The Faithfulness of God (Psalm 25:10)

Many Bible verses and passages speak about the faithfulness of God and it is important for our souls that we reflect on what they say. Each of those references will focus on different aspects of his faithfulness to individuals or to communal groups, whether in times of prosperity or otherwise. 

The name of God

As we know, several names are used of God in the Old Testament. Each of the names highlight different features of the Lord. The name used by David in this verse is Yahweh or Jehovah. It stresses his self-existence. He informed the Israelites that they could use it because he was in a sovereign covenant relationship with them. We can assume that David would be precise whenever he used the Lord’s name, so we can also assume that is why he mentions it here as he highlights God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

David would have understood God’s love and faithfulness through the covenants and promises that God had made. So he would have been aware of God’s promise to send a deliverer from the consequences of sin that was given in Eden. He would also have known about God’s promise to Noah that he would never again bring about worldwide judgement like the flood and that the seasons of the year would continue until the end. He would have known about the holiness of God and the impossibility of worshipping him without an atoning sacrifice to cleanse the worshippers. Those details, along with his law, had been given by the Lord to Israel. He would also have known that God was the king of Israel in a special way and that he ruled and protected and punished his people according to their degree of devotion to him.

Of course, we know more about God than was known at the time when David wrote the psalm. David may have found it difficult to put together how the promise of a Deliverer would be fulfilled and what was the connection between his coming and all the requirements and promises that God had made. We don’t have that problem because we live after the coming of Jesus, the Son of God, and after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the completion of the Bible.

When we think of God, we know that he is triune, that his name is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We also know that the Son is also a man, and that he is the Mediator between God and man, and exercises that role in his capacities of prophet, priest and king. We further know the various names by which God is described in the Bible — he is the shepherd, he is the friend, he is the guide, he is the teacher, he is the defender, and many more, but all of them stress his faithfulness.

The love and faithfulness of God

We can think briefly about a connection between the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. Of course, the word ‘steadfast’ is a reminder of his faithfulness because it describes his ongoing determination to remain true. The love of God for his people is eternal in both directions, whether we look back or look ahead. He has always loved them and always will. We find that reality hard to understand, especially the fact that his love had no beginning. But that is true of his faithfulness as well. His love does not exist apart from his faithfulness and his faithfulness is never detached from his love. In the past eternity, God revealed that he would be faithful regarding his people.

The people of God

How are they described in this psalm? They are said to be humble, they are troubled by their sins, they resort to frequent prayer, they desire to be taught, and they obey his instructions. It is not difficult to see how such features are interconnected. How did they become such people? They entered into a covenant with God. This was their response to the divine offer of mercy. They heard the good news about a sin-pardoning God and gladly availed themselves of his forgiveness. Their response to him was, ‘Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love’ (Mic. 7:18). They discovered both the greatness and the grace of their God in the same divine activity.

But such a discovery inevitably changes them. It is impossible to be a Christian without dramatic changes taking place, and some of those changes are detailed in the psalm, as we have already mentioned. So we can focus on them briefly.

First, they are humble. There are many reasons why they should be humble. But why are Christians humble? The main reason is that they become humble through spending time with Jesus. That is what he said would happen when he told his disciples to learn from him because he is gentle and lowly in heart. In Jewish thinking, a disciple is a person who learns how to live by imitating his master. Therefore, since Jesus is the lowly teacher, his disciples must be lowly also.

Second, they are troubled by their sins. They focus on the root of their sins. Why do they as believers still sin? Of course, they know the answer from a doctrinal point of view. Believers will be marked by sin until they die. But they also consider their sin from a covenantal point of view. How can they sin in the presence of a gracious God? What kind of creatures are they who can such sins lightly? They know they are sinners because the Holy Spirit is convicting them. They feel the presence of sin and they want rid of it by divine power. It leads them to be careful in what they think and do.

