Can We Trust God's Word?
Month 2: The God Who Keeps Promises · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Numbers 23:19 & Titus 1:2
19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? — Numbers 23:19
2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. — Titus 1:2
Memory Verse
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”— Genesis 12:2 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Exodus 10–12
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 33 of 365 — the Passover, where God keeps His rescue promise.)The Heart of It
People break promises. Friends forget. Grown-ups sometimes say "maybe later" and never get to it. So it's a fair question for a child to ask. How do we know God's promises are different? The Bible gives us a rock-solid answer in two verses. First, "God is not a man, that He should lie" (). Lying is something people do. We change our minds. We get it wrong. We can't always follow through. But God is not like that. He sees everything. He never changes. And He has all the power He needs to do what He says. Second, calls Him "God, who cannot lie." Not will not. Cannot. It is against His very nature, like asking water to be dry.
That's why we can trust His Word completely. Every promise to Abram, and every promise in the whole Bible, stands on the unbreakable character of God Himself. When we read Scripture, we're not reading wishful thinking or human guesses. We're reading the words of the one Person in the universe who has never once broken His word, and never could. That makes the Bible the safest place to stand. We don't believe it because it's old or famous. We believe it because the God behind it cannot lie.
Around the Table
God cannot tell a lie — ever! So everything God says is always, always true.
Let's do it: Shake your head "no" and say it together: "God cannot lie!" Then nod and cheer, "God always tells the truth!"
People sometimes break promises. But God never can. It's not in His nature.
Let's talk: What's the difference between someone who won't lie and someone who can't lie?
God's truthfulness comes from His unchanging character. That's why His Word is fully trustworthy ().
Let's go deeper: If God cannot lie, what does that mean for the promises in Scripture you find hardest to believe?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's the worst that happens when someone breaks a promise to you? Now imagine someone who has never broken one — that's God.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "The Bible is just made up. You can't trust it": We can answer kindly and confidently. The Bible has been copied more accurately than any other ancient book. It records real places and people that archaeology has confirmed. And it contains hundreds of specific prophecies that came true. Most of all, it rests on the character of a God who "cannot lie" (). We hold our answer with gentleness and respect (). We're not trying to win an argument. We're sharing solid ground.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The trustworthiness of God's Word is the foundation under everything else you teach. If your children quietly suspect the Bible is just human opinion, no amount of moral instruction will hold. So give them reasons, not just rules. The reliability of Scripture rests on two pillars. The first is the outside evidence: the manuscripts, the archaeology, the fulfilled prophecy. The second is the inside truth that God's own nature makes lying impossible for Him. Equip yourself to discuss both at a level your kids can handle. And model a confident, unhurried faith. It's the kind that can hear a hard question at the dinner table without flinching. Your calm certainty preaches as loudly as your words.
Draws on: Josh McDowell & Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that You cannot lie. You have never broken a promise, not even once. Help us trust Your Word with all our hearts. And help us share it kindly with others. In Jesus' name, amen."
God cannot lie. So His Word is the safest place I can ever stand.