Faithful and True

"As I look back, on this road I've travelled/I've seen so many times He's carried me through/If there's one thing I have learned in my life/My Redeemer is Faithful and True
"My Redeemer is Faithful and True/Everything He has said, He will do/And every morning, His mercies are new!/My Redeemer is Faithful and True." ~Steven Curtis Chapman

"My God is Faithful/Not a promise He has made/Has gone unfulfilled/All according to His Will/And He is able/For by His grace He supplies/My every need/Oh, His faithfulness exceeds/Beyond what I can see." ~Larnelle Harris

"Have faith in God." ~Jesus Christ

God has always kept His promises to us. The problem is that we don't know what His promises are, because we don't read His Word.

One of the main promises Jesus made to any who would follow Him is that they would be persecuted for righteousness' sake by those they loved the most (Luke 14:25-33; John 15:18-16:3). People often overlook this reality, quite simply because we don't tell them about it. We would rather they believe that God always does good things for us. And that is true--but who defines what is good?

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God works all things together for good to them that love Him, to them that are called, according to His purpose." Paul, who wrote this, suffered many persecutions. If you don't think so, just read 2 Corinthians 11:21-33. In fact, Paul says that he will boast in his infirmities! Why?

Because suffering for righteousness' sake makes us like Jesus. 1 Peter 2:19-23 says, "for this [is] gracious, if because of conscience toward God any one doth endure sorrows, suffering unrighteously; for what renown [is it], if sinning and being buffeted, ye do endure [it]? but if, doing good and suffering [for it], ye do endure, this [is] gracious with God, for to this ye were called, because Christ also did suffer for you, leaving to you an example, that ye may follow his steps, Who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth, Who being reviled -- was not reviling again, suffering -- was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously..."(Young's Literal Translation)

When we say that we have faith, are we just speaking words into thin air in hopes that all of our troubles will go away? Or are we actually reading and trusting in the promises that God has given us? God keeps all of His promises. Do you know what they are?