God is faithful, and you can depend on him completely! When you know this truth about God, you stand firm on a rock-solid foundation against the fiercest storms of life.
For believers in Jesus, dependence on the faithfulness of God is not an emergency action in a crisis, but a way of life developed over time as we repeatedly experience his loving care. God wants us to trust Him, to count on His faithfulness in everyday situations as if to prove His dependable nature to the world around us.
Believing in God’s faithfulness is often a struggle because our human nature is constantly urging us to depend on what we can see, hear and feel. But when we focus on our own resources, we begin to fall into patterns of self-reliance, worry, and even depression. We even start doubting if God is really in control or if he truly cares about us.
On the other hand, the Holy Spirit encourages us to believe what God has revealed in the Bible and act accordingly. Because God is trustworthy, we can confidently believe what he reveals to us. When we take the appropriate action based on His Word, we demonstrate our faith in him. As we persevere in doing what God has told us, we will see the fulfillment of what he has promised. We experience God’s faithfulness and dependability only when we live a life in full reliance on him by faith.
To rely on God by faith does not mean that we have nothing to do. The key is to act according to what the Word of God reveals. That includes remembering and holding onto God’s promises found in the Scriptures. That also includes doing our best as to the Lord (Colossians 3:23) and trusting Him for the right results at the right time.
That God is dependable does not mean that he will do everything we want. We are not his masters but God is our Master and loving Father. His faithfulness does not mean that he will act according to our plan and timetable. God will act according to his perfect will and wisdom for our good. So, perseverance is also important in experiencing his faithfulness.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see…Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” —Hebrews 11:1, 6
God is pleased when we fully rely on him all the time in every situation. But it is a process that develops over time as our knowledge of him increases and we repeatedly experience his loving care.
We know that his Word is true and, because of it, we grow to trust in his goodness and faithfulness to us. As we see how God has proven himself to be faithful in circumstance after circumstance, our confidence in him grows.
A. W. Tozer, in his book The Pursuit of God, says, “Faith is not in itself a meritorious act; the merit is in the One toward Whom it is directed. Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of the focus of our own vision and getting God into focus.”