Faithfulness

'…Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life’ (Rev 2:10).

The word “faithfulness” is frequently used in the Old Testament to describe the way God always keeps His promises. It means keeping faith, staying loyal to something, or showing a strong sense of duty. In biblical Hebrew, “faith” and “faithfulness” are grammatically related. God is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations (Deut 7:9). Have you been disappointed by men? God is faithful; He will not leave you at the eleventh hour, nor will He leave you in deep waters. You can be sure of this; He will not leave you when the night is dark. His promise is I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5). Hold unto your faith in Him and His word. He says He is not a man to lie nor the son of man to change his mind. Simply put, you can always rely on God’s faithfulness because He honours his promises.

Christians should be inspired by God’s faithfulness. Faithfulness should be characteristic of God’s people. In the Old and New Testaments, “faith” includes “faithfulness.” That is, faith is more than just a momentary agreement with the truth of God. It is a commitment to that truth, and is shown through obedience. God uses human marriage to illustrate His covenant relationship with His people in the Old Testament and Christ’s love for the church in the New Testament. In marriage two people who have found each other, pledge to each other a lifetime of commitment. They vow to be devoted and loving, and promise never to leave or forsake each other. These vows of faithfulness are the bedrock of marriage. Similarly, every Christian has a covenant relationship with God, which should not be taken for granted. God expects us to be faithful to Him and to our fellow men.

‘Before David became qualified to rule as king of Zion, he first had to be found faithful in three places. Examine them carefully, for you too must pass these three tests:

First, at home in Bethlehem; that is where David learned to be responsible; to earn a living and support his family, to develop his relationship with God and to overcome the resentment of others because of God’s favour on his life. Charity begins at home. It’s here you become qualified to handle bigger assignments by being faithful in smaller ones. It is here that your character is developed and your dependability proven.

Secondly in the cave of Adullam; by living among the misfits and rejects of society David learned to give of himself to others, without expecting anything in return; to love and serve others even when his own life was under attack. Adullam is where our kingdom dies and God’s kingdom is showcased through us. It is here that God deals with every self seeking, self serving motive in our hearts. Sadly speaking some of us never make it out of this cave (1 Sam 22).

Thirdly on mount Hebron; the word Hebron means ‘covenant’. It was the highest mountain in Israel and there was no easy road to the top. It was uphill all the way. It is that way with covenant relationships; they require loyalty regardless of circumstance, Truthfulness regardless of cost, forgiveness regardless of pain’ (Bob Gass). Remember, God rewards faithfulness. It brings eternal rewards (Heb 3:14), a good reputation and trust from others (prov 3:3,4). God chooses to accomplish great deeds through faithful people (Ruth 4:11)

God always has a remnant of faithful followers. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found them selves in a foreign land but remained faithful to the point of death (Dan 3).

In your covenant relationship with God are you being faithful to Him? The next lesson is, 'the test of faithfulness'.