What God Says, He Does

Have you ever heard the phrase, “do as I say, not as I do?” It’s a subtle jab at our hypocrisy as humans, at our inability to be consistent. We fail to practice what we preach. We teach our children to be kind to their siblings, and then berate the cashier for being so slow at the check out lane. We tell our friends we will pray for them and then never do. We talk about serving the poor yet fail to serve our own family.

It’s a common problem for us all: we say one thing and yet do another.

How wondrous the contrast between fallen humanity and our holy and faithful God! Psalm 33:9 tells us, “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” For God, to say something is to do something. They are one and the same. When he speaks, it happens. The Hebrew word for “and it came to be” (hayah) literally means “to be.” In the Hebrew, this verse reads “he spoke and it was.” It is the same word used in Genesis 1 where God spoke and the world appeared. “Let there be light.” God spoke and stars hurled across the sky. He spoke and waters teemed with fish. He spoke and life appeared.

This is true of everything God says. Whatever God says in his word is certain. Whatever he wills, always comes to pass, “…so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11). Whatever God promises is guaranteed. In fact, we can consider it already done.

How many times have you made a promise to someone and failed to keep it? I make commitments all the time and then have to cancel them because I got sick, my car broke down, or something prevented me from keeping the commitment. Sometimes, I tell my children I will do something for them and then simply forget my promise. Other times, I make a promise and then simply decide I just don’t want to do it. I’m too tired. I don’t have the resources I need to follow through. I changed my mind. (I can’t be the only one…)

But God! Every promise God makes comes to pass. He would cease to be God if he failed to keep his word. God keeping his word is inherent to his very nature, to who he is as God. Because he is God, he cannot fail to do all that he says. Because he is God, speaking and doing are one and the same. As the Puritan David Clarkson wrote:

“He would cease to be God if he failed to perform any promise. For he ceases to be God when he ceases to be most perfect. If he does not perform his promises, this divests him of all perfection. If he does not perform his promises it is either that he will not, or cannot. He would lack either in power, or in wisdom. If he never intended to perform, then how is he upright? If he intended, but now has changed his mind, how is he unchangeable? If he is not unchangeable, he is not eternal. As sure as he is God he will perform his promises…He engages himself when he engages his word. Men can be men, though unfaithful, but God cannot be God; he cannot deny himself.”[1]

This means we not only cling to the promises in Scripture, but we can know without a doubt they are certain. We don’t read them as wishes or hopes. We don’t read them as merely inspiring words that lift us up in the moment. God’s word is the same as his actions. Just as he spoke and the world came into being, so too will all his promises come to be.

Consider the significance of promises such as:

• “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

• “…he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

• “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8 NIV).

• “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

• “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Rev. 21:5).

What encouragement for we who fail to keep our word! What remarkable truth for we who live by the motto, “do as I say, not as I do!” Dear friend, as you read God’s word, as you read the statements God makes about you, as you read his promises for you in Christ, as you read his declarations about who he is and what he has done, know that whatever God wills always comes to pass. What he says is the same as what he does. Rejoice and give thanks to your promise making and promise keeping God!

[1] Voices from the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings, p. 194.

God's Promises to the Fearful

When I was teen, I went through a dark season of depression and despair. Everything in my life felt hopeless. The future was dark and bleak. I felt like I was at the bottom of a pit and no amount of clawing at the walls would pull me out of it. I struggled to get through each day—to put one foot in the front of the other.

At the time, I worked at my local library—one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had! I often re-shelved books after they were returned by library patrons. As I placed the books back snugly in their home beside the other books on the shelves, I often flipped through them to see if they interested me. Over time, I found myself taking home books from the religion section, books written by Graham, Lewis, Sproul, even Joni Earekson Tada. I started writing down quotes from these books and posting them on the wall of my bedroom. Any Bible passages they quoted I memorized and tacked to my wall as well. These morsels of truth fed my hurting heart. I clung to those words which pointed me to the One who saved me. I put my hope in these promises, that while the sky was black as night above me, the light would one day return and penetrate the darkness.

And it did.

Do you have a favorite promise of God? Perhaps there is a passage you turn to time and time again to remind you that God is with you in your sufferings and trials. Or you rest in the truth that your salvation is secure, even though the devil tries to tell you otherwise. Or when the pains of life are unrelenting, you look forward to the promise of everlasting joy in eternity. There are numerous promises laced throughout Scripture, each of which are rooted in the meta-promise that God will be our God and we will be his people.

