From trendy inspirational songs to sporty Christian attire, and perhaps, even our favorite coffee mug may be plastered with the age-old saying, “God Won’t Fail.” Sure we have chanted these words in an emotional stupor in the pews of our local churches, but what does this statement really mean? Have we really grasped in our hearts the impossibility of God failing us? Is this understanding anchored when told we are stricken with a sudden illness or when we are pulled over for running a red light we thought we could beat? I guess the better question is does our definition of failing match God’s? How do we determine failure as a believer in Christ?

Yes, I know there are several questions to chew on, but it’s to strengthen our knowledge of Who God is and reveal the feeble thinking we may have towards Him and His Character. God not failing us is not about getting what we pray for in the exact way we envisioned God to answer us. Scriptures tells us that His Ways are above our ways and thoughts far above our thoughts. With this in mind, we must understand that we do not pray to will our desires into reality but to utilize the gift of openly communicating with God and hearing His heart, plan, and will for our lives and the world. So, this looks like supporting a friend battling a terminal disease and finding that the healing you prayed for is her going home to glory. A very hard circumstance to grasp when you hear testimonies of instant, miraculous healing from fellow believers.

God not healing or moving in the direction we want may look like failure with carnal understanding. We may be tricked into believing that God has failed to answer our requests or that we aren’t as godly as the others with miraculous testimonies. That, my friend, is the furthest thing from the truth. The truth is that God already has a will in place for us all. The truth is that His glory can be revealed in the resilience and perseverance of that same friend while she was battling that disease. I’ve seen several loved ones and my best friend fight against illness while still keeping their faith to God. There were times that their faith encouraged me and challenged me to keep believing God and clinging to His Word. When we look at life’s hardships with this lens, we see how God’s Word is true – He won’t fail.

We can now sing these songs not as a mindless religious robot but as a declaration of our understanding of Who God is and His ability to not fail. This mindset takes trusting God and getting to know Him more and more. A pursuit that should grow deeper while we are on trials and to not pull away to old devices. I’m confident that you’ll find that He won’t fail!

Heavenly Father, we want to draw closer to You and Your Word as life seems to get more challenging as the days go by. Help us to understand Your nature and character. We want to live as a people who understand that we serve a God Who never fails us! Thank You for be an unfailing Father to a people who don’t always get it right, in Jesus Name, amen!