April 18 - Faithful God
April 18
Faithful God
Bible Reading: II Timothy 2:8-13
8Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. 12If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
LOOK OVER THE following checklist, and check every circumstance in which you think God will be faithful to you or will still love you, still believe in you, and still expect the best from you:
If I eat all my vegetables at dinnertime
If I don't eat all my vegetables at dinnertime
If I eat my brother's vegetables at dinnertime
If I join the chess club
If I join a motorcycle club
If I join a CD, Blue Ray, and DVD club
If I sell everything I own and give the money to the poor
If I sell everything my parents own and give the money to the poor
If I sell everything my parents own and keep the money
If I shave my sister's head while she sleeps
If I shave my sister's head while she's awake
If I'm kind to children and animals
If I'm kind to children who act like animals
Now, score yourself: If you left any item on the list unchecked, you don't understand God's faithfulness. If, on the other hand, you checked every single answer, you probably know something about God's faithfulness that most people don't understand.
You see, God isn't like many of our friends and acquaintances. He isn't faithful to us only when we act a certain way. He isn't faithful to us only if we do what He wants. He is faithful to us no matter what, because faithfulness is a part of His nature; it's part of who He is.
That's what the Bible means when it says, "If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). He can't stop being who He is, and since faithful is part of who He is, He can't stop being faithful.
That means He will always love you, always believe in you, and always expect the best of you. He will never leave you, He will never betray you, He will never let you down. No matter what you do, He remains faithful--because that's who He is.
REFLECT: Have you ever failed God? Have you ever ignored Him? Disappointed Him? If so, did He leave you or forsake you then, or was He faithful to you? (Remember that faithfulness isn't just what God does; it's part of who He is.)
PRAY: Look up the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," and read or sing it aloud as a prayer to God. (If you need help locating the hymn, ask your parents.)