Can God be trusted?

Romans 11

Verse four ‘I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal’

Verse twenty nine ‘For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable’

You may be forgiven for thinking that the passage that we have given you to read today, Romans 11, does not at first sight make you think about the fact that God is faithful. However the more you read through the passage and think about what is written you begin to see this principle.

Looking over your shoulder! Trusting others!

Titus 3. 4

‘But when the kindness and the love of God our Savour toward man appeared’

What is your mental image of someone who is kind?  Does it conjure up an image of a certain type of person in your mind? This will all depend on the type of kindness that you have experienced in your life. Sadly some people don’t experience much kindness at all. I meet people who when they have met Christians for the first time cannot believe the care and kindness that they have been shown. They often wonder what the catch is! It is great to see them realise that there is no catch; it is just kindness for its own sake. When this happens the Christian is truly reflecting the type of kindness that God is known for.

Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can...

‘But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth’

Psalm 86:15

I would challenge any Christian to deny that God is consistently patient. I think however that most would admit that they have been impatient with God and stressed with things that are going on in our lives. Amazingly, God still works with us and looks out for us even when we are not too happy with him.

What is God really like - holy?

  

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory’

Isaiah 6.3 

‘Be holy, for I am holy’

1 Pet 1:16

In the book of Habakkuk the writer has a moment of truth. He says to God ‘You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,’ Hab. 1. 13. The writer is actually being quite sarcastic with God when he says this. He is complaining that God has used a sinful nation, the Chaldeans, to judge His people. While arguing the case he says to God ‘you wouldn’t even look at evil’ never mind do it so why use these sinful people to judge your own people.