Trustworthy!

What makes something worthy of your trust?  What is it about a statement, or a person, that would  make you say, “I trust that.”?  Is there one characteristic that you can point to and say if that is present, then you will trust?  Is there a set time period that a person or statement must go through before you will trust?  And then, what happens when you do trust a statement made, or a person’s word, and you end up betrayed?  What then?  Can trust be regained?  Will the relationship or situation ever be the same?

Who, or what, to trust is a question people deal with on a consistent basis.  Everyone seems to have their own way of determining what is trustworthy.  The eternal nature of God provides us with a foundation that allows us to build absolute trust in His Word and His ability to keep His Word.  We read of this as Paul writes to Timothy these words:

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen. 
1 Timothy 1:15-17

Wow!  A trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.  Why is this statement trustworthy, and why does it deserve full acceptance?  Is it not because of the author — the one making the statement and bringing it to pass?  It is not simply a single characteristic that we like about God and hold on to as our sole reasoning for trusting Him.  It is not a matter of picking and choosing what we like about God and then discarding what doesn’t fit our image of what God should be.  How trustworthy could any statement of God be if we make Him like us?

Let’s look at how Paul describes for us, in the above verses, the nature of God that makes Him trustworthy. 

• His purpose – As Jesus, God came into the world to save sinners.  His very nature is a Savior.  The nature of a savior is to save . . . to seek the best for someone else, even at your expense. 

• His mercy – God’s nature is merciful.  He is not looking for people who deserve Him, He is willing to be merciful — even to the “worst of sinners”.

• His patience – God does not grow weary or give up prematurely.  He willingly holds back judgement and wrath because “He is not willing that any should perish but all would come to repentance.”

• His position – He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  His postion as king gives Him the authority to make things happen.  He needs no man’s counsel and does not need permission from anyone to make what He says happen.

• His presence – The eternal nature of God as King means there is no asterick or limited “lifetime” guarantee.  No concern of a “new sheriff in town” that does things differently now, so everything you’ve heard before goes out the window.  Not with an eternal God.  No one was in charge before Him and no one will be in charge after Him.  No changing of the guard.  He was and is and always will be.

• His deity – An immortal God is not bound by the fickleness of mortal man.  Immortality goes way beyond never dying.  It is the unchanging, spiritual nature that God is.  It is an incorruptible being that is not influenced by the “desires of the flesh” that make mankind so untrustworthy.

• His form – The invisible nature of God is loosely tied to the ever-present nature of God.  God does not have to by physically seen to be “an ever present help in time of need.”  His presence with us teaches us, and allows us, to learn daily just how trustworthy He is.

• His uniqueness – He is the only God.  He is the only “I AM!”  There is none like Him, so any comparisons that we try to make will always fall short.  There is none like Him, so all of the excuses about people who have let us down and have been untrustworthy do not apply. 

The sum total of His characteristics show us a God beyond compare. . . . A God who can be trusted yesterday, today, and forever.  Only an eternal God with the characteristics that my God has can truly be worthy of all my trust with no exceptions.

I pray that you also know this eternal God that is beyond anything you could hope or imagine.  I pray also that you would recognize this eternal God is worthy of trust.