God's Amazing Faithfulness
God calls for us to be faithful to Him by doing what He asks us to do. He does this by establishing a covenant with us. A covenant has two partners, both of whom have responsibilities to fulfill. God is always faithful to fulfill His part of the covenants He starts. The problem comes when we are not faithful to do our part. Abram is a great example of God's covenant faithfulness.(Genesis 12:2,3) It has been 4,000 years since God established His covenant with Abram, and God is still holding up His end of the bargain. That is amazing faithfulness.
God asked Abram to leave his country and go to a land that God would show him. It took Abram a while to get there, but he obeyed God and made it to the land of Canaan. God promised to give his descendants that land "forever." Also, God promised to do several other things, if Abram would be faithful to follow Him. God promised to make Abram a great "people group" or nation. He has done that abundantly for these 4,000 years, and He has blessed the descendants of Abram, as He promised. Just think of how many people groups have disappeared during the history of the world, but the Jewish people are going strong. Think of how God has used them and preserved them, even through the Holocaust. Also, God fulfilled the covenant by blessing those who bless them and cursing those who curse them. He is still doing that today. Finally, God made sure all of the families of the earth were blessed through Abram's family. He sent the Lord Jesus to be the Savior for all people everywhere. Isn't that amazing faithfulness?
Now, think about your life. If you are not in a covenant relationship with God, you can start one today by trusting Christ as Lord of your life. This is not a one time trust, just so your sins will be forgiven. It is a forever trust, because it is a forever covenant. When you start the covenant by turning from your way of living and beginning to live by trusting Christ, He will be faithful to bless you with all you need. I am not saying that your life will be easy all the time, or that you will have all you want. I am saying that He is amazing at how He sustains His children. However, if we are unfaithful to our part of the covenant, He will have to punish us. He has done that to the descendants of Abram through the years, too. It is only right, because our part of the covenant is to be faithful to trust Jesus, as Lord.
God's amazing faithfulness is a major theme of the Bible. As you read this year, notice how God goes out of His way to give His people every chance to fulfill their part of the covenant, while continuing to be faithful to them. Notice that even when He punishes His people, He is longing for them to return to Him, so the covenant relationship can be all it should be. He is so amazing!
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 14-17.
God asked Abram to leave his country and go to a land that God would show him. It took Abram a while to get there, but he obeyed God and made it to the land of Canaan. God promised to give his descendants that land "forever." Also, God promised to do several other things, if Abram would be faithful to follow Him. God promised to make Abram a great "people group" or nation. He has done that abundantly for these 4,000 years, and He has blessed the descendants of Abram, as He promised. Just think of how many people groups have disappeared during the history of the world, but the Jewish people are going strong. Think of how God has used them and preserved them, even through the Holocaust. Also, God fulfilled the covenant by blessing those who bless them and cursing those who curse them. He is still doing that today. Finally, God made sure all of the families of the earth were blessed through Abram's family. He sent the Lord Jesus to be the Savior for all people everywhere. Isn't that amazing faithfulness?
Now, think about your life. If you are not in a covenant relationship with God, you can start one today by trusting Christ as Lord of your life. This is not a one time trust, just so your sins will be forgiven. It is a forever trust, because it is a forever covenant. When you start the covenant by turning from your way of living and beginning to live by trusting Christ, He will be faithful to bless you with all you need. I am not saying that your life will be easy all the time, or that you will have all you want. I am saying that He is amazing at how He sustains His children. However, if we are unfaithful to our part of the covenant, He will have to punish us. He has done that to the descendants of Abram through the years, too. It is only right, because our part of the covenant is to be faithful to trust Jesus, as Lord.
God's amazing faithfulness is a major theme of the Bible. As you read this year, notice how God goes out of His way to give His people every chance to fulfill their part of the covenant, while continuing to be faithful to them. Notice that even when He punishes His people, He is longing for them to return to Him, so the covenant relationship can be all it should be. He is so amazing!
Tomorrow, I intend to read Genesis 14-17.