As I read and researched for A Holy Fear, I marveled at the numerous promises God makes to those who fear him. Even more, when I contrasted these promises to those of our lesser fears. For what does future fear promise but loss and sorrow? What does the fear of man promise but more rejection and heartbreak? Can the fear of harm promise rescue or deliverance?

All our lesser fears can promise is only more fear to come.

But for those who fear the Lord in the face of lesser fear—those who turn to the Lord in awe, wonder, worship, adoration, trust, and worship—are promised more than we can even imagine. Promises such as:

• Deliverance (Psalm 33:16-19)

• Satisfaction/Contentment in God (Proverbs 19:23)

• Friendship with God (Psalm 25:14)

• God’s Delight and Pleasure (Psalm 147:10–11)

• God will teach us (Psalm 25:12)

• Good for us (Psalm 34:8–10)

• Everlasting mercy (Psalm 103:17)

And there are many more found throughout the pages of God’s word! Each of these promises are rooted in the person and character of God, for whatever God says always comes to pass. God’s word does all that he wills it to; it never returns void: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). We can trust God’s promises for us because he is faithful. He is our promise keeping God.

Dear friend, if your fears overshadow you today, if they whisper promise of more fear around every corner, turn to the Lord. Come to the throne of grace and bring your fears before him. See him in all his glory and wonder and find him as greater. Fall before him in reverence and worship. Relish his goodness and faithfulness toward you. Mediate on and savor the joy of his promises for you. Hang it around your neck like a necklace, identifying you as his own.

As John Bunyan wrote:

“Child of God, thou that fearest God, here is mercy nigh thee, mercy enough, everlasting mercy upon thee. This is long-lived mercy. It will live longer than thy sin, it will live longer than temptation, it will live longer than thy sorrows, it will live longer than thy persecutors. It is mercy from everlasting to contrive thy salvation, and mercy to everlasting to weather it out with all thy adversaries. Now what can hell and death do to him that hath this mercy of God upon him? And this hath the man that feareth the Lord. Take that other blessed word, and O thou man that fearest the Lord, hang it like a chain of gold about thy neck—"As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him" (Psa 103:11). If mercy as big, as high, and as good as heaven itself will be a privilege, the man that feareth God shall have a privilege.” (A Treatise on the Fear of the Lord, p.85).

Do you know God’s promises for those who fear him?

Our Word Keeping God

Have you ever had someone tell you they would do something for you and then fail to deliver? Perhaps it was a co-worker, whose work you depended on and when he didn’t follow through, it left you hanging with more work to do. Maybe it was a friend who many times in the past told you, “Let’s meet for coffee” yet every time you initiate a meet-up, she can never commit. Or maybe someone in your family promised multiple times to work with you on a project and it still lies there unfinished.

Whatever the commitment, when someone commits to something and doesn’t follow through—doesn’t keep their word—we are left disappointed. In some situations, it may leave us in a difficult situation. Or worse. When people let us down multiple times, we begin to question and distrust the things they say. Often we find ourselves depending on that person less and less.

In my own life, I’ve certainly experienced this. I’ve expected friends, family, or co-workers to follow through on something they promised and felt let down when they didn’t. I felt disappointed. I was left burdened. In some cases, it created a barrier in my relationship with that person. Trust was broken—one of the hardest things in life to rebuild.

Our Word Keeping God

For those who have been hurt or let down by those who have not kept their word, there is good news. There is One who will never fail to keep his word. There is One we can always trust to fulfill his promises: Our Word keeping God.

God only has to speak and worlds come into being (Gen. 1:1). His word is powerful; even the wind and rain respond to his command (Mark 4:39). His word never returns void; it always accomplishes his purposes for it (Isaiah 55:11). He makes promises and never fails to keep them. He commits and covenants with his people and always follows through. What he says is true (John 17:17). Unlike humans, who may intend to keep their word, but then something unforeseen happens to keep them from keeping it, because he is God, he controls all things, including the future; if he says he will do something, we know he will do it.

God’s written word is just as powerful: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). It teaches, trains, and corrects us: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Further, the word of God became flesh: Jesus Christ. In Christ, God’s words and promises are fulfilled. The promise of all promises —“I will be their God and they will be my people”—was met in Christ when he came to earth, lived a perfect life, and bore the punishment for our sins. Our Savior brought us back into right relationship and fellowship with God. His death on the cross is a reminder to us of God’s faithfulness to keep his word.

What this means is, we can trust our word keeping God.

Keeping Our Own Word

As Christians, as those who are redeemed by the blood of the Word made flesh, we should care about the words we say. Christ came to set us free from all sin, including our sinful speech. He paid a high price for our words so that God’s word would change and transform us. Even now, the Spirit is at work in us, making us into people whose speech is holy and sanctified.

