THE MOST FAITHFUL
"God keeps His promises," the pastor echoed throughout last Sunday’s service. It wasn’t anything new, but given the circumstances I’ve been navigating lately, it was a sweet reminder. My Father is one who keeps His promises. For Him, a promise hasn’t lost its value or luster. His words don’t fall flat or aimlessly drift away—they accomplish what He intends. Every word He has spoken over me has been fulfilled or is still at work, doing exactly what He set it out to do.
As encouraging as that thought was, another part of me sank inward as I thought about losing my baby. He promises to be a healer. He describes Himself as compassionate. He promises that whatever we ask for by faith is ours to have. Scriptures I’ve clung to in the past and recently read began circling in my mind, tempting me to doubt who God is. But then, reflecting again on Sunday’s message, I thought, God keeps His promises. Same phrase, but a different kind of comfort this time.
God, like anyone, isn’t obligated to fulfill words He didn’t say or promises He didn’t make. And forming opinions of Him based on what would have felt best to me—based on my limited sight and knowledge—bears no good fruit. God is faithful to what He says. He isn’t faithful to what I wish or what I think is good for me. He is faithful to what is good for me. He is faithful to His perfect plan for me.
For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God. 1 corinthians 1:20 [niv]
I struggled, and at times still do, with fully resting in what I’ve learned about the character of God. There was a time when I was convinced that once all the things I’d prayed and dreamed for began to happen, God would somehow snatch them away or something would prevent me from experiencing them. In those moments of prayer or stillness, I’d hear Him whisper, You don’t truly know Me. I’d respond with a resigned, Maybe I don’t, not with curiosity but with a sense of defeat. Yet, instead of retreating or punishing me for misunderstanding Him, He urged me, gently encouraging me to get to know Him better.
The first scripture I encountered in this pursuit of redefining His character was Matthew 7:9-11: “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Instantly, my perception of His character had to shift. God isn’t here to bait and switch me, dangling blessings like a carrot to see how fast I’ll chase after them. He loves me and has good gifts for me—a promise that stands firm.
Still grappling daily with the mess of grief and disappointment, I encountered Romans 8:28: “And in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”. Instantly, my perception of His character had to shift again. All things—both my steps outside of His will and those aligned with it—He is working together for my good, according to His purpose. What does this mean? It means that He knows what is truly good, and His purpose for my life is already set—a promise. He didn’t promise to work for what I want, for what is easy, or for what feels good to me, but for my good according to His purpose. The heartbreak of loss had to happen in order for His purpose to be fulfilled and my good to be achieved. Note, His purpose is ongoing, just like my good is ongoing.
We only see things moment to moment—we don’t account for how one event in our life will change us and impact the people around us. But God, in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, is working for your good and my good simultaneously. Grief and suffering birth something in me that brings people closer to Jesus. Joy for you lines up in a way that gives me or somebody else hope in the midst of a trial. God works—another promise.
“No i will not break my covenant; i will not take back one word of what i said.” psalms 89:34 [tlb]
We don’t know what we can hold God accountable to if we don’t know His word. I will say it until I am blue in the face, we need to read and know scripture. Reading the bible is how we get to know Him, build our faith, and get to know ourselves. We must read it! With that being said, let’s get into an example of God keeping His word. For context these will be scriptures pulled from the birth story of Jesus.
Matthew 1:21-22 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying: Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us”.”
What do we learn about the word of God?
There is no expiration date on his word. Prophets were proclaiming the coming of Jesus centuries before He arrived. For the people of that time they died not witnessing the Messiah, but God’s word will always come to pass whether people are alive to witness it or not.
His word doesn’t have to make sense to us for it to happen or be beneficial. Joseph was ready to leave Mary because of her pregnancy. Mary, becoming pregnant through immaculate conception, was probably hard to understand and grapple with. But, through their obedience, Jesus was able to be born and save us.
Matthew 2:5 “So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.”
What do we learn about God’s character?
He is intentional. God intentionally decided that Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem. If He was intentional with Jesus, down to the location of His birth, what makes us think He is not as intentional with the plan and purpose for our lives?
Matthew 2:13,15 “When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him…And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Everything is connected. Jesus had to escape to Egypt because of the heart of King Herod. Things don’t just happen just to happen. God is intentional and purposeful for who He appoints, what He allows, and how He directs his plan.
Matthew 2:16,17-18 “ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
The mothers in Ramah could have asked God to spare their children or for a miracle to take place, but God cannot go back on His word. If He said it, it has to happen.
Question: Why would it be in His will to kill all those kids? King Herod is the one who killed those kids. God knew who would be king at this time, how the birth of Jesus would affect King Herod’s heart, and what type of devastation would occur.
God cannot do evil things. He is holy and pure and right.
“the lord is not slow in keeping his promise” 2 peter 3:9 [niv]
What I’ve learned, and keep learning, is just how self-centered I’ve been. My will, my plan—serving mostly a party of one. My focus has been on what I think will give me what I’ve always wanted or needed. But the tighter I’ve held onto my own ideas of what is “good” or “right” or “beneficial,” the more I’ve realized the only thing that can loosen that grip is true submission to God. If He sent His deeply loved Son to the earth with the sole purpose of dying, what makes me think He would simply prop me up, leaving me untouched and unscathed by life, only granting the superficial desires of my heart? That’s not His character. That’s not His Word. He can’t be held accountable to the fleeting, undirected plans we make for ourselves each day.
But God tells us He doesn't desire for any of His creation to perish. In the New Testament, there are countless letters instructing us to proclaim our testimonies and the gospel of Jesus. He reminds us that each part of the body of Christ is useful and necessary, and when one part is out of alignment, the whole body suffers. You and I were designed and purposed to showcase His glory, urging people to know and trust Him, to surrender and believe in Him, and to finally understand what true family feels like. We often say we want to know His plans and promises, but He has already given them to us in His Word. We have questions about His character but we don’t choose to find our answers in His word. We have to know what He says in order to learn His heart. We have to know what He has promised in order to set our expectations. We have to know His word. So, as we seek to know His character and promises, let us remember they’ve already been laid out for us in His Word—it's up to us to trust, surrender, and consistently seek Him.
