You’re young. You have but little notion how cruel man can be to man. You’ll learn, though, and you’ll need a strong faith to get you through it.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Buckskin Line)
“God is faithful; you were called by Him into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
–1 Corinthians 1:9 (HCSB)
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Have you ever been frustrated? Or should I say, what is it that frustrates you? When driving does it just jerk your jaws when people run stop signs or cut in front of you? Are you frustrated because you always seem to get in the wrong line at the checkout? How about people? Some people are just downright frustrating.
For sure, it will take faith to get through this life and into eternity. It is through faith we are saved.; it is faith that appropriates the grace of the Father through Jesus Christ His Son. Because of God’s faithfulness, we do not have to worry about Him becoming frustrated with us. He is not going to wipe us off the face of the earth because we frustrate Him. Oh, He may be grieved at our wrongdoings and disobedience. And no matter what the bureaucrats do or the supreme adversary might attempt God’s plans will not be frustrated. I like what Lloyd-Jones said,
“This is absolutely certain: Nothing can frustrate His plans; nothing can make HIm forego what He has promised; nothing can cause Him to change what He has purposed with respect to you.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
We can always rely upon God. We can safely lean upon His Word, rest in His promises, and feel assurance that He is not frustrated, at least in the way the man understands frustration.
Let me pass on some thoughts from that great expositor Lloyd-Jones. “The Bible tells us about the faithfulness of God who always keeps His promises and never breaks His covenants. It tells us that God will always fulfill every word that has ever gone out of His mouth. It tells us that God will always faithfully and certainly defend and deliver His servants at all times of trial, testing, and conflict. It tells us that God can be relied upon to confirm and to establish all whom He has called, guarding them from the evil one and keeping them and guiding them until His purposes are fulfilled in them.”
What does God say about you? Find out in the Bible. What are His promises to you? Go to His Word. Remember you are a child of God. Remember also that the Holy Spirit is working in you. Part of our job is to read God’s Word, and to yield ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit. Hmmm, maybe if we do not do that we do “frustrate” God just like a child frustrates their parents. But knowing that they love us, we can go to them for we have faith in them–faith in their love and wanting our best. The same is true of God–we can always go to Him, rely upon Him because of His great love and His enduring faithfulness.