Life Is Not Always Fair, But God Is Always Faithful

“Life Is Not Always Fair, But God Is Always Faithful!”

1 Kings 20:23-28

David P. Nolte

If a child doesn’t get the birthday gift that had been requested, he or she may cross their arms, stick out the lower lip and proclaim for all to hear, “It’s’ NOT FAIR!”

When someone else gets the promotion, the unprompted may stomp and lament, “It’s just not FAIR!”

When the doctor says, “It’s not good news.”we may close our eyes and mutter, “It really isn’t fair!”

We don’t get what we want, someone else gets it, we don’t like our circumstances, we feel left out and overlooked and say, “That’s not fair!”

Well, think about it: (A) whoever said things were always going to be fair? And (B) what seems unfair to one person seems totally just to another.

Life is NOT always fair! Life is not ALWAYS fair! Life is not always FAIR!” BUT GET THIS: LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS FAIR, BUT GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL! If you get nothing else today, get this: LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS FAIR, BUT GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL!

Life is not always fair, but God is always faithful! The Bible says, “Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9 (NLT)

And, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT).

The text for the sermon is, “Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, ‘Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they. Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place, and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.’ And he listened to their voice and did so. At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the country. Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Because the Arameans have said, ‘The LORD is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” 1 Kings 20:23-28 (NASB).

Life is not always fair, but God is always faithful. Because that is true, I want to present three truths related to God’s faithfulness to hold onto when life seems unfair.

I. GOD IS GOD ON THE MOUNTAINS:

A. The Arameans missed the truth that while God, not gods, is God of the mountains, His sovereignty and power are not confined to just the heights.

B. We can associate God with mountains because some significant things took place on mountain tops:

1. Abraham passed the test of faith when he was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah.

2. Moses was given the Law on Mount Sinai.

3. Moses’ brother, Aaron, died and was buried on Mount Hor.

4. Moses died on Mount Nebo.

5. Jesus did much of His teaching to the 12 on the Mount Of Olives.

C. Jesus meets us in what can be called “our mountain top experiences:”

1. Things are running smoothly at work and home and school.

2. We are well and robust and feel goooood!.

3. The car runs, the roof doesn’t leak, the bills are paid and on and on!

4. God is with us when life is good and He enjoys our joys with us.

D. We wish life could always be on the mountain top – high above the hubbub and turmoil, the conflict and strife, the pressures and distresses.

1. We are like Peter when he, James and John were with Jesus on the mountain top and He was joined by Moses and Elijah. Peter said, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Mark 9:5 (NASB).