Tag Archives: faithfulness

January 12, 2024 · 5:38 AM

3,000 Devotions

Eleven years, eight months and three days ago I posted the first devotional to this site. This devotional is my 3,000th one to write. When I started out, it was because I heard God tell me to write. I imagined book deals and thousands of followers, but that never happened. What did happen was that I learned how to hear from God, dig into His Word and be faithful to what He asked no matter what. When people ask me about writing, I simply let them know that this is an act of obedience. If nothing huge ever comes from this, I’m good because that isn’t my motivation. Like me, God has called you to be faithful to do something. We can imagine all the things our faithfulness will bring as we dream of success. However, God’s idea of success and ours are often different. Can you be continue to be faithful to it even when your idea of success isn’t met? No matter what God has asked you to do, keep at it daily. God teaches us and uses us through our faithfulness .

Here are some Bible verses on being obedient.

1. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

1 Samuel 12:24 ESV

2. Life’s blessings drench the honest and faithful person, but punishment rains down upon the greedy and dishonest.

Proverbs 28:20 TPT

3. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

4. The master was full of praise. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

Matthew 25:21 NLT

5. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

Photo by Jonathan J. Castellon on Unsplash

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January 18, 2023 · 5:44 AM

Be Faithful Now

My wife and I watched History Channel’s “Men Who Built America”. The show discusses several titans of industry during Reconstruction after the Civil War up to the early 1900’s. It was incredible to see what these men did and how they operated. It was also eye opening how they would do anything to make money. Because of them, we have a lot of the labor and antitrust laws. They were often ruthless in their pursuit, but two men changed their tune as they got older and began trying to make a difference by give away their fortune to philanthropic causes and charities. J.P. Morgan gave away around $900 million in today’s money and John D. Rockefeller gave away around $540 million. To this day their philanthropic causes live on.

In Luke 16, Jesus told the story of a rich man who had a manager of his affairs. It turned out the manager was wasting the money so the rich man called him to account. The guy was afraid of being unemployed and didn’t want to beg so he cut what each person owed with all of his boss’s debtors. He figured he would make friends before he left so that he would have a place to land. The boss was impressed with how shrewd he was. Then in verse 9, Jesus said, “Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (NLT). While Jesus doesn’t discourage us from being rich or making money, He does encourage us to give and make a difference with what we have.

In the next two verses Jesus continued, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” Sometimes we think we need to be rich to make a difference or to give, but this verse clearly tells us to be faithful with what we have, even if it’s a little. Many of us pursue more money and better jobs, but how can we handle that if we’re not making a difference with what we have. The same is true with our spiritual gifts. Many people look for ministries that are in the spotlight or get lots of attention, but God is looking to see if we can be faithful when no one sees. When we are faithful with a little, He trusts us with a lot.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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September 2, 2022 · 5:36 AM

Remembering God’s Faithfulness

Nothing makes you forget the past like the present. The Old Testament shows how we as humans go through cycles of seeing God do something amazing, allowing it to change us, facing something new, forgetting what God has done then panicking. Over time, we tend to forget all that God has done and brought us through. God gave instructions to the Israelites to do different things in order to remember what He did. When we remember, we have faith in Him to do it again. When we forget, our problems seem insurmountable. God will not abandon you. He has a history of meeting whatever you’re facing head on and beating it. Don’t let your present cause you to forget God’s faithfulness. Remember today what He’s done for you in the past.

Here are some Bible verses on remembering God’s faithfulness.

1. You shall not be afraid of them; you shall remember [with confidence] what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.

Deuteronomy 7:18 AMP

2. Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

Isaiah 46:9 ESV

3. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given.

Psalms 105:5 NLT

4. I remember the glorious miracles of days gone by, and I often think of all the wonders of old.

Psalms 143:5 TPT

5. Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.

Lamentations 3:21, 23 GNT

Photo by Aravind Vijayan on Unsplash

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November 19, 2021 · 5:34 AM

Being Faithful

One thing we all hope to hear one day is, “Well done, good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21).” The word “faithful” to me is key in this sentence. There are so many things that are entrusted to us by God that we must be faithful over. We can’t just manage what He’s given us. We need to be dedicated and devoted to growing them. Remember the Parable of the Talents”? To be faithful over something is more than burying it in the sand. God has called us to be faithful to Him, our life in union with Him and to these things He has entrusted to each one of based on our abilities.

Here are some Bible verses on being faithful.

1. Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones.

Luke 16:10 GNT

2. And don’t be intimidated by those who are older than you; simply be the example they need to see by being faithful and true in all that you do. Speak the truth and live a life of purity and authentic love as you remain strong in your faith.

