Remaining firm in your faith
“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Malachi 3:6-7
You can only trust a promise based on the character of the one who made it. No matter how big your faith is, what is important is the trustworthiness of the person you are placing your faith. From the text, prophet Malachi is assuring the Israelites that God does not change. The Israelites were assuming that because they themselves waver in their commitment, they presume that God will do the same. Yet, Malachi told them that it is not so with God. He will keep His promises for He is trustworthy. How comforting to know that God will fulfill His will based on what He had promised in His word. His promises found in His word are based on His character. This means that He will fulfill them for He wants His followers to trust Him. James warned Christians to not listen to those whose purpose is to mislead them by telling them promises that they could not keep, instead He calls them to trust God. “So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow” (James 1:16-17). To know God is to believe His promises found in His word. The writer of Hebrews also provided words of assurance that every believer can count on Jesus’ promises. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas” (Hebrews 13:8-9). The faith that you have for God is founded upon the conviction that God is true to His word. So everything you are and ever hope to be in relation to God will be based upon your belief on who God is. So do not waver on your confession instead be standing firm in your conviction to the hope you placed on God. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23).
Blessings.