Because of what Christ has done for us, we desire to image and reflect him in the words we say. We want to think before we speak, and consider the consequences of what would happen if we don’t keep our word (Proverbs 29:20, James 1:19) We desire to follow through on the words we say, and apologize when we let someone down. We hesitate to make commitments we know we can’t keep; if we know we can’t follow through on our promises, we refrain from making them. (This includes promises to pray for people!) And when other’s let us down, we forgive them because we know how hard it is to keep our own word.

Let us rejoice and give thanks to our faithful God for never failing us or letting us down. His word is trustworthy and true. And may our words to others reflect The Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, who spoke perfect words in our place and continues to speak on our behalf before the throne of grace.

For Those Who Struggle With Change

My life seems to be changing at a faster pace than usual. If it were possible, it seems as though someone pushed fast forward on the movie of my life.

And I find myself unsettled by it. Out of breath at times. Spun around and disoriented.

I took my oldest to the pediatrician for his annual visit and learned that he is 5 foot 11. How did that happen? Last I checked, he was still 5 and playing with Matchbox cars.

I look in the mirror each morning and swear new lines and spots have appeared overnight. Not only that, but ever since I hit forty, my body has become a traitor. Every year there’s some new physical issue to deal with, some new thing that needs medical attention.

Good things are happening in my speaking/writing ministry, but sometimes the pace is faster than I can keep up with.

The world and culture around me often seems like a snow ball rolling down hill, growing bigger and stronger and unstoppable. I often feel out of place and out of touch. I wonder, how did we get here?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not such a big fan of change, as least change I don’t have control over. I certainly like new experiences, as long as they are ones I’ve pursued and chosen, and that they arrive at a time that best suits me. In truth, I like to know what to expect. I like to be prepared. I like when things are manageable. I don’t like to be overwhelmed or uncertain or ill-prepared.

And so, with my life in fast forward mode, I’m clinging to what is certain and steady. To what never changes. I’m looking to the horizon to keep me afloat in the whirlwind. I’m looking to God, the One who never changes.

Our God Never Changes

Unlike our lives, the Bible tells us that God never changes. “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6). The same God who spoke and light broke into the darkness is the same God who rescued his people from slavery. The same God who chose Mary to bear our Savior is the same God who met Peter on the shores of Galilee and said, “Feed my sheep.” The same God who gave grace to David in his sin is the same God who forgives us when we cry out in repentance. Yesterday, today, and forever, he remains the same.

The God who greeted Moses in Exodus 34 with, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” does not change in his character. No matter how much time passes, no matter what is going on in the world, our God— who he is—does not change. That means we can trust him to always be steadfast in faithfulness, generous in love, and rich in mercy. He is always good and always does what it right and just.

God’s Word Never Changes

Because God never changes, what he says does not change. Everything in his word remains true for all eternity. All that Scripture tells us about our world, our fall into sin, and what God did to save us, will never change. What the Bible tells us about who we are, what we need, and how God provides it, will never change. Whether people agree with God’s word or not, has no impact, for it is firmly fixed forever, “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). Into all eternity, God’s word remains: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

This means that all God’s promises for us will never change as well. When everything is changing around us, and it feels like we are riding in some kind of crazy spinning tilt-a-whirl, God’s promises to us in his word steadies us in the tumult. Promises such as: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39) and “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6) and “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Change is part of life. Some change is good— the kind we look forward to and have long prayed for. Sometimes change comes into our life and knocks us over. There may even be seasons of life where changes come at us quicker than we can respond. But no matter the change, we can find rest and peace in our God who never changes. He remains trustworthy and faithful. His word and promises anchor us. Let us look to him.

Photo by Jerry Kiesewetter on Unsplash

The Promise Keeping God

Most believers have a favorite promise in Scripture that they have memorized and cling to during hard times--often even more than one. Personally. I have always been partial to Isaiah 40, in which we read, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (v. 10). I remind myself, on a regular basis, of this biblical promise as well: “…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

The promises that God gives us are almost too numerous to count. He promises to provide our needs (Philippians 4:19), forgive our sins (1 John 1:9), produce fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), grant eternal life in Christ (John 11:25-26), and to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). Some Christians look at such promises and say that we must claim them in order for them to be true for us. We must believe them with all our heart and they will come to pass. As though we can click our heels three times, squeeze our eyes shut, and recite a verse over and over and the next thing we know, God’s promises are delivered into our hands.

God’s promises are not true because we believe in them. They don’t come to pass because our faith is great. God’s promises will come to pass simply because God said them...to read the rest of this post, visit Christward Collective.