Our God CAN be Trusted!

(Hebrews 10:23 NLT)  Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!”  I just started this series two days ago, but the response has been immediate and extremely positive.  Why?  I believe it’s because people—who really love God—want to receive all that He has purposed for them to have and to accomplish all that He has purposed for them to do while they are in the land of the living.  In order to receive from God, we must do it by faith, and we must have the ability to hold on (to remain in faith) until we see the manifestation of God’s promises in our lives.  This all boils down to what I call “the life of faith.”  As a believer, everything we do requires faith.  The Bible teaches us to walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7), live by faith (Ro 1:17), fight by faith (1 Tim 6:12), pray by faith (James 5:15), and overcome the world by faith (1 Jn 5:4).  We are to do all that we do by faith, in faith, and through faith!

The challenge comes in the fact that our faith does not normally produce results overnight.  We believe God, we stand on His Word, we sow seed, we pray, and we fully expect a harvest.  However, we all know that in most cases the harvest does not come immediately.  This is where this series comes in.  We must maintain our hope, our desire, and our expectation while we are waiting.  Make no mistake, how you wait can impact how long you wait.

The writer of Hebrews tells us this morning to hold tightly, without wavering, to the hope that we affirm.  Not only should we refuse to quit, but this verse warns us from even wavering.  In James’ letter, when teaching about asking God for things in prayer, he taught that we must ask in faith, without wavering.  James said the follwing when referring to a person who wavers when they are believing God for something: “Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (see James 1:5-8).

So it’s clear that we should not waver and that we must hold on to our hope but let me make one last point.  The latter portion of our text says, “For God can be trusted to keep his promise.”  So why should we hold on and not waver?  Why is it that we should keep our hopes up?  Why should we keep our faith switch in the “ON” position?  Because we serve a God who CAN be trust to keep His promise.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things:

1.  Hold on and hold tightly without wavering.  Wavering is the precursor to quitting, so resist wavering at all costs.

2.  Hold on to your hope.  In the world they tell you not to get your hopes up, so you won’t be disappointed.  But we have a hope that does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).  The Father wants you to get your hopes up, and to keep them up, no matter how long it takes!

3.  Our God can be trusted.  We serve a God who can be trusted to say what He means and to mean what He says.  If He said it, He will do it.  If He spoke it, He will bring it to pass (Num 23:19).

Closing Confession:  Father, I hold on and I hold tightly without wavering.  I refuse to waver and I refuse to quit.  My faith is in the ON position and my hope is set to HIGH.  I have given me a hope that does not disappoint.  You have never disappointed me and You never will.  I get my expectations up and I keep them up by faith.  Every time the pressure is on me to give up, cave in, and quit, I remind myself that I serve a God who can be trusted.  You will always do what You said You would do.  I stand on Your Word, I believe Your promises, I put You in remembrance of them, and I hold on no matter how long it takes.  I shall not lose, because I will not quit!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!