Proverbs 25.19 NLT




'Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot.'
What a wise saying this is! The importance of being able to trust reliable people cannot be exaggerated. It’s always important, but when we are going through a tough time it is absolutely crucial. I thank God for the privilege of working with people over the years who have been totally trustworthy and whose word was their bond. I knew that if they promised to do something, it would not only be done, but done well. But I am sure we have also had the experience of people who promised generously to help but who simply didn’t get round to it, or helped so half-heartedly that it would have been better for everyone if they hadn’t started. The powerful and painful imagery of chewing with a broken tooth and walking on a lame foot comes easily to mind.
I have no doubt that we all want to be reliable people. We don’t want to make others suffer through our unreliability. So the question is, how are we going to ensure that we remain reliable? It is good to be determined, but that is sometimes not enough. We need God’s daily strength to help us to stand by our commitments whatever the weather, however we are feeling and whatever pressures there are upon us. When the writer to the Hebrews was encouraging the Church to be strong in their Christian commitment, he reminded them that they were in a race which they needed to run with endurance. The Christian life isn’t a short sprint but a marathon. We need to be equipped for the long haul. He urged his readers to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, who wasn’t diverted from his calling even when he had to pay the ultimate price.


Let’s praise God for those people we see serving God reliably and faithfully, and allow their example to inspire us so that we will never cause others pain by our unreliability.




Question: What can you do to ensure that you are always reliable?
Prayer: Lord God, I thank you that I can rely upon you completely. Help me to be reliable in all of my relationships. Amen

Released on 29 Jun 2022