1 Timothy 4:12 TPT

3. When he arrived and saw how God had blessed the people, he was glad and urged them all to be faithful and true to the Lord with all their hearts.

Acts 11:23 GNT

4. Be faithful to pray as intercessors who are fully alert and giving thanks to God.

Colossians 4:2 TPT

5. So until I come, be diligent in devouring the Word of God, be faithful in prayer, and in teaching the believers.

1 Timothy 4:13 TPT

What has God called you to be faithful over?

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

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January 30, 2015 · 5:30 AM

10 Scriptures On God’s Faithfulness

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1. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:23 NLT)

2. For the word of the Lord is right; and all His work is done in faithfulness. (Psalm 33:4 AMP)

3. Praise GOD, everybody! Applaud GOD, all people! His love has taken over our lives; GOD ’s faithful ways are eternal. Hallelujah! (Psalm 117:1-2 MSG)

4. If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13 AMP)

5. With faithfulness and love he leads all who keep his covenant and obey his commands. (Psalms 25:10 GNB)

6. Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. (Psalms 119:90 NLT)

7. May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 MSG)

8. Yet the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen [you] and set you on a firm foundation and guard you from the evil [one]. (2 Thessalonians 3:3 AMP)

9. Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT)

10. The Lord says, “I love justice and I hate oppression and crime. I will faithfully reward my people And make an eternal covenant with them. (Isaiah 61:8 GNB)

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September 3, 2013 · 7:50 AM

The Other Side of Obedience

Years ago, I made a lot of mistakes. I’m not saying I still don’t make them, but the ones I’m talking about were life altering mistakes. I’m still paying for them a decade later. I knew I was still paying for them physically, mentally and emotionally, but I hadn’t really understood how I was paying for them spiritually. Once I sought God’s forgiveness for those mistakes, that aspect was taken care of, but there was more to it than my need for forgiveness. There have been barriers that I’ve built up because of it that have caused me to limit God’s ability to bless me.

I feel like I’m a pretty blessed person as it is, but over the last few weeks, I’m realizing that God desires to bless me more than He has been. Recently, my wife and I have been working together to tear down a wall that was built years ago from those mistakes. As we pull it down brick by brick, it’s been like cracks in a dam. Blessings have been gushing out at us. We look at each other in amazement after each incident and wonder, “Could we have experienced this years ago had we tried to tear it down then?” I think the answer is yes.

God has several principles or laws in place that if we were to simply obey, we’d reap the reward on the other side. One of those laws is “give and it shall be given to you.” We’ve mainly heard this applied to the Church, but I believe it applies to anyone. If you give to others, God opens doors to bless you. I’ve heard it said, “If God can get it through you, He’ll get it to you.” I’m finding this to be true in my own life. The more we’re willing to give to others, the more God is willing to give to us. That said, giving in order to get is the wrong motivation.

When we give in order to bless, God sees our hearts and is willing to open up the windows of Heaven to pour out blessings on us. I think those blessings are intended to keep the cycle of blessing others going. If we hoard the blessings that God pours on us, then the cycle stops. We become like the man in the parable who hid his talent. What we have will be taken from us instead of us giving it freely. God trusts us with the ability to bless others, but we fail to trust Him to do His part. We’re afraid to let go because we have too little.

What I’ve found is that even my “little” can be a blessing to someone else. When I released that “little”, God released more to me. When I released that amount, He poured out more. Now we are enjoying the cycle of blessing. Just last night, my wife said, “I’m excited to see how this next blessing will take place.” God gave us a blessing yesterday and now we’re actively looking to see how we can give it away. It’s not because we’re expecting God to turn around and bless us again, but because being a blessing is so much fun. Acting on God’s behalf is the greatest blessing there is.

Our friend Mike always asks, “What has God placed in your hands?” It may not be much in your eyes, but it is a lot to someone else and even more in God’s eyes. Whatever God has given you and told you to release, let me encourage you today to be faithful to God with it. If He asks you to release it, then release it. You will be tearing down a wall that has been holding back blessings just waiting to be released because of your obedience. Look around today and be a blessing to others. You never know what’s on the other side of your obedience.

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September 25, 2012 · 5:59 AM

God’s Faithfulness

I’m not sure why I am constantly surprised by the goodness of God. There are times where I am just caught off guard at His faithfulness. I look at my life and I see all of my short comings and wonder why God would choose to bless me and to pour out His love on me. I know that I am unworthy of any gift that He gives, yet He still opens up the windows of Heaven and pours them out.

