It’s been a tumultuous few weeks, to say the least. 

My wife and I went through an extensive purging process with our possessions, then packed them up at one house, wrapped up multiple projects on that house, drove 2000 miles in 3 ½ days to meet the moving crew for unloading the truck, unpacked our possessions (at least as many as we could so far!), tried to get settled (though there is much yet to do!), coordinated significant home-improvement projects from thousands of miles away, undertook new projects at our new place, got installed (at least I have; my wife’s will happen shortly), and have begun working in our new positions.  (I’m thoroughly exhausted just from typing that last paragraph; even more so realizing we have lived it!)

And through it ALL, the Lord has been exceedingly faithful!

If we weren’t devout believers, the incredible things God has done for us would seem to be beyond belief.  Repeatedly!  Remarkably!  Resoundingly!  And ultimately, refreshingly!

Over and over again I lifted up prayers of thanks as yet another situation was resolved.  Sometimes miraculously.  Always sufficiently.  And typically abundantly. 

Repeatedly I thought, “I need to remember this!”  My intention was to compile a lengthy list – both to reflect upon later personally, and to share with you.  But in the press of moving on to the “next critical thing” and sheer exhaustion, the list was never written and the specifics have faded from memory. 

Though the many examples have disappeared through the caffeinated but confused and compromised colander of my mind, I do remember this, and clearly – the Lord did great things for us!  Exceedingly great things and exceedingly often!  He was … and continues to be … exceedingly faithful.

We often refer to our Lord as “faithful.”  We tend to toss out the concept fairly frivolously.  (At least I have at times.)  But when you experience it in resounding fashion, no frivolity remains.  Only awe and wonder.  And thankfulness and praise.

I’m confident you have experienced God’s faithfulness in resounding fashion as well a time or two in your life.  So you well know the response God’s faithfulness elicits in our hearts and minds.

It’s not surprising that the faithfulness of God receives such emphasis in the Scriptures.  The concept is noted in both the Old and New Testament, and especially in the Psalms.  (Not surprising since they are the hymns of the Jewish believers.)

Perhaps David summarizes it best in several of his hymns when he writes, “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5).

Typically, as David did, God’s “faithfulness” in the Bible is used in conjunction with God’s “love.”  Which makes perfect sense since God’s faithfulness to us is driven by his love for us.  Since the Lord loves us perfectly, he is perfectly faithful to us.

The Scriptures multi-faceted references to the Lord’s faithfulness are striking.

We are shown that he is abounding in faithfulness, and maintains it (Ex. 34:6-7) through all generations (Ps. 100:5).  He is faithfully perfect and just (Dt. 32:4); faithful with his word (Ps. 33:4) and faithful to his word (Ps. 145:15). 

God is faithfully compassionate (Lam. 3:22-23).  In fact, his faithfulness drove him to make atonement for our wrongs (Prov. 16:6) and still drives him to forgive us in our repentance (1 Jn. 1:8).

Furthermore, he is faithful even in our temptation!  “God … 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” (1 Cor. 10:13).

He is faithful in strengthening us and protecting us from Satan’s attacks (2 Th. 3:3), and in keeping us “blameless” until Jesus returns (1 Th. 5:23).

The Lord is faithful even in the face of faithlessness (2 Tim. 2:13).

The Bible is abundantly clear; our God is faithful! 

There is nothing like a cyclone of personal upheavals to demonstrate how exceptional God’s faithfulness is.  To which I say, “I thank you, dear Lord.  I praise your name!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Psalm 100

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  ² Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

³ 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.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  ⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.