Faithfulness. What comes to your mind when you hear that word?
Is it joy, gratitude or sweetness? Or is there sorrow or even bitterness attached to it?
We, as humans, are created to crave relationships that are marked by faithfulness. As children, we long for a “best friend” who will be there for us forever. As young adults, we crave a relationship that looks just like the movies portray them to be—marked by undying love and devotion. And in marriage, we all (rightfully so) expect each spouse to remain exclusively faithful to one another.
So why, then, would I ask if there was sorrow or bitterness attached to such a beautiful and meaningful attribute? Because many times, we’ve been let down by people breaking vows to being faithful, whether it was as children, adolescents, or even as scarring as in a marriage.
We are all sinful, broken humans who are designed to crave a faithful and fulfilling relationship, and yet, because of our sin, we seem to keep finding so many incomplete and unfulfilling relationships here.
But I would not write all of this unless there was hope of a relationship characterized by the most unfailing and faithful love there is. But before I give you that hope, I must set up a scene for you. Imagine with me in your mind’s eye a people, tired and hungry, seemingly hopeless and weary, wandering in a wilderness. Their leader has left them for a time and hope of the God who had brought them out of the land they were captivated in is failing all too quickly. Their hearts aren’t satisfied, so they turn from their first Love, their Deliverer, their God, and worship a golden idol that had just been made from their own possessions.
If it were up to me, I’d be furious with these people, and feel justified to desert them. After all, they left me and so quickly turned to something else that their hearts wanted. Yet praise God it’s not up to me. God knew their sin, God knew their hearts had wandered from Him, and yet He still remained faithful to His covenant of love to them.
Were there consequences for their sin? Yes. But did God desert them? No. Not for a moment. He faithfully led the Israelites, His chosen people, out of the wilderness into the land He promised them. He faithfully protected His people, and promised them hope of a Messiah coming one day to save them. And after years and years of His people falling in and out of sin and faithfulness to Him, He remained faithful. And His faithfulness did not just stop at the Israelites. It did not just stop when He sent His Son to die and make atonement for sin. It did not stop when He promised He will come again to ransom His people home and make all things new.
His faithfulness continues. It continues to all people, not just Israel, but to anyone and everyone who would place their faith and trust in Him (John 1:12). Day after day, night after night. It continues to you and to me. No matter our faithfulness, He remains faithful.
Human relationships are meant not to fulfill us like God’s relationship is designed to, but they are to point us to Him. When faithfulness endures in our relationships to each other, we can praise the Lord for a picture of His faithfulness. And when faithfulness is broken with each other, we can praise the Lord that His is not, nor will it ever be, broken.
So take your brokenness to Christ. He promises in Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
That’s a promise. And He will be faithful to it.
Take your sorrow to Christ. He says that when we see Him at His return, our sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:22).That’s a promise. And He will be faithful to it.
And above all, take your heart to Him. He is faithful to hold it, to mend it, teach it, and protect it like no one else. Great is His faithfulness.
Abigail Houston is a writer, a friend and a sinner saved by grace. She is the founder of Melodically Memorizing which is dedicated to memorizing Scripture, one melody at a time.
