God's Word Never Fails

“Not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you;

not one word of them has failed” (Joshua 23:14, NKJV).

            One of the things my late father taught me was the importance of keeping your word. If you made a promise to someone, you must do everything possible to follow through. That was such an important concept in my parents’ generation (and those previous) that a handshake was enough to seal an agreement.

            Times have changed, though, haven’t they? We sign multi-page contracts when we buy a house, a car—even a cell phone. And still we sometimes look for ways to break our contracts and renege on our promises.

            Aren’t you glad God isn’t like that? When He makes a promise, you can not only “take it to the bank,” you can rest the destiny of your very soul on it. When Joshua, like Moses before him, had led and served the Jewish people for many years and was approaching the time of his death, he found it important to remind them of the faithfulness of God’s promises, using God’s faithfulness in the past as an illustration: “Not one word of them [God’s words/promises] has failed.”

            I wish people could say that about me; sadly they can’t, though I hope I’m doing better at keeping my word as I grow and mature in the Lord. I also wish I could say that about the people closest to me—and most of the time, I can. But we humans aren’t as faithful as God, are we? There really is no one besides Him who can be counted on to fulfill His every word…all the time.

            Isn’t that amazing and comforting? We serve a God who says what He means and means what He says. Furthermore, He follows through on His word and makes sure his promises are fulfilled in the lives of His people. He is the only One we can depend on, no matter the worst attacks from the enemy of our souls, the dire circumstances of our lives, or the failings of our own character. No wonder the Prophet Isaiah declares to God, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV).

            If we will just remember to trust in the One who keeps His word and fulfills His promises in our lives, we won’t need to worry about loopholes and litigation to break contracts, for God will keep us in perfect peace.