character.

1. What is the apparent background of Psalm 51? In v.10, what kind of “spirit” did David desire to have renewed within him? Is such a spirit a matter of choice on our part? Why do some people have this kind of character and others do not? Consider Amaziah in 2 Chronicles 25:2.
2. What admonition was given to the priests and Levites in 2 Chronicles 19:8,9? What are some of the characteristics of a “loyal heart”? In Psalm 57:7, what did David say about his heart?
3. In 1 Corinthians 4:2, what character trait is said to be required in a “steward”? What are some ways that we might think of ourselves as stewards?
4. What is said about the “faithful of the land” in Psalm 101:6?

Wednesday: Psalm 78:5-8,37

Key Idea: Sin consists of unfaithfulness to God.

1. In the last part of v.8, what is said about the “heart” and “spirit” of the “stubborn and rebellious generation”? What does v.37 say?
2. In Numbers 5:6, what is a person said to do when he or she commits sin? For what did Saul die, according to 1 Chronicles 10:13? What was said about Reuben in Genesis 49:4?
3. To what are the unfaithful compared in Psalm 78:57? What charge was made against Israel in Deuteronomy 32:5,6,15-18? Upon whom is a blessing pronounced in Psalm 119:1-8?
4. Could there be any more sorrowful thing than realizing we’ve been untrue to the most faithful Friend we’ve ever had? What do you think Peter must have experienced in Luke 22:54-62? How does this relate to the “godly sorrow” that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11?

Thursday: Psalm 37:5,6

Key Idea: We should commit ourselves to God.

1. In this text, what are we encouraged to “commit” to the Lord? What does it mean to do this? What does it mean to “trust” in the Lord?
2. What does 1 Peter 4:19 teach us to do? What is said about God in this passage? What assurance is given in Psalm 94:14?
3. In Psalm 9:9,10, what is said about the relationship we can have with God? See also Psalm 31:3-5.
4. In 2 Timothy 1:12, why did Paul say he was not “ashamed”? What had Paul “committed” to God? What confidence did he say he had in God? Judging by this passage, what’s involved in saying that we’ve “believed” in God?

Friday: Psalm 119:105,106

Key Idea: We should make a firm commitment to keep the word of God.

1. In v.106, what had the Psalmist “sworn” and “confirmed”? Is this promise related to the confidence expressed in v.105? Compare with vv.137,138.
2. What oath was taken in Nehemiah 10:28,29?
3. Consider Psalm 119:33,34. What does it mean to “keep” God’s word “to the end”?
4. Do you think we sometimes fail in our obedience to God because we don’t really commit ourselves to obeying Him?
5. What is said about the people of Israel in Psalm 78:10,11? Are we bound by any “covenant” today? What are our obligations to this covenant?
6. In Matthew 25:21,23, how are the servants described who received their master’s blessing?
7. What principle concerning faithfulness did Jesus teach in Luke 16:10?
8. What assurance does the Lord give us in Revelation 2:10?

Putting It All Together

True devotion to God requires that we make an honest commitment to Him and then remain faithful to that commitment. Faithfulness should be made a part of our character. We must be steadfast and dependable in our relationship to God. Our allegiance to Him must never be broken or betrayed. Since we can always count on God’s faithfulness to us, He should be able to count on our faithfulness to Him in return.

Gary Henry – WordPoints.com