Faithfulness: is it "what God does" or "Who He is"?

It’s great to have friends that daily encourage us in the Lord. One such friend of mine is Josh Lindquist, owner of Quist Design, our ministry’s website designer. Even though Josh lives hundreds of miles away, he chats with me over the internet everyday. Below is one of our most recent chats that spawned this week’s devotional!


Bill: He (God) is faithful....even when things don't seem to be going the way we think they should

Josh: Amen

Bill: The fact that He is faithful is more dependent upon His character and "who He is", instead of "what He does or doesn't do". That would be a distant second

Josh: That is solid

Bill: That is "truth" to live by

Bill: Maybe I should write something about that for the next weekly devotional

Josh: That would be great

Bill: K



Our view of God largely determines how far we’ll walk with Him – especially when the storm is raging all around us! How many people do you know whose confidence and “faith in God” has been severally shaken, only to reveal their theology was based upon “experience” rather than “truth”? Let’s call this “conceptual theology”. The temptation exists to also determine God’s “will” and “heart” according to our circumstances.

The real big problem with a “conceptual theology” is that ones view and opinion of God will be like the wind – constantly changing – dependant upon what they’re going through at the time.


Let’s look at some real, hard-core Bible truths to live by:

1. God cannot change- For I am the LORD, I change not; Malachi 3:6
2. God cannot lie- In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2
3. God cannot fail- He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, Deut. 31:6

If these core beliefs are true (and we know they are), then they are based upon character, not duty. God cannot be sized up by what He “does” or “doesn’t do”. Our concept of God must reflect “Who He is”, not just “His power or ability”. Otherwise, we can be more focused upon seeking His hand, instead of His face. How can we confidently declare His beauty, unless our gaze has been set upon His most holy, lovely face?

We must look at the things that characterize God as “Who He is”. For example:

1. God is LOVE. Therefore, He loves us. (I John 4:8)
2. God is LIGHT. Therefore, He lights up heaven and the earth. (John 8:12; I John 1:5)
3. Jesus is the BREAD OF LIFE. Therefore, He feeds us. (John 6:35)
4. Jesus is the DOOR, the GOOD SHEPHERD, the VINE, and the WAY. Therefore, He shows us the way to the Father. (John 10:4, 7; 14:6)
5. He is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. Therefore, He brings God’s life to us. (John 11:25)
6. Jesus is TRUTH. Therefore, He teaches and reveals Truth. (John 14:6; Rev. 3:14)
7. God is FAITHFUL. Therefore, He faithfully provides for us. (Deut. 7:9; Rev. 3:14)

There you have it! God’s will and ways are not determined by current circumstances. We mustn’t allow human deduction and earthly wisdom to form our theology. Those that come to God must: first, believe that He is; second, we must believe that He rewards us as we diligently seek Him; third, without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Let us not have faith in our doctrine, but rather, let us place our faith and confidence in our God, Who will do what He said, because He is Who He said. Remember, Truth, Faithful, etc. speak of God, as a person. If you do “think upon these things”, it will influence the platform from which you worship. It will not be just from the position of “what God has done for you”, but your worship will most definitely include: God, I love You, if for no other reason than just because of Who You are. This will begin to change everything, including your theology. Can you handle that? Bet you can…and will!