Oct 2009

Beloved Evangel Family,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

I have been following with some interest the debate on the decision to award Barack Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize. One camp supports the decision because of his passionate call to embrace the underdogs in every arena of the world. Another camp expresses great concern because Obama is still very much all talk and no action up to this time. How can people be sure that he will deliver what he has promised?

I am reminded that we live in a world of broken promises today. Marriages are breaking up in ever increasing numbers because men and women are not keeping their vows to each other. The financial crisis is very much the result of people believing other people who over-promise but under-deliver.

But how many people do we know who do exactly what they say every time, and do it with such thoroughness that we never have to worry about anything they say or do? I believe such consistent reliability and credibility is almost non-existent among human beings.

However, I do know of one person—i.e. God Himself. He alone is always faithful all the time. I know this from Lam 3:22-23 which reads, “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.”

God’s compassions are new every morning (v. 22). This means that they are always fresh and never stale. Think of how our love for one another wanes and fades after a period of time. But the Lord’s compassions are always there and never go empty.

God’s compassions are so enduring because His faithfulness is so everlasting. He always abides by His own promises—i.e. both blessings and warnings! What He says, He will definitely bring to pass. If He doesn’t keep His word, then He wouldn’t be God.  

If God is not faithful, we could not be saved, would not dare to pray, and would have no certain hope for the future. But we live in faith and die in hope precisely because our God is faithful.

Here are some situations in which we can apply the truth of God’s faithfulness in life:

1. When we are discouraged, remember God’s past acts of faithfulness (1 Sam 17:37). He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
   
   
2. When we are tempted to sin, remember God’s faithfulness to provide a way out. Though the Lord does not spare us from temptation, His grace is always sufficient for us. In our weakness, He makes us strong in Him (1 Cor 10:13).
   
   
3. When we have made a mess of our life, remember God’s faithfulness to forgive (1 John 1:9). His forgiveness does not mean we will not suffer the consequences of our own actions, but it does mean He will give us a second chance so that we can move on in life.
   
   
4. When we feel unequal to our tasks, remember God’s faithfulness to make us more than conquerors (Rom 8:37). Perhaps we feel overwhelmed by circumstances or perhaps life begins to tumble in around us. But because God is faithful, we can trust Him to overcome even the most difficult and desperate times of life.

I believe each of us has tasted the faithfulness of the Lord at one time or another. May we then live each day with renewed strength and fresh hope because His compassions toward us are new every morning.

Great is His Faithfulness,
Pastor John

Tel: 6749-2990 (O) 9789-2414 (HP) Email: johnyuencw@gmail.com