Faithfulness

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.