The Unquestionable Faithfulness of Almighty God

Meditation upon

the Unquestionable Faithfulness of Almighty God

1 Corinthians 1:9 and Lamentations 3:22-24

In 1 Corinthians 1:9, the apostle Paul reminds the church at Corinth of God’s faithfulness.  “God who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”  The late Rev. Dr. D. James Kennedy, the longstanding Senior Pastor of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,” once alluded to the enduring faithfulness of Almighty God as one of the proofs of God’s existence.  At the time of the sermon in which he addressed this issue, Dr. Kennedy had been a Christian for more than forty years.  In those four decades, God never failed to extend His unfailing love, enduring mercy and limitless grace.  It matters not the height of the challenge, depth of despair, width of adversity or length of trial, God is always faithful. 

One of the most practical ways in which God demonstrates His faithfulness is His providential placement of the “right” people in our paths.  Reflect for a moment on the bountiful blessings that came to you through the appearance of persons whose hearts were disposed favorably toward you.  Whether a job lead, reference letter, or monetary gift, these people personified God’s provision.  Their kindnesses manifested God’s unquestionable faithfulness.

The prophet, Jeremiah, encourages his fellow exiles by referring to God’s faithfulness.  As a nation of believers in the fierce monotheistic supremacy of Yahweh over all other gods of their surrounding neighbors some of whom were cousins, Israel stands bewildered by the Babylonian captivity which her preeminent God allows.  Understandably, they asks if God has abandon Israel and finally forsaken the covenant He made with their foreparents, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  “Change and decay in all around I see;” conceivably, they could have sung their version of those lyrics from the hymn, “Abide With Me.”  Then, they assuredly ask painstaking theological questions relating to whether God is really all-powerful, all-knowing, all-kind and ever-present.  To answer this very personal and existential dilemma, Jeremiah suggests that God’s unfailing love yields His incredible mercy when impedes His righteous judgment and punishment.  After all, Israel’s idolatrous worship of Solomon’s great and glorious temple instead of glorifying the God for whose Name it was built.  The books of First and Second Chronicles warn the nation against the sin of temple worship and institutionalization of religion in exchange for rightly relating to Yahweh.  True to His nature and self declaration as “a jealous God,” Yahweh permits the wholesale destruction of the temple. 

Additionally, Jeremiah tells the nation that God’s compassion never fails.  Notwithstanding God’s holiness and justice, He is indeed all-kind and shows grace and mercy regardless of human sin.  The prophet assures the people of this practical attribute of God despite their errors which warrant God’s wrath.  Similar to the manna in the wilderness period which God provided fresh each morning, His compassions arrive on time with each dawn.  You may recall from the book of Jeremiah (chapter 29) that the exilic period lasts seventy years; that equals 25,550 days.  The totality of God’s daily demonstration of compassion without fail culminates in Jeremiah’s overwhelming joy.  He triumphantly and enthusiastically declares “Great is your faithfulness O Lord.”  These verses in Lamentations comprise the foundation of the great and enduring hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

As you begin a new week, I pray that you will proceed confidently to handle your myriad affairs with the blessed assurance that each circumstance affords you another opportunity to experience the existence and presence of God as revealed in His undeniable faithfulness.