“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 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. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:21-26, NIV
I have used this scripture once all ready in the last two weeks, but I am beginning with it again today for one reason: He is faithful! When everything else fails, He is still faithful! This week we are going to be focusing on faith, faithfulness, faith filled lives, and the reward of our faith. Are you ready for a faith filled journey this week?
This scripture has been a rock to me, literally. It has reminded to look back, make an account of all the places that God has been faithful to me. Then apply that to my present day or my future. Knowing that God is the same yesterday, today and forever I can rest assured that He will be faithful to me today and every day ahead of me. That isn’t a promise that things will go the way I want, but it is a place of confidence that He will walk me through whatever is ahead of me.
What is ahead of you today? Do you need to be reminded of God’s amazing grace and faithfulness in your life? Give an account, put it on paper, all the moments where his faithfulness has been evident in your life. When doubt overwhelms you or fear in the moment causes your heart to beat wildly, be reminded of His hand on your life.
Let’s work out our faith today by giving thanks together. I would love to hear how God has been faithful to you!
Today’s worksheet: handout 9_30_2013
Love being in the Word with you!
Cheryl J
Cheryl Jamison / For His Name's Sake 
His faithfulness is evident beyond life’s journeys for me. Outwardly, the testimonies go beyond usual, but inwardly my soul, and Spirit have been anchored to the point of assurance that creates joy. When hardships occur, His faithfulness has already give me a vision of victory. Words fail, but my heart knows it. Instead of a ship dropping a mighty and strong anchor, its more like a father that has me on His shoulders, Wherever He may move, I am already afforded the comfort of strength. Its is what moves me instead of the tide of life itself.
God has been faithful to me in so many ways, but one way actually ties in with last week’s lessons on forgiveness. I grew up with an alcoholic father who was emotionally and verbally abusive to us at times. I carried the pain and the scars of this for many years, even after his death. I lived with a victim mentality for a long time. But through counseling and God’s amazing faithfulness, I have experienced so much healing in this area. God revealed to me that my father lived his life in constant fear and depression, which he tried to mask with alcohol. I began to see him with compassion and forgiveness, instead of anger and resentment. This is definitely the short version of the story, but trust that God has orchestrated every step of the process. He has made beauty out of ashes in this area of my life, and so many others…too many to list here!
I, too, saw my father with new eyes when the Lord showed me he never knew unconditional love as a child so how could he give me something he never had. That knowledge opened up my heart to forgive my dad and reach out to him in love and, with God’s help, give him what he never had. Thank you for sharing your victorious story, Suzanne!
“It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
Thank you, Cheryl, for encouraging us to make a personal list of how God has been faithful.
Even though God has been incredibly faithful to me in every aspect of my life, my memory bank can slowly start draining when God challenges me with a “mountain” I have never climbed before…..especially when that climb doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. I have to confess, I am not a quiet waiter. Being the fix-it person that I am and acting in fear rather than faith, I try to solve it in my head, creating all kinds of answers for the Lord to do. How incredibly patient He is with His children, with me!! When I finally reach that place that everything I do is futile, I cry to the Lord, “Forgive me, Lord, and help me to bridge the gap between my fear and your faithfulness. Help me to surrender and rest in your unfailing love again. Help me to wait quietly for your salvation.”
I am so thankful that He is faithful….
Before I read this yesterday I was purposefully and fervently remembering God’s faithfulness and goodness – that alone is getting me through a ‘mountain’ that needs to be moved in my life. After reading this lesson I wrote down my personal list; my fears have lessened and my faith has grown. God is always with me even when I cannot see or feel His presence! Hindsight is 20/20 and I am overwhelmed when I remember how He has been so personal and specific in previous struggles.
As I look back over my life, His faithfulness is evident in every area – from jobs, to friendships, to leading me from MT to WA., to my husband, and daughter…the list can go on and on.
I can look back and see His hand on my life – all my life. Sometimes in the moment, but usually it’s afterwards that I see His faithfulness and the plan He had for me – which looking back, is ALWAYS better than my plan. I want to be a woman of Faith and He has grown my faith over the years. I’ve had to trust him with my future spouse, future children, and the future in general. I love when you said, “When doubt overwhelms you or fear in the moment causes your heart to beat wildly, be reminded of His hand on your life”. That’s something I’ve been doing a lot lately. Especially watching so many adoption laws changes and the huge slowdown in Korea. I’ve had to hold to Faith that our son will come home and that God is not only going to be faithful to us, but to our son as well.