Faithfulness: A Divine Connection

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But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
- Galatians 5:22, 23



Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning,
Great is Your faithfulness.
- Lamentations 3:22, 23



For we walk by faith, not by sight.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7




Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes
will He really find faith on the earth?
-Luke 18:8



For without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those 
that diligently seek Him.
-Hebrews 11:6

My beloved grand-daughter Olivia turned six months old yesterday.

My heart overflows with many blessings for this precious little one, and this month I want to focus on faithfulness, the seventh segment or facet of the single entity called the fruit of the Spirit.

Faithfulness means to be trustworthy or reliable.

The root word of faithfulness is faith, and in the same way, how faithful one is depends on how deeply rooted in God one's faith is, for faith is always received from God. We could never produce faith on our own.

When I look back at my life, I can aptly describe it as a  journey of faith. I know only too well what it means to receive faith as a gift, as an enabling and an empowerment from God. Definitely, I could never have generated it in my own strength.

Through the years, I have learned the necessity of staying rooted and grounded in God... to abide in Him... to stay connected... to continue receiving nourishment from Him alone.


When Jesus said to His disciples, "Have faith in God," He was not telling them to generate faith on their own, He was telling them to exercise the gift of faith that has been made available to them. 

This much I understand: the more I exercise faith in God, the stronger my faith becomes. In the midst of fear and uncertainty, I can choose to act in faith, instead of giving in to doubt.

The writer to the Hebrews gives us the perfect definition of faith:

Faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1

When the road ahead of me is dark, when the outcome of what I am hoping for is not sure, faith gives me the assurance that things will work out in my favor.

This is only possible if I know that the object of my faith is dependable, unshakable, unchangeable, immovable.

My faith is only as good as the object of my faith.

I may trust in people, but only to a certain extent.

Only God is worthy of my unconditional trust, for He alone is consistently dependable, unshakable, unchangeable, and immovable.

And when my faith in God is strong, I can also be faithful in my relationships... with God, and with others.

Graham Cooke, one of my favorite Bible teachers, says this:

"What God is offering us in the first place is His unchanging self, so that we can learn to be unchanging in the way we live our life. God is constant and unchanging in the way He deals with us. And He wants us to learn to be constant and unchanging to others, regardless of what they are doing."

So beautifully said!

Regardless of how our life circumstances are, regardless of how others treat us, Father God is giving us a model of what it means to be a man and woman of faith... someone who is constant, and dependable.

Today I bless my dear granddaughter Peaceful One with the quality of being faithful.

I fervently pray for you dear grandchild that you will get to know God as you grow up and learn what it means to put your trust in Him.

Abba Father, I pray that You will shape and mold this little girl's heart that she may know You as her faithful Father.

Precious child, I pray that your parents will model for you what it means to have a deep, abiding faith in God...

that you will grow up trusting God, and being trustworthy; walking by faith, not by sight...

that you will grow up to be consistent, someone whose word can be depended upon.

You will keep your promises.

You will be loyal in your relationships.

You will be unwavering in your faith.

Your spirit will be fed and nourished by the promises of God.You will grow up knowing what it is to trust His word. 

And as the years go by, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, your faith in God will become stronger.

I pray that you will be surrounded by Godly examples of abiding in Jesus Christ as the True Vine.

Yes, dear granddaughter, your faith in God will cause you to be fruitful.

I pray that Abba Father will look at your heart, see your faith, and be pleased. For the Bible says that "without faith, it is impossible to please Him."

Love always, 

Nana

Below are two of my favorite songs:

You Are So Faithful (Bob Fitts)

Like the sun that rises everyday

You are so faithful, Lord You are faithful

Like the rain that You send

And every breath that I breathe

You are so faithful, Lord.

Like the rose that comes alive every spring

You are so faithful, Lord You are faithful

Like the life that You give

To every beat of my heart

You are so faithful, Lord

I see the cross and the price You had to pay

I see the blood that washed my sins away

In the midst of the storm

Through the wind and the waves

You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful

When the stars refuse to shine and time is no more

You'll still be faithful

You'll still be faithful, Lord

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand