Feb 13 2022 How to Trust God's Faithfulness Part 1

Ex. 34:6 The LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness,

We know that God is faithful. He is consistent. How do we trust in His faithfulness?

The Bible describes God’s faithfulness in many ways:

Ps 100: 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Love = loyal love - chesed

Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. (Psa 119:90 TNIV)

So the first thing we see – God’s faithfulness is timeless – it is eternal – it is compared to the earth – the Psalmist is saying – if He can keep the earth going – stable and consistent, then He can do the same for us.

When we think of it in our terms – God has been faithful to us in our past – and now, God is faithful to us in the present and will be in the future.

We know these things are true. We might not always believe that – but God has been and will be faithful.

We all have stories of looking into our past where God was faithful.

Some of us have many stories – and they often relate around provision – God being faithful to provide – and the second – was God’s faithfulness to answer prayer.

For me – one of the things that established my trust – I started praying that my parents would come to a relationship with Christ – and I asked the Lord to remind me to pry that every night. Within a five-year period, both of my parents came to Christ. When I started, they were far from God. But God answered and was faithful.

When I first got saved, our fellowship encouraged people to read biographies. These people saw extraordinary provision for their lives – and we believed that was what God would do – and occasionally we would see that happen. But sometimes, we were disappointed. Things sometimes just don’t happen. I’m praying just as hard for both, but this thing is not happening.

Regarding God’s faithfulness, most of the time we experience it in normal ways. That is really important. Here is what I mean: you get a job – you work hard – that job provides for your family – you have experienced God’s faithfulness to you in that.

Here is another one. You have a job – and it is not providing for your family’s needs. So you go back to school – and then, you experience God’s faithfulness in God’s way.

A skeptic might say – you worked hard – you got the job.

IN the time these verses were written, their lives were dependent on farming or agriculture. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of hours – but they also understood that they needed rain. So when the crops grew and they had an abundant harvest, they understood, yes, they worked hard, but it was God’s faithfulness that provided for them.

God gives us the ability to work. He gives us the brains and strength to work hard. It would be helpful to all of us in trusting in God’s faithfulness if we would see that those things are a demonstration of God’s faithfulness.

Some of our stories are spectacular, some are normal, but I’m sure we have also experienced, at times, where we felt that God was unfaithful. Maybe we lost a job and struggled to find one and never found one that was as good. Maybe it is recurring health concerns that have not gone away. Or for some, who had to deal with abuse, you can ask, where was God when that was taking place.

If this is something you struggle with, you are in good company. If you struggle trusting God’s faithfulness because of something in the past – you are in good company. The psalmists often said – how long O lord, - or where are you God?

God is patient when we struggle in trusting Him.

Example: Abraham and Sarah – They were promised a child and all the world would be blessed through them. Years passed and they no longer believed – so they decided to have a child in another way – and how did that turn out? Not so well. But eventually – they received the promise.

They, like us, had lost all hope that God would be faithful to His promise.

David – when he was young, was promised that he would sit on the throne. It took decades – even living in obscurity and fearing for his life, because Saul, the king at the time, was trying to kill him.

Israel – was faithless and God was faithful – and had to wander in the desert for 40 years. In that time, their shoes never wore out!

God fed them!

God gave them water in some spectacular and strange ways – but while they waited, God was also faithful in normal ways, as they waited for the promise to be fulfilled.

Another way we see God’s faithfulness:

Ps 36:5 Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, and your faithfulness reaches the clouds. (Psalm 57:10 NET)

Now, the first verse – literal translation is clouds – even as His faithfulness is timeless, so it also fills every space in our lives. You can’t go too high or too low. Even above the clouds!

Another aspect of God’s faithfulness – as I was studying this – plugging faithfulness into the Bible program – there are a number of ways God is faithful that we don’t even think about!

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

God is faithful to us when we are tempted! He is faithful to support and give us a way out!

For me – maybe you have done this too – to think – when we are tempted, we are on our own! Like we think God is saying – let’s see how he handles this one! We all experience temptation and God wants us to turn to Him!

