God is faithful. He is El Emet, the God of faithfulness. Somebody needs to hear this today.
He promises, “I’m faithful.”
Have you heard this promise?
It’s a whisper that has floated through my spirit over and over in the last few years. “Andy, I’m faithful.”
The voice is gentle and kind. It comes when I’m worried or sad. Sometimes I hear it when I’m disappointed or discouraged. And like a balm to aching muscles, this promise always settles my heart and ushers in peace.
It doesn’t come with a mandate of obedience or a rebuke. It simply comes with assurance of His character, goodness, and grace.
God is a faithful God. He is El Emet, the God of faithfulness.
Faithful to the Israelites
God’s faithfulness holds a long track record. It started with the Israelites. God was always faithful, but his people were not. Their unfaithfulness and grumbling often caused unpleasant consequences, but despite their unfaithfulness, God opened his arms to them time and time again. Mana everyday. Bitter waters sweetened. Honey from a rock. His presence in the wilderness leading, guiding, providing all the way to the Promised Land. He was faithful.
Scripture that Proclaims His Faithfulness
His Word proclaims His faithfulness. Numbers 23 declares:
God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19
I’m so thankful God is not human. Aren’t you? We are such fickle beings. He does not lie, change his mind on a whim, or say he’ll do something and then not do it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.
Have you ever not kept a promise? I have learned not to say that word. Promises can be hard to keep—at least for humans.
His promises may take a while to be answered—at least to us. God is not constricted by time.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 2:9
Aren’t we thankful he is patient? Look at the promise here. Look at his heart! I cling to this verse for those I love who don’t know him yet—who have not turned to him. This is his faithfulness. Did you ever think of his slowness as an aspect of his faithfulness?
God’s Faithfulness to Abraham
When I think of waiting on God, I think of Abraham. How many times did God promise him a child, and how many years did it take for baby Isaac to show up? I think Abraham waited twenty-five years, about twenty-five years later than he hoped. Way past child-bearing years. Abraham and Sarah laughed when God told them they’d finally hold the promised baby in their arms birthed from their old and worn out bodies.
One of my favorite scriptures about El Emet is found in Lamentations.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24
Do you know the context of these scriptures? The author (probably Jeremiah) penned this poem sitting among devastation and death. Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonian army. Mothers were crying, babies hungry and cold, and the stench of death hung in the air.
Jeremiah himself suffered greatly. He had been mocked and bullied and yet he too experienced the horror of war. He wrote, “Surely is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all day” (Lam. 3:3 KJV). He was suffering physically. Yet he wrote this jewel of hope in the middle of his lament. . . . Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed. . . . great is your faithfulness.”
Come dig a little deeper with me.
Word Study:
Love-
Chesed: the merciful, loving acts of kindness of God bound by a covenant.
Because of the Lord’s great chesed (covenantal, merciful acts of kindness) we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:22 (Addition mine)
God will not break his covenant. Ever. We may have hard days. No doubt we’ll face grief and heartache in this life. We may even suffer at times, but one thing is for sure. He will never let us down. It may feel like he has, but that’s when we must cling to his truth. When we experience these feelings and begin to doubt God’s faithfulness, that’s when we really need to run to God’s presence. This happened to Habakkuk.
Habakkuk was disheartened by the oppression of God’s people. God appeared to be indifferent to their suffering. But when he entered the sanctuary of the Lord he learned that God cared for his children and had a perfect time for their salvation. Like Habakkuk we need to go to the sanctuary of the Lord and ask for a vision of hope concerning our disappointments.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
Habakkuk 2:3
How do we go to the sanctuary of God?
Unlike the days of the Temple, we may wonder where we can go to sit in the presence of God. Some of us find him sitting on a beach where the rhythm of the sea speaks the faithfulness of God. Some of us find him in the punctuality of the sunrise or the changing of the seasons.
Where do you go to be in the sanctuary of God?
One place I go to always brings me hope and fills me with his presence. Church is good. I love worshiping with other people. The mountains are beautiful and the ocean does roar his power and constancy, but the place that ushers me into his presence is in the Word.
Scripture Reading Plan on El Emet
I invite you to come with me into the sanctuary of God every day. Daily read the truth about his faithfulness, his timing, his wisdom, and provision. The faithful God has not left you or forsaken you and he never will. Here’s a sneak peak of a few days of scriptures and prompts:
Day 24: Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
• What has God called you to that hasn’t turned out as you thought? He is with you. How does this encourage you?
Day 25: Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you or let you be alone.”
• Why is His presence more important than money? Have you experienced this?
Day 26: Matthew 6: 25-27
“I tell you this: Do not worry about your life. Do not worry about what you are going to eat and drink. Do not worry about what you are going to wear. Is not life more important than food? Is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds in the sky. They do not plant seeds. They do not gather grain. They do not put grain into a building to keep. Yet your Father in heaven feeds them! Are you not more important than the birds? Which of you can make himself a little taller by worrying?
• Confess your worries today and journal something El Emet provided recently.
Two Printables Available of Faithfulness Scriptures
Grab the printable with prompts to spend time in the sanctuary of God each day. Or simply download the list of 31 scriptures. Grab a journal and some hot coffee or tea, light a candle, and enter into the sanctuary where you can meet with him. El Emet is the Faithful, true God. Nothing in him is false. I pray you will experience this as you study these scriptures. You are so loved, beloved.
This post is part of the Names of God series:
The Lord Who Heals, Yahweh Rophe
Jehova Jireh, The Lord who Provides
[…] the burning love you have for us. Help us be more aware of your Presence. Thank you for being so faithful. We love you. […]