Recounting His Faithfulness

 I talk a lot about God' faithfulness. And it is true. He is faithful. The other day I talked with some retired missionaries to Eastern Asia (37yrs!) and was recounting my life's story with emphasis on "Maybe the LORD is moving me by this?" events.  When I came to the here and now part of my story, I included my finals week miracles. As the words fell out of my mouth something clicked. Maybe instead of His faithfulness I should be recounting these things as His mercy and grace.

I do not deserve any of the blessings He keeps giving to me. There is nothing in me that makes me worthy of such goodness- nothing save Jesus. So instead faithfulness, which is to say that He keeps His Word/promises, is it not that He is love and bestows good gifts on His children? 

What does it really mean that God is faithful? Faithful to who? To what?  John MarArthur puts it this way:

"Faithfulness is the belt around God's waist.(Isaiah 11:5) It holds all his
attributes together. Whatever he is in terms of all of his attributes, he is always that. He is faithful to
his nature."

I love that first sentence, the whole quote really. By this, and what I thought already, to say that God is faithful is not a wrong way to glorify Him when the recounting of His works in my life, but maybe it is not the very best way.  I think that I should be more specific. How is God being faithful and true in each circumstance? Maybe even cite verses that speak of the specific attribute.   Imagine the exercise of the mind and even Spiritual muscle if I described how specifically the Lord proves His word. Think of the glory (I don't exactly like this term because we cannot add to His glory but that is another post.) that God receives when we really seek to know the specifics of His character! 

So I urge you...

Consider. Seek. Declare. how He is faithful.

Comments

  1. "when we really seek to know the specifics of His character"...
    i have been thinking about that, too. makes me think of that story in acts
    (acts 4: 23-31)Peter and John has been arrested, threatened, and told not to teach in the name of Jesus (of course they say they won't obey that). And then they tell their own fellowship, and they pray - primarily they pray to God about... himself. how He created everything, how he foretold that rulers would stand against Jesus, and THEN they make their request. but all the prayer is wrapped up in the Lord and who he is, and what he wants.
    What if we spent more time praying to God about himself and asking him to help us fulfill his will, and less time praying for things like... traveling mercies. not that the latter is bad. but what if the former is better?
    I have been wondering what would happen if we'd get together in groups to try to learn about God's character and praise him for it? never really heard of a prayer meeting like that, but it might be a blessed thing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. and specificity is a good point, too :) I know i'd rather here 'this is the most delicious chicken ever, so moist' than 'good dinner, thanks.' ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ann voskamp says 'slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything leaves me truly thankful for very few things in my life' (er, something like that.)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment