God's Faithfulness
Scripture:
3Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”
Hosea 6:3
Devotional:
I don’t know about you, but I am drinking in the sunshine that this time of year brings. I have been deliberately spending more time outside - walking at Green Lakes or just sitting on our deck in the shade of the trees. There is something about the sun that brings peace and joy. Lately, whenever the sun shines brightly, God reminds me of a time a few years ago that I was really struggling with something emotionally. The funny thing is, I don’t even remember what it was. I just remember the lesson God taught me.
One day, pretty early in the morning, I was driving toward Bridge Street in Fremont. I was in a pouty kind of mood, feeling sorry for myself, and wondering when God would come through with an answer. I remember exactly how I felt, even though I can’t remember what I was fuming about. Then suddenly, the sun started to shine through my windshield, and I quickly began to wrestle with the visor in our van to try to get it at just the right angle to block the stream of sunshine.
At that moment, I felt God speak to my heart, “I am more faithful than the sunrise.” Immediately, my perspective began to shift. When had He ever failed me? Never. When had He ever not come through? Never. Maybe He hasn’t always (or ever) done things on my time frame, but He has always been faithful to me, even when I have failed Him miserably. He is totally faithful - more dependable than the sunrise. Do you ever worry that the sun might not rise tomorrow? I know I don’t. I don’t even question it. So why do I question God, who is more dependable than the sunrise?
Interestingly, this scripture from Hosea is in response to Israel’s unfaithfulness. The very people of God had turned away from Him. But even when they failed Him, He was faithful. Even when they rebelled against Him, He was faithful. Even when He had to punish them for doing wrong, He still remained faithful. The ultimate example of this is Jesus. He is the embodiment of the faithfulness of God. When we could not save ourselves, he came to save us. When we were unfaithful, he remained faithful. When we fail Him, He longs for us to turn back to Him. He has even given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to stay faithful to Him! His faithfulness is beyond compare!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for your faithfulness! Thank you that you love us and are always faithful to us. Today, we turn our eyes to you, basking in the warmth of your light. Help us to release anything we may be worrying about. Remind us every day of your goodness and your faithfulness. Take care of those things that are weighing on our hearts. Teach us to trust in you. Help us to be faithful to you, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen!