He is Faithful

I've had the opportunity to attend the monthly Public Scripture readings for the last year. During that time, we've been reading a book of the Bible each month, starting with Genesis. Most recently, we finished the book of 2 Kings. At this point, we've read through the almost complete account of Israel's calling, establishment, fall, and exile. We read as God created the world, Adam and Eve fell and were banished from Eden, God called Abraham and established his house through his descendants, the exodus from Egypt, Israel claiming the Promised Lands, and then within a few generations how they turned away from their covenant with God and worshiped idols. At the end of 2 Kings, they had finally reached the point of no return and were sent to exile in Babylon.

Over and over again, we read how God lovingly pursued His people, promised that if they obeyed His commands, they would prosper, and they turned away to other, more convenient gods. Adam and Eve chose knowledge over God. The Israelites chose golden calves and comfort. Later, they chose the idols of the nations around them. At every chance, they turned away. And yet, God never did. He never abandoned His people.

Why? Because God is faithful. He made a promise that He would provide a way to defeat sin. And no matter what the Israelites did, He remained faithful to that promise. Not because the Israelites deserved it -- clearly they didn't -- but because He loved them.

God's steadfast love goes hand in hand with His faithfulness. Reading through Psalms, we see the writers talk about this multiple times.

"Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds." Psalm 36:5

"For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds." Psalm 57:10

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." Psalm 89:14

"For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:5

"All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies." Psalm 25:10

"But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Psalm 86:15

"For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 117:2

And those are just a few of the Psalms that talk about his love and faithfulness. God is faithful, and He is steadfastly loving.

What's more, this faithfulness extends to us. It's easy to read the story of the Israelites and shake my head, thinking, "I would never do that." But the truth is, I would do that. I have done that. No, I don't make golden idols and pray to them. But my idolatry, my faithlessness, is still there. It's easy to overlook because it's disguised as seeking comfort, rest, or time for myself. Instead of relying on God to provide rest and comfort, I look for them in worldly things.

And just like with the Israelites, God is faithful. No matter how often I stray away from Him, He welcomes me back. More than that, He pursues me and brings me back to Himself. He reminds me that my needs and desires can only be fulfilled in Him.

So when you find yourself seeking fulfillment in something outside of God, remember that He is faithful. He is good to His word and will fulfill His promises to you. Ask Him to remind you of His faithfulness to you, and He will.