Faithfulness
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Faithfulness of a dog
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
Is a movie based a true story of a dog named Hachi who was born in Japan in 1923.
His owner who was a university professor would take the train to work and His dog would follow him to the station everyday and be there to welcome him at the station when he would come back home every evening.
After his owner died Hachi returned to the train station everyday for the next 9 years to look for his master until the day he died.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NASB95)
9 “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
The background of this scripture is that King Asa was young and newly installed king and a million man army from Ethipia rose up against him and invaded the land. So He cried out to God and He sovereignly struck the Ethiopian army, giving Asa the victory.
36 years later after Asa gained experience in running a kingdom, doing battle, and acquiring wealth.
Once again Asa’s kingdom was under attack and from the king of Baasha(Northern Kingdom) .
This time instead of crying out to God He put his faith in wealth and resources and hired the king of Syria to get involved and win him the battle.
God is looking for those who will look to Him alone as their source of deliverance, rather than to human sources. Those who rely upon God alone in the face of overwhelming distress are viewed by God as loyal.
Our first loyalty to God is to keep Him number one.
The Father is on the hunt for faithfulness. He is always searching, and the object of His search is for a loyal man or woman. God will reveal His right hand to those who posses it.
Once He found Noah He could send a flood.
Once He found Joseph He could send Pharaoh a dream.
Once He found Elijah, He can turn a nation around.
When He has Jesus He can save the World.
God wants us to be like His Son Jesus who is loyal even unto death if need be. God is looking for loyalty because its a God quality.
The Father is loyal to the Son beyond anyone else.
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
The Father is determined that all of creation will bow down and worship before His Son.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The name of Jesus will be exalted above every other name. The Son has not yet been indicated. His name is still cursed and reproached every day by sinners. But all that is going to change. The day is coming when the Son’s reputation will be exonerated and He will be extolled more than any other. The Father’s faithfulness will guarantee it.
The Father is so loyal to the Son that if anyone tries to approach Him via a different route, God refuses to be found.
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
You might ask but why can’t someone find Salvation through Mohammed or Confuscius or some other good man? Because of God’s loyalty.
Faithfulness is a character of God and the Bible encourages us to be like God.
We are to pursue godliness.
Faithfulness is something that God gives us by His Spirit.
19 Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”
God empowers us with a loyal spirit so that we might be loyal, first of all to Him. Faithfulness is our first and greatest mandate.
9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
Our loyalty to God is to supersede even our loyalty to our own family members.
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Your love for your family should seem as hate compared to your love for God.
Again this is something God gives as fruit of our relationship with Him.
