Obedience and God's Faithfulness
by Herman Redelinghuys
Have you ever made an appointment with someone knowing that there’s only the slightest possibility that the person or yourself will be able to honour the appointment?
In the Word of God we find a few such appointments. God made an appointment with Abraham saying to him I will meet your descendants in this very place 400 years from now. Joseph, knowing He was part of this promise, made arrangements for his bones to be buried in ‘the Promised Land’. Moses, despite His fears, left his sheep in the desert because of this appointment. In the Word we witness how even the fluctuations of trust and obedience over the generations still worked together with the faithfulness of God to bring into being ‘the Promised Land’.
In the Scriptures Jesus made the same kind of seemingly impossible promise to the disciples. He promised he would die - and He was found to be faithful. Then He promised He would be raised from the dead - and He was found to be faithful. Finally He promised to meet His disciples somewhere in Galilee - and, yet again, He was found to be faithful.
God makes His promises to us with the full knowledge that we have a free will and that we might not receive His promises. Our character and response will only be known when it is tested. The testing and risk God takes is all part of the promise. If we respond with obedience it brings us in line to receive from His faithfulness. Even when we get it wrong, like the Israelites and His disciples, God in His mercy wants to restore us and bring us into obedience and steer us back into His faithfulness. It’s wonderful to know that God wants to grow our character as He leads us into His promises.
Prayer: Thank You for Your love and promises in My life. Lord, where I have missed Your promises because of my reaction or disobedience I ask for Your mercy and grace to restore me so that I can follow You in obedience. Thank You that it’s Your unfailing love and faithfulness that draws me towards You.
Herman Redelinghuys is a trained Social Worker who spent most of his career in the corporate training environment. He joined Ellel Africa’s part-time team in 2005 and is mostly involved with prayer co-ordination of the Ministry.
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