The Link Between Faith and Faithfulness

God calls you to complete God-honoring goals. When He brought you and your spouse together in marriage, He called you to a life of unconditional, sacrificial love for your mate. When He opened the doors of employment, He called you to diligent service for your employer. When He calls you to "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34, NIV). He calls you exhibit Christ-like love to everyone you meet. These are godly, God-honoring goals. You have faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. How then can you be faithful?

Scripture Passage: Genesis 24:1-66
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Main Thought: The link between your faith and faithfulness can be realized when you:

Do it for God.

Pray for success.

Remain alert to the LORD's leading.

Praise and worship at every step.

Testify to God's work in your life.

Let God have His way with you.

Let no struggle defeat you.

"Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, 'Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.'" (Genesis 24:1-4, NKJV)

Link #1 - Do it for God.

One should set godly goals for life. Many people struggle, not with the goals, but with faithfulness. So the first link we see in this passage between faith and faithfulness is your motivation. Do it for God! Abraham made a solemn oath with his servant before the LORD God that he would find a son for his wife from his own people, not from the land of Canaan.

Why were there no acceptable women from the land of Canaan? No doubt Abraham was concerned about the idol worship and corrupt sexual practices of the people in this land. Not that the land of the Chaldeans was any better but he knew there was a knowledge and worship of God in his own family. For it was in the land of Ur that God first spoke to Abraham (Acts 7:2-4). From this family of faith, Abraham sought a special wife for his son, through whom the Messiah would be born.

So he sent his servant on this mission with a solemn oath before the Almighty God. Do you consider your goals to be a "mission from God?" This kind of motivation propels you into the task with zeal to get it done. The proper motivation for any task is to do it for God. (Col. 3:23) If it is unworthy of Him, why do it? If it is worthy, then do it for Him. Remember, it is not your life, it is His life lived through you. "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

"Then he said, 'O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.'" (Genesis 24:12, NKJV)

Link #2 - Pray for Success.

The Unnamed Servant had a godly goal and the motivation to work towards that goal. Now he prays for success at the task God has called him to complete. If you have set a godly goal and are motivated to do it for God, be sure to pray for success in that goal. Many times we wander aimlessly toward a godly goal without asking for God's supernatural power and wisdom to get it done. I know a pastor who has a plaque on the door to his office. Before you enter his office, you have to read this plaque: "Have you prayed about it?" It surprises me the number of things we attempt in our lives but fail to pray for God's gracious involvement. God is all-powerful, all-wise, and knows everything. I sure want Him involved in everything I do.

What if my goal is not really a godly goal? During prayer, you communicate your needs to God and allow Him to speak to your heart. This is a perfect time for God to reaffirm your goals or to change them. If you are earnest in your appeal for direction, affirmation, strength, God will honor and respond to that prayer. God is in the business of perfecting you. Even if your goal is not perfectly aligned with His will, He will work on you to move you toward His goals. Prayer is the place to get that alignment.

Is it wrong to pray for success -- is this not like the "name it, claim it" word of faith teaching? No, my assumption here is that you have a godly, or God-honoring goal. If your goal is a God-honoring goal, then it is His goal not yours. You are simply asking for His blessing and power to accomplish His goal for your life. If you are honest with yourself and honest with God about the goal, you will know whether it is of Him or of the flesh. If it is of the flesh, then reject it and ask God to set your agenda. If it is of Him, then ask for success in achieving His goal for your life. God will honor this request from His children.

"Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not." (Genesis 24:20-21, NKJV)

Link #3 - Be Alert to God's Leading.

As you undertake your task, be conscious of God's involvement and leading in it. Be alert for signs of His activity. The Unnamed Servant wondered whether this was the young woman for Isaac. The young lady was extremely gracious and kind to offer to feed his camels -- 10 camels can drink quite a lot a one sitting. But was she the one? The Unnamed Servant "remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not." He waited on the LORD, listening to Him and watching how the young lady carried herself and what she said. After she had completed the task of watering the camels, the Unnamed Servant asked, "Whose daughter are you?" If she was from the family of Nahor, Abraham's brother, then she was the one for whom the Unnamed Servant was sent. As it turns out, she was the legitimate granddaughter of Nahor and his wife Milcah. The Unnamed Servant was led by God to just the right woman.

There was a time when my daughter was in elementary school. She was new Christian. My wife and I were discipling her in the ways of God day-by-day. One morning, though, my mother wanted to take her to a special event during school hours. My wife said she would write a note to the teacher that my daughter had an early doctor's appointment. This, of course, required an explanation to my daughter that she was NOT going to the doctor but to her grandmother's house. She was puzzled about this because she recognized the lie. It was a small one intended to prevent any attendance penalty at school. But it was a lie nonetheless. As I went down the stairs to leave my house for work, the Holy Spirit burdened my heart with a heavy load. "Why are you teaching your child to lie?" was the message on my heart. It was not an audible message but it was clear to me. I was compelled by God to return and tear up the note. It is not easy to explain your failures to a young child. But this was an important lesson to my daughter about the importance of truth in the life of a Christian. It was an important lesson to me in how the Holy Spirit can and will lead us to do the right thing no matter what the personal cost may be.

