Faithfulness
Open Your Bible
Exodus 34:6-7, Deuteronomy 7:9, Deuteronomy 32:1–4, Luke 6:43-49, 1 John 1:5-10, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
BY Alena Pitts
God is faithful.
About two years ago, I would have called God anything but faithful. I had just lost my mom and my world was turned completely upside down. God didn’t seem far. He actually felt nonexistent. “He is faithful. He is faithful. He is faithful,” I would forcefully utter to myself, barely believing it, whispering it, down on my knees. As a 14-year-old dealing with the gravity of not having a mom, the words “He is faithful” did not naturally spill off of my tongue. But I continued to utter those words, praying that they would one day become real to me.
Trusting His faithfulness is one of the hardest things to believe about the Father. As humans who can’t see the full picture, we assume God has just stopped drawing it. When we can’t clearly see, hear, or feel Him, we assume He is not present. We believe He has left us.
I, for one, am grateful that this isn’t just a 21st-century feeling. Throughout the Bible, we watch God’s people doubt His faithfulness time and time again. Sarah doubted that God would fulfill His promise of giving her a child (Genesis 18:10–15). The Israelites felt abandoned and lived in disbelief about God bringing them out of Egypt and into a future in the promised land (Exodus 16:1–12; 17:1–7). And throughout the psalms, David continues to ask God why He has left him (see Psalm 22).
Thank God that we see their pictures and stories fully drawn out. Sarah did receive her promised son (Genesis 21:1–7), the Israelites made it into the promised land (Joshua 21:43–45), and God rescued David again and again (see Psalm 30). It turns out He is still working, even when He seems silent. Here’s the best news: God doesn’t remove His promises from us when we doubt. He is compassionate, patient, and understanding (Exodus 34:6–7). What a humbling thought!
Looking back now at the last two years of my life, I have experienced God’s faithfulness in an entirely new way. I didn’t see it then, but years later I clearly see His hand at work. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.”
Yes, God is faithful. His Word is true. And if we belong to Him, He makes us more like Him (1John 1:5–7). The Holy Spirit displays this faithfulness in and through us, which helps us to be faithful to God and to others (Luke 6:43–45).
My prayer for you is that our faithful, promise-keeping God would reveal Himself to you. That you would look back one month, five months, or a few years from now, and clearly see His hand on the canvas of your life. He is faithful, and by His Spirit, we grow in faithfulness.
Sixteen-year-old author, vocalist, and actress, Alena Pitts, recently made her professional acting debut in the 2015 film, War Room—the 6th-highest grossing Christian film in box-office history. She has since co-authored the three-book fictional series, Lena in the Spotlight, with her mother, Wynter Pitts, author and founder of For Girls Like You Ministries. Tragically, Alena’s mother passed from death to life on July 24th, 2018. While the loss has left them heartbroken, her family continues to tell Wynter’s story as an opportunity to share the hope they have found in Jesus Christ. Alena and her family reside in Franklin, Tennessee.
75 thoughts on "Faithfulness"
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God bless you Alena Pitts! And may He who is faithful continually surround you and use you to bring glory to His Name.
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Lori and Kelly, thank you for your kind words.
Happy Thanksgiving to the SRT community! -
Lindsay, I’m so sorry to hear your story. But this isn’t the end of it. I’m certain God is still “drawing the rest of the picture” as Alena so beautifully wrote. I’m praying for your family and for you especially. From one mother to the next, the Lord sees you. He feels your pain and is walking with you.
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Here is today’s (26th) reading “Gentleness” from He Reads Truth (it’s SO GOOD)
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:9-11 NIV, Matthew 11:28-30, 2 Corinthians 10:1-18, Titus 3:1-2, James 3:13, 1 Peter 3:13-17
I believe it was C. S. Lewis who once said that “humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” In a world where the individual self reigns sovereign, this is a profound challenge. I’d imagine that most of us think about ourselves far more often than we consider others.
Paul describes “gentleness” as the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, which has a direct tie to our consideration of others. To be gentle, one must be humble. If one is not humble, they will be self-absorbed and consider themselves superior to others. When you view others as inferior, it will manifest in actions that are aggressive, bitter, and angry.
As we search the Bible for the archetype of gentleness, the example of a shepherd should come to the forefront of our minds. The imagery of shepherding is interwoven in the scriptures as a metaphor for provision, protection, and guidance. More often than not, we tend to focus on the actions of shepherding—that is, leading the flocks through harsh environments, protecting them from predators. However, if we consider the motivation behind these actions, we come to see that a shepherd leads and protects the flock because he cares for them. Isaiah provides a good picture of a caring shepherd:
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young rest (Isaiah 40:11).In the ancient world, Bedouin shepherds knew every member of their flocks in terms of their birth circumstances, history of health, eating habits, and other idiosyncrasies. To know each member of the flock requires time and attention. A true shepherd demonstrates both strength and tender compassion. When Isaiah speaks of a shepherd who carries the flock close to his heart, we are given this imagery of tender reassurance, encouragement, and hope. Notice that the shepherd gently leads the flock by paying attention to their needs, and in doing so, aims to refresh the weary who are downtrodden from the wilderness of everyday life.
As we reflect on our own relationships in an effort to cultivate gentleness, it is important that we assess our disposition towards others. Are we gentle and self-forgetful, that is, placing the needs of others over our own? Or are we self-absorbed in such a way that we become bitter and angry when others’ needs get in the way of our own agendas?
Consider for a moment those whom God has placed around you. Who is burdened and needs support? Who is down and needs encouragement? Someone should come to mind. And your initial thought might be, “But, that will require a lot of time and energy on my part.” The good news is, because gentleness is from the Spirit, God will empower you to exercise His gift if you seek His help in prayer. As you finish reading this devotional, spend a few minutes asking God to soften your heart toward those He has placed on your mind. Ask Him to provide practical ways for you to serve them, and thus, walk in the Spirit of gentleness. In doing this, you will live according to God’s will and be conformed to the image of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
Written by Matt Capps
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I FOUND today’s reading (11.26.2020) “Gentleness” on the He Reads Truth website!!! Hopefully you all will be able to find it!! Happy Thanksgiving!!! Be BLESSED beyond measure today!!!
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I FOUND today’s reading (11.26.2020) “Gentleness” on the He Reads Truth website https://hereadstruth.com/2020/11/26/gentleness/ hopefully you all will be able to find it!! Happy Thanksgiving!!! Be BLESSED beyond measure today!!!
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Hmmm…same here Tina and Blessed Beth… I will also check back later… Happy Thanksgiving to all you beautiful sisters!!! May our day today be filled with unexpected blessings and love-filled moments ❤️❤️❤️
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Same Tina, will check later, Happy Thanksgiving
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