God is Faithful

God is Faithful
Count on Him (Not on Your Own Ability)
In the 55th chapter of Isaiah, God tells us some important things about His Word.
Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Let's look at the verse in its context (55:8-13) "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

"So shall my word be which goeth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Take a close look at what this is saying. God's ways are higher, better.
God's ways are nourishing.
God's words are never wasted: they do the job that God sends them to do.
In contrast to God's ways are man's ways.
Man's words do not have the same qualities that God's words do.

These days people talk about "attitude." Well, God has one, and it doesn't change. Malachi 4:6a "I am the Lord. I change not . . . " And God always tells the truth. Man doesn't.
Sometimes men lie on purpose;
sometimes they just aren't able to live up to their promises.
God never lies, and he always keeps his promises.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? This tells us that God NEVER lies
and that he never needs to go back on a promise.
The questions in the verse are rhetorical.
(They're figures of speech used to make a point. Their answers are obvious.
The figure of speech dramatically emphasizes the answer.)

We need God in our lives, and He has promised to be "our sufficiency." II Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." The key to receiving a promise from God (the key to letting Him be our sufficiency) is to believe in God's ability to keep his promise.
It's His ability we look at, not our own. PERIOD.

Abraham is our example of believing God. He believed that God is faithful to His promise. Romans 4:20,21 "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith [believing] giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised he was able also to perform."

We too simply need confidence towards God. I John 3:21 "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God." If our heart condemns us, can we have confidence toward God? No.
Let's look at the next verse. I John 3:22 "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

As we do those things that are pleasing in his sight,
we are trusting God to be our sufficiency.
As we do those things that are pleasing in his sight,
we are keeping our eyes on God.
In His Word, God does tell us to do some specific things;
but God never tells us to analyze our shortcomings
or figure out ways to get even.
(These are "man's ways," and they DO return void.)
In His Word, God gives us ways to make His Thoughts, our thoughts.
Yes, those are the thoughts at the top of the page -
The ones that don't return void.
And again we can be like our example Abraham -
Believe that God is faithful.
Keep your eyes on him
and not on the circumstances, symptoms,
or problems that the world would have you concentrate on.
Looking at them will not make them go away.
Looking to God will bring you deliverance. Trust God.

I Corinthians 2:5 "That your faith [believing] should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Let's close with some verses to remind us that our God is faithful: Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;"

II Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."

I Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."

I Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape."

God IS faithful. Put your trust in Him and His Promises.

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