I think that’s one of the areas where it is hard to understand God because our minds try to rationalize Him as a human with human behaviors. We know the we are spiteful and hold grudges and we expect Him to. When He doesn’t, it blows our mind. I love how the psalmist put it in Psalm 36:5 when he said that His unfailing love is as vast as the heavens and His faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. It is so deep and so wide that we can’t begin to understand it.

I always want to rationalize it and understand it rather than to accept it and abide in it. I want to break it down and figure it out instead of just trusting in it. I think David understood it. He knew of the power that God has to forgive and forget. He relied on it and knew he was in trouble without it. You wonder how can an adulterous murderer like himself be a man after God’s own heart? Well it’s because he understood God’s ability to forgive and to forget.

It’s beyond me how He does it. I try to be a man after God’s heart and I fall short. I seek to be like Him and I find I’m more like myself. I try to do what He asks and I end up doing what I want. I start off working hard to please Him, but in the end, I do what pleases me. That’s where God’s faithfulness kicks in. II Timothy 2:13 says in the Amplified version that even if we are unfaithful and untrue to Him, He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.

How is that possible? How can God remain faithful and true to us when all we seem to do is our own thing rather than His? It’s who God is. He is a God who loves us more than our doubts, our mistakes, our short comings and our fears. He is patient and kind. His love knows no end and is not conditional. He is not human and is not limited like we are. Once we remove those human characteristics of who we think He is and accept His divine nature, we can begin to get a glimpse of who He really is.

There were several in the Bible like David and Paul who got a glimpse of that. I don’t think it is reserved for just them though. God wants to open Himself up to you and me and to give us a glimpse of who He is. We fight and push back because we are unworthy. I think that when we finally realize how unworthy we really are though is when He has us right where He wants us to show His faithfulness and love. Don’t push back away from it. Swim in that river of his love that is as high as the clouds and is as vast as the heavens. Accept that you aren’t worthy and trust in His love for you anyway.

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July 24, 2012 · 10:52 AM

Giving Thanks

When is the last time that you stopped what you were doing and truly thanked God for all he’s done for you? In I Thessalonians 5:18, it tells us that no matter what your circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks. Even if nothing seems to be going your way right now, there is reason to give thanks.

Having a thankful heart is a mindset that you have to create. We are not naturally thankful creatures. You need to practice being thankful with others and with God. When you truly make being thankful a part of your life, you will find that your attitude, your outlook and your perspective will change for the better.

Here are some reasons I have found to give thanks.

1. For salvation

Each of should be eternally grateful for what Jesus did on the cross for us. There is nothing that we could ever do to earn our way to Heaven. It is only because God loved us so much that He sent His son to die for our sins that we have that ability. I don’t have to spend my life hoping and trying to be good enough one day. The price for my sin was paid for by Jesus.

I love how 2 Corinthians 9:15 says it: Now thanks be to God for His gift, precious beyond telling, His indescribable, inexpressible, free gift! We have a very good reason to be thankful today. You do not have to spend eternity separated from God if you receive His son into your life.

2. For God’s faithfulness

I’m thankful every day that God’s faithfulness doesn’t rely on my own faithfulness. 2 Timothy says that even if we are faithless or are untrue to Him, he remains faithful and true because He cannot deny Himself. What God has promised, He will do no matter what. He cannot go back on a promise.

One of my favorite promises in scripture is found in Philippians 4:19. I remind myself of this scripture when things aren’t going my way. It says that God will supply all of my needs according to His riches. I often want Him to supply all of my wants, but He has promised to take care of my needs. I have air in my lungs, a place to sleep and food to eat. That is something to be thankful for.

3. For what He has done

How many times have we prayed and asked God for something and He’s done it? Too many to count I’m sure. I often thank Him for the big things when He does them, but what about the little things? Have we thanked Him for a good night’s sleep, help on a test, safe travels, for food to eat? We constantly petition God in prayer and rarely thank Him.

When He healed the 10 lepers in Luke 17, only one came back to thank Him. Jess asked him where the other 9 were. How was it that only one came back for something as big as a life giving healing? I want to live my life like that one who came back and worshipped Him and thanked Him.

I know it’s hard to do sometimes. I’ve been at points in my life where it seemed I had nothing to be thankful for. The truth is that I had a lot to be thankful for, but I wasn’t looking for it. Wherever you are today, stop and give thanks to God. You will find that it will change you when you live with a grateful heart.

Here is a short prayer you can pray today to say “thank you” to God. It is provided by Michael Moak.

Dear Jesus,
Today I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for my life. Thank you for my family. Thank you for salvation. Thank you for my church. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for allowing me to experience your favor and your blessings! Thank you for everything that I take for granted for I know that without YOU I would have nothing. THANK YOU.

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