“Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” Joshua 21:45
Not one word of God’s good promises has ever failed, not before the time of Joshua nor after. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” God’s word is trustworthy. His promises are true.
What God says he will do, he will do. There are times, however, when it feels as though God has failed us. Consider the story of Naomi. While living in Moab, a land far from her home, Naomi lost her husband and two sons. There was a famine ravaging the land. Grief-stricken, destitute, and alone, Naomi must have felt like God had forsaken her.
From her point of view, God was dealing bitterly with Naomi. But this famine, the move to Moab, and the deaths of her husband and sons were all leading to something glorious and gracious in God’s plan of salvation. Naomi would return to her homeland with one faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth. The kinsman redeemer, Boaz, would save Naomi and marry Ruth. Boaz and Ruth would become great-grandparents of King David, who would carry the bloodline of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
In the midst of her grief and brokenness, Naomi could not see the big picture. She could not know what God was doing. Maybe you feel like Naomi, and you are losing faith in God and his word. You feel as though he’s done you wrong, abandoned you. You find yourself asking, “Why hasn’t he answered my prayers?”
Scripture affirms time and time again that God never fails. We must remember in times of desperation and grief that we may not be seeing God’s good and gracious purpose from our current vantage point.
When you feel faithless, when you believe that God has left you, take refuge in the pages of the Bible. God’s word has stood the test of time. It has been refined in the fire; it is pure, flawless, enduring, eternal, true. Let it be your shield.
As God’s children, we can stand firm in our faith. God’s covenant with us is not going to fail. His word is flawless, right, true. His promises can be fully trusted, no matter what our circumstances may be.