What happens a lot of times, when I am tempted, I automatically feel defeated – like, gosh, will I ever get over this? No! Being tempted is normal! If you are not being tempted, you might want to think about that! Jesus was tempted – did He fail? No, it is about what happens NEXT.

We feel like we already failed, because we are tempted, and then we withdraw from God. But you have not failed God because you are tempted.

Anxiety – Philippians says to be anxious for nothing (4:6) – and that is depressing. How many of you are anxious for nothing? Anxiety is a normal feeling – usually caused by negative news or an event that has potential to bring you harm – and that naturally stirs up feelings of anxiety. What happens at that point is the issue. When you get the news, what happens next? That is what matters.

I understand – before I say anything else – there are those who have clinical and physiological reasons for anxiety and need professional help. I am not talking about that.

But for the garden variety anxiety problems- like for me, raising kids caused a lot of anxiety. Something negative happens – or news that something could be going wrong – and you begin being anxious about it. It can go two ways – either negative, or trusting in God’s faithfulness. Negative – responding with fear, anger, shame, or guilt. There are others, I’m sure – but if that is our first response, we usually either withdraw or seek to control. We become the fixer, the enabler.

We were talking last night – when we went to school – the things the teachers did – if they did them today, they would be fired! What has happened today – we have helicopter parents. They went through that and don’t want their kids to go through the same. That is fine – but sometimes the tendency is to manipulate and control.

The more positive way is to start by trusting God – Phil. 4:6-7

There is something we can do when anxiety begins where we can put our trust in God.

Thanksgiving, prayer, supplication – let God know what you need.

Peter says – cast all your anxieties upon Him – because He cares for you.

God wants us to give our anxieties to Him. This can happen at work – it can happen at church!

At work – as we see things – we think, that could have a negative impact on my job! How will you respond? Guilt, anger, manipulation?

Last week after church we started a conversation. What are some things we can do? There might be things that have to do with CHANGE! Oh no!

If we adopt some new things, maybe the thing that really matters to me will be changed! What matters is how we respond. The normal way is fear, anger, and guilt. Control, manipulation, withdrawal – passive aggressive, or whatever is the result.

Edwin Freeman – wrote about organizational and family systems and the effect of anxiety on those things – that is his expertise. He used this phrase – we need to become a non-anxious presence in those situations.

Phil 4 is all about conflict within a church – that is the context of ‘be anxious for nothing’ –

I heard this podcast – not really tied to this, but it does, completely –

Jesus’ example – what a non-anxious presence looks like and how to get there.

Foot washing – Jesus – knowing that He came from the father and was going back to the father – stood up. He already told them His hour had come – if we were going to the cross, there would be a lot of anxiety – but Jesus knows He is secure in the father’s love and faithfulness. He stands up – and puts on the robe of a slave – the servant’s towel. This is not perfect exegesis – but how God spoke to him – to wash the disciples’ feet – he would have had to kneel. How do we set boundaries in a church while giving freedom – even in the midst of different theology – he responded – I need to learn to stand and kneel at the same time. To engage the conversation – stand for the truth! We like that part! But then, at the exact same time, we need to kneel, in humility – before those who disagree with us.

OF course, I am talking about those of good will, not of those with evil intent.

Philippians 4 – right before that – rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, rejoice – let your forbearing spirit be made known to all – the Lord is near – and THEN – Be anxious for nothing.

Forbearing – approachable, entreatable, patient – you need to learn to understand. You need to stand – but you need to kneel before your brother and sister in humility. That is critical to dealing with anxiety. Because anxiety is so much relationships.

A health issue can cause anxiety, but so much of it takes place in relationships. Right smack in the middle of these verses is our humility – to be approachable, entreatable – kneeling while we stand.

2 Tim 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9 NASB)

Ps. 37:3Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Psalm 89: I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

I have not failed to tell about your justice; I spoke about your reliability and deliverance; I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. (Psalm 40:10 NET)