Great Is Thy Faithfulness
What first comes to mind when you hear the word faithfulness? What images or words connote loyalty and steadfastness for you? For me, it’s my grandfather (or “Opa” as I always called him). When I hear the word faithfulness my mind immediately thinks of my Opa’s deep, clear voice singing out over his open hymnal. The pages are turned to Great Is Thy Faithfulness. I can visualize the words printed on the cream-colored sheet music:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
I can feel the upholstered seating of the pew under my legs. I can smell my Opa’s cologne. I can see the age spots on his large hands as he angles the leatherbound book between us. He thinks he needs to share his hymnal so I can follow along but I know the words already. The lyrics, always in his voice, are imprinted on my heart.
My Opa entered heavenly glory thirteen years ago, but whenever I hear the word faithfulness, the memory of him worshipping is the first thing that comes to mind. My Opa’s attendance at church was steadfast. He faithfully read his Bible every day. He devoted his life to serving the church and to our family. His memory of scripture, even in the throes of dementia, was unwavering. Proverbs 3:3-4 says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” I don’t know if my Opa had a life verse, but this could have been it. To me, he was the picture of faithfulness.
Remaining faithful in our work, our relationships and our service to the Lord are high callings in and of themselves. Some days it can feel nearly impossible. How do we stay so consistent when the world around us is ever-changing? How do we keep from veering off course? The short answer is, we can’t. Sure, we can start out faithful, but we won’t stick with it. We get distracted, we give in to temptation, we lose motivation, and we succumb to laziness. When the ground beneath our feet starts to shift, we lose our balance. We forget to be faithful. So how do people like my Opa manage to live a life of faithful submission to the Lord and others? Because faithfulness comes easier when we rely on a faithful God. But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what the Bible has to say about it:
When the enemy tries to lure us into the dark, our heavenly Father is there shining a light on the escape hatch. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” We do not face temptation alone. We can rely on God to not only show up but to show us a way out.
In this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33). We will find ourselves in conflict with those we love, or sometimes with total strangers. We will be ignored, bullied, teased, betrayed, and rejected. When the flames of opposition are licking our feet, it is God’s faithfulness that protects us. He wards off the flaming arrows of the enemy and keeps us safe from harm. Psalm 91:4 says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” We can count on God to shelter us from harm.
We are going to mess up. We are going to follow the enemy down a path that takes us away from God. When we are lost to our sin and struggling to find our way back to Him, we need not fear retribution. God assures us His arms will be open wide, ready to welcome us home. 1 John 1:19 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Like the prodigal son, we can rely on our Father to meet us with mercy and celebration upon our return.
God’s presence, let alone His goodness, is hard to detect in the depths of despair. We witness evil and devastation on this earth and wonder where He is in the midst of it. We walk the broken road of grief and we doubt His plan. It’s so easy to take our eyes off Him and focus instead on our pain. Psalm 145:17 says, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.” This means nothing God does is wrong. He is never unsure. When we stand with Him the ground is always solid. If what we are experiencing isn’t good, it simply means He isn’t done.
Faithfulness comes easier when we rely on a faithful God. I often say, "Life is just so daily!” Remaining steadfast in the daily grind can feel exhausting and discouraging. It’s easy to view our day as one long to-do list and feel defeated before we even begin. The hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness is based on Lamentations 3:22-23 which says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” When we feel overwhelmed by the tasks of faithfulness, may these words bring us sweet relief. We begin each day with a fresh dose of unfailing compassion for our sinful hearts. God’s word promises no matter what the day brings we will NOT be consumed.
If you’re struggling with faithfulness, I urge you not to give in to distraction and not to give up. This is my prayer for you today: “Hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it,” (1 Thessalonian 5:22-24).
Faithfulness comes easier when we rely on a faithful God. He promises to provide all we need so that we might hold unswervingly to the hope we profess (Hebrews 10:23). He will not let us fall. He will not shift like the shadows and He is never caught off guard by our actions or our circumstances. He is our God on whom we can rely (Psalm 59:10). Great is His faithfulness unto you and me.