This song has been sung repeatedly in church, and I'm absolutely hooked on it. The lyrics are just brimming with hope, and I feel so uplifted by them.
The chorus goes:
Faithful, You are
Faithful, forever You will be
Faithful, You are
All Your promises are "yes" and "amen"
The last line has stuck with me for the past few weeks. What a declaration. What a bold declaration.
It's a phrase we can speak over our lives no matter what our emotional or spiritual state is, no matter how far away from God we may feel. His promises stand true, and stand unchanged, even if the road ahead is murky and unclear, and even if we feel utterly lost.
What I heard on the pulpit this past Sunday shed further light:
“The fulfillment of God’s promises is not dependent on the level or quality of our faith, but on God’s faithfulness.”
It's not something I'm ignorant of, but it totally blew me away at that moment.
How many times have I felt like I could not go back to God anymore because I was so guilt-laden, because of my weight of sin?
God is faithful.
How many times have I thought "I need to pray more/read the Bible more/do this and that more" before I could be a "real Christian"?
God is faithful.
How many times have I felt like nobody really understood what I was going through?
God is faithful.
The beautiful thing about God's promises is that you receive it as you are, wherever you are. Not when you are a better (read: holier) version of yourself. Not when you have successfully met some imaginary quota of clocking in an hour of quiet time everyday.
The example that the pastor drew on to illustrate this point was the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah (Luke 5). While they were "righteous before God", Elizabeth was barren and without child. They were both "advanced in years" when an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and declared that Elizabeth would bear a son.
You would think that Zechariah would be totally amazed and grateful, but instead, he doubted. He questioned the veracity of the angel's words.
But despite his lack of faith, Elizabeth conceived a son named John, also known as John the Baptist.
God is faithful.
Wherever you are in your faith journey, whatever you may be going through right now - God is faithful. He promises a "peace that surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). He declares that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). He is "a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love" (Jonah 4:2). If I were to list out ALL His promises in the Bible... this post would go on forever.
Claim His promises over your life today. Respond to that deep inner tugging in your heart that is drawing you to Him. He hears. He cares. He loves you with an everlasting love. He understands your heart. He knows your burdens and your struggles. He is faithful.
xx,
iz
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a singaporean-canadian couple on serving God faithfully