Faithful

A faithful eagle pair guard nest and young

TODAY’S SPECIAL:  Ezekiel 19-21; Psalm 36

TO CHEW ON: “Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 36:5
 

Faithfulness. It’s a quality as old fashioned as afghans made by grandmas – and just as comforting. Faithfulness isn’t particularly trendy or sexy. In fact it’s unfaithfulness that contributes to the Hollywood mystique and puts our society’s heroes and stars on ET.

God, on the other hand, is faithful. What does that mean?

Faithful is from emunah (eh-moo-nah) which means firmness, stability, faithfulness, fidelity, conscientiousness, steadiness, certainty, that which is permanent, enduring, steadfast. The word “Amen” (It is firmly, truly so) comes from the same root.


This psalm details some of the ways God is faithful:
- He preserves man and beast.
- He shows lovingkindness.
- He is trustworthy and provides security.
- He provides abundantly and His provisions satisfy physically, emotionally and spiritually.
- His ways are ways of life and light.

 How has God been faithful to you? Can you see His hand maneuvering your circumstances, bringing things together in wonderful little seeming-coincidences?

Or perhaps there are times in your life when (on the surface at least) God has appeared unfaithful? If you look closely, can you see evidences of His faithfulness below the surface, or working in the background of even dreadful situations?

PRAYER: Dear God, I thank You for Your faithfulness. Help me to see evidences of that faithfulness even in times when I feel forsaken. Help me to take the knowledge and experience of Your faithfulness through this year. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 36

MORE: When I think of God’s faithfulness, I think of the song “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Here is a little background to that song:

“The author of this hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. At age 16, he began teaching school, despite the paucity of his own education. He came to Christ at age 27 under the ministry of evangelist H. C. Morrison. But Chisholm’s health was unstable, and he alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs he discovered new blessings from God every morning. The third chapter of Lamentations 3 became precious to him: “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

- From Then Sings My Soul – Hymn Stories by Robert J. Morgan – p. 285, emphasis mine.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.