Introduction:

The ancient philosopher Heraclitus (Hair a quite thus) once said, “You can never step in the same river twice.” We understand the world around us is always changing, but God remains the same and can always be trusted to keep His promises! His faithfulness can be counted on from generation to generation. That is at the heart of Psalms 89 and we all do well to apply it.

All of us are prone to forget the things that God has done for us. Time passes and life goes on and we forget that illness he healed us of or that time of financial loss he brought us through. We need reminders. It was the same in Joshua’s time. He led God’s people towards their new home, they had to cross the Jordan River (Joshua 3:15–16). So, God parted the waters, and His people walked through on dry land. To create a memorial of this miracle, they took twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and stacked them on the other side of the shore. When others asked what the stones meant, God’s people would tell the story of what God had done that day. This was a physical reminder of God’s faithfulness in the past to the Hebrew people. It can remind us to trust Him in the present—and with the future.

God understands our human nature and knows that “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” occurs all too often in our spiritual lives. We need physical reminders of spiritual truths. We need to pile up stones as it were, write in a journal, and tell family stories to help us remember the miracles of God’s provisions that neither we nor our children can afford to forget. If you are struggling in a spiritual pitfall today my hope is that this message picks you up. We start with the fact…

I. His Faithfulness Never Wavers

1. God’s faithfulness is a major theme of Psalm 89. It tells us that God’s faithfulness flows from his character, that heaven is the ultimate display of God’s faithfulness, and that he will never betray his Word under any circumstances. A truth we are learning in Bible study.
Let me give you a simple definition of this word. God’s faithfulness means that because he is the truth, everything he says and does is certain. That means he is 100% reliable 100% of the time. He does not fail, forget, falter, change or disappoint. Check out Malachi 3:6.

2. In the words of Lewis Sperry Chafer’ an American theologian who founded and served as the first president of Dallas Theological Seminary: “He not only advances and confirms that which is true, but in faithfulness abides by his promises, and executes every threat or warning he has made.” He says what he means and means what he says and therefore does everything he says he will do. That is not the world we live in so it is hard to relate to this but with God it is true.

3. Scripture verifies that the word of God declares thess truth in several Old Testament passages…
Numbers 23:19 — “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
Exodus 34:6 — He is “abounding in love and faithfulness.” — Deut. 32:4 — He is a “a faithful God.”

II. His Faithfulness Applies to Life & Death

1. When you are discouraged, remember God’s faithfulness. Do you remember the story of David and Goliath? When Saul asked David why he thought he could slay the giant, the young boy replied with a story about God’s faithfulness. He recalled God’s faithfulness during his days as a shepherd and that faithfulness gave him courage to believe God would deliver once again. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37).

David knew God could deliver him in this situation because he had done it so many times in the past. When you are discouraged, and tired and weary of the work, ministry and cares of this world remember God’s faithfulness. Quote the great promises. Remember how God has
answered your prayers. Reflect on his mighty deeds. Ps. 89: 6-8

2. Even when we doubt His promises, or don’t feel close to Him, or choose to sin, His faithfulness still “reaches to the clouds” (Ps. 36:5). We can be sure God will do all He said He would do (1 Th. 5:24; 2 Th. 3:3). His promises are backed up by His flawless character.
In those times when you don’t feel close to God, remind yourself that His feelings for you haven’t changed. It’s not a matter of how you feel at the moment, but the fact of the solid faithfulness of God
II Thess.3 [3] But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

3. When you doubt your salvation, remember God’s faithfulness. Many Christians secretly doubt their salvation because they do not feel like they are good enough Christians to get into heaven. But getting to heaven has nothing to do with being “good enough” since none of us ever qualifies. If you know Jesus Christ, you are certain of going to heaven.
Psalms 111:7 – The works of his hands [are] verity and judgment; all his commandments [are] sure.
Heb 10:[23] — Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
I Co.1 [9] —God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
I Thess. 5[24] Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

When you are tempted to doubt your salvation, remember God’s faithfulness. Consider his promises. Contemplate the Cross. Gaze upon the dying form of the Son of God. Think of all he did for you. Then recall the moment that you trusted Christ as Savior. Let the facts of the gospel be your strength and then rest your weary soul upon the Rock of Ages.

II. His Faithfulness is Evident in your Failures.

1. When you have made a mess of your life, remember God’s faithfulness. I know a certain pastor back in New Jersey who had to resign his church because of moral indiscretions. His name came up many times in our church because he was so well known and admired. It is important to remain open to the Holy Spirit so that we might see the “way of escape” in the midst of the battle. When we get to heaven, we’ll discover that there were more than enough warning signs if only we had heeded them,” he replied. — I Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2.) How many times have we heard the blessed words of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
“He is faithful.” Those three words guarantee God’s forgiveness to his erring children. Have you made a mess of your life? Would you be ashamed for others to know everything you have said, done and thought in the last seven days? Or the last three months? Or the last five years?

Who among us dares to say, “I don’t need God’s forgiveness?” If you know yourself at all, you know how much you sin and how desperately you stand in need of God’s mercy.
Think about your life. Now think about God’s faithfulness. And then bring your faults and failures and foolish ways to the Lord. Ask for his forgiveness. Then believe that you have received it. And as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, go and sin no more.
LA 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

3.) What wonderful words these are. All of us will face moments sooner or later when we simply cannot find the strength to go on. Perhaps we feel overwhelmed by circumstances or perhaps life begins to tumble in around us. Sometimes if we are honest we give up or throw in the towel. We fail to keep our promises to God…yet he continues to be faithful to us. Why is that?”
I Peter 4[19] Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Conclusion:

How has God shown Himself to be faithful to you and your family in the past? How can you make sure you’ll remember? With whom can you talk about it today? “Hold on to the faithfulness of God.” “Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. So much had changed around us! Yet in the midst of change, God’s faithfulness never changes.