A man is as good as his word, and not a whit better. How God insisted that his people faithfully keep promises; how he condemned breaking faith and oath and vow and covenant! Among the vilest things on earth he mentions "covenant breaking;" and in his description of the acceptable character is the man who "sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." From God's requirements of us we may easily judge what he himself is. God is faithful. He will fulfill what he promised or threatened, and we may with all confidence bank on it. When he sent forth Jeremiah, the tender, shrinking, almost timid man, yet so brave through faith, that was the assurance given to him: "I watch over my word to perform it." (Jer. 1:12.) When God sent Isaiah with a message of hope to a hopeless people, and the prophet seemed to hesitate, a voice said: "Cry." "What shall I cry?" came the despondent answer. "All flesh is as grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field. The [207] grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass." It is of no use--Jehovah has set himself against us, and we are but grass and are withering away. Then the response from above: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever." (Isa. 40:6-8.) Generations come, generations go; times change; but through it all God holds his purpose and stands by his word. "Forever, O Jehovah, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They abide this day according to thine ordinances (Gen. 8:22); "for all things are thy servants." (Ps. 119:89-91.) So do the laws of nature in their uniform continuance, the recurrence of day and night and the seasons in their cycles, betoken the steadfastness and faithfulness of our God, and give us assurance that he will so perform all his word. Build, then, on this word, and rest upon it, and you shall abide with it--forever. (1 John 2:17.)

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