Psalm 12:6 And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.

    I think it’s a universal desire among people wherever we live and whatever we do: we want to be able to accept that what people say, they mean. The fact that a statement like that would inspire some version of eye-rolling or assumption of a child-like naïveté says a lot about how often we encounter someone who can always be taken at their word! Most of us have been disappointed too many times not to have built up a level of cynicism when it comes to such things. Lest we think that is too strong, think about the last politician who promised something and your own reaction to that promise!

   But God is different! His words are flawless. If we look at the Bible we see that. In the Garden of Eden, after man sinned, God said that He would send One to rectify things. Some began to doubt that He would come because His timetable did not align with theirs. Yet, when it was the right time, He came! Jesus was born.

   Jesus said that He was going to Jerusalem. He was going there to die. But He was also going to rise again on the third day. His closest followers had their doubts. They couldn’t wrap their minds around what He was saying. So they were greatly surprised when He did exactly what He said He would do! He did rise again on the third day! He needed to leave them so that the Holy Spirit could come. But He also told them that He would be coming again. That He would be coming again to wrap up history and complete the long-term plan of God. Many thought that it would all happen immediately. That the wait would be short. But we are still waiting. But Just like when people were anticipating His first coming, our timetables don’t usually align with His. When something doesn’t happen according to my expectation and I immediately dismiss it, that seems a little self-important, wouldn’t you say?

    In the Old Testament there was a standard for establishing authenticity of a prophet of God. If they were found to be correct in every prophecy, they were from God. If they were wrong even once, they were rejected!

    God is trustworthy. He is so trustworthy that we often characterize the things He says as promises. Dig into His Word and you’ll see!

’Tis true, O yes, ’tis true,

God’s wonderful promise is true;

For I’ve trusted, and tested, and tried it,

And I know God’s promise is true.

 

Blessings,

rb