The Basis of Faith
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.”
Exodus 6:6–8
All of us have had the unpleasant experience of having someone we trusted let us down. Perhaps it was something as simple as a friend not showing up to give you a ride or failing to return a book you lent them. Perhaps it was a serious breach of trust in a marriage or a financial relationship that left devastation. The reason people fail to keep their word to us—and if we’re honest the reason we sometimes fail to keep our word to others—is because of our nature. We are sinners, and sinners fail to do what is right from time to time.
By contrast, when God was making promises to Moses for the Israelites, He was speaking of things that seemed to be impossible. There was no hope humanly speaking of changing Pharaoh’s mind. The slave labor of the Israelites was a valuable resource for Egypt and would not be willingly abandoned. The military might of Egypt meant no revolt could hope to succeed. Yet what God promised happened exactly as He said—because the promise was based on His unfailing nature. God’s character is to fulfill the promises that He makes, and we can always trust that He will.
Exodus 6:6–8
All of us have had the unpleasant experience of having someone we trusted let us down. Perhaps it was something as simple as a friend not showing up to give you a ride or failing to return a book you lent them. Perhaps it was a serious breach of trust in a marriage or a financial relationship that left devastation. The reason people fail to keep their word to us—and if we’re honest the reason we sometimes fail to keep our word to others—is because of our nature. We are sinners, and sinners fail to do what is right from time to time.
By contrast, when God was making promises to Moses for the Israelites, He was speaking of things that seemed to be impossible. There was no hope humanly speaking of changing Pharaoh’s mind. The slave labor of the Israelites was a valuable resource for Egypt and would not be willingly abandoned. The military might of Egypt meant no revolt could hope to succeed. Yet what God promised happened exactly as He said—because the promise was based on His unfailing nature. God’s character is to fulfill the promises that He makes, and we can always trust that He will.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Our faith rests on the unshakable foundation of God’s nature and character.
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