Forever Faithful
God is faithful and His love endures forever. Can we see His faithfulness no matter what we face, when we are held by fear, or when we fall?
“Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord...Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said: “ ‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.' Aaron remained silent...This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean"
Leviticus 10:1-3, 8-11
Aaron was the pastor to the people and taught others about the laws, commands, precepts, and teachings of the Lord. In this story, though, Aaron, like others, faced a test. Would he still see God's holiness, faithfulness and love in the midst of the hardest time? Would he still see God's love in the midst of his loss?
We face the same challenges. You will endure hardships, trials, tests, failures, offense, betrayal, brokenness, and loss. We live in a fallen world that comes with a lot of pain. Can you still see the love of God in the midst of the valley?
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalms 100:1-5
There is a maturity to this psalm that likely comes from the praise of one who has been through the battles of life. David paints the picture of one who praises freely, openly, and continually because he has experienced the faithfulness of God through his ups and downs.
What has David learned? It is good to praise and hold onto a high perspective of God. David's heart of gratitude produces joy and that joy comes out in how he expresses his praise. What's on your heart? How will you praise the Lord today? Can you sing in the midst of your highs AND lows?
“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine...Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?”
Song of Songs 6:3, 10
Love is simple but not easy. The experiences of our lives can me us feel unloved, unseen, and unwanted. God's love is meant to lift us up, bring healing to our hearts, and inspire us with hope. Hard times and heartache can make us want to run and hide. Jesus never stops pursuing and inviting us to remain close to Him.
Do you feel beloved? How do you think God sees you? Can you hold fast to who you are and who God is no matter what?
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. But now you have turned around and profaned my name"
Jeremiah 34:13, 15-16
Truth tells us we cause a lot of our own pain. God teaches us how to live a life of freedom, but we fall short. God takes this personally. If you are His, then your actions reflect on His Holy Name. How often do we think about that? Much like the actions of a son or daughter reflect on the parents, so our actions reflect on our Heavenly Father.
Jesus said they will know you are His disciple by how you love. He was speaking to followers who would likely suffer difficulty, experience pain, and were mostly martyred. Our actions reflect on Him more when we experience trials. Are your words, actions, and attitudes helping draw others closer to Jesus through times of crisis?
“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword...Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison"
Acts 12:1-2, 5-9, 12-16
Do you ever find yourself asking God why? Why would God let James be tortured and die, but send an angel to save Peter from prison? Why do you have to go through hard times when someone else who does not seem to follow God prospers? Why do "bad" things happen to "good" people?
The experiences we go through in life do not change God's holiness, faithfulness, goodness, or essence. God is love. God is training us and teaching us to learn to love rather than label. It is okay to say that hard is hard. That is truth telling. Perhaps we should reserve judgment on whether something that happens is good or bad and learn to praise God with thanksgiving at all times, in all circumstances. God is no less loving or holy because James died or Peter was saved.
What would happen if we learned from these texts and simply chose to live by faith trusting that God has a plan, His ways are perfect, and our personal Savior will in fact save us? What would happen if we embraced the truth that we are His beloved and He will never leave us, nor forsake? The truth is He makes all things work for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. He is faithful and we are forever in His hands.