Faithfulness

The Messiah, Faithfulness Incarnate  

The prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, looked forward to God sending a Savior who would bear the sins of all people. In Isaiah 11:1-5, he describes the coming Messiah.

   * List the seven characteristics of the Spirit that rest upon the coming Savior (v.2).

   * List the three characteristics of the Messiah (vv. 3-5).

   * How will the Messiah demonstrate His faithfulness? How does His faithfulness impact you?

   * Dig deeper into God's Word this week and learn more about Faithfulness.

   * Share an example of God's Faithfulness with someone you care for this week.


 
 

Blessed Lord, who has commanded us to love one another, grant us grace. Having received Your undeserved bounty, may we love everyone in You and for You. We implore Your mercy for all; but especially for the friends whom Your love has given to us. Love them, O Fountain of love, and make them to love You with all their heart, that they may will, and speak, and do those things only which are pleasing to You. Amen

(Anselm of Canterbury, 1033-1109)

Goodness

Goodness of God

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  Galatians 6:9-10

     * What is Good or should I say Who is Good?

Good and upright is the LORD; ... Psalm 25:8a (read Psalm 25)

You are forgiving and good, O LORD, abounding in love to all who call to you. (Psalm 86:5)
  
    * How can you show goodness?

 He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it. (Proverbs 11:27)

Test everything. Hold on to the good.  (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

On a human level we use different criteria for determining whether or not practically anything is good. The label good, as we apply it in our daily lives, depends oftentimes on whether or not we like someone or something. Psalm 34:8 reminds us that, ultimately, "The LORD is good." He alone determines what is good and what is evil. Practically anything He has created and determined "good" (Genesis 1, specially v. 31) can be abused and become bad for us. But even in such cases, the Lord's forgiving goodness is palpable---it can be "tasted"---in the One whose body was broken for us, but whose bones remained untouched (Psalm 34:8, 20).

Kindness

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Would you be so kind as to forgive someone who hurt you and humiliated you in public?
Or would you repay evil for evil?

Joseph had made a choice to forgive the wrong done to him by his brothers.
Because God showed His kindness to Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3 & 41:39) he then was able to show kindness to his brothers.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:20-21

Another example of kindness is found in the book of Ruth.

  How does Boaz show kindness in Ruth 2:16?

  Why do you think Boaz is showing kindness in this way?

  What does Naomi mean when she says; "The LORD bless him!... "He has not stopped showing      kindness to the living and the dead." (Ruth 2:20-21)

James 1:22 reads, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

So then how do we show Love, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control? By your actions! We must be doers of the Word!

Share a time you have shown kindness to someone in need after forgiving them.

Christ the Ideal

Patience

We find no greater example of patience, especially in the face of suffering, than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Throughout His ministry, Jesus showed tremendous patience with His followers (see Mark 8:14-33, for example). The one place where His patience shines most brightly, of course, is Calvary. If God's patience can be defined as delaying punishment and showing mercy, then the cross stands as the purest and strongest example. Read John 18-19

* Does Jesus have the power to stop the proceeding? Why does He choose no to do so? (See John 18:11)

* What indignities does Jesus suffer during the religious trial, and why does He endure it so patiently (18:19-24)?

* What did His enemies accuse Him of in the religious trial? In the secular trial?

* In light if Deuteronomy 21:22-23, how does the cross provide the perfect and ultimate example of longsuffering?

Dear God! Grant us also peaceful hearts and good courage in our struggle and unrest against the devil, whom we cannot endure nor finally defeat. We desire to have peace, and to praise and thank You, and not to grumble nor become impatient against Your divine will. Grant that peace in our hearts wins the day, so that we hold nothing against You, our God, nor against our fellow man, because of impatience. Rather, help us to remain calm and peaceful, both inwardly and outwardly, to You and to all people, until the coming of that final and eternal peace.

(Martin Luther, 1483-1546)

 

Know this, my believed brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. James 1:19-20

To prepare for "Kindness in Action," read the Book of Ruth

Job's Endurance

Patiently Awaiting

Job offers us a fascinating example of endurance in the face of terrible suffering. Read Job 1-2 and answer the following:

Who brought up the subject to Job?

What was the nature of Satan's accusation against Job?

What does Job lose and why?

Turn to Job 38-42.
Briefly summarize God's response to Job.

How does Job finally end up?

Had Job been patient? ( See Job 3; 12:1-3; 16:1-3; 21:4.)

Did Job lose his faith? (See Job 19:23-27.)

O Almighty God, our heavenly Father, I humbly ask You to renew within me the gifts of Your Holy Spirit; increase my faith, strengthen my hope, enlighten my understanding, broaden my love, and make me always ready to serve You both in body and soul; though Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen

(Henry Bernard Hemmeter, 1869-1948)

Read Psalm 40

David's Trust

Patiently Awaiting

 

David offers us another example of an Old Testament believer who endured a great deal of trouble and hardship while still trusting God. His father-in-law, King Saul, tried to kill him on several different occasions, yet he refused to take vengeance (see 1 Samuel 19 and 23; compare 1 Samuel 24 and 26). Later, even one of his own sons plotted against him and nearly succeeded in murdering him (2 Samuel 15). Throughout his reign, David faced enemies within his own family and country and many from outside as well. In several psalms David turns to the Lord for mercy. In Psalm 86, the center verse (v.9) sets forth the theme of God's salvation for all people. This is the purpose of God's patience with sinners. God delays His wrath so that His plan of salvation in Christ Jesus might be accomplished and people from all nations, not just Israel, will come and worship Him.

Does David depend on his own good works as a basis for seeking God's help in this psalm?

David seems to think that an attack on him is an attack on God. Why would he think this (v.14)?

How does God show His compassion, mercy, love, and faithfulness in being longsuffering (slow to anger)?

The Children of Israel

Patiently Awaiting

Parents might talk about how a strong-willed or mischievous child "tests" their patience. In that context, the child rebels against the parent, who then must figure out the appropriate response. Imagine you have told your child to stay away from the cookies jar until after dinner. Behind your back, she disobeys you. When you find her, how do you respond? If you do nothing, she will lose her respect for you. If you react in anger, you might punish her too harshly. Keep this scenario in mind as you read Exodus 32 and discuss the following questions.

* In Exodus 34:1, God refers to a previous set of stone tablets on which He had written the Ten Commandments. What happened to them (See Exodus 32:1-19).

* What did God propose to do to His people in response to the great sin in Exodus 32? Why didn't God do it?

* How did God discipline them? (See Exodus 32:19-29;35.)

* What does Moses do that gives us an early picture of the cross of Christ? (See Exodus 32:30-34)

Now read Exodus 34:1-7. The Lord "unpacks" His name for Moses in verses 6 and 7.
* What do we learn about the Lord in these verses?

* Compare several translations of verse 6 with one another. How do they differ?

* Discuss the justice (righteousness) of God and the mercy (grace) of God in light of Exodus 34:7 and Exodus 20:3-6.