The results of faithfulness

We're working through the Fruit of the Spirit, and yesterday I preached on faithfulness. I looked at three examples, Joseph, from Genesis, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and then King David from 2 Samuel 11-12. You can read more about what Faithfulness is in the August 2010 blog. Today I want to talk about the result of faithfulness.

In the lives of Joseph and the four men from Daniel, we see a few results. In the life of Joseph we see that God has blessed him as a slave. He works hard, and everything he does prospers because God is with him. He is put in charge of all of his master's house. When tempted to sleep with his master's wife he refuses. Once she grabs his coat trying to force herself upon him, he leaves it in her hands and runs. This turns into evidence against him, and he is falsely accused and thrown into prison for his faithfulness.

But faithfulness isn't something we're supposed to have only when things are going well. Even in prison he remains faithful to God, and again, God blesses him, and Joseph is put in charge of the prison. After years there, God delivers him, and because he has remained faithful, he is promoted to number two in Egypt, making him one of the most powerful men in the world. From this position he is able to save his family from starvation when they come to Egypt for food during a seven year famine.

These are results that are seen, but there are larger results of faithfulness that there is no way Joseph could have known about. Joseph was one of twelve sons of Jacob, or Israel, as he was renamed by God in Genesis 32.28. From him come the twelve tribes of Israel. One of his sons is named Judah, and it is from his line that Jesus the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5.5) is born.

Joseph's faithfulness did not simply result in the salvation of his family from starvation, but it led to the salvation of the world in Jesus Christ. Faithfulness has results that we can never see, and it reaches farther than we will ever know until we all get to Heaven.

In the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, we see another result of faithfulness. Initially when they are brought to Babylon, they refuse to violate Jewish law by eating the food that the king has provided. They request vegetables and water. God blesses them for this. The Bible says, "As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams" (Daniel 1.17). My thought is that Daniel is given the ability to understand dreams and visions because he is the one who spoke up. God blesses him additionally because he took the initiative. God blesses all of them because the remained faithful.

They all grow up and face other trials of faithfulness. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego are thrown into the fiery furnace because they refuse to bow to an idol. Daniel is thrown into the lions den because he refuses to cease praying to God. They stand firm in the face of death. I love the response of Shadrach, Mesahach, and Abed-nego in Daniel 3.17-18, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

He can save us, but even if He doesn't we will stand firm for Him. Daniel, as recorded in the Bible, says nothing in his own defense, but I think it's safe to assume that he goes into the lion's den with the same attitude. The result of the faithfulness of these four men is that God is glorified and exalted among men.

Daniel 3.28-29, "Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.'”

Daniel 6.25-27, "Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: 'May your peace abound! I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.'”

God is exalted in faithfulness. This makes me think of Psalm 46.10, “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” In our faithfulness God is exalted.

We never know how far our faithfulness will reach. We know that the God we serve is able to deliver us from all things. Do we believe that? I've been taking a leadership class, and I had to listen to a message by Francis Chan talking about how God worked in the people of the Bible. That same God is the God that we serve, and His best days are not behind Him. God is still in the business of rescuing people from fiery furnaces, and closing the mouths of lions. But for Him to do that in our lives, we need to have the faith that these men possessed. We need to believe like they believed, and we need to pray like they prayed.

The results of faithfulness are limited only by how faithful we are. Do you believe God is able to deliver you from whatever your furnace or lion's den is? But the follow up question, even if he doesn't will you still remain faithful? Had God not delivered them, their faithfulness would have brought them before His thrown and they would have heard the words "Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant, come share in your master's joy."

We must know that God can, we must believe that God will, but we must remain faithful even if He doesn't.

Peace be with you