05.08.08

The Faithfulness of God

In my daily Bible reading, I just finished the Book of Judges.  What a strange book that is.  It is named after an interesting collection of individuals who led Israel from after Joshua’s death until the rise of the monarchy.  The Book of Judges recounts a time of national decline.

Despite their promise to keep the covenant, the people of God turned from the Lord and worshipped other gods.  The phrase that describes that era is recorded twice in the book (17:6 and 21:25): “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”.

A tragic pattern is repeated throughout that period of Israel’s history.
-Sin:  The people forsook the Lord
-Suffering:  God punished them by raising up a foreign power to oppress them.
-Supplication:  The people cried out to God for deliverance.
-Salvation:  God raised up a deliverer for them.

As I read about this series of events, which is repeated over and over again in the account, I cannot help but be reminded of how that describes God’s people today.  Too often, we are guilty of doing what is right in our own eyes, rather than doing what is right in God’s eyes.  When we do, we get into trouble, as our enemy attacks and oppresses us.  Eventually, we repent of our sins and God forgives us and delivers us from the guilt and grip of our sin.  For a period of time, we live as we ought but then find ourselves right back into sin and into the same dangerous cycle we observe in the Book of Judges.

Of the many lessons and warnings that arise from this influential portion of Scriptures, the primary consideration for me is that of the faithfulness of God.  I am so glad that even when I am not faithful to Christ, He is always faithful to me.  I am so thankful that when I sin, He does not give up on me.  He disciplines me and forgives me when I repent and restores me into full fellowship once again.  (1 John 1:9)  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How great is that!  Will you thank God today for His faithfulness?  Praise Him that when we sin and suffer because of our sin, we can cry out to Him in supplication and He, somehow, comes to our rescue.  Having saved us from sin once and for all, He saves us from our situations many times, does He not?

Praise our Heavenly Father today because of His faithfulness.  Memorize this short Psalm from the New Living Translation, as a constant reminder of the wonderful love and mercy of the Lord.

(Psalm 117:1-2 NLT)
    "Praise the Lord, all you nations.
     Praise Him, all you people of the earth.
     For He loves us with unfailing love;
     The faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
     Praise the Lord!"


Have a blessed day.
Pastor David