Can God Call You Faithful? — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge, our weekly quarter-hour broadcast bringing the reality of God's Word to all people everywhere. Stay tuned as Joshua Daniel challenges us to a walk with God and the corresponding impact that it'll have on our lives, families and society today.

Faithfulness and the Blessing of Abraham

Now, if you will please turn to Galatians 3rd chapter and the 9th verse, we are told of, you know, faithfulness, you can't talk about faithfulness and forget people like Abraham, Galatians 3rd chapter and the 9th verse.

So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Can God call us faithful and put that word before our names, faithful Abraham, faithful in what he was given, you gave me Isaac, offerings Isaac is no big deal, what?

Isaac the son who was born after so much exercise of faith, the son of his old age to put him on the altar, you see, without even pre-warning him, son, I'm marching you to the altar. He did not find it within himself to be able to do that.

So when the son asked, there's a firewood, there all this preparation, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice? He gives a prophetic answer. What a question, where is the lamb for the sacrifice? You know, he found it so difficult to say, son, you are the lamb, but he gave a prophetic reply, God will provide himself a lamb for the sacrifice, faithful Abraham.

You mean to say it's an easy thing to lift your sword or sacrificial knife over the apple of your eye, your heir, the son of your old age. But you know, my dear friends, in missionary history, you will find so many mothers who gladly gave their sons for God's work and daughters.

Faithfulness in the Lives of Gladys Aylward and Eric Liddell

You know, I met Gladys Aylward some years ago in New York and that evening Gladys Aylward was going to be late for her meeting and I knew if I did not catch her and talk to her before the meeting, I wouldn't be able to go near her after the meeting.

So as I waited, I was a young fellow at that time, as I waited, here she came rushing in, small person, and when I introduced myself and mentioned a common friend of ours, she stopped and she exhibited no hurry whatever.

The singing was going on, the meeting had started and she was arriving late and yet, you know, my dear friends, the story of Gladys Aylward, her faithfulness with those orphaned children, how amazing, how amazing.

The same with Eric Liddell, Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner who refused to run on a Sunday. How he stands like a sore thumb today before all these fellows who break the Lord's Day. Eric Liddell, who was almost called a traitor to the country and yet he won in great style, setting up a great record in the 400 meters run, which happened to come not on a Lord's Day, but on a weekday.

Faithfulness, oh my, when I surround myself with these giants of faithfulness, I say, what? What I am doing is nothing. I'm so poor in my faith. So my dear friends, whether we would be qualified to be called by God, faithful as the prefix to your name, judge you.

Faithfulness in the Early Church at Ephesus

Now, when I see the opening of Ephesians, let us just look at that. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. What the early church appeared to be and Ephesus was the seat of the worship of Diana.

And in the midst of that, you had a faithful people in the midst of such opposition. You know, when my dad was called by the Lord, I was just a little fellow of seven years. And my dad wanted to put his fleece before the Lord.

Trusting God for Provision in Prayer

He was going to resign a very good position in the field which he had chosen as a teacher and a headmaster. And when he was going to be in charge of a big high school, at that time, it was a very prestigious high school.

On the way, he put out his fleece. God, I want you to support me and my family up on these mountains while I pray. And I'm going to ask nobody for a penny. But my bills must be paid by you. You know, the last day came and the money did not arrive.

We got into the car to come down the mountain and yet the money didn't come. You know, but as we left the house and on our way, before we descended the mountains, my dad wanted to pray in the church, last of all, before the descent.

And as we came out of that church, I vaguely remember, though I did not know and understand the circumstances, the postman got off the bus. Are you not the people that lived in Lillingston Cottage? Yes, we have just left the cottage.

Remaining Faithful Through Loss and War

Here is a money order for you. Five minutes more, the postman would have missed us. The faithfulness of God. And you know, about that time, just before my dad went for that season of prayer, as he was praying alone, God showed him a funeral.

He said, whose funeral is that, Lord? He could not make out. Whose funeral was it? His dad's funeral. Eight hundred miles away, his dad had died. And as the youngest son, my father wanted to give granddad a very noble fitting funeral.

But he did not see his grave until almost 25 years after or 30 years after. You know, it was a test. And to cap it all, then came the death of his elder brother. Was he going to be deflected? Was he going to change course to adjust to the new circumstances?

No, faithfulness. You know, my dear friends, there are trying human situations. But then as a further climax came the war, which meant all these young people whom he was ministering to left. And the government ordered our evacuation from the city because of the imminence of the Japanese invasion.

Friends, at a time when there were no helpers and revival had not broken out at that time, my dad stood fast. Faithfulness and what a heritage to give to his children, to give to me. My dear friends, faithfulness in prayer can change any situation.

It is when we waver and dither and doubt and who and how and do go through all this stuff that we are going to fail. Faithfulness. God is looking for faithful people whom he can trust. Let us pray. O Lord our God, to whom shall we go?

A Prayer for Unwavering Faithfulness

Give to us the faithfulness that will not change course and iota to be obedient to the word of God. Teach us, Lord, and O grant that we too may be faithful like faithful Abraham. We ask in Jesus holy name.

Amen.

The speaker on this program was Joshua Daniel. He would like to know what your response has been to the Lord's challenge and would be delighted to hear from you. Please write. And if you have burdens you want to share and want prayer, do let us know.

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