When was the last time you said to someone, “Can I take you at your word?” That question suggests a lack of trust. Years ago, people concluded a deal with a handshake or word of mouth. It seems that those days are long gone. It is so different from God. Evidence of His faithfulness is all around us. He always loves us. He always forgives repentant sinners. He always accomplishes His plans and fulfills His purposes. In John 14:16-18, Jesus said to His disciples – And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
The disciples knew that they could count on Jesus. Every time they were in danger, He was there for them. He came to His disciples with words of comfort and assurance, even if doing so meant walking on water or appearing suddenly in a locked room. His faithfulness extended even to His walking out of a sealed and heavily guarded tomb. Just as we can count on Christ’s words, we can also count on the Holy Spirit. In the verses we looked at earlier, He is referred to as “the Spirit of truth.”
The Holy Spirit is with us from the moment of conversion to the end of our days in this present world. The person who lives with this kind of assurance has a deep and abiding confidence that cannot be shaken.
Faithfulness also births a deep knowledge that what we say and do under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will yield a harvest in God’s kingdom. Faithfulness forms a security that is seen in confidence and strength of character. It is rooted in trust, which is produced when we make a commitment and then honor it. When we say something, we mean it. We know that God will always honor His word. Do we exhibit that same sense of trust to others? Do we say what we mean, and do we mean what we say? God’s faithfulness has a healing impact on our lives. God works in our lives, faithfully molding us bit by bit into the character likeness of Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit heals our memories gradually, one relationship or experience at a time. He deals with us regarding our sins – one sin at a time. He speaks to our bad habits and lack of knowledge or understanding.
For this healing to continue, we must join in the process by carrying out certain things faithfully and consistently. I go for physical therapy usually twice a week. If I want to become really strong, I will do as many of the exercises at home as well. We need to develop a spiritual fitness program.
- We need to make being in God’s word a daily priority; spending time with God, not just when we face a crisis. Praising Him for who He is should come first, then thanking Him for all the ways He blesses us.
- It is hard when someone we thought we loved and trusted betrays us. It was so powerful to hear Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, say at his memorial, “To the man who shot Charlie, I forgive you.” I think that the LORD was pleased with that, and it had a healing effect in her heart. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus said to His disciples, God will never betray you. The closer you draw to Him, the more you will experience the wholeness and healing that comes from trusting in His faithfulness. In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (AMP), we read, Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you (to Himself for salvation) and He will do it, He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own.
Pray with me:
Father, in a day when it is so hard to know whom we can trust, it means so much that we can really rely on You. Your word says that You are absolutely incapable of lying. You are truth, and Your word is truth. You say what you mean, and you mean what you say. We can count on You. In Jesus’ name – Amen.
God bless and keep you.
Pastor Leonard
