“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” –Deuteronomy 7:9
The end of the year is an ideal time to reflect on God’s faithfulness—throughout the Bible and in your own life. Doing so will strengthen and stir your faith as you prepare for the coming year. As the above verse states, God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. Below are six examples of God’s faithfulness as recorded in the Bible (three in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament) along with a series of questions to help you study the passages. Feel free to study them on your own or in a group.
In the Old Testament:
- Noah
God saved Noah’s family members from destruction and preserved humanity through them (Genesis 6:9–9:17).
What did God promise to Noah? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How did God fulfill that promise? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How did Noah show his love and obedience to God? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
How long did it take for that promise to be fulfilled? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
How was faith involved in the fulfillment of that promise? ________________________________________________________________________________________
- Joseph
God fulfilled the dream He had given to Joseph about Joseph’s future as a leader (Genesis 37, 39-45).
How and what did God promise to Joseph? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What occurred in Joseph’s life between receiving the promise and receiving its fulfillment? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How did Joseph show his love and obedience to God? ____________________________________________________________________________________________
How long did it take for that promise to be fulfilled? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
How was faith involved in the fulfillment of Joseph’s promise? _____________________________________________________________________________________
- Children of Israel
After years of slavery, God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 5-7:13, 12:1-50).
What did God promise to the children of Israel? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
How did the children of Israel show their love and obedience to God? ________________________________________________________________________________
How long did it take for that promise to be fulfilled? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
How was faith involved in the fulfillment of this promise? _________________________________________________________________________________________
In the New Testament:
- Jesus’ Birth
Jesus fulfilled God’s promise of a savior (Genesis 3:14-15, 49:10; Psalm 110; Isaiah 7:44, 9:6-7, 53:4-6).
What did God promise to His people? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How long had God’s people waited for the Messiah? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
How did God’s people show their love and obedience to God? (Consider several examples throughout Scripture.) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How long did it take for that promise to be fulfilled? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
How was faith involved in the fulfillment of this promise? _________________________________________________________________________________________
- Jesus’ Resurrection
God promised that Jesus would die and then live again (Isaiah 53:11; Psalm 16:10).
What did the prophet Isaiah say about Jesus’ death? ______________________________________________________________________________________________
What did David say about Jesus’ death? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
How was faith involved in the fulfillment of this promise? _________________________________________________________________________________________
- Redemption to the Gentiles
God promised that salvation would be available to all people, not only the Israelites (Isaiah 11:10, 42:1, 49:6).
According to these scriptures, to whom did the prophet Isaiah say salvation would be available? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Since Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus, how was faith involved in the fulfillment of this promise? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You serve a faithful God who always keeps His Word. Neither time nor man’s interference can prevent what God has ordained. And just as God was faithful to those whose histories are recorded in His Word, He will be faithful to you!