Finding His Faithfulness
Message by: Carolina Tamayo
July 9, 2020
Scriptural references: (NIV)
Deuteronomy 7:9
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, he is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations to those who love him and keep his commandments.”
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Greetings & God Bless you this evening.
It is such a blessing to share God’s word tonight.
I would like us for the next few minutes to spend time focusing on the Faithfulness of our God.
Deuteronomy 7:9
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, he is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations to those who love him and keep his commandments.”
In trying times and in uncertain times it is often difficult for us to focus on God’s Faithfulness.
It is much easier to focus on the trial or the difficulties rather than God’s Faithfulness to us as His children.
We may even question what God is doing and why He is not intervening.
At this very moment with so much turmoil in the world it is easier to focus on the troubles rather than God.
These are very human thoughts and questions.
But the greater question is who is the God that you serve?
Many of us have placed God into a nicely configured box.. One that looks good on the outside and meets all of our expectations of who he is.
We believe erroneous things like
God will always make life easy for us, or that He is like Santa or a Genie who is there to grant our wishes.
We like to believe that it would not be God’s will for us to sacrifice, or want or struggle. We believe that it is His job to make our lives easy once we have accepted Him.
These are false views of God.
So it is no wonder that Many Christians struggle with accepting God’s will when it doesn’t go our way.
In fact, God has reminded us many times that in the word that we would face troubles.
In James 1:2-3 James advises that we take Joy in our troubles because the testing of our faith will produce perseverance, and perseverance must finish the work so that we can be complete and mature.
We will face struggles and trials! We live in a sinful world and the struggle between light & dark is real. BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL
As Christians we also struggle with the question of WHY?
And the truth is that there are many things we will not understand until we are perfected (in heaven with Him).
But even when we do not understand why something is happening we can trust in him. Because His Is FAITHFUL
Eventhough we may face challenges and even though we may question the times we are living in.. we must remember that God is Faithful.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
That is because our God is Faithful.
And we can trust in His faithfulness. Some of us have gone through things that we did not believe we could survive, BUT God is faithful.
In order to find this faithfulness in our lives we must begin to activate our faith in him
You may say I do believe in God. Yes you may, you may have made the decision to give your heart to God, but when the rubber hits the road..
When Crisis time arrives are you really trusting on God? Is your faith in him? Do you turn to God first? Or do you post scathing reviews and complaints on your social media outlet?
Since I was young one of my power scriptures has always been
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.
This tiny scripture packs a really big punch!
It is challenging us to expand our tangible understanding of FAITH & the world around us. This scripture uses words which seem to contradict each other like… substance of hope & evidence of the unseen.
This scripture fills in the blanks.
IT IS OUR FAITH IN HIM THAT ACTIVATES HIS FAITHFULNESS so that we can have the hopes and the evidence He wants to give us.
When you get a chance read Hebrews 11 – It’s filled with substance & evidence of God’s Faithfulness activated by the Faith of those who loved and obeyed Him!
Abraham is a great example of faith, There was not one but many times in which Abraham’s faith was tested and at each turn God showed Himself faithful to His servant.
God told Abraham to go and without even knowing where Abraham went. And God provided for Abraham and took him to the promised land.
God told Abraham that Sarah would bare him a child - something that was impossible in human terms but Abraham obeyed and the child was born.
God told Abraham to offer his son Issac as an offering to the Lord and Abraham obeyed and God provided a sacrificial lamb.
In these places you may be focused on the action of obedience and faith in Abraham. But Abraham was also not perfect and tried to do things his own way sometimes.
It was when he submitted, obeyed and put his faith in God that God showed His faithfulness each time.
I know that many of us want to see the Faithfulness of God in our lives, But we cannot see that Faithfulness until we are ready to submit, obey and place our Faith in God
I, like many of you have seen His faithfulness in my life… That does not mean life has been perfect. In fact some of the times where I have recognized His faithfulness most was in the times of trouble, struggle and trials in my life.
But He has been so Faithful. And I want to continue to see His Faithfulness in my life in the everyday, in provision, in guidance, in love and also in the miraculous.
So let’s place our Faith in Him and obey His direction in our lives so that we can see His Faithful works in our lives.
I will leave you with this word again:
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, he is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations to those who love him and keep his commandments.”