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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: FAITHFULNESS (10/07/21)
The English language is full of words with loaded meanings. In many cases, the meanings we attach to such words depends on our own life experience. Ask a professional baseball player about the word sacrifice, and you are likely to get a series of stories from their memory bank where a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly was a part of a memorable moment or game for them. Ask an Old Testament scholar about the word sacrifice, and you are likely to get some explanations about burnt offerings, blood offerings, lambs, and possibly scapegoats.

Faithfulness is another word with a loaded meaning. Ask a young child about faithfulness, and they may not have much of an answer, especially if they have not been raised in a Christian home. Ask someone who was the perpetrator or victim of infidelity, and you’re likely to evoke painful memories of trying circumstances and difficult decisions. Ask someone who is aware of God’s gift of grace, especially in contrast to their own rightful place in the world, and you may be in for a conversation full of emotion, gratitude, and joy.

Whether you asked a wounded spouse or a Christian about faithfulness, you were likely to receive an answer that is based on the idea of faithfulness communicating a sense of obligation or devotion to a relationship. This relationship is based on a set of agreements or promises, sometimes spoken like wedding vows and sometimes unspoken like one might find in a friendship. Another word to describe such agreements and promises within a relationship is a covenant.

The Bible spends a great deal of time dealing with the concept of covenants. God made covenants with His people through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. In accordance with these covenants, God issued both blessing and curse to His people. God’s faithfulness shows in His unwavering commitment to His promises.

With that unwavering commitment in mind, one can find great joy in God’s faithfulness. One need look no further than God’s promise to Abraham that God would one day bless the entire world through Abraham and his offspring (Genesis 12:2-3). God’s faithfulness to Abraham and this promise were fulfilled in the person of Jesus, a Jewish man and descendant of Abraham, who would offer grace and salvation not just to His own people, but to all who would respond to His call.

As Christians, we are told to be joyful, even in the midst of trying circumstances (James 1:2-4). That joy is rooted in God’s faithfulness, as expressed in the person, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s faithfulness is steadfast and unwavering despite our frequent lack of faithfulness and rejection of God for inferior idols. God’s faithfulness, being one of those loaded terms, should characterize our entire lives. With that in mind, one cannot help but proclaim, as the hymn does, “Great is thy faithfulness, o’ God my Father!”
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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This article has been read 228 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Linda Lawrence 
10/14/21
It looks like the much loved hymn: Great Is Thy Faithfulness will be sung in heaven! I've just started reading through the "Faithful" submissions and see two already that end with the same loved lyrics that are at the end of my own submission:-). We may not be original in our praise of our faithful Father, but we are in tune with one another and with the millions who have experienced His faithful meeting of our every need.
Terry R A Eissfeldt 
10/15/21
Such a beautiful devotional on the faithfulness of God.
Blessings
Philippa Geaney
10/17/21
I felt your commentary was well written in that it flowed easily, building on the point yet always holding my interest.
Great discussion, enriching.
Sue Botte 
10/17/21
Although this entry is every bit encouraging of God's care for us, and an ideal Bible study for a cell group, it did not hold my attention.

The first three paragraphs are entries on their own.

Personalizing one or two will make it more memorable.

Thank you and keep writing.