Third, they resort to frequent prayer, almost constant prayer. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air, said James Montgomery in one of his hymns. They ask the Lord for his pardon, his power, his presence, his peace. Prayer is the road to blessings and they use it often. How would we describe a life without prayer? How would assess a person who has no delight in prayer? Prayer is a longing, a burden, an expression of dependence. It is urgent, yet expectant, because it is a covenant response to the God of mercy.

Fourth, they desire to be taught about the Lord and his ways. They have this desire because they want to please the One who has called them to himself. Having tasted of his grace, they do not wish to offend him. But they can only know what to do if he teaches them. Therefore they pray as they read the Bible. It is not merely an intellectual exercise for them. Frequently, they call on him to teach them.

Fifth, the outcome is that they obey his instructions. It is almost certain that a disobedient Christian is not being honest with God. When a person finds it easy to disobey God, there is something far wrong with their spiritual temperature. They have lost the desire to please him. At best, they are backsliding.

The paths of the Lord

Does David mean the paths that the Lord takes or the paths that the Lord provides? In reality both aspects are true. The paths of the Lord are the roads he walks on and on which he invites, indeed commands, his people to join him. Can two walk together unless they be agreed? So there must be a measure of sharing of values in order for us to walk with the Lord, and sharing is an aspect of covenant interaction between God and his people. The other common aspect of those paths is that they are the expressions of divine providence. They are his arrangements, part of his purpose for us. So what are some of the paths that he walks along?

The apostle John comments on the faithfulness of God when writing about forgiveness of sins. He points out in 1 John 1:9 that ‘if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ We might have expected John to say that God will forgive us and cleanse us because he is merciful rather than because he is faithful. How often does the Lord walk down this particular path? We have confessed sin numerous times, yet on each occasion when we have done so, the Lord has responded in the same manner and pardoned and cleansed his people. And we know that he will continue to do so.

Paul appeals to the faithfulness of God when advising Christians what to do when they are tempted by the devil: ‘No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it’ (1 Cor. 10:13). How many times has God walked down this path today?

God also reveals his faithfulness when chastises his people for their sins. Imagine what life would have been like for David if God had turned a blind eye to his actions when he fell into sin and made no effort to restore him. Says a psalmist about this aspect of the spiritual life: ‘I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me’ (Ps. 119:75).

God is faithful in dark times. This was stated by the author of Lamentations when he said, ‘The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him”’ (Lam. 3:22-24). He lived in a very difficult time in divine providence, with Judah about to go into exile or perhaps already gone to Babylon. Yet daily the Lord met his spiritual needs.

Sometimes, we wonder if we will become holy as we live in the sinful world. Recall what Paul said about sanctification: ‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ’ (Phil. 1:6). The apostle mentions the sense of certainty he had about that reality — he knew the Lord would not cease his work in the inner lives of his people.

Paul also refers to the faithfulness of God when he thinks about the Day of Judgement: ‘Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it’ (1 Thess. 5:23-24). Each believer on that great day, and there will be billions of them, will see the Lord’s path in their life.

There are many other examples of God’s faithfulness. We can remind ourselves of the ways he has shown faithfulness to other Christians, both in the past and around the world today. Yet we know that living in difficult times can make us question his faithfulness. It is important that we don’t allow an isolated providence to judge the character of God. Most providences are links in a chain, and we have no idea whether the link is at the beginning or at the end of the chain.

Why will God be faithful to us today? Because he is unchangeable. How can God be faithful to us today? Because he is omnipotent. What governs his faithfulness? He does all things for his own glory and he cannot deny himself. How can we measure God’s faithfulness? By his promises. 

What should we think about with regard to his faithfulness? We can think of how he has arranged the big picture of life for his people. The Father is able to work all things for the good of his people, including all adverse circumstances; the Son functions as prophet, priest and king for the good of his people wherever they are, whether they need corrected, directed, informed, and encouraged; the Holy Spirit works within them to sanctify his people, to comfort them, to enable them to repent, to restore them, to refresh them. Those roles are definite and never cease while they are in this world

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness.