Whenever I’m at the beach, I think about how, since the dawn of creation, there’s never been a moment when the waves haven’t rolled in. My family spent Thanksgiving at the coast, and I awoke that first morning to the ocean’s roar outside my window. With this newsletter on my mind, it hit me. Those crashing waves were a powerful picture of God’s faithfulness: “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23). Like those waves that never cease to roll in from the distant horizon, God’s faithfulness is never-ending, dependable, unstoppable.

God’s unending faithfulness is particularly evident when contrasted with the unfaithfulness of his people. Psalm 106 rehearses the sad cycle of forgetfulness and rebellion that is repeatedly met by God’s compassion and covenantal love. That covenant, first made with Abraham and faithfully completed in Christ, is God’s pledge to make us his own.

“Faithful and True” (Rev. 19:11) is my favorite name for Jesus. Coming to Christ in my 20’s, I was drawn by the enduring truth of Scripture and Jesus’ absolute faithfulness. Fifty years later, I can testify: come what may, Jesus’ faithful presence and sustaining grace are enough. From raising and launching children to navigating the senior years, through illnesses and accidents, heartbreaking challenges and great joys, the Lord has been an unshakeable anchor. His faithful grip on me has been strong. We can rest in that kind of faithfulness.

So how do we translate God’s faithfulness into our lives? I think it begins with remembering and rehearsing. Psalm 106 demonstrates how Israel’s unfaithfulness began when they forgot what God had done for them. Sadly, we are prone to that same amnesia. Therefore, our faithfulness starts with daily rehearsing who God is and what he has done. An intentional focus on our Father through the Scriptures and prayer puts us in a position to reflect his faithfulness to a needy world.

What, then, does the fruit of faithfulness look like? It’s significant to note that the Greek word (“pistis”) translated “faithfulness” in Galatians 5 is the same word translated “faith” throughout the New Testament. “Faith [“pistis”] is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1). This fruit of the Spirit looks like faith itself—steadfast faith in the face of infertility, a cancer diagnosis, a life-changing injustice, a spouse’s betrayal, a prodigal child. If the fruit of the Spirit is intended to reflect the life of Christ in us, surely there is no more powerful witness than a faith that says, I trust God in even this.

But faithfulness also has a daily expression. Am I listening to and obeying God? Am I trustworthy and dependable in my relationships? Am I there for people in their times of need? Am I faithful in the small duties of life—changing diapers, getting to work on time, fulfilling commitments, being a good neighbor? And the list goes on. His faithfulness is the basis of our faith and subsequent faithfulness. May we keep “our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Libby Thomas

For the Ezer Newsletter Team

Take a moment to read Exodus 1:6-21.

Exodus begins with God’s faithfulness on display in the lives of his people. In this passage, we find two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, faced with a terrible command from Pharaoh. Instead of helping bring new life into the world, they are ordered to do the opposite. There’s no doubt that Shiphrah and Puah are aware of the promise God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So at great risk to their own lives, they trust in God’s bigger purposes and refuse to obey Pharaoh. Shiphrah and Puah choose life over death for Israel’s baby boys and become the Israelites’ first deliverers.

Read over this text again and consider the following:

1. In verses 17 and 21, it says that Shiphrah and Puah “feared God.” How do you think a holy fear plays a role in their faithfulness?
2. How does their decision have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the story of Exodus and Scripture as a whole?

Courtney Vaughn

For the Ezer Newsletter Team

1. Part of cultivating faithfulness is remembering who God is and what he has done. What examples in your own life or in Scripture can you think back on that can reorient you towards God’s faithfulness?
2. Has there been a time in your life when you’ve been faced with the choice of trusting God in “even this?” Consider how your choices have had or could have a ripple effect in your story and in others’ lives.
3. What comes to mind when you think of daily expressions of faithfulness? Bring these areas before the Lord and welcome him into them with you. After all, faithfulness is not the fruit of our to-do list, but the fruit of his Spirit.

Sara Brunson

For the Ezer Newsletter Team