A prayerful spirit is the key to understanding the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Christ, we have a tremendous advantage in understanding how God is leading us -- the indwelling Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit makes His home in our hearts. This means we have an intimate personal relationship with God that non-Christians do not have nor do they understand. A caution must be raised at this point. Just because the Holy Spirit lives within does not mean you will automatically follow God's will. As the Unnamed Servant demonstrates, you must watch and wait. You too must listen for the leading of God's Spirit. This requires that you be precommitted to God's will and alert for His leading. In this way, you can be faithful to follow His will and not your own.

"Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. And he said, 'Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.'" (Genesis 24:26-27, NKJV)

Link #4 - Praise and Worship At Every Step Toward the Goal.

God, who is faithful to lead you, should be praised and worshiped every time you realize His involvement in reaching your goal. The Unnamed Servant did not make a huge spectacle. He simply bowed his head and worshiped. His prayer was simple enough, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren" (Gen. 24:27). He saw that the LORD was indeed involved and active in his progress toward the goal. In fact, as he noted, the LORD led to the girl "being on the way" or as he was traveling toward the city. God worked it out so that he would meet the right young lady along the way. God is good, all the time!

Do you find yourself thanking God only at the dinner table or at night just before bed. Perhaps you are not alert to His work in your life. Perhaps you have been a bit ungrateful. Now is the time to start thanking him for the wonder of His involvement in your affairs. In Christ, you are God's child. He knows you by name and calls you to the absolute best for your life. You can trust Him on that. So be sure to offer praise and thanksgiving to Him along the way. Praising His faithfulness will give you great joy and stimulate you to following His will ever more closely.

"Food was set before him to eat, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told about my errand.' And he said, 'Speak on.' " (Genesis 24:33, NKJV)

Link #5 - Testify to God's Work in Your Life.

This Unnamed Servant was so excited about God's work in his life that he would not eat until he shared what was going on. "I will not eat until I have told..." he insisted. The family of Nahor permitted this request. The Unnamed Servant told all about his call to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's family. He was sure to mention his request to God for confirmation of the right young lady and God's faithful response. He even told of his worship of the LORD for His gracious guidance along the way.

When was the last time you were so excited about God's work in your life that you had to tell someone about it? Maybe it was when you first trusted in the LORD Jesus Christ and experienced the freedom and joy of His forgiveness. Maybe you had been struggling with a particular sin and found strength to fight it through trusting in the LORD. Maybe your marriage was in trouble but God, through His grace and His truth, mended the broken places. Think about His work in your life right now. Have you told anyone lately?

When you testify to the work of the LORD in your life, it accomplishes three things:

One, you affirm in your own mind the reality of God and His concern for what goes on in your life.

Two, you strengthen the faith of other Christians when they hear of God's faithfulness. They may be depressed or broken. What an encouragement you can be to them by sharing that God is still at work!

Three, you prepare the hearts of unbelievers who are listening for the work of God in their own hearts and lives. In other words, you are ploughing the ground in their hearts to prepare for God's word to be planted and bring them new life.

Testifying to God's work in your life builds you up and those who hear you. This is a key link between faith and faithfulness.

"Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, 'The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken.'" (Genesis 24:50, NKJV)

Link #6 - Let God Have His Way With You.

After hearing the testimony of God's work in the Unnamed Servant's life, Rebekah's brother, Laban, and her father, Bethuel, agreed to let her go to Isaac. "The thing comes from the LORD..." they reasoned so how could they say anything about it. They agreed to the request for Rebekah because "the LORD has spoken" (Gen. 24:51). Obviously, this was a household of faith for they were willing to let God have His way with their own family member. In spite of the tremendous temptation to say no, they said yes. They knew it meant they might never see Rebekah again. Yet, if it is the LORD's will, it is for the best. The Unnamed Servant let God have His way -- and God was faithful to lead the Servant along His good path.

"But her brother and her mother said, 'Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.' And he said to them, 'Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.'" (Genesis 24:55-56, NKJV)

Link #7 - Let No Difficulty Defeat You.

The next morning Rebekah's brother, Laban, had a change of heart. (Gen. 24:55) He realized she was about to leave for good. So he started back-peddling, trying to change the undesirable circumstances. This was quite a change from the previous night where he said, "This is from the LORD..." (Gen. 24:50). Compare this to the Unnamed Servant's response, "Do not hinder me..." since the LORD had called him and made him successful on this goal. He insisted, despite the strong resistance of her family. Ultimately, they agreed and even sent her to Isaac with a blessing. (Gen. 24:59-60) The Unnamed Servant faithfully completed the journey back to his master's son, Isaac. And he was faithful to testify to all that had happened. (Gen. 24:66)

When you are pursuing a God-honoring goal, you can be sure there will be difficulties and temptations along the way. Your flesh will fail you and lead you to draw back, turn around, or give up. The world will try to conform you to its own idea of what you should do. Satan and his band of demons will do their best to put stumbling blocks in your way. All of these are tests along the way to accomplishing God's purposes.

You must follow your conviction concerning the LORD's will and never turn back and never, never, never give up! As Joshua was commanded by the LORD as he entered the Promised Land, so are we commanded by Him today:

"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9, NKVJ)

Reflect on YOUR life: Let no difficulty defeat you when you are pursuing God's goal. Remember to be strong and of a good courage. Remember to stay in the word of God that you may know and do His good will. And remember His promise to be with you wherever He leads.

Our Creator God loves you and wants you to know Him! If you would like to contact this ministry for further information or questions, please send your e-mail to:
Email: ministryrequest1@WordTruth.Com
Web Site: WordTruth.Com

Copyright 1999, Randy Lariscy.