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He will keep you strong right up to the end, and he will keep you free from all blame on the great day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says. . . .
—1 Corinthians 1:8-9
This is a promise of God’s faithfulness to His own. All day—day in, day out, year in, and year out—God’s faithfulness is great. Man, in his stubbornness and rebellion, may drift away from God, but through it all, “He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13).
No matter what difficulty life throws your way, God has promised to
“keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). David was so convinced of the faithfulness of God that he could say, “Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident” (Psalm 27:3).
On the other hand, God is faithful to execute His judgment upon those who reject Him even after He has repeatedly warned them to repent. Gradually, but surely, He tightens the screws of justice until the person repents or brings about his own destruction.
As hard as it is to believe, some people actually do choose the path of destruction. In 2 Chronicles 36:13, we read that “Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.” Following his example, the people of Israel grew more and more unfaithful, ignoring God’s repeated warnings until finally “the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16).
If life is uncertain right now, cling to the one certainty: God is faithful! You can be sure that “He will keep you strong right up to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:8).
Suggested Reading:
2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23 1corinthians 1:1-17 Psalm 27:1-6 Proverbs 20:20-21