Great Hymns Challenge Us

When Trials Come

When trials come no longer fear

for in the pain our God draws near

to fire a faith worth more than gold

and there His faithfulness is told;

and there His faithfulness is told.

This song has come into my remembrance lately as our family is still making adjustments to our newest addition. I was meditating on this verse the other night around 3 a.m. or so and considered this: God's faithfulness.

What is God faithful to do?

Or, to whom is God faithful?

God is faithful to Himself -- to His own will. It is by the nature and virtue of His perfect being and character. His wisdom is infinite and perfectly holy.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25

So then the question is: what is God's will, as He is faithful to perform?

For this is the will of God, your sanctification . . .

1 Thessalonians 4:3

And since God is jealous for His own glory and in everything He does, He discloses some aspect of His glory, how is it that He would sanctify us? Not by our will and our way, because then we could have some room to boast in our own holiness. No. God is faithful to sanctify us using His means, His methods and according to His will, not ours. It's not about us. We are not in control. We do not have all power; if we did, we would not rely on Him at all for anything. There are no excuses we can make that give us a license to behave in an unholy, ungodly manner. We are still commanded and expected, as children of God, to obey our heavenly Father. "God says, "Obey."