Here are just some notes I've got from a weekend away with my church looking at the faithfulness of God, tracing it through the BIble. It really is great and has important implications for us too.

1. God is faithful to his character - he does not change

• God's existence never changes - Psalm 102v25-28

"In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of you servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."

• God's character never changes - James 1v17

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

These two things are constants and therefore always true!! Our circumstances and moods change, but God does not. This is a truth that we can really build our lives upon. If we put all our trust in created objects rather than the creator (ie. other people/aspirations etc.) we will find that they cannot bear the load of our trust and will ultimately fail us. God however, can bear the full and absolute weight of our trust in Him. He is the one certainty in the universe.

2. God is faithful to his promises - he does not lie

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" Numbers 23v19

"Not one of the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." Joshua 21v45

Human promises can and often do fail. We so often either can't or simply don't keep promises because we are just too small and sinful to be able to keep them. God however is not small or sinful!. According to these passages, each one of his promises is always fulfilled.

Now in the Bible we could look at God's promises under two headings: Big Promises & Little Promises:

God's BIG PROMISES concern his plan for the world and humankind, saving us from sinful destruction and bringing us back into relationship with Him.

God's LITTLE PROMISES are those that he has made just for me personally, just for the present time. For example, to be with me, to strengthen me, to help me, to answer me, to provide for me....)

As we learn what God has promised to us, in the light of his faithfulness, there are four implications. We should:

1. Listen to his promises. So often we overlook God's promises, not even noticing them!
2. Claim his promises. Pray for their fulfillment and 'hold God to it' for in praying this, we will be praying in accordance with his will.
3. Learn his promises. We can know God and we can know his promises for us.
4. Lean on his promises. We will never really experience the faithfulness of God until we put ourselves in a position in which we have to rely on them. Promises are a bit like walking sticks - they're no good unless you lean on them! So will we huddle tight and cosy in our comfort zone, where we feel secure and are confident in ourselves, or will we step out to where God calls us to go, leaning on his promises to provide for us?

3.God is faithful to his people - he does not desert them

"And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness." Exodus 34v6

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1v6

God's 'love & faithfulness' are often found written together like this, love and faithfulness clearly go hand in hand. The example of Hosea is a wonderful one. God uses the man Hosea as a picture for himself. Hosea marries an unfaithful wife, and although she is on numerous occasions unfaithful to him, rejecting him, he remains loving and faithful to her. God shows us that he is like Hosea the husband and we are like the adulterous wife, constantly throwing the good things he gives us back in his face. But stunningly, God says in Hosea 11 v8-9

"How can I give you up[...]? How can I hand you over[...]? [...] My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger [...]For I am God and not a man [...]"

Of course the climax of God's love is seen in Jesus Christ where his wrath and mercy meet. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is the great proof of God's faithfulness to his people. In John 1v14, Jesus is described as 'full of grace & truth' the Greek terms of which equate to the Hebrew for those of 'love & faithfulness'. This is great faithfulness. Jesus was willing to go to the cross before deserting us.

These are truths we must hold on to when

1. We're convicted of our sin. Philippians 1v6 assures us that God will shape us up for Heaven and get us in.
2. When life is tough. Rather than always giving 'answers' to our problems, Jesus comes and gives us himself and marks his faithfulness to us.