What God Can't Do
God can do anything. This is one of the characteristics that makes God who He is. We typically call this omnipotence. Yet, even though God is omnipotent there are still a few things of which we can say, “God can’t do that.” No, I am not contradicting myself. God can do anything, but He cannot cease being God. God cannot act in a way that is contradictory to His nature or identity. To say this is not to put a limitation on God’s power but rather explains what it means to be God. What am I getting at? Psalm 89:33 gives us an example of this beautiful truth: “But I will not remove from him My steadfast love or be false to My faithfulness.”
God can do anything, but He can’t be false to His faithfulness. In Psalm 89, God is speaking about His covenant with His people, specifically the covenant He made with King David. Because God’s people rebelled against Him, they experienced His judgment. In spite of this, God remained faithful to His promise, even if His people did not. God did not and will not break His promise to His people. God keeps His promises. That is who He is. That is what He does.
Much like the generation living when Psalm 89 was written, our circumstances can seem contradictory to God’s promises. That’s why Psalm 89:33 is such an important promise for us to remember. "God will not be false to His faithfulness.” There will never be an instance or a circumstance in which God will betray His faithful character.
My children often view conversations with me through the lens of a promise. They often come to me with a request: “Dad, can we …..?” If I respond with any hint of positivity, my words are forever inscribed in their hearts. Even though I try to keep my word, there are times when I forget the promises that I’ve made. My children remind me: “Dad, remember…you said….” Thankfully we don’t have to remind God of His promises. He remembers and He never fails to keep His Word.
This does not mean that God will always do what we want Him to do. Sometimes our loved ones get diagnosed with cancer. Sometimes our finances face a major setback. Sometimes our relationships are broken by sinful choices. Through all of this and more God remains faithful. God has not promised to fulfill all of our expectations, but He does keep His promises.
We need to become students of God’s promises. Our expectations about what God should do and how He should do it often get in the way of us learning what God has said about Himself. As we learn God’s promises we learn how to rely on them. With each promise that we learn and see God keep, we gain the faith to trust Him for the next situation. God will not be false to His faithfulness!