And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
(Exodus 34:6 NIV)
The Text Message That Changed My Life
After spending at least ten minutes crafting a text with the one goal of finding out whether my friend would be at an event, I got my favorite reply: “I’ll be there.”
It wasn’t the first time I got that text from him. After all my gyrations over how to ask if I would get to see him without pressuring him to be present, his simple assurance put me at ease.
Of course I would see him. He was always there. He never missed an event. Loyalty mattered to him deeply.
The reply “I’ll be there” wasn’t just a fact, but a promise. My dear friend is one of the most reliable people I have ever met. I could trust those three words from him. Those three words to me were enough, because he stood behind them. Even if the event were a week away, I could count on those three words. I didn’t need reassurance the day of the event. He would be there.
I tell you this because that text from my friend changed my understanding of God’s character.
How I Came to Understand God’s Faithfulness
Why, I wondered, when I received such a brief, casual reply, did I feel so at ease—dare I say it, loved?
Someone would be “there” with me, and because I trusted this friend’s care for me, I knew someone would be “there” for me as well. I would not be alone at this event. In that moment my heart was warmed by the fire of this friend’s faithfulness. For, “few delights can equal the presence of one whom we trust utterly” (George MacDonald).[1]
In him, I had found something precious and rare—faithfulness. For “many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6 ESV).
Suddenly my friend’s faithfulness, so real and sweet to me, became a shadow, as I for the first time recognized the most faithful of friends to which he so beautifully pointed.
It hit me—this is what God means when he says that he is faithful. God’s enduring promise to me and to anyone who belongs to him through faith in Jesus Christ is: “I’ll be there.”
What Does It Mean That God Is Faithful?
When God reveals his name to us in the Bible, he describes himself as “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6 NIV). Faithfulness, by God’s own admission, is a quality he abounds in. Faithfulness, however, is not a quality we often celebrate. We don’t use the term “faithful” often.
The word faithfulness used in this verse to describe the character of God means, “truthful, reliable, stable.”[2]
When the Bible tells us God is faithful, it means he is truthful and reliable. When God makes a promise, he stands by it. He doesn’t have to “promise, promise,” or prove his word by any other means. Every promise he makes is true and reliable.
To all who belong to him by faith in Jesus, God promises to never leave or forsake them (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). If you have placed your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, then you will know God’s faithfulness all your days. God’s faithfulness to you can be expressed in those three words, “I’ll be there.” There is not a moment of your life when those three words will not be true. If there is any promise you find in the Bible that God has made to you, it is reliable and trustworthy. God will never fail to keep his word to you.
Perhaps my friend’s text will change you in the same way it changed me. “God is faithful” now makes sense to me, and I hope it makes a little more sense to you.
If you are a believer, then as you look to any event in your future, God’s promise to you is, “I’ll be there.” And whatever your future holds, the reassuring comfort of his presence awaits you, and the fulfillment of his every promise.
. . .
Sources
[1] George MacDonald https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/44588-few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom
[2] Blue Letter Bible https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h571/kjv/wlc/0-1/